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Posted: 8/13/2016 9:44:42 PM EDT
| Hey guys, I am about to end my enlistment in the Marine corps and finally have the space and time to reload . Trying to determine which press to buy and I am very new to the game. I would say strong competence in mechanical skills so progressive wouldn't be too hard for me. Have plenty of buddies to seek advice from as well. I mainly want it to reload my oddball calibers like .270WSM, .458 SOCOM, and 6.8 SPC II. My budget is 750. Thanks in advance |
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If stuck with Dillon, any will work. Your budget says 550... but you need to first determine how many rounds you plan to shoot.
Not worth buying more than you need unless you plan on really loading and shooting a ton. My friend and I run a 3-500 per weekend each so we run a 1050 and a bunch of other presses. If you plan on just shooting once in a while... 550 is perfect. Personally, I like my RCBS and Hornady more than I like running my 550 but you didn't ask about those. The 550 is just not ergonomic IMO. Placing the case with the right hand is just silly. I still like it enough to keep it around for running quick batches of rifle rounds. I don't think I would ever use it for a pistol round. |
Your budget will get you a 550, but the follow on posts will tell you to get a 650 which will blow your budget.  A 550 will do a lot of loading. I could of had either press but chose the 550 over the 650 because I didn't like the priming system on the 650. I don't need case feeder or strong mount, so the 550 meets my needs. |
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What about charge scales and all the supporting equipment? I pretty much need a comprehensive list of everything I'll need to start reloading those 3 calibers Keep in mind when asking these questions there is no one right answer . you get ten reloaders in a room and ask a question and you are likely going to get 8 different answers. Some folks will tell you that getting a single stage first is almost mandatory , I don't really agree with that but most guys who wind up with a progressive will also have a single stage because some tasks are easier to do on one . Also consider used equipment (as long as it is major brand name) |
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I'm open to any brand really, just heard Dillon is the best. There is absolutely no perfect press. And each press may have pros/cons. For example, the 650 is a great press but as dryflash said, the primer system is a con. There are more posts about blown up priming systems for the 650 than any other press. But that is still rare and if kept clean, it's fine. You could almost afford the 650 with your budget but you wouldn't have money left over for die, etc...The 650 also requires a case feeder. There just isn't an ergonomic way to feed cases on it. Although 550 isn't much better IMO. While I put my Hornady in the closet to make room for my RCBS, I think the Hornady would be a great option for you if you don't plan to run a case feeder. You could add one later but it is Hornady's weakest part. Both RCBS and Hornady feed cases on the left side which is way more ergonomic. But of course, there are other pros/cons to those presses too. If I were you, I would just buy a Lee Classic turret press. It is a great beginner press which offers a little speed with it's semi-progressive function. It also is super cheap, easy to swap calibers, and has the ability to run as a single stage if you remove the indexing rod. Great press to learn on. Keep in mind that many (most?) reloaders don't just have one press. It's likely that if you stick with reloading, you will start to collect presses too. For your calibers, you can really save money quickly reloading as those calibers are not cheap. Most reloaders will tell you the savings is quickly eaten up by more reloading purchases. Good luck! |
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If you are open to other brands of equipment, then I'd strongly consider a RCBS rock chucker. I think you'd be able to get set up with all or most of the support equipment for you budgeted amount.
You will need: press scale calipers powder dispenser of some sort. could use dippers and trickle to final weight some way to clean brass some way to trim brass caliber specific stuff--dies, shellholders components case lube (look up diy lanolin lube) and reloading manuals |
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This answer comes down to how many rounds you plan to make and shoot. For me oddball calibers I do in batches of 100 on a Co-Ax press. Volume calibers are done on a Hornady Progressive.
If you are loading 500 or less per batch I would not bother with a progressive. Assuming less than 500 I would go with one of the following: 1. Dillon 550. This press is a manually indexed progressive. 2. Redding T7 turret. 3. Forster Co-Ax. Single stage but no shell plates are needed just drop the die in and go. Priming on the Co-Ax is the weak link. You have to handle the primers one at a time and adjusting it is a pain in the neck. If you go with the Co-Ax get yourself the RCBS bench primer. If you are loading more than 500 rounds at a time I would go with the Dillon 650 or Hornady LnL. Dillon really needs a case feeder and with the Hornady it doesn't matter. The Hornady is a great press but takes time to learn how to get all the adjustments perfect. Once adjusted you can crank out rounds fast. The only thing slowing you down on a progressive is reloading primers. |
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I went with the 550 after some other choices which were mostly single stage and less expensive.
You will be spending more money than you planned, trust me. I went with extra tool heads, powder measures and tool head stands. I also bought the strong mount, since the press is already the elephant on the table so why should I have to work around it reaching under the table? I like the handle that came with my press and I said that because I am going to mention Inline Fabrication. They have some of my money and may get more. The link may interest you as well as some of the items on their website. https://youtu.be/z4F93tWTC7Q The only complaint I have is the Primer tube. A trap door to open and dump them out does not exist and removal of the Primer system to turn it upside down is not practical to me. I consider it easier to run the primers dry and pour the remaining powder back into the container. Always know how many primers you just placed in the system and have the brass to match that number. http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_6_42/338019_Cheap_Tips_and_Tricks_For_Dillon_550B_and_XL650s___Updated_4_14_2015.html |
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I have the 550B and the XL650
years and years of pure joy. for smaller batches of different calibers, get the 550B for 1000 round batches, get the XL650 If you shoot IPSC, or 3-gun, and practice a lot, get the 650 If you like to shoot 200 45's, 200 9mm's, 100 6.8's, and 100 38specials, get the 550B the 550B is quicker to change calibers the 650 loads much faster, has the ability to mount the powder check system, and of course has the excellent casefeeder. over the years, I have had LESS trouble with the 650 primer system, than the 550B primer system. With any Dillon, replacement parts are just a phone call away, even if you break them from your own mistakes. Since you mentioned rifle calibers, don't even look at the square deal. sounds like you need a 550B read this, Brian Enos is a retired world class IPSC and steel shooter who was sponsored by Dillon...http://brianenos.com/pages/dillon 
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My vote is the 550, then the rest of your budget for the rest of the stuff you need, case gauges, etc. Guy at the Austin gun show yesterday selling his reloads, had like 5 or 6 tables full of lots of calibers. I asked him what he reloads on. Told me he has two 550s, one small primer, one large, and loads up to 2000 rounds in a day! Hey, no pic or proof, just what he said! Oh, and I have a 550 and started with a Rock Chucker, still have it and use it for small batch rifle.
One other note, if you start with a 550, go real slow at first till you build up your confidence level. |
OP's eyes are bigger than his stomach wallet.  Not unusual.
I won't deny that Dillon makes a very good product (my first press was a Dillon SDB) but there are other brands and other types of presses which my better suit your situation. Do a realistic assessment of your reloading needs before plunking down hundreds of dollars on a product that others say is in your best interest. No doubt you have friends who reload. Have you taken a look at their equipment or been given the opportunity to try it out? Reloading even at its most frugal is expensive and getting more so. Given our current political situation you may be better off purchasing a simpler press kit (RCBS RC Supreme Master Kit) and using the money saved to invest in components (esp. powder) which have the potential to become very scarce and stay that way. You will never outgrow a good single stage press. |
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If you are open to other brands of equipment, then I'd strongly consider a RCBS rock chucker. DILLON 550 I think you'd be able to get set up with all or most of the support equipment for you budgeted amount. You will need: press scale calipers powder dispenser of some sort. could use dippers and trickle to final weight some way to clean brass some way to trim brass caliber specific stuff--dies, shellholders components case lube (look up diy lanolin lube) and reloading manuals This guy is mostly right, I fixed his only error 
some specific points: Do not be afraid to START with a progressive press. All of the functions are the same, they just all happen at once, and by taking the time to understand and properly adjust your press, you will more thoroughly understand the reloading process instead of viewing it as separate, disconnected operations.. Do not be afraid to buy a used Dillon, there are plenty of guys selling 550's to fund 650's or 1050's. Buy the Dillon Case lube. It is kindof expensive for what it is, but for as much as you will use, making it yourself isn't going to be worth it. I am partial to RCBS Beam scales, but any will do. Your Dillon will come with a decent powder measure, but be sure to google any powder you are planning to use to see if it works, for example, Varget and other stick powders don't meter as well as ball powders. Lee trimming tools are the simplest and easiest until you want to do 5000 cases. A Harbor Freight $18 caliper is good enough to start with. I like the Hornady manuals because they are actual Books, but 99.9% of my reloading info comes off the internet now, and I will admit that most any reloading manual you get will include tons of information that you really don't need (like obsolete loading data for calibers you never heard of). Reloading itself is very simple. Clean the case resize the case punch out old primer put in new primer add powder add bullet make sure bullet does not fall out shoot bullet I reloaded for years without owning a caliper, for example. I just kept a factory round in my shellholder box and eyeballed my adjustments until I was making rounds the same size. Not a perfect system, but it worked for me - and I wasn't loading match ammo. Many people on here are WAY more meticulous than is necessary because it makes them feel good, but it is un-necessary. |
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550 would be good for what you posted
If you think you'll load high enough volume to eventually want a case feeder, get a 650. The up front cost isn't that much different if you don't jump right in with all the accessories (you don't have to start with the case feeder, but it's much easier to upgrade in the future). |
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The downfall to the progressive reloading is the powder dispenser. Hence when even with fine grain ball powder, you still have some valencies in the drops ( how much the machine jolted between drops).
So for loads that have to be on the mark, then they are run through a single stage press, with each powder throw measured to trickle it up to be on the mark before it sees the case isntead. As for pistol and plin'g rifle loads, then a progressive is fine and can load a lot faster on it: again so long as you are using a powder that will meter through the dispenser with some consistency. I bring this up, since you stated 270WSM, and will bank that your using a extruded powder to reload for that. If such is the case and you want to stay with the extruded powder (which will not meter through a dispenser worth a dam), you may still have to use a single stage pressure with charges brought up to weight for that rifle. |
| Gentleman, I'd like to thank everyone for their input. Also thanks to the ones following the thread for even more help. I'm leaning towards the 550. I will be loading no more than 2-300 of each at a sitting; and we're talking over a few months time. I will be a full time student so it will be mainly for an occasional range trip or hunting. My goal isn't so much saving money, but getting tighter groups and better velocities. Trying to put the .458 at 2000 fps with a 300gr through a 16" wilson heavy barrel. |
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Quoted: read this, Brian Enos is a retired world class IPSC and steel shooter who was sponsored by Dillon...http://brianenos.com/pages/dillon |
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No longer a Dillon dealer Quoted:
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read this, Brian Enos is a retired world class IPSC and steel shooter who was sponsored by Dillon...http://brianenos.com/pages/dillon Oh man! I always went to BE for my Dillon stuff. I wonder what happened?? I have both the 550 and 650 and the case feeder makes the 650 well worth it in my opinion |
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No longer a Dillon dealer Quoted:
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read this, Brian Enos is a retired world class IPSC and steel shooter who was sponsored by Dillon...http://brianenos.com/pages/dillon oh wow, I just looked and found this... " Beginning August 1st, 2016, I am no longer a dealer for Dillon Precision products. " . I noticed his forum has been offline a lot lately too. He's a nice guy
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Hey guys, I am about to end my enlistment in the Marine corps and finally have the space and time to reload . Trying to determine which press to buy and I am very new to the game. I would say strong competence in mechanical skills so progressive wouldn't be too hard for me. Have plenty of buddies to seek advice from as well. I mainly want it to reload my oddball calibers like .270WSM, .458 SOCOM, and 6.8 SPC II. My budget is 750. Thanks in advance At your overall budget, 550, especially if loading rifle only. That being said, a 650 is far more capable for volume work and has room to expand if you can save slightly longer. |
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The 550B will do everything you need it to now and for a long time to come.
The 650 is a good machine but more complicate and expensive. The S1050B is insanely expensive and only has a 1 year warranty...period. I had one, sold it, and don't miss it. You need load a huge volume to justify the cost imo and if you ever want to sell it your market is extremely small. |
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Random shot in the dark, does anyone happen to have a favorite load for .458? I know I can find plenty of info on other forums and other threads, just seeing if anyone here has one. I don't have my notes handy but I've loaded it a fair amount. Hornady or Remington 300gr HP with H110. I don't remember the charge weight. Go to 458socomforums.com for better info. I reload similar rounds that you do. 300 wsm, 458 socom, 270, 6.8, 223, 10mm and 45 acp mostly. I have a 550b and love it. I also have a RCBS single stage and do the WSM and Socom loads on it since I don't have the right conversion kits for them. They require an XL powder charge die and specific powder funnels. What you will find with the 458 socom is crimping can be finicky. If you can find a Lee Factory crimp die for it that will make it much easier since you can back the crimp function off on the seating die. I also, have a cheap Lee Perfect Powder measure for the longer stick powders that the Dillon measure can throw a little less consistently. I've found the Dillon PM is very accurate until you get the long extruded grain stuff. Everything else it works just fine on. |
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I also have a RCBS single stage and do the WSM and Socom loads on it since I don't have the right conversion kits for them. They require an XL powder charge die and specific powder funnels. What you will find with the 458 socom is crimping can be finicky. If you can find a Lee Factory crimp die for it that will make it much easier since you can back the crimp function off on the seating die. Quoted:
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Random shot in the dark, does anyone happen to have a favorite load for .458? I know I can find plenty of info on other forums and other threads, just seeing if anyone here has one. I also have a RCBS single stage and do the WSM and Socom loads on it since I don't have the right conversion kits for them. They require an XL powder charge die and specific powder funnels. What you will find with the 458 socom is crimping can be finicky. If you can find a Lee Factory crimp die for it that will make it much easier since you can back the crimp function off on the seating die. Well, if the .458 is my primary reason for reloading, should I just get an RCBS due to the lack of Dillon parts? |
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Well, if the .458 is my primary reason for reloading, should I just get an RCBS due to the lack of Dillon parts? Quoted:
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Random shot in the dark, does anyone happen to have a favorite load for .458? I know I can find plenty of info on other forums and other threads, just seeing if anyone here has one. I also have a RCBS single stage and do the WSM and Socom loads on it since I don't have the right conversion kits for them. They require an XL powder charge die and specific powder funnels. What you will find with the 458 socom is crimping can be finicky. If you can find a Lee Factory crimp die for it that will make it much easier since you can back the crimp function off on the seating die. Well, if the .458 is my primary reason for reloading, should I just get an RCBS due to the lack of Dillon parts? I am confused about the comment about needing an XL powder charge die. For SOCOM or WSM? The only difference in Powder die for Dillon between standard and XL is height. Neither of those require tall die. To clarify, Dillon 550 (and all progressive presses) require "conversion kits" or whatever the brand calls them. These include the proper shell plate and powder funnel for dillon kits. They are relatively cheap for the 550 (price compare to the 1050 which is 2-4x the cost). I bought a XL die for running 338 Lapua but never bothered to use (since the stick powder is way too huge to feed anyway). I thought I would need it for the 300 WM also but I don't think it even needs the tall one (have only used a trickler with it). If Dillon makes 550 conversion kits for the socom and WSM, you are fine. Just check their webpage. RCBS Rock Chucker vs. 550... Personally, I would buy a Rock chucker to learn on (or a turret press). You are going to need/want the single stage someday anyway. There are probably a few people who reload who don't use a single stage.. but not many. It's just super convenient for certain odd jobs... I have 3. |
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Interesting thread since I finally ordered a 550B ! Stepping up from the old single stage, it better be impressive. In terms of setup, it's as easy as a progressive can get. I will give Dillon that. My only mistake in the few months I have owned it is trying to use the lock nut on the bottom of the shellplate for a short trim die (30 Carbine). The nut bent the little indexing lever... Eventually it broke but Dillon was good to replace... It works fine to put the nut on the bottom of the 650 and 1050.. but apparently NOT the 550. sigh... I have seen a lot of people complain about priming system but so far, it has been great. I really like the Inline LED light kit for the 550. |
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I started on a 550B and still have it, and considerate the best all around progressive press. It is simple and easy to setup, and great for doing small runs or even big ones if you have the time. This is also an excellent choice for reloading rifle ammo in my opinion.
Next I purchased a 650. It will do everything a 550 will do, just much faster with the case feeder and auto index. It also has an extra station if you wanted to use a powder check die, etc. Last year I got a deal on a used 1050 and use it exclusively for reloading 223. What I really love about it is how rugged it is and the built-in primer pocket swager is the bomb. |
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oh wow, I just looked and found this... " Beginning August 1st, 2016, I am no longer a dealer for Dillon Precision products. " I noticed his forum has been offline a lot lately too. He's a nice guy
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read this, Brian Enos is a retired world class IPSC and steel shooter who was sponsored by Dillon...http://brianenos.com/pages/dillon oh wow, I just looked and found this... " Beginning August 1st, 2016, I am no longer a dealer for Dillon Precision products. " I noticed his forum has been offline a lot lately too. He's a nice guy
. He's semi-retired now, hence him getting out of the dealer business. |
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Gentleman, I'd like to thank everyone for their input. Also thanks to the ones following the thread for even more help. I'm leaning towards the 550. I will be loading no more than 2-300 of each at a sitting; and we're talking over a few months time. I will be a full time student so it will be mainly for an occasional range trip or hunting. My goal isn't so much saving money, but getting tighter groups and better velocities. Trying to put the .458 at 2000 fps with a 300gr through a 16" wilson heavy barrel. Dillon 550 here and recommended, it's a heck of a machine that you can grow with, and is capable of loading a boat load more ammo than you are talking here ........giving you time to study (smile). |
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