Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns Contemplating a Progressive Reloader

For me, it's not really so much about being able to do a NASCAR style pit stop and switch everything quickly. It is just really nice being able to leave everything for that cartridge set and in place on the tool head. No moving the dies or adjusting the powder measure each time.

Not that there's anything wrong with that.

Dillon wins the engineering and simplicity contest, but at a price. However, that price has been so diluted over the many thousands of rounds it's a non-factor. A free stool ain't gonna be enough.

Well, as I said, I'm a newbie. I didn't say this was an expert opinion.

Changeout speed? Honestly, it won't be a big problem either way. What I'll probably do is perform 1-2 changes in a 90 period. I'll run a batch of a particular chambering and then let it sit for a while.

Starting about August, I'll pull the LNL off the bench and put the RockChucker on and load small runs of deer rifle ammo.

If a LNL is more like a 650 than a 550, that makes the deal I'm getting even sweeter.

The order is placed. I'll give updates as they come.

Thanks all for the input.

I got a Dillon 650 for Christmas. I about fell out of my chair when my lovely bride came dragging that box into the living room. I don't know the final price, but it was around $600.00. That's for the basic press. I bought the Auto Case Feed ($240.00) and a Mr. Bulletfeeder ($460.00). I also invested in another tool head along with an additional powder thrower and a powder check alarm that sits in the hole right after the case mouth is belled and the powder is dispensed. I also bought a Dillon 10mm die set. I forget how much it was...it was a blur of spending. I think I'm safe in assuming I have $2K wrapped up in the press now. However, with the Auto Case Feed, and the Mr. Bulletfeeder, running that press is very fast. Both the Auto Case Feed and the Mr. Bulletfeeder have micro circuitry that shuts down the machine until more cases/bullets are needed. One guy on the board with us has his Dillon XL 650. I set mine up like he has his set up. There is one BIG difference that I don't think I'll do until next year, IF then. He has a Ponsness Warren motorized lever that runs the press. He pre-primes all his brass so he doesn't need to worry about priming at the station after the full length sizer/decapper die. He has a Youtube video of it loading .308. It is a sight to see. I found out that there is an ammunition manufacturer that lives close, and he runs 10 XL 650s the same way our friend on this board runs his.

It ain't all flowers and sunshine though. There is a definite learning curve on the path to properly operating the 650. I loaded several hundred 9mm and 10mm rounds, but it was nowhere near the projected 500-600/hr. Addition of the case loader and bullet loader will greatly increase my speed. By far I spend more time setting the bullets in the case to be seated than any other single operation I do by hand. The Mr. Bulletfeeder comes with it's own powder funnel. It bells the case minimally, then when you reach the station the bullets feed into the cases, it drops in with about 5 or 6 other bullets on top of it to tap it in completely straight. I'm sure there is some run out there, but I can not see it.

I have the Hornady. When I load I usually load until I am out of bullets, primers or fill the ammo box. So swapping out the "tool head" really is not an issue. The Hornady has QD attachments called die bushings that you set your dies into and they snap in and out easily, no need to adjust them after the initial setting.

I am not saying it is better than a Dillon, but it was roughly $250 for me (with bargain shopping) when I bought it and the Dillon was $5-600

A good friend of mine has a Hornady press, but I believe it's a single stage, but it has the lock-n-load die system as well. He likes it and it loads great ammunition (not much run out).

Swapping out tool heads and shell plates when changing calibers for my 650 takes all of 5 minutes, plus, I can and do buy another powder thrower and empty/double charge alarm for each tool head.

It's not only a time saver, but a wise investment in one's health and well-being.

However, I still visually check powder level in each case before seating a bullet.

Wow! All sorts of Dillon endorsements and along comes a free stool and some bullets, bingo a sale is made. You were looking for a reloader and went for the stool, yikes.

I got a chuckle from the $150 stool too. I'd rather sit on a bucket in front of a Dillon, but that's just me.

A friend has the Hornady, and told me recently he wished he would've bought a Dillon.

Agreed on ALL points. I check powder level right after it comes off the powder station. I can't help it. I've been loading with two single stage presses side by side and an RCBS powder station where you punch in the weight you want and the powder well funnels powder to the brass powder cup that sits on a digital scale. I verify the accuracy of the scale with the check weights each time I start a reloading run. But all I've been handloading for are huge, overbore rifle cartridges. I tried reloading for a .45 I had one time on a single stage press. I loaded 50 rounds and felt like that was several hours of my time I could never get back. Now I pull every 10th case weigh it, zero the scale, throw the powder and weigh it again to get the grains of powder thrown. This Dillon powder bar system is remarkably consistent. I also bought two small powder bars (for handgun charges) that are micrometer adjusted. It's not quite as hit or miss as a nut and a wrench.

Some great info here, and the only thing I have to add is that a progressive press makes constant attention to detail and quality control even more important. You want to make sure your dies are adjusted properly and that those adjustments are locked down. I check the dies on my Dillons every 100 rounds (when I change primer tubes; I have witness marks on the dies and retaining rings so checking is quick) to make sure they haven't drifted up and down--loctite is useful here as well. I also clean the seating and crimp dies every few hundred rounds if loading cast bullets, because lead and lube shavings can build up and cause changes in overall length and crimp strength.

A progressive can allow you to load fast, but if you don't sweat the details you'll only be making bad ammunition in large quantities. I've been there, done that, and have the bullet puller to prove it

I have a mauled rounds, mangled rounds, crushed rounds, bullet seated sideway, rounds with no primer that scattered their damned powder from one side of the shell plate to the other, then the rest got loose in the finished round bin, and others I've missed. I have a quart size baggie filled with them - there is no hope for them. Fortunately, I've cut that down quite a bit. I need to find out who disposes of live ordnance. I can't throw live primers and powder in the trash. I don't want my garbage man being injured. I have one magnetic bowl that I throw primers I can't use in, and shells that are primed but mangled. Then I spray them down with a penetrating oil. Some have been soaking for a couple of months. Others were thrown in last night. I need to find a way to package them and place them in the garbage. Once that penetrating oil gets into the discards neither primers nor powder will detonate.

Well, in a way, you're right, but you also have to understand that the stools I've been using were picked out of the trash, and are getting wobbly, as is the second-hand bench. I'm building a new bench before the LNL gets mounted. As it is, I'll make a temporary mount on another bench and start to get it set up before the bench is finished-- probably July or so.

I agree, I did get a lot of Dillon endorsements, but in researching it further, I'm finding that a) the Hornady LNL IS closer to the Dillon 650 in function, and b) Few seem to have a bad thing to say about Hornady LNL. There's also a part I left out: my buddy has a Dillon 650. In discussing it with him, I found out he's only got a couple more years before he retires it and gives it to me. I'd end up with 2. I plan on using both before I start buying shellplates and what-all for other chamberings.

BTW: I did buy an Powder Cop die, as well as a 9mm shellplate, and a 9mm CTX die. I plan on putting the powder on station #2 and a Lee Factory Crimp on Station #5.

Of course, everyone that has a LNL will praise it, but it isn't even close to a Dillon 650. You are neglecting valuable points of a reloader for a little shine offered by a second or third place reloading system to get your business.

Waiting for a gift and buying a reloader that is a lesser reloader on all accounts, is like buying a Yugo because it has good tires. Ending up with 2 great loaders when you are gifted the 650 will be twice as good as owning one Dillon 650, and still head and shoulders above getting the friend's 650 to use along with the LNL.

Good luck, but it still isn't too late to cancel the LNL order, go to Craigslist and buy a cheap stool and get some bullets that you really need and in 2 months when you are reloading with the Dillon 650, you will thank me for helping you out.

My Dillon 550 RL has maybe 25,000 rounds through it and beside minor maintenance and tweaking, works well.

Is your buddy going to stop shooting just because he's retiring? Heck, I would think he'd be shooting more.

No, he's retiring from reloading. He's realizing his number may be up. We have a common friend who has been helping him with the 650 lately. It's just getting to be too much for him. I think he's planning his exit strategy.

I got word from KYHillChick that the press and stool arrived late yesterday. I'm down at turkey camp pestering the birds.

When I first started reloading, about 45 years ago, a fuzzy eared old timer told me that it was a great way to save money. I’m still waiting for that to happen…

Presently, I have 8 reloading presses set up, they are:
• Redding T-7 Turret
• Dillon Super 1050 Progressive
• RCBS Pro 2000 Progressive
• C-H Single Stage
• RCBS A-4 Single Stage
• RCBS Rock Chucker II Single Stage
• Hornady Lock-n-Load Single Stage
• RCBS Summit Arbor Type

They all work well for me. They all have great customer service.

With the progressives, it is very easy to load many rounds per hour, although I have never reached the as-advertised rate. Set up time is not an issue as I believe that that is part of the allure of reloading quality ammo. The Dillon really shines when loading for the 1919 A-4, .308 by the 5 gallon pail full. I have used it for the 9mm and it works well also. The RCBS Pro 2000 works well although it is limited to 5 stations.

With the single stage presses I can load hundreds of rounds in a day, and have from time to time just for the fun of it. The Hornady Lock-n-Load bushings are a neat addition to speedy die change out, and save time.

To me, reloading is something that I do during the long winters in Alaska, so that I can shoot during the summer season. I suppose that I could buy my ammo, but I just can’t get use to the current prices.

I hope that this is helpful.

John

You bastiges! I found a Dillon 550 at a garage sale so I will give it a go in contrast to the LNL. It may take a little while for me to figure it out. The ram is pretty stiff so a good cleaning is in order. An older model. Now correct me if I am wrong but these require manual advancing of the shell plate, not auto indexing like the LNL?