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Posted: 12/12/2012 7:43:24 PM EDT
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I've always loaded on a series of single stages. Rifle and pistol. Obviously not in any large quantity. Have a Dillon Super Swager and a Thumbler wet tumbler with stainless steel media. And thousands of pieces of 45, 9mm, 5.56 and 308 brass. And powder, bullets, primers. And a digital scale, and a hornady powder measure.
I haven't done anything with most of the stuff. Just used lee dippers, hand primer, possum hollow trimmers, and a hand press or single stage. 
Moving to a new house with a lot more space. Was going to pick up a Giraud, and look at using up all the components I've been sitting on. Would like to load quality ammo in quantity. Mostly 9mm/45 acp and 5.56/308. I can do all the milsurp stuff, ie. 303, 30-40, etc, on single stages if need be. It just doesn't make sense to buy cheap steel cased ammo for stuff that I shoot regularly if I'm already sitting on most of the equipment to load better quality ammo at a comparable cost. Already have a bunch of local sources for more components too. Which direction should I go? I've never looked at progressive stuff before. I don't need a setup to do every step. I usually will deprime, swage, clean, size, trim, prime, etc, then load. All I need a progressive to do is drop powder, seat a bullet, then crimp. Could add priming in too, but not necessary. Which kool aid should I be looking at? |
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Your asking a question that can be answered somewhere between $200.00 and $2,000.00 This type decision almost always involves more cash outlay than the price of a press. A good example is the 650 I bought last year, then case feeder, trimmer, tool heads, dies, powder measures. One $500.00 plus price on press was just the start. Hornady AP bought before 650 required a lot of expense in shellplates alone. Then bushings, rotors, inserts, etc, etc.
Sit down and figure what you have to spend first. |
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Quoted:
Your asking a question that can be answered somewhere between $200.00 and $2,000.00 This type decision almost always involves more cash outlay than the price of a press. A good example is the 650 I bought last year, then case feeder, trimmer, tool heads, dies, powder measures. One $500.00 plus price on press was just the start. Hornady AP bought before 650 required a lot of expense in shellplates alone. Then bushings, rotors, inserts, etc, etc. Sit down and figure what you have to spend first. This is going to be one of those buy once cry once things, hopefully. 
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Quoted:
How many rounds per month in how many calibers do you plan to load (define "volume reloading")? What's your budget? Which steps do you really hate (those would benefit the most from some sort of automation)? I'd like to do a couple hundred rounds per session, maybe a thousand a week. Quality is more the focus. I might do sessions with pulldown powder, lake city cases, and surplus pulls, but then I might also do sessions with Lapua bullets and Vihtavuori powder. I think what I hate the most out of anything is the extra step in expanding pistol brass. Figure about $5k for a budget. |
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Quoted:
Quoted:
How many rounds per month in how many calibers do you plan to load (define "volume reloading")? What's your budget? Which steps do you really hate (those would benefit the most from some sort of automation)? I'd like to do a couple hundred rounds per session, maybe a thousand a week. Quality is more the focus. I might do sessions with pulldown powder, lake city cases, and surplus pulls, but then I might also do sessions with Lapua bullets and Vihtavuori powder. I think what I hate the most out of anything is the extra step in expanding pistol brass. Figure about $5k for a budget. I have a 650, it's been a great press. If I was shooting at the volume you are suggesting I would look at the 1050 with RT trimmer. Case prep time would be drastically cut down as you don't need to handle cases to trim or swage. If you go with a 1050 consider using Hornady lock rings to save on the cost of a tool head. I have been told that caliber conversions on the 1050 suck, I don't have personal experience on that. The 650 is easy enough to caliber conversions, the learning curve isn't too hard. Did my fifth change over a few weeks back and did it by memory than referenced the manual to validate that I hadn't forgotten a step. Each caliber quick change over will cost: Conversion: $77.95 Quick Change: $107.95 Plus the cost of a shell plate for the case feeder if you don't have it already: $38.95 I am assuming you will be keeping and using the dies you already have. I would also suggest getting a quick primer change over for the 650, two bolts, swap, change primer plunger and done. If you go new you could easily get the press, case feeder, all upgrades (strong mount, bullet holder, roller handle), caliber conversions, RT trimmer with dies for less than $2500 delivered. You could get the 1050 for 5.56 with caliber conversion for 308 and a 650, 550 or Hornady AP for your pistol calibers. If you do go with Dillon and you are going to order new, I would order before the end of the year. Dillon usually increases their prices at the begining of the year. ETA: Oh and order it from Brian Enos, free shipping on orders over $400. |
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If you go with a 1050 consider using Hornady lock rings to save on the cost of a tool head. I have been told that caliber conversions on the 1050 suck, I don't have personal experience on that.
Yeah I wished people would quit spouting that as they are not a big deal, I found after having a RL550 ,XL650 and the 1050 all on the bench together only one was getting any use, Lock rings and a conversion chart can save big $$, change overs are 15 mins easily and my conversion for 8 calibers came out to $74 each plus the lock rings |
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My 1050 friend has two tool heads for his Super1050. One that's on the press and one new, never used. Pisses me off to watch him swap out dies on 1050 tool head. He will have calibers converted in minutes using Dillon dies. He will have dies switched out on tool head in the time it takes me to remember where I left a caliber specific, 650 tool head. That whole 1050, caliber conversions are cost prohibitive compared to a 650 dog just doesn't hunt.
If you've got the dough for a 1050 and settle for a 650, like I did. 
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Quoted:
If you go with a 1050 consider using Hornady lock rings to save on the cost of a tool head. I have been told that caliber conversions on the 1050 suck, I don't have personal experience on that.
Yeah I wished people would quit spouting that as they are not a big deal, I found after having a RL550 ,XL650 and the 1050 all on the bench together only one was getting any use, Lock rings and a conversion chart can save big $$, change overs are 15 mins easily and my conversion for 8 calibers came out to $74 each plus the lock rings Where did you get the conversion chart? I asked Brian Enos for a couple of changes 30.06 and 8mm for example that I knew were really close (answer was change in powder funnel). |
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Quoted:
Quoted:
If you go with a 1050 consider using Hornady lock rings to save on the cost of a tool head. I have been told that caliber conversions on the 1050 suck, I don't have personal experience on that.
Yeah I wished people would quit spouting that as they are not a big deal, I found after having a RL550 ,XL650 and the 1050 all on the bench together only one was getting any use, Lock rings and a conversion chart can save big $$, change overs are 15 mins easily and my conversion for 8 calibers came out to $74 each plus the lock rings Where did you get the conversion chart? I asked Brian Enos for a couple of changes 30.06 and 8mm for example that I knew were really close (answer was change in powder funnel). there is this one it helps, I also just picked what I was going to reload for and cross checked the chart in the manual, also as you found Brian is a great help , got me setup for 300 Savage |
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I would recommend a Dillon 650 or Super 1050 depending on money and what you want to do. If you want to process a lot of brass with primer crimps the 1050 is the ticket. If you just want to get into it with a ton of options the 650 if the unit. I have both and they work great.
Mike |
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