Some of the guys in this thread are making a way bigger deal about caliber changes than it needs to be as well. It takes about 2 minutes to swap calibers if you have them already set up in toolheads; it's really no big deal. Swapping primer size is also pretty easy, and getting it lined up again is automatic if you think about what you're doing.
Agreed.
I did T&E with several progressives before I bought my first Dillon. Exemplars included Lee, RCBS, Hornady, and Dillon. I went with Dillon and am a confirmed Dillon customer. Top quality equipment is always a good investment, and Dillon's customer service is second to none.
I did not by a 550. I think it's a great press, and if you're only going to buy one quality press for all your loading needs, it's a great all-around performer. But it's a lot slower than a well set-up progressive if you're looking at volume reloading. If your primary reloading mission is hi-volume quality pistol ammo, it's not the best choice.
So my first Dillon was a 650, which is a phenomenal piece of equipment. Mine was purchased when I was shooting a lot... as in 10K to 20K rounds of a single caliber every summer. One year I shot almost 30K rounds of 45 Auto and 38 Special in competition and practice. The 650 was the only way I could get that done with decent economy of dollars and time. The Dillon 650 is the best press I've used when it comes to high volume reloading. You need to set it up with the case feeder to get the most out of it, though. It can be set up for rifle or pistol ammo, too, so it's versatile in that respect. But it takes at least 30 minutes to switch over from one caliber to another, perhaps another 10 minutes if you're changing primer sizes. I typically set my 650 up for one load and caliber, then load a ton of ammo over a period of weeks. Currently mine is set up to load .223, but I'm running low on 45 ACP so will be making the caliber switch soon, and it will probably stay set up for 45 for a while.The progression of the 650's shell plate is rock solid reliable, so double charges just can't happen. And the low-powder sensor station makes squib loads a non-issue. I have never had either an overcharge or a squib come out of my 650, and we are talking about many thousands of rounds. That reliability is absolutely worth the price of the press.
My other progressive is the Dillon's SDB. I keep mine set up for 38/357 most of the time, but I'll switch it over 9mm in minutes when I need some little bullets. It's a nice way to crank out a couple hundred rounds in a hurry if you want to go shooting later the same day. Dillon's Square Deal B gives you a lot of bang for your buck if you want to load pistol ammo only. The toolheads can be set up and left in proper adjustment, and once you've got that done,caliber changeover takes about 15 minutes. It's not as fast as the 650 but unless you're loading for an entire season of competition, you won't notice the difference. I know guys who keep one SDB set up for large primer and one for small primer, which isn't a bad way to go if you're shooting a lot of ammo that needs both.
