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Posted: 3/25/2009 8:12:39 PM EDT
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I am close to pulling the trigger on reloading equipment and have decided on Dillon, but which model (550, 650, 1050)? I will be reloading for 9mm, .45ACP, .223 and 7.62x39 and I want it to be as automated as possible. I read the different descriptions on Dillon's website, but it is piss poor. What I really need is a comparison of each model.
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The advice I would give is to get a single stage first, along with some good books on reloading. You'll likely need a single stage anyway to supplement your reloading and it will allow you to get a good understanding of what's going on in each of those stations on a dillon. I've got a dillon 550 but I started with, and still frequently use for various processes (especially on rifle brass) an RCBS rockchucker. Starting with a single stage will also help you decide what you want before dropping the big money on a progressive. You don't need to become an ammunition factory overnight. Start low and go slow. Above all read. As far as the difference in the dillon machines, level of automation goes up with the price. Good luck and enjoy.
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Quoted:
I am close to pulling the trigger on reloading equipment and have decided on Dillon, but which model (550, 650, 1050)? I will be reloading for 9mm, .45ACP, .223 and 7.62x39 and I want it to be as automated as possible. I read the different descriptions on Dillon's website, but it is piss poor. What I really need is a comparison of each model. All those calipers you mentioned are semi auto and you can easily burn through 500 a day. Do yourself a favor and go with a progressive press. It will save you time and money because of upgrade costs down the road. Hornady makes a great press as well!... BTW trying to buy reloading components is getting very tough, everything is back ordered same as firearms. Also there is plenty of videos on you tube these days that explain setup and the "how to" of reloading 
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There is a link in the FAQ's to a description of the differences between the 550 and 650 presses. You can add the costs up yourself from Dillon's catalog or web site to find out what each machine with all the bells and whistles costs. All retailers sell Dillon equipment for the same price, however Brian Enos is a popular source due to a break on shipping cost.
The 550 press is a manual advance progressive. That means you rotate the shell plate by hand between each operation. The 650 and 1050 are automatic advance progressive presses that move the shell plate every time the press handle is pulled. Case and bullet feeders speed up the process. Whether the press is a 550 or 650, if the operator has to handle the cases and bullets, both presses produce loaded ammunition at the same speed. There will be lots of advice about starting on a single stage press. That's good advice. Whether to start with a progressive is another story, and it depends a little on the person's mechanical aptitude and ability to work through each step of the process, plus an ability to read and understand which steps are fundamental and must be performed in the correct order, which are optional, and which steps can be moved around in the process. So, whether a progressive is a good place to start depends. However, a Dillon 1050 is not a machine for beginners. A manual progressive is a good place to start because you can control each step in the process; if something goes south while you're learning how to get everything set up and learning the process, nothing moves, making corrections simpler. An automatic progressive moves all the cases to the next step, so if something is royally screwed up, you'll have to complete the cycle, remove all the cases, clean up the mess, and then move all the cases back to the correct step. There's no down side to owning a single stage press and there will always be a use for one on your bench, even if you have a row of progressive presses. |
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Quoted:
The advice I would give is to get a single stage first, along with some good books on reloading. You'll likely need a single stage anyway to supplement your reloading and it will allow you to get a good understanding of what's going on in each of those stations on a dillon. I've got a dillon 550 but I started with, and still frequently use for various processes (especially on rifle brass) an RCBS rockchucker. Starting with a single stage will also help you decide what you want before dropping the big money on a progressive. You don't need to become an ammunition factory overnight. Start low and go slow. Above all read. As far as the difference in the dillon machines, level of automation goes up with the price. Good luck and enjoy. DOC This is exactly what I was going to say, to the letter. I highly recommend starting with a single stage. As stated, you'll want one anyway. For example, when I'm working up loads and need to make only 5-10 rounds at each powder level, it's easier to do that on a single stage than on a progressive. Go slow and learn the basics before jumping into a progressive. |
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Quoted:
Quoted:
I am close to pulling the trigger on reloading equipment and have decided on Dillon, but which model (550, 650, 1050)? I will be reloading for 9mm, .45ACP, .223 and 7.62x39 and I want it to be as automated as possible. I read the different descriptions on Dillon's website, but it is piss poor. What I really need is a comparison of each model. All those calipers you mentioned are semi auto and you can easily burn through 500 a day. Do yourself a favor and go with a progressive press. It will save you time and money because of upgrade costs down the road. Hornady makes a great press as well!... BTW trying to buy reloading components is getting very tough, everything is back ordered same as firearms. Also there is plenty of videos on you tube these days that explain setup and the "how to" of reloading 500 calipers a day would get kinda pricey!! 
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