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Posted: 6/15/2011 4:09:23 PM EDT
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I am getting ready to order a Dillon 550B & their 3-set dies for 9mm & .45acp. I might do .223 down the road but not just yet.
For those whom have been reloading for a while now, what would you do differently if you were to begin anew knowing what you know now? Advice? Things to avoid at all costs? I won't be using anything other than FMJ bullets as I'm doing this for my USPSA & 3 Gun match ammo. IOW, I won't be casting any lead ones. Best places to buy bullets? Midway? Gun shows? Thanks in advance! 
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Unclutered work area, NO ALCOHOL, no distractions, attention to detail, no shortcuts, don't be in a hurry.
Buy a good reloading book and read it ! Set your own standards and stick to them ! Don't be afraid to ask for help. Make sure you have a bullet puller, you will need it. I use the kenetic puller from Midway. If in doubt, pull it ! Label each lot you make ! Buy the best dies you can afford ! Start off with a single stage and learn the mechanics and details of reloading before starting on a progressive. |
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Quoted:
I am getting ready to order a Dillon 550B & their 3-set dies for 9mm & .45acp. I might do .223 down the road but not just yet. For those whom have been reloading for a while now, what would you do differently if you were to begin anew knowing what you know now? Advice? Things to avoid at all costs? I won't be using anything other than FMJ bullets as I'm doing this for my USPSA & 3 Gun match ammo. IOW, I won't be casting any lead ones. Best places to buy bullets? Midway? Gun shows? Thanks in advance! 
Loading 223 here with my 550. Dillon equipment is high quality, and the 550 is a good press to learn on. But there will be a learning curve. I would advise you use the 550 as a single stage to start. That means put 1 case in the press and do each process to that 1 case and it is ejected. Then start the next case in the press and repeat. Two books you will need, "the ABC's of Reloading" this book will teach you to reload. Tools, components, and loading explained with pics. Then you will need a reloading manual. I suggest Lyman #49 the current manual. Lots of loading data and contains lead bullet loads for when you wish to explore them in the future. You will also need a scale to weigh powder. Needed to set the PM (powder measure), on the 550. A caliper for measuring OAL, (over all length) of rounds. Many will tell you to start with a single stage press, but the 550 is not hard to learn on if you follow Dillon's instructions. You need to read the FAQ's and Tutorials at the top of the page. Also a list of vender's up in Links. Shop around for the best prices. 
The best deals on bullets I find at at the funshow. 100, 45, 230 gr FMJ for $10, 100 9mm, 115 gr FMJ, $8. I bought all he had. Read up and what you don't understand, ask here we will help. |
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You are going to need a STURDY bench, lag bolts into the wall for more support. Build it longer than you think you will need
When I redo my loading bench, it will be 8' long. There will be a SDB, 550 and a single stage mounted. Think about storage for powder, primers, bullets, casings. Buy in bulk. Lead bullets from Missouri bullet are the cheapest cast I can find. The 550 is a great machine, lots of guys prefer the 650. I like my SDB for one caliber, and wish I had one on the bench in each pistol cal. I shoot. This is a great place to pick up info. |
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Cabela's has been my source for bullets (earn points with Cabela's card) and they usually have what I want when i want and for good price.
I'd get a press that can accommodate 4 dies...what ever brand you settle with...get the Lee Factory Crimp die to compliment each caliber. |
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I responded in your other thread as well
Invest in the big Dillon tumbler if you intend to do medium to high volume reloading, it will save you time Invest in a digital scale, again time and efficency I have a pair of 550's that I reload off of Doing it again, I would have just bought a 650 and been done with it |
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Quoted:
I am getting ready to order a Dillon 550B & their 3-set dies for 9mm & .45acp. I might do .223 down the road but not just yet. For those whom have been reloading for a while now, what would you do differently if you were to begin anew knowing what you know now? Advice? Things to avoid at all costs? I won't be using anything other than FMJ bullets as I'm doing this for my USPSA & 3 Gun match ammo. IOW, I won't be casting any lead ones. Best places to buy bullets? Midway? Gun shows? Thanks in advance! Sir, I've read through all the responses to you post and mostly I agree with what the other members have posted, however I believe I can contribute with a few comments of my own. When I started reloading I owned one revolver and my reloading was obviously focused on cartridges for that gun. Back then there were no progressive presses available within the price range I thought affordable. Looking back over the years if there had been a progressive press available I too would have bought one and the Dillon 550 would have been my choice. I did buy a Dillon 450 when they first came out and upgraded it to a 550 when Dillon offered the upgrade kits a few years later. It is still the press I use the most but I still use the single stage press and a Dillon XL650. It is true that for the beginner the learning curve is a bit steeper with a progressive vs. a single stage, but with careful attention to detail most reasonably meticulous persons should have no real difficulty turning out quality ammo fairly quickly. For the type shooting you say you are into volume is an objective so most single stage users start out with a somewhat low volume production rate. For high volume IPSC style shooting, there is nothing wrong with the hard cast bullets currently on the market for the purpose and considering the price difference between jacketed bullets you may want to reconsider ruling out using them. After spending some time casting my own bullets I found out that for the price the so called hard cast bullets were rather inexpensive and well worth the price in comparison to the amount of time I spent casting and sizing bullets. For straight wall pistol cases you don't have to use a case lube if you buy a resizing die with a carbide insert. Since I tumble brass primarily to remove case lube were I you a case tumbler would not be high on my list of equipment to buy depending on how shiney you like your brass. Shiney brass is nice but the practical aspect of using one is that it enhances the ability to inspect the cases for defects such as cracked case necks and similar properties. If you do buy a tumbler I recommend the Dillon CV2001 simply because it's the biggest and most durable tumbler on the market. Also the media seperator, while not essential is a real time saver. If you ever consider you want to get into reloading for rifle cartridges the Dillon 550 will still serve you well except that you will have to alter the loading sequence a bit in consideration for the fact that bottleneck rifle cases have to be measured and possibly trimmed after being resized. There are many ways to address this but a lot of high volume rifle cartridge reloaders do case prep on a single stage press and trimming independent of the Dillon press. Also the Dillon powder measure is notorious for not metering long grain extruded powders well. Dillon even tells the user that in their instruction booklets and the "Blue Press". Dillon sells adapter parts to allow the user to use an alternate powder measure on the 550 or 650 presses. Just some thoughts for your consideration, HTH 7zero1. |
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Quoted:
I am getting ready to order a Dillon 550B & their 3-set dies for 9mm & .45acp. I might do .223 down the road but not just yet. Good choice. I like to run Dillon pistol dies in my 550 and 650. For those whom have been reloading for a while now, what would you do differently if you were to begin anew knowing what you know now? Buy once, cry once. I wasted a bunch of money buying some Lee stuff and trying to get it to run on my 550. They just didn't hold up to 1,000-2,000 reload sessions. Same thing with scales, buy the best you can afford. Advice? Things to avoid at all costs? Go slow. Buy case gauges for each round you want to reload. I won't be using anything other than FMJ bullets as I'm doing this for my USPSA & 3 Gun match ammo. IOW, I won't be casting any lead ones. Best places to buy bullets? Midway? Gun shows? I like Montana Gold. I run their FMJs and HPs in all my USPSA guns. They have quick shipping, great quality control, and very consistent. Thanks in advance! |
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I forgot to add, buy in bulk once you discover your goto recipes.
If you buy 16-24 lbs of powder at a time and/or 15k + primers you will save money and pay fewer hazmat charges. Same thing with bullets. If you buy a case at a time (2,000-3,500) you will spend way less than buying 100 or so at a time. |
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