Progressive press choice...

[ajlandis]

Going to take the dive and get a progressive. Will be using it for a lot of pistol rounds as well as rifle stuff. Hopefully will use it for my target rifle ammo, too, if it turns it out consistent enough. Kinda going back and forth between the hornady l-n-l, and dillons 550 and 650. On top of that, I'll probably be in the market for an electronic powder dispenser. Which direction would you guys suggest?

[Rick_W]

I can only comment on what I own - the Dillon 550.

Semi-progressive, but I can still crank out 300 .38 special rounds in under an hour.

I really like the ease wiith which you can change calibers with the Dillon - while not exactly cheap, buying a complete new tool head with powder dispenser means all you have to do is pull a pin to switch the tool head and then change the base plate (caliber conversion). If you are going from one size primer to another it takes a little longer, but not much.

The powder measure is also very easy to adjust and mine has yet require re-adjustment since initial set-up, and I've put close to 10,000 rounds through it.

[helotaxi]

I'll second the Dillon 550. I see the lack of auto-index as a benefit. It keeps the press extremely simple and extremely reliable as a result. I load everything from .38spl to .308 on mine. I have a separate toolhead for each caliber, but only 2 powder measures. I keep the small charge bar in one and the large bar in the other. I'm considering adding another 550 to keep from having to swap the primer assemblies back and forth between large and small.

[Hammer]

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Don't know nothin' 'bout no progressives.

Think you should quit reloading now while you're still ahead.

Handloading will lead to nothin' but wo' and misery.

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[viper9696]

love my LNL,make sure you get a new one with the ez-ject and extra primer tubes ;D ;D

[dcloco]

550B...without a doubt.

Of note, if you have a friend help (friend places bullet in the next powdered round) you can load 1000 QUALITY rounds in an hour on a 550B. Have done it 4 times with three different people for a total of 8000 rounds of 9mm, 40, 45, & 223.

Dillon dies for pistols - there is not comparison to others - they are the best....period. Even if a reloader is not using a Dillon press, buy the new Dillon pistol dies.

Personally, I don't like the electronic powder measures. They are not accurate enough. Have owned and used, multiples, of every brand out there. Charge varies as much as 2.2 grains. The quality of the scale is NOT there.

Might I suggest an Acculab 123? Accurate enough to measure the difference of one long grain of powder. Drop the bulk of your charge with a normal powder measure and trickle up the remainder. Is as fast or faster than any of the electronic measures AND more accurate.

[frank1947]

hornady lnl takes just 5 minutes to change cals

[GaCop]

I've been using a Dillon 550 since 1989 and love it. I still use my RCBS Rockchucker for calibers that won't fit the Dillon.

[Hammer]

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...use my RCBS Rockchucker for calibers that won't fit the Dillon.

I still keep a couple of RCBS Rockchuckers mounted on benches because I enjoy occasionally using what I started with umpteen years ago and also for some case forming (though I do most case forming on another press these days).

But was wondering what cartridges will fit on a Rockchucker that cannot be done on a Dillon ?


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[Hammer]

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Just reread your post and saw where you're using a Dillon 550.

The 550 does have a smaller opening than the Dillon 650, which will handle longer (taller) cartridges.

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[GaCop]

Yup. The 550 can handle rounds such as 223, 308, 7mm/08 etc, but the long 30-06 type need the RCBS.

[Hammer]

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Oh, the 550 will handle 30-06 length rounds OK, but I do prefer the 650 for such do to the wider opening.

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[xr650rRider]

I use the RCBS Pro 2000. Caliber changes under 5 minutes. Best priming system out of all of them. I load .338 RUM so it handles that length case easily. Advertised at 675 rounds per hour when it was manual indexed as mine is but I think 400 rounds per hour is more accurate for me. I'm over 65000 rounds on it and still going strong.

[Coldfoot]

Dillon 550. You will be very happy to be part of the Dillon family. Their customer service is the best. You will never pay for a part, even if it breaks due to your error.

I recommend you spend some time at http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.php?showforum=4 and read up on all manufacturers models and issues. Check up all the machines, Dillon or others.

If you decided to go with a Dillon, Brian Enos is a great source for equipment and/or advise. He can save you money and get you setup with what you need and no useless extras.

Good luck. Think Blue.

[laportecharlie]

I bought my first Dillon 550 in 1986. I have never looked back.
Charlie

[ajlandis]

Most of my stuff will be pistol and short-action rifle. So it seems like there's not much in support of the 650?

[Hammer]

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The 650 is definitely a better machine and substantially faster machine.

If you had the extra $127 for the initial costs, there is no doubt I would get the 650.

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[ajlandis]

I'm going to bounce back and forth between .38spl, .40sw, .45acp, .223rem, .243, .243ai, .260, 7mm-08 and .308. My understanding is that the case feeder doesn't work with the rifle cases. Is there going to be any problems with the 650 that I wouldn't have with the 550 that should be taken into consideration? I'd like to buy it right the first time, and I've been saving my pennies. I just don't want to buy a machine that is 'over-engineered' for what I'll be using it for, making the job more complicated. Is caliber converting any different or more time consuming on either machine? On the pistol ammo, I'd probably just run out a couple thousand rounds whenever it was time, to avoid constantly changing stuff over, but the rifle ammo would be more reserved. May change between rifle calibers a few times a week. Hammer, I know you know these machines, but I'm afraid your idea of a 'caliber conversion' is rolling your chair from one reloading bench to another.

[Hammer]

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Now, why would anyone think caliber conversion is different for me compared to tens of thousands of other Dillon users ?


For the what it's worth department...

The 650 case feeder will handle rifle as well as pistol.

The 550 case feeder is for pistol only.

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[helotaxi]

Read the "what press is right for me" section on the Brian Enos site. The ease of setup, cost and speed of caliber change favor the 550. The 650 is designed to be set up for a single caliber and used a lot with that caliber. If you change calibers often, the 550 is a better choice. With my 550, the only thing that really slows me down is running out of components. Same thing happens with the 650 as well. Generally the first thing to run out is primers and the 650 has the same primer capacity as the 550. If someone were to give me a 650 to set up for only 9mm or only .223, I'd use it, but I wouldn't buy one. I load too many different calibers for it to be practical. The additional speed would be lost in the caliber change time and the caliber change cost is excessive when you factor in case feeder plates.

[Hammer]

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One would not go wrong with either the 550 or the 650 Dillon.

The folks I have given Dillon presses to as presents have not returned either model to me and cursed me out.

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[frank1947]

hammer , give me a press I won't complain either

[ajlandis]

That's about what I was thinking! Hammer, you are more than welcome to present me with the press of your choice. Talk about two birds with one stone...
When you give them as presents, do you actually hand them over to the recipient? Or do you not inform them of the gift and go forth with setting it up and test running it for a while to assure proper function? My wife has never complained about any of the guns I've bought her. In fact, I've found it much easier to not even let her know of her new toys until they have been thouroughly broken in. So far none have had a satisfactory number of rounds cycled through them yet to be considered fit for my wife. You can never be too diligent in testing new guns before having confidence in them.

I did not know the 650 casefeeder will handle rifle rounds. I'm starting to wonder if I should get the 550 without casefeed and using it until I feel like I have to have more volume in a shorter time. Wonder if it would make sense to have a 550 for my less used pistol and rifle rounds, and a 650 for the high volume rounds like 9mm, .40, .45, .223 and .30 carbine? Not sure what makes the most sense. In reality, I'm going to load maybe 500-1000 rounds of pistol ammo before changing dies. Whatever I get , it will be used for high volume pistol and low volume target/hunting rifle ammo. Will the 550 casefeeder handle .30 carbine brass? I'm starting to feel like a woman with all this indecision.

Did go to Brian Enos' site. Very, very good stuff.

[Hammer]

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Usually I know the person quite well and they have spent time in my loading shed handloading with me.

I know what guns and cartridges they play with.

With that knowledge, I buy the press which they seemed to like the best from their time in the shed.

Also buy all the possible accessories (extra toolheads, strong mounts, extra powder measures, casefeeders, case trimmers, scales, funnels, Allen wrenches, DVD training videos, etc).

Buy dies for each of the cartridges they might load for -- usually no more than half-dozen.

And buy enough components to get them started.


I am too lazy to go to their homes (which could be thousands of miles away) to set it up.


They have all been very pleasantly surprised when it all arrives. And, again, no one has ever sent one back or complained about the wrong model.

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[Hammer]

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FYI...

I have given other brands of reloading presses as gifts too.

Remember a couple of folks who liked Lyman, Redding, or RCBS.

Have given a couple of Lee systems to folks too who really liked the pop-out turret head for dies and did not like a true progressive press.

I actually do a lot of wildcat case forming on Lee turret presses because it is so fast. Once in the shellholder, the case comes out completely formed. (Except those that require more than four dies for forming, like the 219 Donaldson Wasp. It takes two Lee turrets to make a Wasp.)

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