(Part 3) Reddit mentions: The best hunting equipment

A rifle: I personally suggest the Classic Army KM10, but the KM12, Delta 10/12, EC1/2, and ISSC MK22 are exactly the same internally. G&G Combat Machines, like a G&G CM18 are also very nice and popular starter guns.

Extra mags: My personal favorite are G&P High RPS. They're pretty tight in most guns but are well priced, look nice, and feed well. They fit well in Combat Machines, but I've never tested with Classic Army. Some others that fit in Combat Machines, and probably Classic Army, are Ares Ameobas and PTS EPMs. For mid-caps you'll need a speedloader. For high caps, it's not needed.

Battery: I'd suggest a 7.4v Lipo or 9.6v nimh. If you're going Lipo, buy from Hobbyking. They sell decent batteries for cheap. I'm not sure the exact dimensions of the stock each uses, but this 7.4v 2000mah 15-25c would probably fit in both and run them fine. It has a huge capacity so it'll last a while. For a charger, the Imax B6 will do everything you need it to (Charge, discharge, some other stuff) and the price isn't bad. I'd also suggest a Voltage checker for Lipos. The Classic Armys will come with a 9.6v nimh and a shitty charger. For those, just get a new smart charger. The G&Gs have a battery bundle that'll give you a 9.6v nimh and smart charger.

Head protection: For eyepro, I love Pyramex. Pyramex I-force are my personal favorite, and the V2G-XP are very good as well. They're also rebranded by Valken and are known as Valken Zulus and Sierras. The One Tigris mesh mask is by far the best lower face protection I've used. Hard cover where you need it (teeth, nose, lips) and still covers your cheeks. It's also very comfy and lets you get good cheek weld, so you can see down your sights easily. I also wear a hat and Howard Leight impact sports

Gloves: Hand shots hurt. A lot. Some nice gloves like Mechanix M-pacts are a god-send in game.

chest rig: If you want to carry extra mags, the Condor Rapid Assualt is a nice and cheap way to carry them. 6 M4 mag pouches and a lot of MOLLE to attach other pouches. It's also super adjustable and can fit almost every body type.

BBs: I almost exclusively use Elite Force .28g Bio. They're just the best BBs I've used and aren't crazy expensive. You'll have to find a weight that's best for you (Maybe buy a sample pack?) but .28s are generally best in stock guns.

Camo isn't that important, but I love my LBX Combat Uniform. The shirt uses a thin-ish material in the chest and back which is great if you're using a plate carrier or chest rig, while the arms, and pants, are made of a thick material that really takes away the sting of BBs, but still leaves enough that you can feel hits. I also like having an outfit specifically for airsoft. The pants also fit knee pad inserts. All that being said, jeans and a hoodie are perfectly fine.

It's definitely enough for a nice knife, though you might want to go a bit higher for a great knife. The KaBar BK2 is actually designed with things like batoning (hammering the knife through wood as a kind of faux hatchet using another piece of wood against the blade of the knife as the hammer itself) or chopping. It's a bit over $60, currently available for $69 to be precise, but as long as you don't flat out abuse it (prying heavy things, for example) it'll serve you well and quite possibly for the rest of your natural life.

At a lower price, you can get the Condor Bushlore, which at $35 is a perfectly valid choice that will serve you well indeed.

For an even lower price yet, the Mora Heavy Companion is from one of those few cheaper knife companies that does incredible work. I wouldn't baton with it, honestly, but even if you did it'd probably hold up just fine.

At a more expensive range, the Ontario Rat-5 is an amazing bushcraft knife. The Fallkniven Pilot Survival Knife is also an amazing knife. The Benchmade Bone Collector is spectacular knife made in D2 tool steel, one of the better steels available at that price. Another amazing knife is the Spyderco Bushcraft made in O1 tool steel. Finally, the Benchmade 162 is a pretty amazing knife.

One thing you'll notice about all of these knives with the exception of the Pilot Survival knife and the BM 162 is that they're all carbon steel knives. Carbon steel is a lot tougher than stainless (with a few very, very rare exceptions I'd never trust a long knife to be stainless steel) with the trade off of being a lot more of a hassle to take care of, since it needs to be regularly cleaned and oiled.

If you want a fire starter, carry a magnesium fire starter. With the carbon steel knives, you can probably strike it against the back of the blade to create the sparks you'll want and if not (like with some of the coated ones) you'll be carrying the striker anyway.

For sharpening, you'll want to get a decent sharpening setup and start stropping. A couple of easy sharpening systems would be the superior Spyderco Sharpermaker (usually available on Amazon around the $50 mark) or the Lansky Sharpening system which while cheaper isn't as good. You could take the time to learn how to free hand it, but most casual users don't care that much because it takes a long time to get proficient at freehand sharpening. Stropping is running the blade against something like smooth leather (usually smooth leather, actually) to remove burrs along the blade of a knife made by use and sharpening and the restore a blade to a better edge without removing metal. Stropping allows for a level of sharpness unachievable by sharpening alone and extends a knife's lifetime by allowing sharpness to be achieved for longer without removing metal from the blade. To learn how to strop, watch videos on YouTube or check out guides from the sidebar of /r/knives.

Finally, if you want a whistle, just carry a whistle. If you want a mirror for signaling, carry a small signaling mirror or mirror polish the knife you buy (a process where you sand the blade with increasing grit level sandpaper until it shines like the sun and you can see yourself in the blade).

If you have any more questions, feel free to ask.

Cleaning Supplies/General Maintenance

I'm not going to put links to these, but it is useful to have some cleaning supplies for your press. Rubbing alcohol, paper towels, q-tips, dental picks, etc are nice to have around.

Grease is good to have for your press and some oil is good to put on your dies if you'll be storing them for a long period.



Press



Honestly, I’m a little hesitant to write this part. Presses are the single most costly part of a beginner reloading set up and can change the what else you buy. There is a lot to take into account when buying a press and if you’re a new reloader you can’t fully grasp all of those things yet. You don’t know how you prefer to reload or what might fit you best and choosing the wrong press can make you hate reloading while another press might make you a reloading fiend. Remember, you can generally sell your press for a good chunk of what you paid as long as it is in good shape. Don’t let it rust and you’re fairly safe.


>Single Stage Presses:


Single stage presses are the most basic type of press there is, it holds one die and one shell at a time. This means you’ll end up ‘batch processing’ or doing the same step to say 50 cases at a time before switching dies and running those cases through the next step. For example: Deprime/Resize all 50 cases, switch dies and prime all 50, switch dies and bell all 50, etc. Single stage presses are the slowest way to reload, requiring you to handle the cases multiple times and potentially dial in your die setting every batch. They are also the most stable presses, in that there is very little mechanical variation. This makes them wonderful for precision rifle loading.
Many people recommend you start on a single stage press. Handling your brass many times and getting to see the difference in 50 or 100 cases all at once is a great way to learn what works or not and gives you many chances to spot defects.
Most often I hear people worry about “out growing” their single stage press. Remember, you can sell it or use it as a dedicated depriming station. Many reloaders keep their single stage presses just for rifle loads. Keep in mind that presses that connect on both sides of the case will be stronger than C shaped presses. Compare the Lee and Hornady presses below.


Lee Hand Press $29.09


Lee Press $37.84


Hornady LnL Classic $134.89


>Turret Press:


The turret part of the press is above the brass and holds multiple dies in stations. You place a piece of brass and run it through the first station, then rotate the turret and run it through the next station. You continue this until you have a completed round, then start over with the next piece of brass. This is much faster than a single stage and allows you to do multiple reloading sessions without having to reset all your dies. Because there are more moving parts there is the potential for more variation from round to round. You can still make very accurate ammo on a turret press though, you’re average shooter will never be able to tell the difference between ammo made on a turret or a single stage.
You can still batch process with a turret press and I recommend it for new loaders. Again, getting a feel for reloading and what is/isn’t right is very important.



Turret presses usually have 3-5 stations, keep this in mind when buying as it will change your reloading process.


Lyman T-Mag $186.49


>Progressive Presses:


Progressive presses are cool. They hold 3-5 dies and just as many cases all in the various stages of being reloaded. More importantly, that guy over on arfcom said he can make 600 9mm rounds an hour with his progressive. Even their price tags are impressive. Since you don’t want to outgrow your press you might as well jump in with both feet and get a 5 stage progressive right away. Right?


Well, I’d say that depends. Remember way back up at the top when I asked you those questions? Here is where they really come into play. Progressive presses have a lot of things going on all at once. For instance this is my reloading procedure on my Hornady LnL AP press when loading 9mm. On every raise of the ram I listen for the primer popping out, check a case for a powder charge, watch the case activated powder charge moved into the full upright position, place a bullet, and feel for that bullet seating. When I lower the ram I watch the primer tray to make sure a new primer moves into place facing the right way, feel that it seated properly into the next case, make sure the completed round makes it into the collection bin, and place a new case into the shell plate. All of that happens in a second or two. That is a ton of stuff to watch for without a lot of time to do it. You need to be familiar with what all those things feel/sound like before you can do it quickly. If you can trust yourself to go slowly at first and really really try hard to learn those things while running one case at a time through the press, you can start on a progressive. Even when you feel like you’ve done it enough, I’d hold off a while longer to make sure you really have it down before moving to full on progressive loading. You’ll also need to move your case inspection to before you start the loading process as doing it during progressive loading defeats the speed increase you get from the press.
Remember, reloading is dangerous. Don’t bite off more than you can chew. No one will make fun of you for going with a single stage or turret when starting off. You can always sell and upgrade later and by then you’ll have more knowledge about what you want in a press. If you go spend several hundred dollars on a progressive and then don’t like it’s workflow you’re going to have a lot more invested you’ll need to change to move to a different press. If you are in the market for a progressive you need to determine what features you want. How many stations, auto indexing or manual, how expensive add-ons are, etc. While I don’t claim to be an expert on all presses, everything I’ve heard says you’ll want a Dillon, Hornady, or RCBS progressive. Lee is more of a bargain brand and I’ve never heard good things about their progressive presses. Progressive presses are already finicky creatures to set up, no need to add to that frustration.


Hornady LnL AP $449.99



RCBS Pro2000 569.99

I don’t have a link for a Dillon 650, but they usually run about $560-570 from what I’ve seen. If someone has a link I’ll add it in.
Edit: Dillon 650 $566.95


Review


Reloading is a wonderful hobby that you can spend hours and hours on working up a custom load for the best accuracy or making general plinking ammo. It is a serious hobby however and deserves attention and respect.


At minimum you’ll need the following equipment:



Manuals
Scale
Calipers
Press
Sizing/Decap die
Expanding die(for pistol)
Seating die
Shell plate
Chamfer Tool(needed for rifle)

Mora is coming out with two full tang knives soon, I'm not sure how soon you're wanting to purchase this knife, but if you've got time, Mora currently has a lot of really really cheap options for smaller companion knives that may not be exactly what you're looking for, but since they're like 10$ I had to say something about them, I have four and use them all more than any expensive knife I own.

The BK10 has many variations, a lot of which do come with secondary handle scales included, not sure what specifically you don't like about the scales, just thought I'd let you know.

The RD6 is a good option, I would consider the little things with this knife, Esee is supposed to be an upgrade from Ontario as its founder designed the RAT series by Ontario and left to make better knives. The Ranger series has a lot of options, and if you like all the small things about this knife (the pommel, grind, choil, thickness), I would look at smaller knives in the ranger series. I spend a lot of time using knives outside, and I always prefer a knife between 3-4". The RD6 is pretty massive, a lot of people buy an Esee 6 (similar size to the RD6) and say they can really only use it for dicking around. I have a Benchmade 162 and even that feels a little too big for me, and that's coming from a big guy. That's not to say you wouldn't be able to use it effectively, but there's a happy medium for outdoor fixed blade size, and this steps out of that medium. The RD4 is probably a much better option IF you like this design.

I came here to advise you to get an Esee instead of the ranger, but 5160 steel is a great steel and I honestly didn't know much about the ranger series. I don't know anything about their heat treat, and I do know that Esee's heat treat has a great reputation, so I would consider that if you're planning on really using the knife you purchase to it's fullest. I personally don't care for this style of knife (RAT, Ranger, Esee, Becker) because they all generally are flat grind knives with a coating (nothing wrong with flat grind its just a personal opinion), this coating is great to stop corrosion, at the cost of creating drag when working with wood. If you plan on cutting up a lot of sticks and making fires and whatnot, I would look at the Condor Bushlore, if you just want a companion knife to have with you, the RAT 3is much more cost effective than most Esee knives, and the difference is marginal. One of the smaller ka bar beckers, or the Ontario Tak 1are great options. I cannot find the RD4 on amazon, if you can find it somewhere else it is also a great choice.

A little late to the party... You are following the same trajectory as me. I'm just now expanding into fixed blades, but before you put the brakes on budget folders you should check out a few more options.

The Coast FX350 (9cr18mov, G-10, frame lock, 3-position clip) is a beauty for under $20. The BX315 (9cr18mov, rubberized handle, lock back) is great for wet work and is currently selling for just under $15—it has a sheath instead of a clip because the large rubberized grip doesn't slide in and out of pockets very well. The BX315 also has a little brother, the BX300.

If you like the Kershaw Link's profile then you should try a Flock (8cr13mov, FRN, tip-up clip) that's going for $15. It is a dealer exclusive that was poorly marketed and escaped most people's notice. Probably one of the best Kershaw deals going right now.

Spyderco's Spy-DK is currently selling for $30. It's a special non-locking model for Denmark knife laws. It's old school slip joint action but you get a N690Co blade that is a step up from their more expensive budget folders.

Back to fixed blades...

As I mentioned in another comment, Schrade is a good place to start for budget fixed blades—check out the SCHF36 Frontier for under $30. One thing to note is many fixed blades in this category are going to use 1095 steel which typically requires some maintenance, but most are powder coated to address this. Don't let 1095 scare you away from some nice options.

Now, I know you are looking for budget knives but there is a mid-range option that you may want on your wishlist. If you have an Ontario Rat folder (which you should) then you might want to compliment it with a Rat 3, 5, or 7. Like I said, I wouldn't consider Ontario fixed blades as 'budget' but they're a bargain compared to brands like Tops.

I hope this helps and have fun exploring, this rabbit hole runs DEEP.

I believe a 11.1V LiPo might be a bit too strong for a cheap AEG (Automatic Electric Gun) like the CM028, so for a beginner I'd recommend a 7.4V LiPo. Also important is to get a balance charger like the IMAX B6. If you don't use a balance charger, the battery may die or even burst into flames (since there is always a tiny risk of LiPos catching on fire even if you do everything right, store them in a fireproof container).

As for eye and face protection, a good and cheap combination are the Pyramex I-Force Dual Pane Anti-Fog Goggles at ~$16 and the OneTigris Foldable Mesh Mask at ~$15-17. You could play without lower face protection, but it's very easy to lose a tooth if you get shot in the face and replacing teeth is extremely expensive.

I personally use a paintball mask (the Dye i4 to be exact), because it's more comfortable and basically impossible to fog up, but a paintball mask is usually pretty expensive ($90-180) and won't be welcome at Milsim events.

If you have some money to burn (like $500+) and want to acquire really easily transferable skills (great demonstration of that here: https://youtu.be/qQDfwyUgtjg), you can go down the GBB (Gas Blowback) route. Those guns are more expensive to buy, spare mags are more expensive and they need routine maintenance, but training with and using them constantly will yield great improvement in your skill with real firearms because they function almost exactly like real firearms (if that's something you're interested in). And also GBBs are extremely fun xD

Or for a compromise between realism and budget, get an AEG rifle and a GBB pistol. Good GBB pistols can be had for as low as $100, a great budget choice here is the WE Glock 17.

The battery type in that gun is a 'nunchuck' type which exists out of 2 stick batteries wired together. Extra magazines depends on where you play and how trigger happy you would be:

• Fast play, Lots of shooting, 1h+ matches, get 1 or 2 extra Hi-Cap magazines (They contain more BB's (200+) and you have to wind them with the small rotor on the bottom of the magazine).
  
  
• Slower play, Milsim-like (I wouldn't advise this as your first experience in airsoft but I'll add it anyways, get a bunch of Mid caps (70-180 BB's) and a speedloader to fill them up as they don't make sound they could be useful for more sneaky gameplay.
  
  
• CQB, 20 min games, just use the Hi-Cap magazine you got with your gun, will be plenty of BB's for you to start with until you have chosen what you really want.
  
  If I'd be you, I'd just get the gun with a nunchuck battery (9.6V NimH or 7.4 Li-PO) (fits in the stock of the gun) and a decent smartcharger. Play some matches in your local fields (make sure you have some fields near you before you buy anything) and search for your favorite field and adapt your gear towards that.
  
  Accessories aren't a must have, but a nice grip (I prefer an angled one) could give you some good comfort. Also a simple sling will save you from dropping your gun by accident. A scope again depends on the environment you play in, if it's CQB get an open reflex sight it makes aiming so easy. If it's outdoor, get a red dot which could have magnification (prices go up very quickly!). Flashlights are useful but expensive, laser sights are forbidden in some countries like mine.
  
  But most importantly, get some good eye/face protection, some which have been repeatedly advised:
  
  
• https://www.amazon.com/Pyramex-I-Force-Sporty-Anti-Fog-Goggle/dp/B01GOR9756
  
  
• Dye i4 for full face protection (I have this one in particular and it never fogs on me, It's just great, just doesn't give you the realistic look some people are looking for. But it is great especially in CQB situations
  
  
• Revision desert locust for eye protection, I heard these are great against fogging up, they will cost you big aswell though if I am not mistaken (correct me If I'm wrong) as these are military goggles.
  
  
• A simple half-face mesh mask to go together with one of the 2 eye-protection suggestions:
  https://www.amazon.com/OneTigris-Comfortable-Adjustable-Protective-Available/dp/B01KT0HEW2/ref=sr_1_1?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1483779165&sr=1-1&keywords=onetigris+half+mask
  
  Don't go about and buy plate carriers / camo before you know what you actually want, this sport is a money drain, use your money whise is my last advise.
  

I think it depends on why you are reloading. There are a few benefits to loading your own ammo, and I think everybody that does it will agree that the biggest draw is just the hobby of it. It's fun to do and your results are palpable. First off, not all ammo is cheaper reloaded. It really depends on how much you shoot, what you shoot at, and what kind of components are you using. I personally reload for the accuracy advantage. This is mostly gained in a bolt gun, but semi-auto's can benefit too. That 30-30 too heavy for your girlfriend? You can load extra light loads for it, or extra hot ones it doesn't matter. However, unless you are hunting thick brush with that gun I would just buy factory ammo, shoot what? 40 rounds year? You can't get very good accuracy with a lever gun anyways so unless you are currently blasting through a ton of ammo it won't be a good caliber to start with.

Most AK's or SKS's suffer from week accuracy as well. These guns are best used with open sights. This caliber is what spam cans are all about. Buy a bunch of surplus and chop down a tree. But again, if you are hunting with it then by all means load your own. The small gains in accuracy translate to better payoff when the target goes from paper to fur. Also, military surplus ammo is unsuitable for hunting, you could buy hunting ammo, but loading your own will be better.


which leads us to the .300 BLK, or the 5.56. The 5.56 will be better at longer ranges, the .300's advantage is at close range against flesh. So if you hunt big game the choice is obvious. But if it's target shooting you want to up your game on the 5.56 will be the way to go.

And if you didn't already, go get the LEE reloading manual and keep it in the bathroom. Read the whole thing before buying anything else. Keep in mind that the book is a sales pitch for LEE reloading products, but it does a great job of explaining the processes. Once you have a press, you can get dies for all your calibers. I had a really good experience at my local gun shop on my first reloading investment. It was cool to have an actual human who has years of experience to talk to and pick his brain.

OK lastly, don't worry about your long term setup. Get the ball rolling and if you can score a sweet deal on something that can just get you going go for it. You may get laughed at at the range but using a lee hand press is cheap, and effective and is a fun way to slow down your shooting and focus on accuracy.

in my opinion, once you get above like ~$250, you arent really getting any better in quality. just different designs, brand names, etc.

my advice is get him a benchmade 940 and be done with it. thats easily the nicest and most popular "expensive, but worth it because its actually really really nice" pocket knife. that company has great customer service and warrenty as well - part of that price tag is the fact that at any point for the rest of his life, if anything goes wrong with it, he can just ship it off to benchmade HQ and they will take care of it and send it back for free. it's a great high quality pocket knife that he will have forever, unless he sells it.

if you think he might like something a little smaller and dressier, the north fork is the same caliber.

another option that's ridiculously popular is the spyderco paramilitary 2

these are all equally high quality knives that are great for every day carry. choosing between them is just personal preference really

You have a lot of good choices available within the $50 range. My personal two top choices for a small, inexpensive but well built folder would be the Ontario RAT 2 and the Cold Steel Tuff Lite. Both are under $30, easy to carry, and very capable. If you want more of that traditional look, go with the best Case model you can afford. Great Eastern Cutlery is really nice too for traditionals, but a bit more pricey. Another option might be an Opinel, classy and inexpensive.

If you really want a monster sized knife, sure. But I'd definitely get the carbon steel version that some others have suggested as well. It sounds like their quality isn't too bad.

However, I don't know if I'd really want to take something that huge hiking. Maybe SHTF-type hiking I suppose.

A couple of knives that I'd think would be similar priced or less (and have proven reputations) and would slightly more practically fall into the "only 1" category:

• Ka Bar Becker BK2
  
• Ka Bar Becker BK16
  
• Condor Bushlore - there are other Condor models that are great values as well, but might need a little touchup love.
  
• Morakniv - there is even one with a firesteel built into the handle
  
• ESEE 4 (this might be a tad more expensive)
  
• Ka Bar Becker BK7 or BK9 if you really want a huge knife, but I would definitely consider something smaller to piggyback on the sheath.
  
  Good luck regardless!

Well, it's not made in the USA, but this knife from Kizer is a pretty outstanding value for your budget.

Might not seem like an upgrade, but the Crow 2 and Raven 2 from Spyderco's Byrd line are made from very nice materials.

The next step up in Spyderco would be the Delica.

A good made-in-the-USA model would be the Kershaw Leek.

There are a bunch of good options out there in your price range, so happy hunting!

I feel your budget pain! I was lucky enough to get into reloading during a rare time in which I could go further in debt up to my eyeballs, but even I need to cut corners as much as I can while I concentrate on preparing for post-election shortages. At your budget level I'm going to disagree with the other commentor who recommends dial calipers; $10 digital calipers from Harbor Freight or eBay are decent and will serve you well for a few years.

Your plan fails at primer installation. Neither the hand press nor the Ultimate Rifle Die Set (good choice, IMHO) is provisioned for priming. You'd need to get a Ram Prime die or some sort of separate primer such as a hand primer (avoid the Lee hand primer because it uses proprietary shell holders).

I recently added the hand press to my collection. The hand press is nowhere near as large or heavy as its photos make it look. It's a light-duty, dinky little thing. I'm glad I have it but I wouldn't want to use it as my main press, just as an accessory. It's ok for decapping when primers aren't in too tightly, but some cases have been more difficult and I have to lay it down and repeatedly slam it (putting my fingers at risk, there's not a lot of finger clearance). I was thinking of finding appropriate pipes to use as cheaters.

IMO its best uses are light-duty decapping (using a universal decapping die or a larger caliber's sizer/decapper; NOT the sizer/decapper from your caliber's die set) and Ram Prime usage while sitting on the couch, and mobile bullet seating at the range when you have already sized/prepped the cases at home. I would not want to use it to size .308win cases, that's for sure! Some can be tough even with my Rockchucker Supreme.

For almost the same price you can get the 90045 Lee Reloader (not to be confused with the Lee Loader), a disposably-priced but (reportedly) well-built simple single stage C-press. Bolt it to a block of wood, then clamp that to the kitchen table or your desk (or the bench at the range) when you want to use it. (You'll still need either a Ram Prime or a hand prime tool.)

(Edit: I missed where you commented on your furniture clamping worry. You can clamp it without leaving a mark. Harbor Freight's cheap bar clamps have nice rubbery plastic covers, and you could place another block of wood, even plywood, on the underside to spread it out even more, and you could even sandwich in some rubber or plastic.)

Yes, always choose carbide dies if they are available. They aren't that much more from Lee and they save time/effort, which you'll appreciate especially since it sounds like you'll be tediously hand-cleaning all your cases. Does Lee offer carbide .223 dies (or does anyone else offer them at a similar price)?

Immediately get at least a cheap $15 digital jeweller's scale that measures in grains. The dipper is convenient but you shouldn't do without a scale of some sort.

Once you get into the swing of it, 1000 cases won't seem like as big of a time investment as you thought...though a tumbler would help. Do you have a treadmill? If so, you can use a $1 barrel from Dollar Tree, $4 Hartz corn cob bird litter (though finer media might be more pleasant with .223), and a glob of car polish or whatever similar stuff is handy. Place barrel on treadmill, block the end with something heavy (or turn treadmill around so open end is against a wall) so the barrel can't roll off, and run treadmill at 1.5mph for 90 minutes...cases come out sparkling clean.

Also, I'm not sure if you'll save much/any on the .223. As someone else mentioned, steel-cased (with allowed bullets) can be pretty cheap -- cheap enough to pay for the extra barrel wear twice over.

Of all the reloading components, bullets are most expensive (you already own the brass) and disappear fast. If you get into casting and can source scrap lead then you can definitely save money on .223, but casting is even more equipment investment (financially, and your limited space, plus you ought to do it outdoors).

Gun:
G&G CM16 is solid. It has rails, is pretty light, and is suitable for CQB. Get him a couple of hi-cap magazines, 9.6v butterfly battery and smart charger to go with it and he's set gun wise.

Eye and Face pro:
I really like my Pyramex I-Force, never fog, low-profile, and meet the ANZI impact requirements so his eyes will be safe. The OneTigris mesh mask is really comfortable and will protect his face and more importantly his teeth. There are some that clip onto FAST and BMP helmets as well. Small version and one with ear-pro attached.

Honestly if he holds the barrel, there's no need to spend money on a grip, you can always go back and buy it later if he wants it. Same goes for the other equipment and attachments, stick with the basics and make sure he likes it before heavily investing.
A lot of people stand by Just Airsoft Ammo for BBs. Only use .2g BBs at the minimum. .12s and cheap BBs will mess up the gun's internals and may shatter on impact, potentially seriously injuring the person who was shot.

Hey /r/knives, I got my CRKT Triumph from the sellout.woot sale a few days ago and I've gotten to do the initial unboxing and "tee hee, knives" play period. Here's a full Imgur album with all the pics (I'll reference a few of them in line). CRKT's Triumph Page.

First impression: It's freaking huge! I lined it up with some of my larger knives here. From top to bottom these are:

• Kershaw Leek
  
• Spyderco Vallotton
  
• CRKT Triumph
  
• Benchmade 950 Rift
  
• Spyderco Police 3
  
  Second thing I noticed was that the assisted open was really aggressive. When you flip the blade open you can actually hear the spring(s?) twanging inside after the blade is fully deployed. There was actually a brief second of worry about if the blade was going to go flying off/out of the handle. However if you're the type who likes everyone in the room to know that you just opened up your knife, this is a good choice. The "SNIKT" is pretty loud.
  
  Other things - the G10 scales were in a weave pattern which you can see here. This was probably one of the "grippier" feeling G10's I own. In fact the weave pattern made it feel like the scales were rubbing off and leaving dust on your hands - it wasn't, but it felt like touching fine grit sandpaper. I haven't done any hard work with the Triumph, but I get the feeling that this handle might actually get a little uncomfortable with bare hands and heavy usage.
  
  The lock system is one I'm not a huge fan of. In the picture above you can see a little red circle just behind the blade. You have to pull that small lever back before you can depress the lock and close the knife. It makes a one-handed closure difficult (not impossible, just unwieldy).
  
  Thickness - it's on the same level as the Vallotton, so a bit too large for me to consider a comfortable EDC, but others may like those larger knives.
  
  All-in-all I like the knife as a part of my collection. If you bought it on Woot, the price was around $45 (MSRP: ~$80-90), and for that price, I consider it a good buy.

Morakniv makes some great budget fixed blades, some are quite small and most have a general utilitarian use. Here's a model for less than $17 and these have built a really good reputation for value and hard use.

However, maybe that isn't quite what you're looking for. Maybe you want something thicker, more substantial? Continuing with fixed blades is the ESEE 4P which before shipping is $99. Another option would be the Ontario Knife Company's RAT-7 for currently $63. Being an avid knife collector, I have maybe 150 total knives total. That said, I think if I had only 1 knife to take out with me and feel secure in doing so, the Kabar/Becker BK7 would be it. For ~$78 new on Amazon, it's just a big hunk of steel (1095 steel specifically) that can tear through almost anything you put in front of it from wood to meat to a car door panel lol. I would recommend looking into some customization for it for a couple for reasons. The black plastic handle scales that it comes with are not so great. This can be resolved by using a bike tire inner tube mod OR just grabbing those ~$40 micarta scales that the link suggests below the photos of the knife itself. The sheath is definitely serviceable for your needs, but you may eventually want to upgrade it to a kydex sheath, or even a leather one if you really like leather. Finally, the coating that's on all of the Becker knives has the benefit of protecting the blade very well but the cost is a lot of friction and eventually that coating will wear off and it'll look different. Many modders just strip that coating off and blue or force patina it and frequently oil after use. Or go the other route and spend hours up front polishing it to a mirror polish and now you have a knife that will look really Bowie-ish.

I had an Ontario RAT-5 for a while. About the same size as an ESEE 5, but with a thinner blade and full-flat grind. The handle was uncomfortably bulky and although it held up to my abuse, I just didn't like it. The blade was thin enough to do finer carving tasks, but it was too wide and the edge profile was terrible. I ended up using my Mora knife and Fiskars hatchet more and the RAT-5 was relegated to batoning duty and even in that I preferred the hatchet. In fact, I carved my first bow drill kit with that Fiskars.

I was considering stepping up to an Ontario RAT-7, but instead I traded the RAT-5 for a KaBar Becker BK7, which is a BEAST of a knife. Longer than an ESEE 5, but just as thick and with a similar profile. It really impressed me with the amount of work it could do and how easy it was to use, but it was heavy and just too fat to do anything but chop and split, so again, I was using my Mora and hatchet for most stuff.

I finally decided to try a different direction and traded the BK7 for a much smaller ESEE 4. Around the same time I bought a Bahco Laplander, and I am in love with this combo. The Bahco eats through 1-2" branches with ease (while generating plenty of sawdust for tinder) and the ESEE is just long enough to baton them into kindling and carve up some feather sticks. The best part is, the ESEE 4 and Bahco together weigh about as much as the BK7 in its sheath, and take up about as much space, but they are FAR more versatile.

I realize the ESEE 4 may be just out of your price range, but Kabar makes a similar knife called the BK16. However, the ESEE comes with a lifetime warranty.

I still take my Fiskars with me occasionally, but for weekend camping, I can process plenty of firewood with the ESEE and Bahco faster than I ever could with any of the bigger knives. If I needed to build a shelter or was venturing into unfamiliar territory, I'd want the hatchet because it's such a capable tool.

The ESEE 5 was designed for downed pilots who can't fit a hatchet or folding saw into their kit but may need to build a shelter, so they made it big and heavy. I understand first hand that big knives are appealing and certainly have their strong points, but their size, weight and thickness can make them difficult to use in a lot of ways and in reality, a big knife will never chop as well as a decent hatchet, because the knife's weight is centered just above the handle, not directly behind a huge wedge that drives into the wood. What you really want in a survival knife is versatility and I've spent a lot of time, money and energy figuring out that size doesn't add versatility.

Top: Remington 870 Tactical Express with BLACKHAWK! grip/stock and Mesa Tactical Shell carrier/rail.

Left: Ruger SR22 - most recent purchase and loving it.

Right: Walther PPQ M2 - first purchase with it's amazing trigger.

Bottom: Basic Ruger 10/22 with Tapco Intrafuse Tactical Trainer stock, Magpul Angled Foregrip, Ultimate Arms red dot, SpeedBeez auto bolt release and flash hider.

This is the third stock I've tried since snagging the Ruger 10/22 and I think I like it the best. Previously I had it set up with a scope and a dragunov-like stock and bi-pod. I like it better this way.

Cold Steel Tuff Lite, this is a good utility knife though the cutting edge is pretty tiny

https://www.amazon.com/Cold-Steel-CS20LT-BRK-Tuff-Lite/dp/B006YBW6MY


Honey Badger medium, it's more expensive than $25 but it's quirky and very good IMO. The large and small versions aren't quite as good as the medium.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CPNZ7C8/


SRM Land 910 Plus, ignore the "sharpener" it's junk. This is one of the best knives you can buy IMO but they're getting discontinued

https://www.amazon.com/Folding-Sharpener-Tactical-Outdoor-Sharpening/dp/B07BGC4RDH/

The Tangram Santa Fe is good as well but I liked the SRM better.

I don't know if this is what you were looking for but this knife matches most of your criteria and price range: http://www.amazon.com/Gerber-31-000751-Survival-Ultimate-Serrated/dp/B003R0LSMO/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

It is $32 on amazon but $60 in all my local camping stores. The blade steel is alright, nothing spectacular but for the money it's a good knife. I like mine. The serrated edge will come in great for cutting line quickly. Plus some of the safety features are great for a backpacking knife such as a whistle, a sharpener, and a fire starter. It also comes with a survival booklet. I doubt your brother needs it, but hey, never hurts to read up on some stuff.

The axis lock that benchmade uses is easily one hand open, you pull the little silver nubs in the handle to release the blade into a free swing, then release to lock it open. Skip to 5 mins in. But the leek is so different from a lot of knives that your best bet is stick with it, maybe go for a composite leek with better steel if you ever feel the itch for a new knife. That said, your leek is a solid knife snd the sog is good for your beater knife as well. Upgrading is a matter of choice now.

Got a blade material are you looking for? (stainless steel or carbon)

Blade profile? (drop point, tanto, spear, clip)

Blade grind? (Flat, Saber, Scandinavian, or Hollow)

Off the top of my head:

Becker BK16 - flat 1095Cro-Van

Esee Camp Lore PR-4 - Saber 1095

Esee 4P - flat 1095

Esee Izula - flat 1095

Morakniv Bush Crafter - Scandinavian 1095

Morakniv Garberg - Scandinavian 14C28N

Cold Steel Master Hunter - Flat VG1 in San Mai

​

FYI The ESEE brand has perhaps the best lifetime warranty of fixed blades. Return and they will replace with no questions asked policy. It is also transferable so they do tend to keep their value over time. Tactical Intent is a verified seller on amazon. At that price range you can get a pretty great knife.

Hope this helps!

My primary loadout is BOOMco based and used in HVZ. It's always been going through an evolution of sorts so this is the latest iteration. I use this loadout during long games even if it slows me down a little.

• The Twisted Madness This blaster needs no secondary as jams are not an issue and I have a front gun for taking well placed shots.
  
  
• This chest rig This was the latest change and with this rig I can carry four 40rd clips and keep spare darts on hand very easily.
  
  
• I carry five 40rd clips and a slew of spare darts for topping off clips or refilling the front gun.
  
  
• The air tank for this blaster is in a seperate generic backpack. I keep a tire pump in my car if I need to fill the tank back up. It has a shot capacity of 700 shots and has never run out so far.
  
  My accuracy loadout or the one I primarily play in skirmishes or if I have a squad I can really count on. When I don't want to miss my targets I run this loadout. It also much lighter than my main loadout so I can stay on my feet longer and move much faster. This loadout has an engagement range that is about 20-30 feet greater than my main loadout but doesn't have the same RoF. This is the funnest loadout I have.
  
  
• My primary is a double springed Breakflip using modified 20rd mags. I keep this blaster on hand but isn't what I use most often.
  
  
• My secondary is cut down double springed Halo M6. This 100fps blaster shoots lasers and is the first blaster I start an engagement. I shoot this one first when the target is in the 40-60 foot range. It's usually a 50/50 shot. If I miss then I grab my primary and the real fire fight begins.
  
  
• This chest rig I use this chest rig as well because it holds BOOMco clips so well. I can carry three modified 20rd clips, one unmodified 40rd clip, and a slew of spare darts to keep the DS-M6 firing for days.
  
  
• I run with four modified 20rd clips so they have just a little bit more punch and distance, and one 40 rd clip. I break out the 40 if I anticipate a substantial number of shots are going to be used and range won't be as important.
  
  If I want to run Nerf I make sure I bring the firepower. None of my BOOMco loadouts can bring the heat that this one can. This loadout is also very light as the rig I use is very minimalist and the blasters are compact.
  
  
• Primary is my OJ Stryfe. 180-3240 motors running on a 2s lipo. Fully rewired of course. Made to look as stock as possible. I have expanded the jam door to allow for loading while the clip is in. This blaster has great RoF and FPS which is why it has more heat than either of my other primaries. It is the bridge between the two.
  
  
• Secondary is a OMW kit Firestrike that has been rewired to use real LEDs and provide useable light.
  
  
• This chest rig. I can carry six 18rd mags very easily in this rig and it is not very cumbersome.
  
  
• I run seven 18rd mags and keep more darts in a dump pouch to keep myself topped off as well as quickly pick up darts.

Ok. Keeping in mind that I'm US-based, I'm linking to US-based sites. Everything should be available through UK/European sites as well, I just don't know them as well(I'm assuming you're UK/European-based due to the currency). I'm also not including BBs into the initial cost, as I consider those to be a consumable item and tend to factor those into cost-of-play per day of playing.

Gun: I like this G&G Raider Shorty. $150. Alternatively, This CYMA AK is a good option as well, and comes in at $128.

Battery Charger: This is what I use $33

Battery: This one should fit both the Raider and the AK. Important note: If you're using lipos, and the gun is stock, you'll need to use a 7.4v lipo. The 11.1vs are going to shred your wiring. $13

Lipo Sack: You'll need one for charging your batteries $7

As an alternative, Amazon has a package deal for $40

Eye Protection: I like these Pyramex i-Force goggles $16

Face Protection: One Tigris makes this mask $16

Magazines: AK style Mag for $10/each or AR-style for $12/each. I'd recommend getting one extra for starters, and then get more as time and budget allow.

Belt: My normal choice would put you out of your budget, so there's this one that I've never used before that's normally $9, or there's this one from Condor that's $15.

Pouches: It's gonna depend on which rifle you choose, but there's this AK-style that's normally $9 or this AR-style also normally $9.

Almost forgot, barrel cover: It's generally considered good etiquette to have one of these on your gun when not in-play, and mot fields here in the US require them when not on an active field $2

Total Cost for AR-style: $254USD bundling where possible(you could save a little by not getting the belt for now. If you normally wear a belt, just attach the mag pouch to that belt. That'll bring the cost not on-sale to $245USD). Total Cost for AK-style: $230USD, also bundling where possible.

Personally, I'm more of a fan of ARs, but I'd go the AK route and spend the extra $$ on either a third magazine, or an extra battery.

As I'm thinking about it, a second important note on lipo batteries: charge them with the small white connector on the battery, NOT the one that connects to your gun. It might explode if you try to do that.

Hope this helps you out.

Quick suggestions:

CRKT SS Eros ($37 on amazon, neat flipper, light, but tiny)

Spyderco Dragonfly 2 ($48 on amazon, the popular "little big knife" option, comes in other flavors, I prefer the Cat though)

Spyderco Cat ($41 on amazon, often my choice for Chicago or Boston carry, at least when I'm not carrying a Tuff Lite)

. . . and one more that's far superior to the other three in utility, but that is perhaps less easy on the eyes:

Cold Steel Tuff Lite ($29 on amazon)

I'm going to recommend a folder just b/c he'll probably carry it more than a fixed blade. If he's going to use it for cleaning game, I would recommend something with pillar construction (two slabs for the handle, spacers in between) so that he can easily rinse out the mess. If you want a quality knife, it should have quality steel and quality handle materials. G10 is great, Titanium is great, and Bone is really expensive with those prerequisites. With that in mind, I offer spyerco sage 1, spyderco sage 2, spyderco paramilitary 2, DPX HEST, zero tolerance 0200, and the spyderco military. The military is slightly over budget but it's pretty sexy.

Gloves, use them for a very long time, not too much protections, but super comfortable and durable

Mechanix Wear - M-Pact Coyote Tactical Gloves (Large, Brown) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007INZVHO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_mXfNzbFFTD9T9


Mask, has soft sides, really easy to aim down the sights with it



OneTigris Foldable Half Face Mesh Mask Military Style Comfortable Adjustable Tactical Lower Face Protective Mask 9 Colors Available (Green) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KT0HESQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_dYfNzb5TWRBWP

Pyramex I-Force or V2G-XPs are great. I own a pair of both and love them.

If you're a fan of your teeth a mesh mask is definitely a good thing to get, especially if you're fighting in CQB at all. I recommend the Striker V1 from Evike or the OneTigris ones.

I strongly believe if you are serious in becoming a knife collector - you should start low and gradually advance till you reach the peak.

Saying that because I've known a lot of guys that went for the CRK Sebenza as their first knife, didn't understand why the hell it costs so much and burned themselves out of the hobby.

I usually recommend getting the OKC RAT 1/Spyderco Tenacious as a first knife, but in this case I'd say go for the US made Spyderco Paramilitary 2 (was voted the best overall knife in the recent poll) or if you like something Japanese - the Mcusta Katana is a great option.

The spyderhole cutout on the liner makes a pretty good choil. It works better than I thought it would for sure. I do think it'd be nice with a forward choil like other spyderco models but it isn't a dealbreaker for me.

Amazon warehouse had the Techno for $150, so that's roughly two $65 dragonfly zdps. (if you can find a new zdp dfly2 for $50 please lmk!) The amazon new price is $161. My apologies to your wallet ;)

Nope. Here's a handheld press that I use. You can buy all the dies from Amazon too!

LEE PRECISION 90685 Cast Iron Reloading Hand Press Only (Red) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000NOQIFO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_HhhCDbCQJAH2R

Feel free to pm me if you have questions whenever. Best of luck!

Nylon fabric on the outsides with mesh in the middle, yes.

One Tigris makes then, you can buy them on Amazon here. Not quite as breathable as a full mesh mask, but fits way better, is more comfortable, and makes aiming down sights way easier. Really cheap too!

The Lee Classic Loader that you chose, says not for semi-autos since it doesn't full length resize. It just sizes the neck. I would get something like this instead:

http://www.amazon.com/Lee-30-06-Pacesetter-Dies/dp/B00162NUS0/

http://www.amazon.com/Lee-Reloading-Press-Md-90045/dp/B002SF4X5I

You would need to swap out the dies between operations but this way you could control variables. I'll check back later today with more suggestions.

BTW, my Garand is a CMP Field Grade H&R circa 1953. Stock is a little beat up but metal is great and she's a great shooter.

Better to just get a face mesh like the OneTigris half face mesh. They're comfortable, breathable, and inexpensive.

As for the gap between goggles and mask, the chances of you getting shot there are pretty low. Just more incentive for you to keep moving!

I picked up the Condor Bushlore knife w/ Micarta handle last month right before I went elk hunting. It worked out really well. I used it to debone two elk quarters while it was snowing. The micarta handle did not get slick even when wet and it handled meat/wood/random camp jobs with ease. I also carried it on my belt for 20 miles over 4 days in it’s leather sheath and it stayed secure with quick access when I needed it. My only con is that the knife blade was a little short for some of the field dressing jobs but that’s why you carry multiple knifes! Otherwise it will definitely be my primary knife for camping this summer and my next hunting trip. Great knife for $65. I was looking at an ESEE but they were too expensive.

https://www.amazon.com/Condor-Tool-Knife-60005-Bushlore/dp/B003D9ORT0

I'm a big fan of Condor's carbon steel knives. Scandi grind, well made and the price is great.

This one with the micarta is quite a bit more than the wood, but it's pretty sweet.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003D9ORT0/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

My comment was written with most everyday people in mind. They're mostly sharpening bad 440C kitchen knives and don't want to spend a lot of money. Another big thing is that your average person in the kitchen doesn't even know just how sharp a knife can get. The average guy is usually okay with a good working edge. I was recommending the honing rod and the Lansky system because they're inexpensive, easy-to-use, and they last a long time. Plus, most people are never even going to need a Lansky. That's already more advanced than most want to get.

If you have good knives though, everything changes. If you're a knife guy, then yeah absolutely you need to have a more sophisticated sharpening system.

We're both knife guys, so you'll probably agree that it all really depends on which knife you're using.

There are so many factors that go into it.

How thick is the knife?
What's the blade length/shape?
What's the steel?
What's the grind? Convex? Hollow? Full-Flat Grind? Scandi? Sabre?
What's the angle on that grind?
What type of knife is this?
What kind of edge do I want to put on it?

I personally just put a convex edge on most of my knives, so all I really use is a strop and a handful of compounds. For everything else I just use an Apex Edge Pro.

different option, but soemthing like this?

https://www.amazon.com/OneTigris-Comfortable-Adjustable-Protective-Available/dp/B01KT0HESQ/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1487350024&sr=8-2&keywords=mesh+mask


only mesh over the mouth the rest is like a cloth mesh and padding bit easier to get a cheek weld and it "auto-shapes" to your face. worth a look or consideration.

I bought this exact sight about three years ago. Parallax isn't great, but it's better than most cheap sights. Reticles are nice and bright, almost no ghosting,and nice and open. 30 bucks shipped.

https://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Arms-Gear-Tactical-Weaver-Picatinny/dp/B003NFI092/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1473994271&sr=8-1&keywords=ultimate+arms+red+dot

Yeah...a Lee press is like $30. https://www.amazon.com/Lee-Reloading-Press-Md-90045/dp/B002SF4X5I/ref=sr_1_1?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1504265516&sr=1-1&keywords=lee+reloading+press
Lee RGB Dies are $20. You'll save a lot of headaches.
https://www.amazon.com/Lee-Precision-308-RGB-Die/dp/B000NOSH1W/ref=sr_1_3?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1504265559&sr=1-3&keywords=lee+RGB
Shell holder https://www.amazon.com/Lee-Precision-R2-Shell-Holder/dp/B00144I7BK/ref=sr_1_4?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1504265597&sr=1-4&keywords=lee+shell+holder
Case trimming......If you really want to do it the ghetto way, you can use a piece of sandpaper, laying it flat on a table and rubbing the case mouth in a consistent manner on the sandpaper. Alternately you can use a coutersink bit from Home depot and just hog off the excess brass with a hand drill. Trim die is probably your next cheapest option.
https://www.amazon.com/LEE-90231-308-QUICK-TRIM/dp/B00FORZS2E/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1504265346&sr=8-4&keywords=lee+quick+trim
Digital scale like this is alright....just check it with a known value each time you use it. Use a bullet or a pellet gun pellet or something. If you're using a middle burn rate powder like IMR4064 or Tac or something...you have to be pretty far off...by probably ten grains... before it gets dangerous if you're going for a middle of the road charge. Consistency is more important for accuracy.
https://www.amazon.com/Ascher-Digital-Back-lit-Display-Weighing/dp/B01IXHSPDK/ref=sr_1_10?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1504265087&sr=1-10&keywords=digital+scale.
Simple ram type primer....or just use the priming function of the lee loader you already have....
https://www.amazon.com/LEE-LP90106-Lee-Precision-Prime/dp/B00162UGQE/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1504265432&sr=8-5&keywords=lee+priming+tool
And then a set of calipers to check your length
https://www.amazon.com/YKS-Composite-Vernier-Digital-Caliper/dp/B01DXAFZ94/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&qid=1504265810&sr=8-12&keywords=calipers

I am gonna elaborate a bit on the lee press thing.

If I count my presses by brand I have 3 by Lee, 1 by RCBS and 1 Dillon.

If I could only have one press, it would be the RCBS.

But, I load the fewest rounds on that press, and use it the least, so why would the RCBS be the one press I would keep.

The answer is simple. It does pretty much anything I need done, just slower than any of the others. And it does a few things that would reduce the others to scrap.

If you are looking for a budget option to learn reloading, and only reloading, then get the Lee Reloader Press. This is a "C" style press and is my most used press. In fact, I have two of them.

Generally can be purchased for under $40. In fact, amazon has a prime eligible returned press right now for $29.91. Add a Lee Ram Prime and a set of Lee dies with a dipper and you could be reloading basic pistol or rifle for about $71 in equipment. This is probably your best route as you can offset the cost of the equipment in short time.

Go this route and by the time you have recouped the cost of the press, you will know enough to make a good informed decision on your next press. Or you may be happy.

But, one time I had a wild hair and wondered if I could swage a spent 40 S&W case down to serve as a jacket blank for a 200 grain 10mm bullet. You can, but not on a Lee Reloader C press. I used my RCBS press, and had to make some of my own tooling.

Links:

Press: https://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B002SF4X5I

Ram Prime: http://a.co/baJkSSY

Dies: http://a.co/6znVpPR

Full Disclosure: I have never used the Ram Prime. I started with an RCBS kit that included their hand priming tool. I included the ram prime as it is the cheapest option.

Budget for everything or just the gun?

If you want modern I would get this
https://www.evike.com/products/74192/
If you want classic I would get this
https://www.evike.com/products/63262/

The battery I would get a good 9.6v or 7.4v I'm not an AEG guy so I can't tell, but that is what LCT recomends

Those goggles https://www.amazon.com/Revision-Military-Desert-Locust-Goggle/dp/B007HKPCMW
Or those if you don't want to spend money on a better pair
https://www.amazon.com/Pyramex-I-Force-Sporty-Anti-Fog-Goggle/dp/B006WPSDXS/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=Pyramex&qid=1564177900&s=gateway&sr=8-3

For a face mask this is great, I have one and I love it
https://www.amazon.com/OneTigris-Foldable-Comfortable-Adjustable-Protective/dp/B01KT0HEVI/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=TOE1ESNK4EIE&keywords=onetigris&qid=1564177939&s=gateway&smid=A61NV174423ZK&sprefix=onetig%2Caps%2C426&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1

I don't have one myself but I hear a lot of good things about Condor knives, they can be had for ~$30-$60 on amazon and they come with a great looking leather sheath. I've been eyeing them for a while myself, this one specifically: https://www.amazon.com/Condor-Bushlore-4-375-Inch-Micarta-Leather/dp/B003D9ORT0/ref=sr_1_9?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1464781096&sr=1-9&keywords=condor+knife

Get a TekMat. They are gun cleaning pats, but they work perfectly as mouse pads. They have a large and small size - rifle vs pistol. e.g. link here

I've had one for 6mo now and loving it more than any mouse pad I've ever had. Cheaper too.

I have the ACSS Reticle Holosun, and I love it! If you end up getting the ACSS Reticle model, I would recommend getting a magnifier (3x or 4x) in order to practically use the lower dots.
I bought this cheap magnifier and put it behind it:https://www.amazon.com/UTG-Magnifier-Flip-side-Adjustable/dp/B00S2FWRGK/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1492784448&sr=8-2&keywords=magnifier+optic.


The eye relief is not great (1.5" to 2") but it works pretty well for a more budget build.

Haha, awesome! Where do you recommend getting one? Is this alright?

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004TXMFQQ/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

That's cool and all, but for the same money you could buy a Lee Hand Press and a universal decapping die, and have a more useful tool.

My reloading setup was based on budget. I spent about $147 total for my Lee Single Stage Press + extras. The only complaint I have is I wish the press was a little more accurate for speedier results.

Id like if anyone commented on high speed pressing components with high accuracy results. It would be nice to have but really just curious whats out there and what works.

Edit: incase you were curious ive listed my parts below

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002BDOHNA/ref=oh_details_o09_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000GSLKIW/ref=oh_details_o08_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002SF4X5I/ref=oh_details_o07_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

http://www.amazon.com/Lee-Precision-Deluxe-3-Die-Rifle/dp/B00162TEOE

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000NOQIOU/ref=oh_details_o05_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000NOSGOU/ref=oh_details_o05_s00_i01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0014136PA/ref=oh_details_o05_s00_i02?ie=UTF8&psc=1

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00162UGQE/ref=oh_details_o01_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Yup, the AK-47. I wish the keyboard didn't cover up the best part of it but it works great as a mousepad and keeps the keyboard from sliding around.

It's the Gerber 31-000751 and runs about $40 on Amazon. It's obviously too big for my EDC, so I haven't used it much, but it feels solidly constructed. The grip is... grippy. I've tried the firestarter/whistle, and they work as expected. The cover is also well constructed and could be hung from a belt, if you're into that kind of thing.

All said, despite being branded by Bear Grylls, I'd still recommend it. :)

The goggles are Pyramex V2G PLUS. They have thermal lenses so they a decent at keeping fogging at bay. I have a prototype of a fan modification I added to them to eliminate any chance of fogging. I'm still testing and tweaking that. I plan to post up more details about that soon.

The mask is OneTigris 6" Foldable Half Face Mesh Mask. I added snaps to the sides to easily attach and remove it from my helmet.

​

For reference here are the amazon links although I'm sure they can be found elsewhere too.

Goggles: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005E06C6M/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Mask: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01KT0HEVI/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

The Condor rig looks better but it doesn't include any pouches or anything... which is fine because then you can get some Narrowbase Molle stuff or whatnot. What's your budget?

>That said, what do you guys recommend for a chest rig?

That Condor one or the NCStar AK Rig which is cheap and good. I run a Condor vest with Narrowbase MOLLE mag holders or just a normal combat belt with mag holders depending on how heavy I want my loadout to be.

It also depends heavily on your budget.

>Also, does anyone run both battle belts and chest rigs?

That sounds like a bad idea. You can and should run a belt, but not a battle belt.

>Do you carry two primaries? And if so, how?

No. Ask yourself why you're trying to carry two primaries. If it's because "well this one it's reliable" then just don't use that blaster. If it's because you want different ammo types, ask yourself why you can't get a secondary in that ammo type. Etc.

If you still want to run multiple primaries, slings are your friend. Drop one primary and pull up the other one.

I have several KA-BARs and love them all.

I love this one for camping: https://www.amazon.com/Ka-Bar-Becker-Combat-Bowie-Fixed/dp/B001IPKL7I

This one is always in my car (next to a small KA-BAR tanto, and SOG hatchet): https://www.amazon.com/KA-BAR-200038-BK3-Becker-Tool/dp/B001IPILMA

best of the best:

https://www.amazon.com/Spyderco-Techno-Titanium-Plain-Knife/dp/B006L6WSIY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1510170470&sr=8-1&keywords=spyderco+techno

I use the OneTigris Foldable Mesh Mask. Full protection for the mouth and nose, but the padded sides make it much more comfortable on the face, and allows you to get a good cheek weld on your gun as well.

I'm not too sure exactly, what you mean by too high. Most bench mounted presses are going to have some vertical dimension, like the Lee Classic Turret press. If you really wanted to save space and height was a non-starter, you could also get this:

[https://www.amazon.com/Lee-Precision-Cast-Reloading-Press/dp/B000NOQIFO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1484546418&sr=8-1&keywords=lee+hand+press]
(https://www.amazon.com/Lee-Precision-Cast-Reloading-Press/dp/B000NOQIFO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1484546418&sr=8-1&keywords=lee+hand+press)

Basically, it acts as a single stage press, but it is very portable, and can do anything you have die for.


Personally, I use the hand press to deprime and resize. I like really clean primer pockets. Then I'll use my Turret press to load power, seat the projectile and the add a crimp.

Cold steel tuff lite. I carried that to my job at Menard's for about two years never had any problems with it. Best part is it a nice budget knife short blade but is still very sharp. Easy to resharpen and maintain. It comes in both serrated and plain edge.

Link
https://www.amazon.com/Cold-Steel-Plain-Folder-Knife/dp/B006YBW6MY

Little late for tuesday, but i've found some cheap red dots on amazon and i wanted to know if they were worth the purchase or not / which one is better?

http://www.amazon.com/Aim-Sports-Sight-Different-Reticles/dp/B002ZVFF20/

http://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Arms-Gear-Tactical-Weaver-Picatinny/dp/B003NFI092/

or should i try for a used sight somewhere?

Thanks! It's a TekMat. Great for disassembling guns, as a giant keyboard/mouse pad and as I've recently discovered - stacking silver on.

A budget of $50 won't give you much to work with unless you're talking bargain basement.

Like this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001JJCHWK/



I am running a Primary Arms red dot and a UTG 3x flip up magnifier. Very happy with both.


https://www.primaryarms.com/primary-arms-microdot-with-removable-base-gen-2


https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00S2FWRGK/

I recently bought a PM2 from Amazon. One thing I noticed was multiple listings for it and at different prices.

I got the all black. http://www.amazon.com/Spyderco-ParaMilitary2-Black-Blade-PlainEdge/dp/B004TXMFQQ?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00

Here it is for $30 more.
http://www.amazon.com/Spyderco-ParaMilitary2-Camo-PlainEdge-Knife/dp/B004VZVI88?ie=UTF8&keywords=spyderco%20paramilitary%202&qid=1464034297&ref_=sr_1_1&s=sporting-goods&sr=1-1

Pretty sure mine is legit and I will compare g10 scales tonight.

I put the !OneTigris mask back into my cart (just to make sure I have the right one, I linked it). And those goggles are really expensive, just making sure, someone said !these goggles are also good for protection. What do you think?

For your own safety, don't get that thing please.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001IPILMA/ref=redir_mdp_mobile?pc_redir=T1#

This is a higher quality and better tool.

Kabar Becker. They're tanks with a reputation. Good luck with your travels as well.

This is the vest I use: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005E98Z4K/ref=twister_B005OIBYQM?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1 I'm not sure if this is the one 'Sir Petals' uses, but I really like it and would recommend it!

While lots of people recommend the Becker BK2, I personally am enamored with my Becker BK3 On top of being a knife, you can use it as a pry bar, hammer in windows, (or nails), club things, and generally wreak havoc. You can also use it as a bottle opener, but be careful- I used it last week and actually broke the bottle's neck as well. Whoops.

This thing comes with a thick edge, you can grind it but it'll chop through wood pretty easily. You can get custom scales if the grip is too slick for you, or file away at the stock scales, which lots of people do.

That said, I still have my Esee 4/Izula and Mora knives literally ON me when I go hiking. The BK3 stays in the car as my BOB/GHB due to its weight.

Isn't it the $60 one in this list? Because as far as I can see, those are exactly the same as this and this and this and this. I hate to be down on your new toy, but in my honest opinion, even plastic open sights are better than a sub-$100 optic on an AR.

Kukris don't have to be that expensive if don't mind a 'modern' take on them.

Besides the Ontario and Condor /u/lowlife9 mentioned maybe consider Cold steel Royal Kukri or Ka-bar Kukri and compliment it with a Ontario Rat 7 or Rat 5, that's a pretty can-do-all combination..

Assuming no one sells you one, there's a pretty good one on Amazon: UTG 3X Magnifier with Flip-to-side QD Mount, W/E Adjustable https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00S2FWRGK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_6y6VBbFWXPC3M

I have this one myself and its sturdy and well built, especially for the price

I'm not the best shooter, but I had the eotech and returned it for the 30$ red dot from amazon. Is it as durable as the eotech? no way. The sight was just as crisp for me, and just as bright. And I saved 500$.

http://www.amazon.com/Tactical-Reticle-Reflex-Sight-Weaver-Picatinny/dp/B003NFI092/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1343433806&sr=8-2&keywords=red+dot+sight

ive had good success with the ESEE line of knives. check out the esee 4
https://www.amazon.com/ESEE-Coyote-Molded-Polymer-Sheath/dp/B004GALN0G

Your best bet is getting him a brand new [lee] (https://www.amazon.com/Lee-Reloading-Press-Md-90045/dp/B002SF4X5I). You're not gonna beat that price, and they do work, quite well.

Take a look at the Leek with the combo sandvik/d2 blade. I have one and it is one of those knives that you just wanna fondle. If you pick one up, do yourself a favor and force a patina on the blade with some lemon juice or something - it really makes the two different steels contrast beautifully.

A lot of people at GSU are running with this vest:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005E98Z4K/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I do believe it's the same one that's sold in the link you posted, except it's much cheaper.

I bought one, but use it for my actual AK74 magazines, though people easily fit 18 round Nerf mags into the pouches.

I don't know about the TOPS, and I haven't heard anything about it. That may or may not be a bad thing, I don't really know.

If you're willing to spend that much on your knife, though, you should look into the ESEE-4, or the ESEE-5, or the Fallkniven F1. Those three knives are basically the gold standard of bushcraft knives.

You will fog up more with a helmet, it blocks the top vents. Removing the dust foam on the goggles can help.

The One Tigris mesh/cloth mask is very comfortable.

In the box:

• Fenix PD32UE flashlight
  
• 
  Ray-Ban 3025 Aviator Polarized sunglasses
  
• 
  Zippo Slim circa 1960
  
• 
  Nite-Ize S-Biner with County Comm Titanium Widgy Pry Bar / Ti split rings
  
  
• Leatherman Skeletool CX
  
• Saddleback I.D. Wallet
  
• LGE Nexus 5
  
• Pilot Precise V7 RT pen
  
• Clairefontaine pocket notebook
  
• Klipsch Image S4i Rugged
  
• Spyderco Techno pocketknife
  
  The camera pictured is my beater/backup, a Nikon D7000 with a Nikon 35mm F/1.8G AF-S DX lens. These were all taken with the camera I use on assignment - a Nikon D800 with a Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8G AF-S lens, an SB700 speedlight and a Rogue Small Flashbender.
  
  I leave the D800 at home when I'm not working, but I keep the D7000 in my car or on my person pretty much all the time. Everything else here goes almost everywhere with me.

lol i wasn't sure people would be that interested since i didn't do anything unique or exciting with it.

Parts list right now:

Stock KM4 SR7

Mock PEQ (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06X6M3Q1F/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03__o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1)

11.1v 2600mah titan power Li-On

UTG 3X Magnifier (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00S2FWRGK/ref=oh_aui_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1)

EoTech Clone (https://ebay.us/gl3EGS)

Mock Silencer with flash hider (https://www.airsoftgi.com/product/5KU-SOCOM556MG-6-5-QD-Airsoft-Mock-Suppressor-w-CCW-Flash-Hider-Black-Type-A-33737/)

QD Pictinny rail attachment (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MQEA9CR/ref=oh_aui_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1)

Nylon sling adapter for stock (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B075QB4Z1Z/ref=oh_aui_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1)

Front Grip (https://www.evike.com/products/27228/)

​

Yeah I have a Ka-bar 1245 and love it to death.

These are the next two knives I'm planning to buy from Ka-bar:

KA-BAR TDI Hinderance

Ka-Bar BK3 Becker Tac Tool

And to be honest I probably will buy their Tactical Spork.

All 3 of your items seem like winners but here are some other options:

Leatherman 831195 Squirt PS4 Black Keychain Tool with Plier https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0032Y2OT6/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_ipLOub1HMS951

Leatherman 831925 Juice S2 Multitool https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JJY4ZZO/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_YqLOub1KN62CQ

Nitecore Tube 45 Lumens Blue USB Rechargeable Key Chain Flashlight with Lumen Tactical Keychain Light https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00OY9TH16/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_isLOub1Z83R8W

Victorinox Swiss Army Signature Lite Pocket Knife, Sapphire https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001Y7XR3K/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_UtLOub1FPPN01

Foursevens Atom AL Stainles Steel Finish / Cool White LED; 1xCR123A; 110 Lumens https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HDP0JQ0/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_5uLOub0F2HBEK

Spyderco Persistence C136GP Plain Edge Knife, Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002IWWYS4/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_5wLOub1Q2CA1D

Cold Steel Tuff Lite Plain Edge Folder Knife https://www.amazon.com/dp/B006YBW6MY/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_UxLOub0PWZ3YF

Personally I have this


I don't know how real survivalists would rate it, but for going camping and being my first fixed blade knife, I really enjoy it.

I've said it before, and now I'm saying it again.

This rig is by far the cheapest and most reliable piece of equipment every nerfer needs to have. The vest sits snugly over your shirt, the rear is completely adjustable to accommodate bloated and shriveled alike. The three front pouches will hold six eighteen round clips with ease, but the rig can be pushed to carry twelve eighteen round clips for max capacity.

Although slightly uncomfortable when laden down with 216 darts, the easy front access is a life saver. With a little practice, I can reload my Stryfe without ever touching the clip.

Do yourselves a favour and buy this rig.

Have you considered adding a KA-BAR Becker BK3 they were designed for use by EMTs and are apparently very good at prying open car doors and the like.

Ooh, let us know how well this handles once you get it locked down.

I don't think it's quite as slim as something like an AK Chest Rig But it looks like if you could get two on your hips, or 1-2 on some sort of backpack rig it could be a worthwhile addition.

My brother bought one of these(TekMat 12-Inch X 36-Inch Long Gun Cleaning Mat with AK-47 Imprint), if that's your thing, they make great mouse pads and roughly the same price, just a bit thicker and 12" instead of 18". They also make ones with other popular firearm models.

Best Price!
http://charts.camelcamelcamel.com/us/B003R0LSMO/amazon.png?force=1&zero=0&w=725&h=440&desired=false&legend=1&ilt=1&tp=all&fo=0&lang=en

Spyderco Ambitious sounds like it would fit.

Edit: Or maybe a Cold Steel Tuff Lite

• UTG Flip-To-Side 3x magnifier
  
• Replica T1 Red/Green Dot sight
  
• NcStar Bipod
  
• XCortech X3300w Tracer
  
• That one vert grip that everyone knows
  
• Some Chinese (but very bright) Tac-Light mounted with a scope ring
  
  I think my VFC HK416CQB is pretty much done externally, right now everything inside is stock. Also, my WE G18c (also stock). Bipod is pretty much for looks, Im not one of those who slaps on a bipod and a 3x on their gun and calls it a DMR.
  

i got me a lee equivalent to use for decapping. it's perfectly fine for that purpose, but i'd go nuts if i had to load ammo in this thing.

if i was you, i'd wait till i can save a bit more and get the rockchucker instead - decision is not even close in my view.

Thanks, but I was talking about a foldable mesh mask, like This

You can get a LEE hand press for pretty cheap. Uses the same dies, and I always have a use for it. (Like resizing brass on the job while I wait for things to break). No bench, and you can learn the fundamentals.

https://www.amazon.com/Lee-Precision-Cast-Reloading-Press/dp/B000NOQIFO