Newbie , progressive press brand help ?
- Thread starter nofai
- Start date
easyrider604
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Greater Vancouver, BC
Hehe, good one. But no, the 550B is indeed a progressive press, albeit with manual indexing. Progressive means the sheel goes from one station to the next, from decapping/resizing all the way to crimping.
At least its not stupid liberal.
At least its not stupid liberal.
Honestly I would get a SQDB or a LnL AP instead of a 550.
And I agree with Trinimon, LnL AP isn't the best press, but it's the best bang for your buck. For 1500 you can get it complete with both case and bullet feeder. For its price, the 650 should have 6 stations, not 5.
And I agree with Trinimon, LnL AP isn't the best press, but it's the best bang for your buck. For 1500 you can get it complete with both case and bullet feeder. For its price, the 650 should have 6 stations, not 5.
Because most reloaders dont just budget and load 1000 rounds, and say, "I saved $75"
If we hypothetically budget $500 a year that would cover 2k 9mm, and if you reload you notice we shoot more than 2k 9mm in the year. So you shoot more, for the same budget.
If we hypothetically budget $500 a year that would cover 2k 9mm, and if you reload you notice we shoot more than 2k 9mm in the year. So you shoot more, for the same budget.
Anyone who states that they will buy a Dillon 650 for each calber needs to start with a single stage and figure out the game. Hornady LNL for the win after some time on a single stage is my suggestion. I’m not brand loyal I just like to be effective and spend my money on components.
I agree, but not because I like to be effective, but because I HAVE to be effective lol. I'd love a Hornady or a Dillon but then I'd be just looking at it for a year, wishing I had money left over for components
. For the amount of shooting I can find the time for and afford these days my loadmaster is sufficient. Plus it's like a free course in millwrighting.I agree, but not because I like to be effective, but because I HAVE to be effective lol. I'd love a Hornady or a Dillon but then I'd be just looking at it for a year, wishing I had money left over for components
I'd love to see how you connect the loadmaster to a waterwheel or windmill. Makes for an interesting ammo plant.
If it ain't broke, use it. I also used an Lee turret and a Piggy back along with the LNL AP, not include the single stage presses.
And I don't understand a blanket statement like yours. It depends on the equipment you purchase, the availability of components, your skill as a reloader, the caliber being reloaded, the number reloaded per year, and the lifetime of the brass you use. It CAN be cheaper IF you are shooting some of the handgun calibers like 45ACP, .44RM .357M or .38SP. I bet it is tough to reload the same quality of 9mm for a price lower than it is sold for on sale, what seems like multiple times a year by different vendors. When I was shooting handgun, I reloaded everything except for 9mm and .40S&W. Reloading them was throwing money away, I couldn't buy the components, not including the brass, for what I could buy new bulk pre-loads purchased on sale.
Reloading for rifle is tougher. I reload because I can reload ammo which works in my rifles far more accurately than any I can purchase. Is it cheaper? Maybe. I went from knowing little, to knowing a lot about reloading high power bottleneck cartridges over the past 10 plus years. I have also upgraded my equipment (and rifles) at significant cost, and added equipment at significant additional cost in the eternal quest for better accuracy. With 5K plus of .223, about 6K plus of .308, as well as about 2K of 300WM, and now closing in on 2K of 6.5CM, I can say I may have finally broken even between buying some of the best factory pre-loaded match ammo at bulk on sale and making my own in their respective calibers.
If I was doing this to shoot less than 20 rounds a year out hunting, including a few sighters to get the scope on target, then buying a box or two at CT or wherever would be FAR cheaper than reloading. It all depends on your wants and needs.
Most reloading is fun and interesting to do as the results are so variable but you as a reloader get to have control once you discover what they are. Bulk reloading for handgun is pretty boring. Saving money reloading is possible under the right circumstances.
You save on every round if you compare to something similar. Currently, bulk 9mm is 250$/1000, and components cost is about 160$/1000. If you compare plinking 223 with reloaded plinking 223, the reloads are still cheaper by a hair, and that's the worst ROI of all reloading. The quality of reloads is usually better than the bulk stuff, but it's at least equal.
The argument that you don't save because you'll shoot more is bollock. If chicken was half the price it currently cost, I'd possibly eat more chicken (depending on how much I actually like chicken), but I wouldn't eat more in total, unless I was starving to begin with.
It's no question that you save money by reloading, but only if you don't count your time. When you reload instad of buying, you're doing the job of the company that would load the ammos, taking away the cost of that labor and the profit margin on that cost. So you literally exchange time for money. For some caliber I save less than minimum wage (the aforementionned plinking 223), and for another (44mag) it's like paying myself about 325$/hour. All the calibres I reload fall inbetween.
- Location
- Central AB
Little bit like saying buying gasoline at $1.00 per liter isn't actually cheaper than gas at $2.00 a liter because you will just drive farther.
I’ll throw in my two cents. While the Dillon is awesome, I always suggest you start with a single stage and learn everything you can first. You’re working with some potentially very dangerous stuff. Best to know exactly what’s what before you speed up the process. Besides, it’s always nice to have that single stage for testing/precision/low volume stuff and a decent single stage can be had for less than some die sets. Or just sell it when you’re comfortable with reloading.
