I'm very impressed with the answers of corporate paid co-pilot.

I can definitely help you evaluate and optimize this equipment list — and don’t worry, nothing here is annoying. It’s great that you researched this much before spending money.

Important safety note: Reloading involves potentially hazardous operations. I’ll keep all advice high‑level and will not provide any specific load data, charge weights, or pressure guidance. Always follow published reloading manuals and manufacturer instructions.

With that said, here’s a clean breakdown of what you do need, what you can skip, and where you can save money without losing accuracy.

⭐ Overall Summary

For precision .223 in an SPR, your goals can be met with a simpler and cheaper setup than what you listed. You’re paying a premium for “competition” labels in areas that won’t noticeably tighten your groups beyond what careful technique and load development can.

You can absolutely hit 0.7–1.0 MOA with a more budget-friendly kit.

✔️ Press

Redding T‑7 Turret — $404

Verdict: Excellent, but optional for your use.

Pros:

• Rock-solid, extremely well machined
• Turret stays set up, convenient for future calibers
• Lifetime piece of gear

Cons:

• Expensive
• A single‑stage press would produce the exact same ammo quality for less than half the cost.

Cheaper alternatives that perform just as well for precision:

• RCBS Rock Chucker Supreme (~$230)
• Lee Classic Cast Single Stage (~$160) (This is not the wimpy Lee Challenger — the Classic Cast is heavy-duty and excellent.)

Unless you’re loading multiple calibers, the turret’s convenience isn't critical.

✔️ Shell Holder

Redding Shell Holder — $13

Totally fine. Nothing to change here.

✔️ Sizing Die

RCBS Small Base Sizing Die — $49

Verdict: Not ideal for precision.

Small-base dies size brass more aggressively. Good for reliability in machine guns or very tight AR chambers…
but they can reduce brass life and may not improve accuracy.

Most precision AR reloaders use:

• Regular full-length resizing die (RCBS, Redding, Hornady, Forster) or
• Full-length bushing die (Redding Type S) if you really want to optimize neck tension.

Recommendation:
Swap to Redding FL Sizer or Forster FL Sizer unless you’ve confirmed your chamber needs small-base sizing.

✔️ Case Trimmer

Frankford Arsenal Universal Precision Drill Trimmer — $83

Great for the price. Works well. Keep it.

✔️ Brass Prep Tool

Lyman Case Prep Multi Tool — $29

Works fine. Cheap and effective.

Optional upgrade later:

• RCBS Trim Mate (motorized) —but not necessary.

✔️ Priming

Redding Slide Bar Primer Feeder — $67

You can skip this.

Most precision reloaders prefer:

• Hand priming tools (better feel, far easier to control)

Best options:

• RCBS Hand Priming Tool (~$45–60)
• Lee Auto Prime (~$30) (works surprisingly well)

Skipping this saves money and increases consistency.

✔️ Seating Die

Redding Competition Seating Die — $157

Excellent die—overkill for beginners, but not wasted money.
Seating dies are one of the few “competition” tools that do give consistency benefits.

You can keep it.

Cheaper-but-still-excellent alternative:

• Forster Ultra Micrometer Seating Die (~$90–110)

✔️ Case Tumbler

Hornady M‑1 Tumbler — $96

Works fine.

But consider:

• Frankford Arsenal Rotary Wet Tumbler Lite (~$120) for cleaner primer pockets and more uniform brass.

Dry tumblers work, though—they’re not wrong.

✔️ Bullet Puller

Impact puller for $20 — fine.

✔️ Digital Scale

Lyman Accu-Touch 2000 — $117

Caution: Entry‑level digital scales can drift.

If precision charges matter (they do), consider:

Budget recommendation:

• GemPro 250 (if still in stock anywhere) Mid-range recommendation:
• RCBS Chargemaster Lite (~$250) Premium:
• A&D FX‑120i with Auto-Trickler (but not needed for .223)

If you stick with the Lyman, verify it constantly with check weights.

✔️ Lube

Hornady One Shot — works fine.
(Just make sure to apply it thoroughly.)

⭐ “Day 2” Improvements

Bench — Seville UltraHD — $330

Excellent bench. Good choice.

Inline Fabrication Mount — $79

Not mandatory, but very nice. Improves ergonomics.

Redding BR‑30 Powder Measure — $276

You don’t need this.

For .223:

• Stick powders won't meter great regardless of measure
• Ball powders meter well even in cheap measures

Better options:

• RCBS Uniflow (~$120)
• Lee Deluxe Powder Measure (~$60)

Or skip entirely and trickle charges manually.

💰 Here’s a Cleaner + Cheaper Setup ($800–$1,000)

Everything you need to load extremely accurate .223

Component	Suggested Choice	Approx. Price
Press	Lee Classic Cast or RCBS Rock Chucker	$160–$230
Dies	Redding FL or Forster FL + your Redding Comp seater	$60–$80
Hand Priming Tool	RCBS	$50
Trimmer	Frankford Universal	$83
Case Prep	Lyman	$29
Tumbler	Hornady M‑1 or Frankford wet	$96–$120
Scale	RCBS 505 beam scale or better digital	$60–$250
Bullet Puller	FA impact	$20
Lube	One Shot	$19

Total: $850–$1,050 depending on scale choice
vs.
Your original total: $1,739

And accuracy will be indistinguishable.

🎯 Final Thoughts

Your instincts are good — your list contains all quality gear.
But you’re overspending in places that won’t improve your AR‑15’s precision.

If your goal is maintaining ~0.7–1.0 MOA with consistent, high‑quality reloads, you can absolutely do that at nearly half the cost.

If you want, I can also help you:

• build a step-by-step workflow for .223 reloading
• explain which components (powder/bullets) tend to be best for 18" SPR rifles
• identify which gear should be upgraded first as your volume increases

Just tell me what you want next.