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Posted: 1/4/2019 5:09:26 PM EDT
Are there any other auto-indexing reloading presses other then the Dillon XL605, the Hornady Lock-N-Load and the Dillon 1050?
I currently have the 550B and have loaded around 4k rounds total on it. Not as much as I want, but came to be a bit deterred by speed of it. I find myself putting out around 400 rounds/hour on the 550B. I am not very content with that and have almost found it to be more of an inconvenience then anything. I typically do my actual reloading in about 30-45 minute increments as it can become monotonous and boring and I dont want to make a mistake. I believe I would be more inclined to reload more, if I had a higher throughput. Time is money, and If I am saving 3.6 c/rd then I am valuing my time at $14/hour. Compared to $28/hour by producing 800 rounds/hour. While I initially purchased the press to reload 300 black out, it has been 4 years and I have yet to touch a single caliber outside of pistol on the press. It's safe to assume I probably never will. 
I am at a crossroads and determined I have two options: 1) sell all my reloading stuff, buy 9mm ammo with it, and just buy 9mm in bulk on online sales for around 15.5c/rd 2) Sell my 550B and upgrade reloading equipment to an auto indexing press+case feeder which can do 800 rounds/hour and make for 11.9c/rd So that leads me to this question. Is the Dillon XL650 the only auto-indexing press which makes sense? The 1050 is out on cost alone, and it appears that the Lock-N-Load only puts out about 500/hour. I understands rates are super individual dependent. |
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Posted: 1/4/2019 5:41:17 PM EDT
[#1]
If you are looking to load mainly one pistol caliber, the Dillon SDB.
Mine will still only do about 400 rounds per hour though. The time savings are obvi in a casefeeder, and then you are back into 650 territory. They are relatively cheap, and if I had to do it all over again, I would probably have a square deal dedicated to each pistol caliber. I may end up doing just that, my one SDB is set up in .40 and my 550 handles my .45/.44 and used to do 9mm, but that got so cheap to buy loaded ammo I have not loaded 9 in a long time. I’m rambling, you want to load faster than a SDB will do. The 650 is a great choice with a casefeeder, I helped a friend get his running, and it was incredible once we got the kinks worked out. |
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Posted: 1/4/2019 5:49:28 PM EDT
[#2]
To hit 800 rph your going to need a case & bullet feeder or be extremely coordinated and fast feeding bullets.
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Posted: 1/4/2019 5:54:45 PM EDT
[#3]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
To hit 800 rph your going to need a case & bullet feeder or be extremely coordinated and fast feeding bullets. I would consider keeping the Dillon, loaded ammo will not always be cheap and plentiful. But you would need a stockpile of components. When the ammo dries up, so does powder, primers and bullets. |
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Posted: 1/4/2019 6:03:33 PM EDT
[#4]
Thats true on the dry up part. Its likely in just a few years it will dry up. I would prefer to keep them. But I am all about the economics.
I wouldnt mind a bullet feeder as well if it didnt cost the same amount as my 550b would sell for... Even without it I still may be able to hit 700/hour which is still a significant improvement over the 400 I am currently getting. |
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Posted: 1/4/2019 6:24:21 PM EDT
[#5]
The upside is that you ought to be able to recoup 80 percent of what you paid for the 550 if you sell it on your own. Never do that with any other brand of press.
The thing with the 650 is that you have to be paying more attention, as you do not want force your way through things. And, ham fisted reloaders have set off primer magazines on a 650 from being in a rush and not paying attention. My observations of SDB. I have larger fingers so the work space is not kind to me. And, 9MM bullets are bit more cranky at setting on the case mouth then say the 45 ACP. But, it churns out ammo! With the 550 and loaded primer tubes and such I can hit 500 45 ACP an hour at a leisurely pace. My personal best 625rd in an hour long sprint. change it to 38 or 9MM it slows down about 50rds an hour. I know a few people that like the OP have limited attention span. One guy he loads up 4 primers tubes and that is the limit of his attention span. He knocks out some ammo before going to work and then another session in the evening. But as with all reloading you have to have your head in the game! With the 650 you have to feed the case feeder every so often. I find that with 45 ACP that 3# coffee can is about the right amount. The bad thing about the bullet feeder on a 550 is you loose the ability to seat and crimp at separate stations. I follow that line of thinking. And, on the 650 you loose the powder check unless you seat and crimp in the 5th station. |
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Posted: 1/4/2019 6:52:59 PM EDT
[#6]
Good observation on the SDB. Very small working area. Still, a good press for moderate production levels. I have a lot of free time, so it works for me. Very smooth little press that will crank out quality ammo, with very few quirks.
No easy answer for the OP. 9mm loaded ammo is probably as cheap as it gets now, particularly bought in bulk. Could be the answer for the OP. Just don’t be tempted by a Lee progressive. |
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Posted: 1/4/2019 6:59:16 PM EDT
[#7]
650
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Posted: 1/4/2019 10:19:48 PM EDT
[#8]
What’s wrong with a Hornady Ammo Plant? It comes with the case and bullet feeder, goes for $1k, and would allow you to crank out the volume you’re looking for if you have no hiccups/mistakes.
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Posted: 1/4/2019 10:55:38 PM EDT
[#9]
Id consider the ammo plant or something with a case feeder. Neither of which I have as of yet, just working with the LNL for now but plan on the upgrade in the future. I get times where it is mundane and boring but whatever, its there when Im bored and have nothing else to do which is when I bang out a bulk load. I usually stage everything and go in small batch runs of 2-300 and take a break in between. Ammo may be cheap and available now but it wont always be. Im trying my best to stash away powder and primers while they are plentiful. Projectiles are my second priority. I think its better to have the reload option to fall back on if things lean out again.
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Posted: 1/4/2019 11:47:14 PM EDT
[#10]
The SDB is auto indexing.
I load 9mm. 357, and 45 ACP on my three presses. I like them a lot, looking for a 4th for 32 Mag. |
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Posted: 1/5/2019 4:14:13 AM EDT
[#11]
Quoted:. . . I am at a crossroads and determined I have two options:
1) sell all my reloading stuff, buy 9mm ammo with it, and just buy 9mm in bulk on online sales for around 15.5c/rd 2) Sell my 550B and upgrade reloading equipment to an auto indexing press+case feeder which can do 800 rounds/hour and make for 11.9c/rd So that leads me to this question. Is the Dillon XL650 the only auto-indexing press which makes sense? The 1050 is out on cost alone, and it appears that the Lock-N-Load only puts out about 500/hour. I understands rates are super individual dependent. Your chosen metric is interesting, but keep in mind that whichever reloading approach you choose the amount you earn in total is fixed in any case by how much you shoot. What you are saving is "only" time. And the value of one's time ranges from $0 to priceless depending on the individual. Option #3 may be best for you because you need not invest any more money (which seems important because the 1050 is ruled out) and you preserve future options when price and availability of factory ammo change again. JMO, of course. |
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Posted: 1/5/2019 9:11:45 PM EDT
[#12]
the answer is DILLON XL650
(with casefeeder) |
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Posted: 1/5/2019 9:35:15 PM EDT
[#13]
I'll give you my take on it since I also own a 550: Speed isn't everything. The indexing is the least of my issues when it comes to cranking out rounds - loading primer tubes and feeding cases is more time consuming and annoying and I have no plans to change from this machine since I bought it in 1993. Th second reason is that reloading is more a relaxing thing for me to do so I'm not in a mad rush to crank out thousands of rounds in the shortest time possible. Unless you really have a need for it, I would suggest you take time to smell the roses and enjoy the process.
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Posted: 1/6/2019 1:48:33 AM EDT
[#14]
Long time LNL loader. I started priming off the press even. You can move up speed wise at your own pace. When I rush I sometimes make mistakes.
Many times I've heard if you want a casefeeder and/or bulletfeeder go with the 650. If you think you might, go with the 650. I'm very happy with my LNL. |
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Posted: 1/6/2019 11:50:21 AM EDT
[#15]
Another LnL user here. I am very happy. I prime on the press and use a case feeder. I do mostly rifle rounds. Lots of .223.
I tried a Dillon 650XL side by side a year or so ago. Heard so many things about "buy blue", "Dillon is the best" etc. etc. I was not impressed and actually very disappointed. I sold the Dillon and kept the LnL. They are both good presses just did not like the ergonomics of the Dillon nor could I get rid of the little powder spillage with .223. I tried all the tricks, aftermarket goodies. It got better but still was annoying. The Dillon is easier to get timed but the tension on the shell plate is the kicker. You have to play around with that a bit to get it perfect. The Hornady you need to learn to get the timing perfect. Either press will make good ammo in copious amounts. The whole bottleneck to cranking out tons of ammo is primers. |
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Posted: 1/6/2019 12:09:25 PM EDT
[#16]
I've had a 650 with the case feeder for probably close to 20 years. I don't try to set speed records, every time I add another 100 primers I throw another hand full of cases in the case feeder. That's also the time I can step away for a minute and refocus my eyes and keep my mind in the game. I like the auto index and feel it's just one more added safety feature. Others don't think that way and to each their own.
I've got a 650 which I love, a 550 that's set up for my low volume large primer stuff and just sold a 1050 that I had owned for about 10 years. The 2 happiest days of my 1050 ownership was the day I received it and the day I sold it. |
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Posted: 1/6/2019 4:35:45 PM EDT
[#17]
The 650 is the best way to start down the rabbit hole, since you want to start with at least a case feeder, and then bullet feeder will be the next item added.
The RCBS Pro 2000 was a good reloader, due to using the primer stripped feed. The glitch, it lacked the way to start adding other items to the machine so was disconttined. The new RCBS pro5 and pro7, don't bother, since they have there own problems that RCBS will not be able to resolve on these reloaders, and will see what the next series of machines will be instead. As for the Hornady LNL, main problem on the machine is indexing, being it's to complex for what is needed, and this cause problems with the indexing going out of tune too often isntead. Also, the machine is like the Lee machines, which take a lot of tweaking/mods until you get it run without crashes isntead. As for the 1050, its a commercial machine, so not only a high price tag up front, but the price of conversion with new tool plates as well. Where the 1050 shines, is with the use of an auto drive, since one of the tools on the machine is primer pocket swage tool, and makes sure that when the primer does make it to the primer pocket, the primer pocket is ready to accept the primer. On a 650 with drive, no tool to make sure that the primer pocket is ready to accept a primer, and when you Ignite a primer, it takes out the entire priming system as the same time (chain fire that leads back up the primer tube). So if your ready to step up to auto indexing, go with a 650 since it will be the quickest/simplest to caliber convert, and the parts needed for each caliber are not that much as well. |
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Posted: 1/6/2019 9:20:43 PM EDT
[#18]
Alright, thanks for all the advice guys! I am selling my 550b and going to purchase a xl650
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Posted: 1/6/2019 9:48:44 PM EDT
[#19]
I used to load for speed, but after several squibs I now confirm every round has a primer and powder in it before a bullet is seated...no more squibs,
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Posted: 1/6/2019 10:03:06 PM EDT
[#20]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I used to load for speed, but after several squibs I now confirm every round has a primer and powder in it before a bullet is seated...no more squibs, 
 Dillon powder check |
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Posted: 1/6/2019 10:19:12 PM EDT
[#21]
That 650 powder check station might push me into getting one. Never threw a squib in 32 years with my 550. It’s the doubles that worry me. Never threw one of those either (knocks on wood).
I’ll keep my 550 though. |
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Posted: 1/7/2019 12:18:08 AM EDT
[#22]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Alright, thanks for all the advice guys! I am selling my 550b and going to purchase a xl650 Now, you will notice that Derek45 has pointed out the Dillon powder check. It is an excellent product he should have pointed out that the primer tube also has an alarm. I installed one on my docs press and it will measure no or double fill powder. But Hornady has a control panel that will monitor powder check, power tube, low primer, stuck primer slide and will count rounds. Not only will it send an audible alarm but a light will go off on the control panel. 
Edit I forgot to mention that the powder check is also a lockout die. It will lock up the press if the powder is off just like the RCBS lockout die. |
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Posted: 1/7/2019 1:00:51 AM EDT
[#23]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Alright, thanks for all the advice guys! I am selling my 550b and going to purchase a xl650
Then eventually a Bullet feeder too  .
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Posted: 1/10/2019 12:12:33 PM EDT
[#24]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Well, from your original post I knew that you were going with the 650. It's not a bad press but you didn't listen to others advice and you got a lot of bad info. First I don't know where you heard that the Hornady can only make 500 rounds an hour. Quote HistoryQuoted:
Well, from your original post I knew that you were going with the 650. It's not a bad press but you didn't listen to others advice and you got a lot of bad info. First I don't know where you heard that the Hornady can only make 500 rounds an hour. Quoted:
You do know that Dillon does not make a bullet feeder right? So no matter what bullet feeder you add to a Dillon, you no longer have a Dillon you have a Mutt. Quoted:
But Hornady has a control panel that will monitor powder check, power tube, low primer, stuck primer slide and will count rounds. Not only will it send an audible alarm but a light will go off on the control panel. |
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Posted: 1/10/2019 12:15:16 PM EDT
[#25]
Quote HistoryQuoted: You won't be disappointed sir. Make sure to get the case feeder and a roller handle.
Then eventually a Bullet feeder too .But then the question comes in, Mr. Bullet Feeder, or Hornady bullet feeder? The Mr. BF is $500, while the Hornady is $250. Can the Hornady be fitted onto the Dillon? The operation of them almost look identical. If I can do some slight modifications to get same net result, but save enough for 3,000 rounds in supplies, perhaps that would be the better route. Perhaps thats a separate thread question though lol. |
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Posted: 1/10/2019 10:39:26 PM EDT
[#26]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Case feeder will be an immediate purchase as well, its one of my determined requirements if I were to continue reloading. But then the question comes in, Mr. Bullet Feeder, or Hornady bullet feeder? The Mr. BF is $500, while the Hornady is $250. Can the Hornady be fitted onto the Dillon? The operation of them almost look identical. If I can do some slight modifications to get same net result, but save enough for 3,000 rounds in supplies, perhaps that would be the better route. Perhaps thats a separate thread question though lol. |
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Posted: 1/12/2019 8:47:00 AM EDT
[#27]
oh thats awesome, I wasnt aware that it seated in the same station. So that means with the xl650 you can seat and crimp at different stations, but also still have your powder check then, right?
Here I was wishing that the xl650 has just one more station, but I guess its not even needed for pistol if the bullet feeder seats as well. |
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Posted: 1/12/2019 9:30:02 AM EDT
[#28]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
So that means with the xl650 you can seat and crimp at different stations, but also still have your powder check then, right? Station 1- decap & size Station 2- Prime + flare + powder drop Station 3- empty (can be used for powder check) Station 4- bullet seating Station 5- de-bell/crimp |
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Posted: 1/12/2019 6:53:12 PM EDT
[#29]
Quote HistoryQuoted: the answer is DILLON XL650 (with casefeeder) I also value my time greatly and shoot 10K plus rounds of .40 per year. 650 with case and bullet feeder hugely increases your throughput. Yes, it's expensive but damn it's nice. |
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