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Posted: 6/16/2008 3:44:30 PM EDT
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I load 223 on a Dillon 550, I'm very pleased with it. Go 650 with a case feeder for more speed and $$. To get real savings on reloaded rounds, you have to buy in bulk. Powder by the 8 lbs, primers by the 5k, bullets by the 6k. Or be a bargain hunter at the fun shows.  My haul from the June show.  Right now I'm loading for: free brass, bullet, .08, 55gr FMJBT, primer .015, powder, .06,= $.16. Expect to load for around $.20, at today's prices. For SS-109's check out Wideners Go to the top of the page and read the Forum Resources. Step by step 223 reloading on a 550, with pics. A lot of other good information up there. Welcome to the Reloading Forum. 
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Reusing brass that is about what it is costing me per round. |
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I've been using a Dillon 550 for the past 12 years and I'm happy with it. As far as the cost of my .223, I'm still using components that I bought in the mid 90's so the cost is alot lower than it would be if I had to buy stuff today. If I remember right, it was about $.08/ round. |
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I ran 70K+ rounds through my 550B and loved it. The only drawback to the 550B is it's casefeeder can't take tall, slim cases like a .30 Carbine and .223. Because you have to cycle rifle brass through your press twice (case prep and reloading) a casefeeder really shines as a time and effort saver for processing rifle brass. That's why Mrs Santa got me a 650 w/casefeeder 1½ yrs ago to replace my 550B. So, if you are currently planning on reloading a fair amount of rifle brass, you might want to consider the 650 w/casefeeder, however, if you get the 550B and later decide you have outgrown it and only have room for one press, list it for sale for 80% of the then current new list price and you should be able to sell it quickly. I did and mine sold in 2 minutes on Glocktalk. |
IMHO...........being that case prep takes up so much effort........until you remove the primer crimps and unless you skip the trimming, you don't really gain much with a progressive over a single station. Aloha, Mark |
Unless............you own a Dillon 650 with casefeeder and a Dillon trimmer. I run my .223 through my 650 by tossing them into my casefeeder to feed my case prep toolhead with just the resizer/decapper die and the Dillon trimmer on it.  (Vacuum hose removed for picture) That way my brass is decapped, resized, and trimmed in one step with no more effort than pulling the handle. I can process 1,000 cases in an hour with ease because the casefeeder allows you to just dump the cases in and then pull the handle. Then I just tumble my processed brass clean for 10 minutes to remove the lube and store them 'till I'm ready to reload them in old pretzel jugs like this:  I store my newly acquired brass with the primer crimp still in tact so that I can be sure that it is in fact 'once fired'. When I get ready to place a jug into my rotation, I swage the brass to remove the primer crimp on a Dillon Super Swage. That is only done the first time the brass is reloaded and the swage does it pretty fast. When I'm ready to reload, I use my reloading toolhead with the rest of the die set installed (remember, the decapping/resizing die is in my case prep toolhead) and add a universal decapping die to station #1 (to insure that the flash hole is clear) and run them through.  Trust me, this is waaaaayyyyyy faster than a single stage. |
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COSteve, Your set-up is IMPRESSIVE. Though, maybe too much $$$ for some of us.  Aloha, Mark
YOUR cost per round, would depend on how much you're paying for components. Most of us "long time re-loaders"........paid "very little" vs. today's prices for bullets, primers and powder. Here is a link for a calculator......... www.handloads.com/calc/loadingCosts.asp The calculator does not take into account the amortization of your press and other tools........or your time. |
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