I am in the market for a progessive reloading press and I am currently looking at the Dillon presses. Does anybody have any experience with these presses? Is the Dillon 650 worth the extra money over the 550? Is there another press out there that is comparable? Any info would be of help.

Thanks, James

I own a Dillon 650 with case feeder...I also own a dillon 550 and a Hornady L&L AP.

All are fine presses when debugged. I actually like the Hornady best but the Dillons are excellent too.
Are they worth the extra money?...

Only if you do a lot of reloading....and usually the handgun shooters are the volume shooters.

The tool I use the most is still the RCBS Rockchucker and it always will be.

Have experience with both the Dillon 550 and 650.

The 550 is easier to learn.

The 550 is limited in length of cartridges it will handle. The 375 H&H is probably pushing it in the 550.

The 650 priming system takes a little getting used to. The 650 case feed mechanism requires patience when changing from one case size to another.

I use my 550s more than the 650, but I change calibers a lot.

Buy a toolhead for each caliber. Setup each caliber just once.

Also, buy an aftermarket powder measure micrometer dial available from a couple of sources. Really speeds up powder charge setting.


Hammer

Hammer, are you saying there is a micrometer dial adaptable to the powder measure on a 550? I would love to have one.

James, I do all of my loading on a 550B. From 22 Hornet through .375 H&H and .458 Win Mag. This was the press that I bought when I first started loading and have never regretted that decision. This is not a complicated press to me and the setup is pretty fast. It is best to have a tool-head for each caliber as well as a pistol, rifle and Magnum Powder Bar. A low primer indicator in handy as well.

I would like to know what part # the micrometer powder setter is for the XL 650.

I like the XL-650 even without the case feeder just fill that tube and crank the handle and my 45/70 rounds come out very quickly.

A couple of years ago, I went in 50/50 with a friend and we bought two 550 Dillon. They are mounted side by side on my own reloading benches. We keep one set up for large primer and the second one for small. Reason being so that we don't have to change the primer parts, the more annoying part of the conversions in my opinion.

They are great.....the best reloading investment I have made. We load some 15 to 18 calibers with them. Conversions to another caliber are a breeze. The secret is to go ahead and invest in a conversion kit with powder measure for each caliber and don't look back.

Once set up and "tuned," they are almost flawless in operation. It only takes some minor adjustment every few months to keep them in top operating order.

I do find that I load more pistol ammo on mine and have gone back to reloading a lot of more finicky small caliber rifle ammo on my old RCBS single stage press so I can use a different powder measure.

At any rate, I would buy those two Dillon 550's all over again.

Take care, Bo

There is more than one micrometer dial for Dillon powder measures on the market. One I have used is available from...

contact@mrdial.com
dial@mrdial.com
bob@mrdial.com

All three emails have worked at some time in the past. Don't remember which is the latest.

This dial is good for making fine adjustments to powder levels once a coarse setting is made.

Hammer

Another, perhaps more sophisticated, micrometer dial is available from...

http://www.uniquetek.com

lee@uniquetek.com



Hammer

A few Dillons...

Dang, just when I was about to post a pic of my reloading room!! What a setup!!
Thanks for the info, I'll check out the powder measures.

You simply cannot go wrong with anything from Dillon. Their no Bullshit guarantee about as good as it gets. Customer Service is great.

Thanks for all the information. I'm a highpower and bullseye shooter. So I have been spending more time reloading than actually shooting.

This last season I loaded about 6,000 rounds of 223 and about 10,000 rounds of 45ACP, all on a RCBS Rock Chucker, crazy! So this is will save tons of time in the loading prossess. Except of course, brass prep, which I am also looking for a power trimmer. The one I am looking at is the Giraud power trimmer. Has anybody had any experience with this or other tirmmers?

Hammer, thats a pretty nice setup. I plan on buying a tool head for each cartridge like you had mentioned along with a powder measure. How accurately does the powder measure throw loads when using powders like Varget or 4895?

Thanks for the advice, I think I will go for the 550.

Thanks, James

Don't have first hand information on Varget or 4895.


With powders that I have tested...


With ball powder, >90% within plus/minus 0.1 grain powder.

With extruded powders, >90% within plus/minus 0.2 grain powder.

These are the best obtained, not the average. Average varies more.

Your experience may vary.

Hammer

Hammer, thanks for the info. That should be accurate enough for my 200yd and 300yd loads. I will still single stage my 600yd and 1000yd loads.

Doesn't all that particle board make you go cross eyed after a while? Just kidding, nice setup.
James

Hammer,

What do you use for case prep, interms of case trimming?

James

quote:

Originally posted by James_B:
....I will still single stage my 600yd and 1000yd loads.

James

For the record, with a powder die & funnel from an older Dillon press (RL450 I think), the 550 can be set up as a FAST single stage morph.

I hand measure all loads for my 308 & 45-70 in this way - w/ great results.

quote:

Originally posted by James_B:
Hammer,

What do you use for case prep, interms of case trimming?

James

Have RCBS manual and power trimmers, also Lyman and Hornady. Also have complete set of Wilson and Lee trim tools. Have all the Dillon power trim dies. Also have Forster system. Have some custom built trim tools that work with lathes and drill presses. Don't think have any Redding trim tools.

Currently use RCBS power tool more than the others.

Have a power deburr tool that handles inside and outside the case mouth.

Know there is something better. Still looking.

Hammer

I have a couple of Dillon 550's. I like them very much. Unless you load a boat load of ammo in one sitting, or are in the business of selling reloaded ammo I don't think that the 650 is worth the extra expense. Especially if you load for more than one caliber. The caliber conversion kits are are more expensive for the 650 than the 550. I am very pleased with the product & the service that you get from Dillon.

With Class III, I use my Dillon Squardeal more
for pistol caliber.My 550b I use for .223.308
and 35 Whelen.Both have been great over the years,cutting down reloading time.And getting
out to shoot more.

quote:

Have a power deburr tool that handles inside and outside the case mouth.

Know there is something better. Still looking.

Hammer

On another shooting related forum, someone suggested a Gracey trimmer/chamfer tool. They are pricey, but will do it all as opposed to the RCBS or even Dillon Power trimmer. I have the Dillon and you still need to chamfer the case mouth in and out. The Gracey apparently does it all for you.

Vince

I have a Dillon 650 and several conversion kits for sale. contact me at gfdawson@i-plus.net and I will send a list of all the kits other things that go with it.

I find the 550 to be excellant for all pistol calibers. Very fast and accurate. It is way more tedious to reload rifle cartridges on, but still faster than a Rockchucker. Having toolheads for all of my rifle calibers, I sometimes prefer the Rockchucker for smaller batches. Changing the primer die and shell plate gets tedious for 100 rounds. Just a matter of personal opinion.

quote:

Originally posted by sargenv:

quote:

Have a power deburr tool that handles inside and outside the case mouth.

Know there is something better. Still looking.

Hammer

On another shooting related forum, someone suggested a Gracey trimmer/chamfer tool. They are pricey, but will do it all as opposed to the RCBS or even Dillon Power trimmer. I have the Dillon and you still need to chamfer the case mouth in and out. The Gracey apparently does it all for you.

Vince

The Gracey ROCKS !
Just ordered a Giraud carbide blade for the Gracey , because I wore out the original blades.
If the Gracey has a weak point it's the blades.
And maybe that it's difficult to readjust...

The XL650 is very nice , no chance to wear any parts out on it yet. Just got it last month , and am kicking myself for not doing it sooner.

Dillon customer service IS as good as they say.
My Square Deal press has only needed a few parts over the past few years, Dillon always comes through for me . No BS, no charge.


Travis F.

James:

I own a Dillon 450B, two 550s, and two 1050s.
All I can say is you get what you pay for and Dillons no BS waranty is worth every penny.

I have the 550 and 1050 machines set up with different primer sizes.

Both my 1050 machines are set up with Fowler Bullet feeders and coolators. This boost production from a 1000 rounds per hour to 3000 rounds per hour.

I have never owned a 650 but know other who do. The primer system limits the 650s production amount to about 750-1000 rounds per hour if you add a bullet feeder and coolator to it.

With the bullet feeder on a 1050 I can almost keep up with a Ammoload and it did not cost $20,000.00.

I have not used the Hornaday, RCBS, Lee progressives.

Longshot

James_B

I am going to be buying a Dillon very soon, and have been learning a lot about them from all of the USPSA/IPSC/IDPA shooters over on Brian Enos's website. Those guys go thru a lot of ammo. Most of them use Dillons.

Here's a link to the FAQ section http://www.brianenos.com/pages/dillonfaqs.html

Also check out the forums for tips and tricks.