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Posted: 10/25/2008 9:58:42 PM EDT
| I am looking at getting into reloading & I was looking at the DILLON Square deal...I will be loading only 45acp. perhaps 44 down the line. What are your opinions of this machine for 45acp? How many rounds per hour can I load? |
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It is a good little reloader. If all you'll do is 45acp, you'll be happy with it. However, for the small difference in price, IMHO the 550 is the way to go. Regardless of what you decide later on you want to reload (except 50 bmg) the 550 will be there for you. The Dillon website says between 300-500 round per hr. can be produced with the Square Deal. I would say that is probably right. With my 550, if I have primer tubes loaded up, and every thing ready, 500 rds/hr of 45 is certainly doable. The thing is, for me anyway, reloading is a joy, so I am not usually off to the races. |
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Quoted:
It is a good little reloader. If all you'll do is 45acp, you'll be happy with it. However, for the small difference in price, IMHO the 550 is the way to go. Regardless of what you decide later on you want to reload (except 50 bmg) the 550 will be there for you. The Dillon website says between 300-500 round per hr. can be produced with the Square Deal. I would say that is probably right. With my 550, if I have primer tubes loaded up, and every thing ready, 500 rds/hr of 45 is certainly doable. The thing is, for me anyway, reloading is a joy, so I am not usually off to the races. +1 for the 550B. I have one and it is a blast! Congrats on getting started reloading! It's a way to enjoy your hobby indoors when it is too wet/cold/whatever outside to do so. |
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I started reloading progressively with a SD. I now have two, one set up for 45 ACP, the other for 357 Mag, so I like them just fine. When I got the AR/223 bug, I loaded single stage for a while. Eventually got a 550, it's a Dillon (insert koolaid here). In your case, I would advise starting with the 550. Not much extra cost, and when you decide to start loading rifle ammo (you will), you are set. SD p0rn  |
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The SD comes ready to roll . If you buy it set for 45acp all you need is to fine tune the bullet seating adjustment for whatever bullet you are using,fine tune the taper crimp to get the amount of crimp you want and adjust he powder measure to throw the amount of powder you need. All of the adjustments come pretty close to where you will be using them. You will need a set of calipers and a scale,reloading manuals (I advise you buy Lyman's and speer) or get info on line. You will also need bullets,powder,large pistol primers and cases. I love the large brass primer flipper tray (Dillon sells this if I remember correct) and grab a extra pack of primer tubes. You will also need a tumbler and separator. If you only want one press get the 550 but if you have the space it is not a bad plan to have the SD for cranking out the pistol ammo and do your rifle or odds and ends on some other press. I have assumed that the SD was designed with the 45acp and 38sp in mind . the length of the lever and the size and shape of the whole unit seems to be "just right" If you ever swap it over to 44mag you will see it is a bit more work and although it works fine it is not as smooth. I can not begin to tell you how many 10's of thousands of 45acp have passed through my SD (back when I was heavy into competition) I have a whole stack of calibers I reload on the SD and the caliber change is fairly smooth but to tweak the primer size swap to get it perfect is a bit of a pain. I own two SD's with one set for small primers and one for large. I do about 500 to a 1000 rounds a year of rifle ammo on a Lee turret (non progressive) but when I was heavy into competition I would shoot 500 or 700 rounds of 45 or 38 a week from April to November. If you have the extra primer tubes and load up a stack ahead of time you would have to be a real slowpoke to take more than an hour to do 300 rounds . Once the press is set you just crank along,feeding bullets and cranking the handle . A prudent reloader will be checking powder levels , (easy with the SD and 45acp) watching the primers and powder hopper levels, and pulling a charged case every now and then to check your powder measure is dropping the correct amount. Start out slow , but the process is way more difficult to describe than to actually do . The satisfaction of doing the job correctly to give yourself a load that is the best possible combination of components and power level for your particular gun and task is priceless but being able to save money at the same time is icing on the cake |
I love it. When I load I get to listen to RUSH!!!(Mr. Right)
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