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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Thinking about getting a Dillon (Page 1 of 2)
Posted: 12/26/2016 9:37:46 PM EDT
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For about 5 years I haven't reloaded a single round. And before that I used my Lee single stage. Worked well enough but it was slow. Slow isn't a huge issue as I was reloading mostly .45 Colt and .460 S&W Mag just to save a few bucks and to see if I could actually do it from wheel weights to spent shells. I did. Fast forward to the present and I've stocked up on some powder and primers, molded a few hundred 9mm bullets as well as bullets for .223, a tumbler, some powder coating, and a few other odds and ends so I can load decent rounds. Thing is, I used to buy up cases of rounds, guns, mags, etc....but didn't shoot much because of how expensive it was. But I figure if I can load a few thousand rounds for a couple hundred bucks... I wouldn't feel so bad about going to the range a couple times a month. But with how slow the single stage is, while it does the job, I'd be loading closer to 100rds per session instead of 1000.
My barber who is a life-long reloader has been trying to convince me to get a progressive press. He said he started where I did with a single then moved to a turret and finally a progressive. He said to skip right to the progressive and not waste the money getting to that point. I'm thinking, if I can make tons of rounds, maybe it's worth the initial investment. But my question is, what all do I need and what is nice to have? The two main calibers I shoot are 9mm and then .223/5.56. When looking at a Dillon, what press do I want, what accessories do I need and what are the additions that are nice but not needed or maybe can be bought over time? Thanks -Emt1581 |
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At a high level....Yes, a progressive can crank out ammo at an almost alarming rate when you get it dialed in and start going. A couple hundred rounds an hour is no an exaggeration, and you can do it for 1/3 what new ammo costs. You can also load precisely what you want rather than what may be on the shelf.Â
Hornady AP or Dillion would both fit the bill for what you want to do. The base kit should get you started and well on your way. You'd need dies, a scale and a micrometer beyond what comes in either kit (Dillon or Hornady). 23 brass will take more prep than 9mm. You'll also need the assorted 223 brass prep gear...ie....Case trimmer and possibly a primer pocket cleaner and swager. For the basics on 9mm and using a Hornady (As thats what I have) I figured I'd need to load right around 4000 rounds to pay for it all. |
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Here we go with the 550/650 debate.
Look over the features carefully. Do you want speed as the major feature? Willing to buy a case feeder? Then 650. Myself I liked the 550 better and don't need a case feeder. So I have a 550. 90% of the following posts will be 650, casefeeder. Buy once, cry once. Your choice. |
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Seems like a 650 with case feeder will be good for .223 and 9mm and then I can use the single stage Lee for the other calibers.
But let's split some hairs now... Aside from the case feeder, which accessories are well worth the money and pretty much needed up front and which are nice to have but can be bought later if desired? Thanks -Emt1581 |
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The best information I ever found regarding which Dillon press, and accessories, to get is the Dillon section on the Brian Enos website. Even after reading all his advice for several days, I still went and bought what I wanted, and I wound up coming back to what he recommended to start with, so I sold a bunch of stuff it turned out I didn't need. The only thing different since I bought my Dillon stuff, is that Inline Fabrication has put out a lot of arguably nicer accessories that you may want to look into.
I will say this. The majority of your decision will be based on the number of round you plan on loading per month. And if you decide the 650 is the machine you need, getting a 650 without a case feeder is pretty pointless. I don't understand why they even sell the 650 without a case feeder, aside from making the cost look cheaper. Which it isn't because you will just turn around and buy one anyway. |
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Seems like a 650 with case feeder will be good for .223 and 9mm and then I can use the single stage Lee for the other calibers. But let's split some hairs now... Aside from the case feeder, which accessories are well worth the money and pretty much needed up front and which are nice to have but can be bought later if desired? Thanks -Emt1581 Let me just say I'm very satisfied with my 650. I load 9mm and .40 on it for now. I'll eventually get around to .223. Case feeder is a must. I also bought the bullet tray, the aluminum roller handle, the wrench set, and the strong mount. The tray is really convenient, as are the wrenches. The handle makes it comfortable. The strong mount was more a necessary thing to mount it to my bench. |
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After you buy your Dillon and want another option on parts, put http://www.uniquetek.com/ on your short list of places to check to buy items to help make reloading on the Dillon better/ easier / cleaner
Help improve the powder drop, they have it Having issues with spent primers running away, they have an answer Need a second source of die blocks, they have it Want to take some of the slop out of the die block, they have it. Want to improve the shell plate wiggle, they got it Want to deswedge on your press ( might void warranty) they got it Need bins for components, they got it Need ideas and tips, they got it too. Not affiliated, but a customer |
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Quoted:
Seems like a 650 with case feeder will be good for .223 and 9mm and then I can use the single stage Lee for the other calibers. But let's split some hairs now... Aside from the case feeder, which accessories are well worth the money and pretty much needed up front and which are nice to have but can be bought later if desired? Thanks -Emt1581 I started out without a case feeder until I had the spare cash even without the case feeder the 650 is still faster than the 550. The options I started with were the strong mount and bullet tray. I eventually got the case feeder and aluminum roller handle. |
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I never reloaded before, ever. Never even watched someone reload, other than on you tube. My first press was a 650. No regrets whatsoever.
Now I also have a pair of 1050s for .223/.300BO & .308/.45. The 650 is now just for 9mm/.40S&W. I love them all and would definitely start with a 650. |
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If you are loading pistol in large numbers, especially with low volume powders or light charges where it is possible to double charge without overflowing, an auto indexing press is a good thing to have.
Suggest going with either 550b for rifle and Square deal for pistol or a "loaded" 650 or 1050 to do both. Another consideration is what your time is worth. Once you find an acceptable load, you can produce a huge amount of ammunition in a relatively short time with the right equipment and spend the rest of your time shooting. Using ball powder (or other easy-throwing powder) and quality dies, your consistency, even on a progressive, can be very good, if not excellent, and removes much of the human error possibility. |
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I got into Dillon shortly after they came out. Right now I have 3 SDB presses(9MM,40S&W & 45ACP, 2 550B, 1 for sm primer and 1 for lg primer.
Quite a few tool heads set up in different calibers. The only thing special would be a Dillon trimmer, super swage and a set of carbide 223 dies. I still have an old Rock chucker for when I am loading just a few boxes of something special. I never get in a hurry. |
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I started out without a case feeder until I had the spare cash even without the case feeder the 650 is still faster than the 550. The options I started with were the strong mount and bullet tray. I eventually got the case feeder and aluminum roller handle. When I get around to loading 223 on my Dillon I'll probably get a casefeeder. Right now all of my loads are for varmint shooting with a bolt action so I'll do 500 at a time on the single stage. I only use my 650 for pistol ammo. |
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It comes down to this with a progressive. Do you want auto indexing or manual indexing?
Manual=550 Auto=650 If you really want to crank out ammo by the bucket load you can go for the 1050 but that is overkill for most people. The alternative to the Dillon 650 is the Hornady LnL AP. I have this press and am very happy with it. It took a bit to realize that setup is critical but now that it is dialed in I crank out hundreds of rounds at a sitting. The bottleneck in speed for me now is loading primer tubes. |
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The priming system on the 650 is the Achilles heel. Go with the 550. Quoted:
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I prefer the 650 over the 550 for 2 reasons: Powder checker Auto indexing The 550 has 1 advantage on the 650: Cost The priming system on the 650 is the Achilles heel. Go with the 550. In what way in the priming system the Achilles heel? I've loaded somewhere north of 5k rds on my 650, and somehow I've only seen 2 rds of 44 mag that had the primers flipped upside down. I consider that acceptable. Since then I've stiffened the bench up substantially and haven't seen any flipped primers. |
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In what way in the priming system the Achilles heel? I've loaded somewhere north of 5k rds on my 650, and somehow I've only seen 2 rds of 44 mag that had the primers flipped upside down. I consider that acceptable. Since then I've stiffened the bench up substantially and haven't seen any flipped primers. Quoted:
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I prefer the 650 over the 550 for 2 reasons: Powder checker Auto indexing The 550 has 1 advantage on the 650: Cost The priming system on the 650 is the Achilles heel. Go with the 550. In what way in the priming system the Achilles heel? I've loaded somewhere north of 5k rds on my 650, and somehow I've only seen 2 rds of 44 mag that had the primers flipped upside down. I consider that acceptable. Since then I've stiffened the bench up substantially and haven't seen any flipped primers. I've loaded over 30k rounds of 9mm on mine since I got it last May. 2k rounds since Monday. I've never had one flipped primer. I don't see what the issue is. |
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I've loaded over 30k rounds of 9mm on mine since I got it last May. 2k rounds since Monday. I've never had one flipped primer. I don't see what the issue is. Quoted:
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I prefer the 650 over the 550 for 2 reasons: Powder checker Auto indexing The 550 has 1 advantage on the 650: Cost The priming system on the 650 is the Achilles heel. Go with the 550. In what way in the priming system the Achilles heel? I've loaded somewhere north of 5k rds on my 650, and somehow I've only seen 2 rds of 44 mag that had the primers flipped upside down. I consider that acceptable. Since then I've stiffened the bench up substantially and haven't seen any flipped primers. I've loaded over 30k rounds of 9mm on mine since I got it last May. 2k rounds since Monday. I've never had one flipped primer. I don't see what the issue is. Maybe he was talking about the primers detonating in the machine. I really think that as long as you seat the primers carefully (and get a feel for it) you should be safe. Anytime that 650 doesn't want to move smoothly or binds up, you need to stop immediately and find out what's causing the problem. |
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I vote for the 550B. I load on one and like. Its a very easy to use press. Caliber changes and quick and easy.
Few additional items are needed. Aluminum roller handle, Inline precision smart mount and skylight to see powder in the cases. might as well throw in a dillon primer pocket swager. Good loading and shooting |
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I've owned both the 550b and XL650 for over 10-13 years, and both priming systems are reliable and safe I've had more primer trouble with the 550, but nothing a call to Dillon didn't fix. If i had to give one up, . . . it would be the 550b. My 650 is a work horse 10,000-20,000 a year, .....year after year the 650, with the 1200B electric trimmer makes processing 556 brass quick and easy . |
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Unless you're shooting by the bucket load and constantly reloading, the 550 is plenty efficient. Mistakes can happen, and it is much easier to work the round back through the indexing process if it doesn't automatically move on you. Either way, you will load far more efficiently than with a single or turret press. I bought extra primer tubes but it was really unnecessary. It doesn't take long to rack up 100 primers in a tube anyway.
Your number one bottleneck and bane is going to be rifle brass processing, trimming specifically and/or primer pocket uniforming. The easiest stuff to load is a bucket of cleaned 9mm brass that get pumped out as a finished product. There is a guy on youtube, highboy... something, that does a thorough job of reviewing all of the Dillon presses as well as the Hornady. |
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My first progressive was a Dillon 450.
The 550 was a big improvement and I loaded on it for several years. I changed to the 650 primarily to get the powder check station. After using the 650 for some time I changed back to the 550 to load a caliber I didn't have a 650 setup for. The hand movements are quite different between a 550 and a 650 and I couldn't get back into the 550 mode. I sold the 550 to a friend. The good thing about a Dillon is that you lose very little money if you sell it. My suggestion is to start on a 550 as it is easier to set up and use. You can always upgrade with little loss. The two accessories that are vital are a reliable accurate powder measure and a Dillon wrench set (saves looking for the little buggers) both of which can be used on a 550 or a 650. Anything more is for convenience and comfort. |
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You say a reliable powder measure is an accessory. Is the one that comes with it N/G? Or are you referring to a scale to check the charge on the powder drop? There is nothing wrong with the Dillon powder measure that comes with any Dillon press. But any powder measure needs to be operated correctly to get good results. |
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What is "N/G" ? I'm guessing short hand for not good. To parrot DF3, the Dillon powder measure works with great, so long as you stick with ball, flake, or short grain extruded powders, like IMR8208 XBR Long grain extruded powders, like IMR4064, will run through it, but not to the +/- .1gr that it can achieve with ball, flake, or short grain powders. To answer your initial question, I started on a turret press in single stage and then turret mode and I feel they don't do single stage as well as a traditional "O" style press and the auto indexing turret feature isn't all that much nicer as you have to pull the handle 3-4 times for one round. I now have a 650 after using a 550 for years and love the casefeeder and auto needing feature. I'll keep the 550 though, and if I had room for only one press it would be the 550. It's simply a rock solid press that is easy to use and allows you to easily maintain situational awareness of what's going on. |
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Unless you're shooting by the bucket load and constantly reloading, the 550 is plenty efficient. Mistakes can happen, and it is much easier to work the round back through the indexing process if it doesn't automatically move on you. Either way, you will load far more efficiently than with a single or turret press. I bought extra primer tubes but it was really unnecessary. It doesn't take long to rack up 100 primers in a tube anyway. Your number one bottleneck and bane is going to be rifle brass processing, trimming specifically and/or primer pocket uniforming. The easiest stuff to load is a bucket of cleaned 9mm brass that get pumped out as a finished product. There is a guy on youtube, highboy... something, that does a thorough job of reviewing all of the Dillon presses as well as the Hornady. 76Highboy Reloading His videos are really good, if a bit long winded from time to time. |
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There is nothing wrong with the Dillon powder measure that comes with any Dillon press. But any powder measure needs to be operated correctly to get good results. +1 the Dillon powder measure is just fine. guessing he meant - "....The two accessories that are vital are a reliable accurate powder ??? |
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I don't know if I'm going to add anything the dozen of posters already posted, but I think that I am doing what you want to do.
I never reloaded before, but several years ago, trying to find 9mm was challenging, and trying to find it at a reasonable price was hard too. Now 9mm is cheap, about half the price it was the several years ago. Between this and the ammo scare is why I got reloading. Also, at this time, I only had 9mm firearms, so I wasn't thinking about getting into loading others. I bought a Hornady Lock-n-Load because the Dillon's were on backorder for months. After receiving it, I decided that I didn't want it and really wanted the Dillon. So, I put it up on ebay and made a few bucks from it which went towards the Dillon fund. I had no idea what I was doing, so I ordered the Dillon XL650 in 9mm. I then wandered to a local store and about some small pistol primers and some Winchester WSF and some Winchester(?) 115grain FMJ bullets. I already had a sonic cleaner so I was good there. I also bought a cheap door and turned it into a workbench for all this stuff. Online, I bought a scale and a digital caliper (frankford arsenal). I also bought the Hornady reloading manual. I think that's about it. ---continued on next post--- |
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Sorry, guess new users are limited to 2000 characters...
Loading 9mm in the Dillon 650 was a breeze. Many people say you should start with something non-progressive, as the progressive does many things at once....but I think if I did that, I would just be getting a progressive press sooner than later. Knock on wood, I never had a squib or a double charge from the XL650....and no issues what-so-ever. The only thing that happens is that sometimes a cartridge won't fit up in the die, which I read, a floating die will solve that...and sometimes powder will pop out of the cartridge, which is a known problem with the Dillons....but I learned if you put a finger on the cartridge as it spins around the press, it prevents it from happening. Easy enough. After loading 9mm for a few years, I bought a rifle and wanted to get into loading 5.56/.223 because it's a lot cheaper. I just recently bought the dies for it, the caliber conversion kit, swager, trimmer, and everything else. I bought everything from Dillon so if you want a parts list, just let me know and I'll post it. I just loaded up my .223 and I have to say...it's complicated but doable. I would suggest before buying 9mm AND .223 equipment, start with 9mm. It's so much easier and less complicated and, I think, would be easier for you to get the hang of reloading. I think that if you jump into .223 first, it's going to be overwhelming and might turn you off to reloading. In any case, feel free to ask whatever, just PM me or quote me in this thread so I see it. I don't mind sharing the parts list with you if you want...I'm just too lazy to find it and post it if somebody else already did it. |
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Sorry, guess new users are limited to 2000 characters... Loading 9mm in the Dillon 650 was a breeze. Many people say you should start with something non-progressive, as the progressive does many things at once....but I think if I did that, I would just be getting a progressive press sooner than later. Knock on wood, I never had a squib or a double charge from the XL650....and no issues what-so-ever. The only thing that happens is that sometimes a cartridge won't fit up in the die, which I read, a floating die will solve that...and sometimes powder will pop out of the cartridge, which is a known problem with the Dillons....but I learned if you put a finger on the cartridge as it spins around the press, it prevents it from happening. Easy enough. After loading 9mm for a few years, I bought a rifle and wanted to get into loading 5.56/.223 because it's a lot cheaper. I just recently bought the dies for it, the caliber conversion kit, swager, trimmer, and everything else. I bought everything from Dillon so if you want a parts list, just let me know and I'll post it. I just loaded up my .223 and I have to say...it's complicated but doable. I would suggest before buying 9mm AND .223 equipment, start with 9mm. It's so much easier and less complicated and, I think, would be easier for you to get the hang of reloading. I think that if you jump into .223 first, it's going to be overwhelming and might turn you off to reloading. In any case, feel free to ask whatever, just PM me or quote me in this thread so I see it. I don't mind sharing the parts list with you if you want...I'm just too lazy to find it and post it if somebody else already did it. 
Your restrictions will lift when you have 50 posts. |
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Sorry, guess new users are limited to 2000 characters... Loading 9mm in the Dillon 650 was a breeze. Many people say you should start with something non-progressive, as the progressive does many things at once....but I think if I did that, I would just be getting a progressive press sooner than later. Knock on wood, I never had a squib or a double charge from the XL650....and no issues what-so-ever. The only thing that happens is that sometimes a cartridge won't fit up in the die, which I read, a floating die will solve that...and sometimes powder will pop out of the cartridge, which is a known problem with the Dillons....but I learned if you put a finger on the cartridge as it spins around the press, it prevents it from happening. Easy enough. After loading 9mm for a few years, I bought a rifle and wanted to get into loading 5.56/.223 because it's a lot cheaper. I just recently bought the dies for it, the caliber conversion kit, swager, trimmer, and everything else. I bought everything from Dillon so if you want a parts list, just let me know and I'll post it. I just loaded up my .223 and I have to say...it's complicated but doable. I would suggest before buying 9mm AND .223 equipment, start with 9mm. It's so much easier and less complicated and, I think, would be easier for you to get the hang of reloading. I think that if you jump into .223 first, it's going to be overwhelming and might turn you off to reloading. In any case, feel free to ask whatever, just PM me or quote me in this thread so I see it. I don't mind sharing the parts list with you if you want...I'm just too lazy to find it and post it if somebody else already did it. Thanks for sharing! What'd that cost you in equipment to go from 9mm to .223? Thanks -Emt1581 |
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Get a 650. Â You can still use a single station and the case feed is what makes it awesome. Â Nothing like loading up a feeder full of .223 and depriming the lot before wet tumbling, and then doing an independent size operation before trim and swage. Â I have one extra tool head just for running a single die. Â When loading time comes, no sizing, just dump, powder check, seat, and crimp. Â
Adding a case feeder to the 550 is more expensive due to the tooling required, the last time I did the math. Â Do it right the first time. Get a Trim It II trimmer, or a Giraud. Â Doing it with a hand tool is painful. Â |
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The best information I ever found regarding which Dillon press, and accessories, to get is the Dillon section on the Brian Enos website. Even after reading all his advice for several days, I still went and bought what I wanted, and I wound up coming back to what he recommended to start with, so I sold a bunch of stuff it turned out I didn't need. The only thing different since I bought my Dillon stuff, is that Inline Fabrication has put out a lot of arguably nicer accessories that you may want to look into. I will say this. The majority of your decision will be based on the number of round you plan on loading per month. And if you decide the 650 is the machine you need, getting a 650 without a case feeder is pretty pointless. I don't understand why they even sell the 650 without a case feeder, aside from making the cost look cheaper. Which it isn't because you will just turn around and buy one anyway. There are youtube videos too. Â Check them out! |
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What'd that cost you in equipment to go from 9mm to .223? -Emt1581 It was $940.00 with a few extra pieces that you don't necessarily need but wanted to make my life better. Here's the breakdown of stuff I got from 9mm to .223. The extra pieces were the shell sorter ($40.00), the roller bar ($50.00), bench wrench ($7.00), and decapping pins ($20.00). I also got the steel dies vs carbide...just because of the cost. So far, I got one shell stuck in the sizing die but it was my fault and was super easy to remove, once I read the instructions. Here's the shopping list... Argh, I'm going to have to break it up in two posts again... Super Swage 600Super Swage 600 (20095) Quantity: 1 $100.95 RT1500 Electric Case TrimmerRT1500 Electric Case Trimmer (62164) Quantity: 1 $329.95 Shell SorterShell Sorter (19972) Quantity: 1 $39.95 Rapid Trim 1500 Size/Trim DiesRapid Trim 1500 Size/Trim Dies (RT 1500 Dies) Options: Caliber Type: .223 Remington (steel) - $51.95 Quantity: 1 $51.95 |
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...continued from previous post...
Dillon Case Lube (8 oz. Bottle)Dillon Case Lube (8 oz. Bottle) (13733) Quantity: 1 $8.95 Dillon Rifle Case GaugesDillon Rifle Case Gauges (drcg) Options: Dillon Rifle Case Gages: 223 Case Gage - $26.95 Quantity: 1 $26.95 Dillon Rifle Dies (Three-Die Sets)Dillon Rifle Dies (Three-Die Sets) (drd3ds) Options: Die Type: .223 Remington - $67.95 Quantity: 1 $67.95 Dillon Rifle Die Decapping Assembly PartsDillon Rifle Die Decapping Assembly Parts (dsdp) Options: Part: .223 Remington Decap Pin - $3.99 Quantity: 5 $19.95 XL 650 Caliber Conversion KitXL 650 Caliber Conversion Kit (XL 650 Caliber C) Options: Caliber Type: .223/5.56mm Quantity: 1 $77.95 XL 650 Quick ChangeXL 650 Quick Change (22059) Quantity: 1 $108.95 XL 650 ToolheadXL 650 Toolhead (13863) Quantity: 1 $27.95 Dillon 1" Bench WrenchDillon 1" Bench Wrench (10842) Quantity: 1 $7.95 Dillon Roller Handle (Aluminum)Dillon Roller Handle (Aluminum) (17950) Quantity: 1 $45.95 |
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It was $940.00 with a few extra pieces that you don't necessarily need but wanted to make my life better. Here's the breakdown of stuff I got from 9mm to .223. The extra pieces were the shell sorter ($40.00), the roller bar ($50.00), bench wrench ($7.00), and decapping pins ($20.00). I also got the steel dies vs carbide...just because of the cost. So far, I got one shell stuck in the sizing die but it was my fault and was super easy to remove, once I read the instructions. Here's the shopping list... Argh, I'm going to have to break it up in two posts again... Super Swage 600Super Swage 600 (20095) Quantity: 1 $100.95 RT1500 Electric Case TrimmerRT1500 Electric Case Trimmer (62164) Quantity: 1 $329.95 Shell SorterShell Sorter (19972) Quantity: 1 $39.95 Rapid Trim 1500 Size/Trim DiesRapid Trim 1500 Size/Trim Dies (RT 1500 Dies) Options: Caliber Type: .223 Remington (steel) - $51.95 Quantity: 1 $51.95 Wait....it was and ADDITIONAL $940 to be able to go from 9mm to .233?? -Emt1581 |
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On my 650, I also do NOT have a case feeder. Someday, I will order one, but it's just not in the budget for now. I do hate having to try to remember to refill the case feed tube, just because I'm concentrating on the other areas too much.
I found that if I put 10 bullets out and 10 cases in, I have to stop and refill my bullets, telling me I have to refill cases too. Also, others will recommend getting a Giraud case trimmer. This is like the absolute best case trimmer out there, but it does cost a bit of money. I bought the Dillon Trimmer and it works well, but was frustrating trying to get it adjusted on the die properly. I don't have any regrets, just because the giraud one costs so much. Yeah, it would be nicer to have that one, but I decided on the Dillon trimmer. The Dillon one wasn't cheap either, but I was really stretching it with spending $300 bucks on one. I was also looking at the case prep station from frankford arsenal but it seemed like there were mixed reviews on it. I figured get the frankford arsenal one and maybe I'll be happy with it, or spend 100 bucks more on the Dillon one and be happy without crying about the price too much. Other than that, as a beginner...which is what I am to .223, I can't think of anything else. |
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Wait....it was and ADDITIONAL $940 to be able to go from 9mm to .233?? -Emt1581 Yes, that was what it was... I mean, you could order it without the extras (case sorter, handle, wrench) that I got and it would be something like $100 bucks less... Also, to note, it's going to cost more than the list on the 650 to do .223. I want to say the 650 is around $550 for the conversion kit. But you also need to trim cases, check the cases with the gauge, get the scales and calipers, purchase the dies, get a swager, etc etc etc... In that list, I think the only thing yo uwouldn't need to reload 223 is the caliber conversion kit, which is $75 bucks.... Soooo..... If you were to buy a XL650 to reload .223 today, you would have to purchase the press and conversion kit ($550) plus all the extras that I listed, which brings the price up to $1,400-ish. Now, you can cut back and get a cheaper trimmer and swager...and probably dies...but it's just what I did when I went to Dillon. |
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Not really. Some of that cost is going from loading pistol to loading rifle, so I would't really consider it a 650 conversion cost. You would buy the stuff no matter what press you used. And his list has a lot of high dollar stuff, and duplicates, you don't need to buy unless you are going to load a tremendous amount, and you simply want Dillon everything.
There are much cheaper alternatives for swaging and trimming. Or you can just make sure you get brass that does not require swaging, and you don't have to concern yourself with it. Machine wise, the only things you need to go from 9mm to 223 on the 650 are a conversion kit, a toolhead, a powder die, maybe a tool head stand and some dies. If you buy Lee or RCBS dies, you are looking at between $165 and $175 or so. You could also get one of the Dillon quick change kits and that would bump the price about another $100 because that is adding a second powder measure assembly. Quoted:
Wait....it was and ADDITIONAL $940 to be able to go from 9mm to .233?? -Emt1581 |
[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Thinking about getting a Dillon (Page 1 of 2)
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