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Posted: 4/19/2010 6:30:49 PM EDT
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I'm switching. What are the pros and cons of Hornady LNL and the 550B. My main concern isn't the auto indexing... what my concerns are:
1) accuracy of the built in powder measurer 2) Ease of caliber change 3) overall price for a complete setup. (I have gauges and trimmers already. I should get a case tumbler but don't include that either) O_o 4) typical rounds per hour |
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Quoted: I'm switching. What are the pros and cons of Hornady LNL and the 550B. My main concern isn't the auto indexing... what my concerns are: 1) accuracy of the built in powder measurer with the dillon and ball powder i get accuracy within a .1 grain 2) Ease of caliber change piece of cake with the 550 maybe 5 minutes, a little longer if you have to change from small primer to large 3) overall price for a complete setup. (I have gauges and trimmers already. I should get a case tumbler but don't include that either) O_o check dillons site 4) typical rounds per hour i get 500 easily on the dillon if i have primer tubes ready |
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1 point to consider- Auto indexing lets you focus on other things. You can easily disable it on a Dillon 650 if you should ever want to, and the 650 has 5 stations vs 4 in the 550. The case feeder for the 650 does all common cartridges, also.
My Dillon powder measures are usually within .1 grain. I have used my 650 since around 1998 and can say that any screw-ups were my fault. Full caliber changes with primer system, etc. take me about 15 minutes- I wipe down and relube the machine while doing so. I can load about 600 rounds/hr of 45, and I am slow. The case feeder is another one of those additions that reduces interruptions, and lets you focus on watching things vs doing things while reloading. |
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So far it appears the Dillon is ahead. I was thinking about the 550B for several reasons. I hear the caliber changes are easier if u get different die plates. I currently do everything by itself so a progressive loader, whether auto indexing or not, doesn't matter to me. As for the 650, i'm still doing my doctoral so I suspect i'll be moving again and I think teh 650 is a bigger hassle to setup and move, am i right or wrong?
To the person who mentioned a case feeder. I didn't mean case feeder when i said tumbler, I meant i was going to get a tumbler to clean my brass. I've been doing everything by hand at this point and needless to say, I'll be paying the same amount of billiable lawyer time towards reloading as i would buying factory ammo. The only issue i'm having is, the LNL has auto indexing and is about the same price as the 550B, what makes the 550B, WHY?!?! Is there anything on the LNL that may make it more expensive in the long run since the machine itself is cheaper in the short run? I know dillon has a reputation for quality, but i'm just trying to cover all my bases 
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To load different calibers you need to have different shell plates, tool heads-for ease of change, dies and powder dies. As well as maybe different primer tubes and different powder bars for each powder die. There is quite a cost associated with caliber change over. I am just getting started with my 650 and I put in about the cost of the press just to get 2 full caliber conversions and a case-feeder. The expense is there, as with any hobby.
You need a tumbler as well. Only way to do a good lot of brass at one time. Or even go for an ultrasonic if the whole corn cob/walnut shell media thing doesn't trip your interest. |
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Caliber change for the Hornady, from say, .45 Auto to .38 Super, involves changing the primer tube, the primer punch, adjusting the powder measure, popping out the dies and dropping in the new ones(very easy), and switching the shell plate. There is some parts changing and adjusting if you are running a case feeder, but most of the stuff you need to change calibers comes with the press. |
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I was going to upgrade from the 550 to the 650. After talking to some buddies that had both, I went with the Hornady AP. I love it, and caliber changes are a breeze. Faster than on my Dillon. The powder drop has a removable adjustable bushing, so if you are changing pistol loads, just push a button and pull one bushing out and replace with the other. Then just verify the drop and you are on your way.
No regrets on my part and I love having the case feeder, |
| The Hornady LNL doesn't come with the case feeder does it? What am I looking at, ballpark figure, of how much each machine would cost wit ha set of dies? I have brass, tumbler, powder, bullets and primer already. I just wanna know the cost of a whole machine without all the bells and whistles. |
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Well after much thought, I'm going with the 550B for the following reasons:
(1) More compatible dies (2) Much simplier caliber changes (3) More idiot proof (from malfunction) (4) Easier to maintain, disassemble, and move. Any last minute thoughts before i pull the trigger? |
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Dies are for the most part standardized across the industry, so it doesn't really matter who's dies you use. I don't think caliber changes get any easier than the Hornady(or cheaper). Any progressive will have a lot of pieces, and with a lot of parts comes a lot of possible places for failures. I don't think either the Dillon or Hornady presses are that difficult to work on. Dillon has their "No BS!" guarantee, but I've called Hornady, and had no BS. I'd say it's a wash. Moving a press really isn't much harder than removing some bolts. |
| there are some recent threads covering this exact topic. lots of good infor. there. i got rid of my LNL as fast as i could after endless issues w/it. and i'm no newbie to progressive reloaders. had a dillon rl 1000 and 450 (?) and owned 3 gun stores in the 80's. decided to try the LNL AP and finally sold it and got a 650. NO COMPARISON!. i can crank out a box of 50 every 3.5 minutes taking my time, and the ammo is primo. hornadys having lots of QC issues right now and it shows. this is not just my opinion. check out the other threads. |
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Despite the "blue group" screaming theirs is better I gotta say the Hornady in the proper hands will hold its own on a Dillon. Caliber conversions are easier and much cheaper. The "blue group" says theirs is easier but they spent all that money on toolheads completely setup with the dies and even the powder measure to get the "ease". Look at the pictures they post. Its right there in the background for all to see.
Now for a complete change over on a LNL you will need a shell plate. These in many cases will do multiple calibers, especially in rifle calibers. Plus a #1 will also do .45 ACP even though they make one specifically for it. Everything else, except the case feeder, come with the press. Anyway back to the change over. Remove/replace shell plate for caliber. A simple bolt holds it in place. Remove case retaining spring (wraps around the shell plate). Remove/replace primer seater. Hex shaped body screws into the bottom of the subplate. Remove/replace primer tube. Primer tubes are for small or large primers. Simply lift out and replace with other size. Remove/replace primer slide. Simply detach a spring and switch out slide. Replace spring. Remove/replace dies. 1/8 turn and lift out. Insert new ones in reverse. Adjust Powder measure for case being loaded. Depending on the case it may require changing the bushing in the die body and will likely require adjusting the measures height in the die body. Takes a couple minutes since you need to use a case to find the proper height. Some just buy extra lower die bodies. Adjust for powder charge or buy extra metering stems and preset. Another option is to get the micrometer metering stems. Your choice. Plus you can use a Uniflow or similar drum type measure. No adjustments needed for ejection with the new Ez-Eject system. Works like a charm. Additionally it is very easy to remove a case at any station and replace it or leave it out. If you go with the case feeder there are some extra changes. Different bushings, feed tubes and possibly different v-block. Without the case feeder maybe 10 minutes. With the case feeder another 10-15 minutes depending all on how much you actually have to change. With he Hornady there are few little parts to lose. The primer slides and the primer seaters are the small parts and there are 3 different bushings for the case activated die body for the measure. The case feeder has 6 v-blocks and 4 aluminum tubes and 2 plastic tubes for large and small cartridges. Additionally with a LNL if no case is in station you do not have to worry about the primer or any powder being spilled. The primer will wait for a case and the powder is not dropped unless there is a case there for it. |
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"Additionally with a LNL if no case is in station you do not have to worry about the primer or any powder being spilled. The primer will wait for a case and the powder is not dropped unless there is a case there for it"
i don't know when they changed but w/my new dillon 650 it works the same way. |
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Quoted:
"Additionally with a LNL if no case is in station you do not have to worry about the primer or any powder being spilled. The primer will wait for a case and the powder is not dropped unless there is a case there for it" i don't know when they changed but w/my new dillon 650 it works the same way. The last 650 I played with didn't with the primers, it spit them out onto the machine, and it wasn't too awful old. |
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Quoted:
I'm switching. What are the pros and cons of Hornady LNL and the 550B. My main concern isn't the auto indexing... what my concerns are: 1) accuracy of the built in powder measurer 2) Ease of caliber change 3) overall price for a complete setup. (I have gauges and trimmers already. I should get a case tumbler but don't include that either) O_o 4) typical rounds per hour I didn't read all the other posts, but comparing the LNL vs 550 isn't really apples to apples.. The LNL has the ability to use a Case Feeder for Pistol & Rifle - The 550 Case feeder only works with Pistol Caliber change I think is probably about equal for both machines.. Pretty easy.. I've never compared the LNL to 550 since they really arn't the same, so i'm not sure which is cheaper.. The LNL AP by far will have a higher round per hour count, it's 100% full progressive and can have a case feeder - The 550 is manual indexed progressive and can't use a case feeder for rifle! To be fair you really need to compare the LNL to the XL650. The LNL & 650 final cost is pretty close, with the LNL being just slightly cheaper. I don't know how the priming system works on the LNL, but I do know that the Dillon XL650 does advance a primer weather a case is present or not, it has an ejection ramp where it will catch any primers that don't go into a case. The powder measurer obviously wont drop powder with out a case to activate the powder drop.. -Masta |
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