Progressive Loading Press.........Do I Need One After 40 Years With Single Stages?

c-fbmi

c-fbmi

BANNED
BANNED
BANNED
Rating - 98.6%
72   1   0
Location
Whitehorse and Boswell
Okay guys give me the pros and cons, I'm setting up a new gun vault / loading room and have seriously been considering one. I have never had one or even used one other than an old CH for 38 spl which required continuous tinkering and adjusting. But it sure did spit out a lot of 38s when it was behaving. What is the best one out there if I decide to spring? I'll still never be without my 3 single stages (one is specifically for the 50 BMG) but looking at 500 empty 243 cases is becoming somewhat intimidating, as is the 400 300 Wby and 400 38-55 etc......Can one load both rifle and handgun on the same press these days? I'm getting back into handgunning again and they tend to go through 2-300 a day when I get playing. What kind of costs am I looking at and do I have to buy new dies for all my high volume calibers and what would they cost. I don't even know enough to know what questions to ask!! Any info is appreciated.

Douglas
 
Last edited:
based on that, i would opt for the hornady LNL, or a dillion 650XL or if you really want to spend some money a 1050. but i think the first 2 with case feeders is probably the best option for you and what you want to reload.

all 3 can reload pistol or rifle and use standard dies, the dillion will be alot more with quick change conversions because people drink to much blue koolaid and they know that.


others will fill in the finer details.
 
I would definately recommend one for handgun. Unless you plan on shooting alot of rifle ammo, not really needed. I tend to prep all my rifle brass before hand (size, trim, tumble etc) and find my single stage works just fine.
 
I've been reloading for about 30 years, handgun, rifle and shotgun. However, my shooting was sporadic (occasionally a couple hundred rounds in a week but other times a month or two without firing a shot). During that time I found that my RCBS Rockchucker was fine for my needs. I do have two Lee Loadmasters that I bought several years ago but to be honest I almost never used them because they just seemed like too much trouble to use for the relatively few rounds I was reloading.

However, about 5 years ago I started shooting in a PPC league plus shooting recreationally once or two a week so maybe 300-400 rounds or more a week (retirement is great :D). I quickly realized that the single stage just wasn't going to cut it if I didn't want to spend half the week reloading. I got the Loadmasters set up & running & frankly I couldn't go back. I still use the Rockchucker for rifle and while I like the Loadmasters I have my doubts that they would stand up to a steady diet of loading large rifle cartridges.

Anyway, short story long, if you're going to shoot a lot (especially handgun) get a progressive. If you want to go progressive all the way (handgun & rifle) I agree that a Dillon 650 is hard to beat. Be prepared to pay a good buck but the warranty is great and a few years down the road you'll wonder why you didn't make the jump earlier.
 
I've got a RCBS single stage as well as a Dillon 650. The Dillon was a little intimidating at first as it took a couple of tries to get all the dies setup properly, but once I did, I was off and running. I have mine currently set up to load 40SW and 223 (small primers). I tend to load my 30-06, 338LM and 44Mag on the single stage as I just haven't gotten around to doing the changover to large primers on the Dillon (oh and it can't do 338LM anyways. The Dillon does a good job, especially with the case feeder. I also added a Hornady bullet feeder, which took a littel while to get setup / adjusted right, but when I did, it works like a charm.

The quick change kits are great with the Dillon as you basically setup the dies/powder measure then you can swap out the whole tool head in one shot. The caliber changeover is pretty quick, couple of screws for the shell plate, the rest is a simple swap. Once or twice I've had a primer not get seated properly and some powder drop out, but a litttle vacumn clean up and it's all good.

If I had the space and the money, I'd prolly buy another one just to have a large primer and small primer machine all ready to go (I'm bascially lazy).

If you buy a Dillon, take good look thru their catalogue, there's a few things you prolly want to add (caliber conversion, quick change, powder check, different case plates for the case feeder, maintenance kit). Also check to make sure they actually sell caliber kits for everything you want to load on it (like I said, I didn't check for 338LM).
 
Start with a Dillon 550, the dies you have will work on it. The 550 is manually indexed so you make mistakes at your own speed but can still churn out lots of ammo an hour. Also, the 550 is better for large rifle ammo IMHO. After you are confident on the 550 buy a 650 for really cranking out ammo , IE handgun ammo, the 650 is a bit faster and automatically advances. The only problem I see here is these presses will free up too much time and you will be pestering those around you more!
 
Like you I spent a lot of years loading with just a single stage press. Cranked out a lot of rifle and pistol ammo with that and will not part with it. A couple of years ago I decided to get a progressive, bought a Dillon XL650 and never looked back. For pistol ammo it has saved me countless hours of reloading and even though the initial cost seems high it has paid for itself already. I load ammo for four different pistols with it and if I take my time the process runs smoothly. I purchased the quick change kits for each caliber and simply swap out the units and never have to readjust the dies. Still use the single stage press for rifle loads as I like to weight every charge for those.
 
back40sniper said:
Start with a Dillon 550, the dies you have will work on it. The 550 is manually indexed so you make mistakes at your own speed but can still churn out lots of ammo an hour. Also, the 550 is better for large rifle ammo IMHO. After you are confident on the 550 buy a 650 for really cranking out ammo , IE handgun ammo, the 650 is a bit faster and automatically advances. The only problem I see here is these presses will free up too much time and you will be pestering those around you more!
Click to expand...


Funny Charlie, very funny........And here I thought my charm and wit was appreciated by all...........now you tell me I'm just pestering. You're a cruel man Charlie !!
 
Thanks to all (except Charlie) and please keep the info coming, it is all very helpful (except for Charlie).:p:p:cool: So far it looks like Dillon gets the overwhelming nod in progressives. Charlie you said the 550 uses my existing dies, does the 650 not? Does it require it's own dies?
Any other info you can think of will be appreciated.
 
c-fbmi said:
Thanks to all (except Charlie) and please keep the info coming, it is all very helpful (except for Charlie).:p:p:cool: So far it looks like Dillon gets the overwhelming nod in progressives. Charlie you said the 550 uses my existing dies, does the 650 not? Does it require it's own dies?
Any other info you can think of will be appreciated.
Click to expand...

i believe the only dillion that uses special dies is the square b deal, the rest use standard 7/8"x14 dies. so yes the 650 uses your existing dies.

also while you would get most of your money back for the dillion 550, buying that first then moving to the 650 is just plain silly IMO. progressive machines are not scary monsters that make your ammo into pipe bombs that blow up your guns and you... if your new to reloading (which your not) you can start with a single stage, but it's just as simple to start with a progressive if you only feed 1 shell at a time and treat it like a single stage. however, it's always nice to have a single stage around for odd ball jobs so it's not a waste of money going single stage first.
 
The Dillon 550 is an excellent choice for reloading a variety of different rifle and pistol cartridges without a case feeder. Starting with pre-filled primer pickup tubes, I can easily load more than 500 pistol rounds in an hour with mine.

The 650 is best suited to loading one or two calibres in conjunction with a case feeder. Calibre changes are more expensive and complex compared to the 550.
 
Doug isn't broke, and likes quality items, he should skip the SDB, 550 and go straight to at least a 650 with accessories. I have a feeling that with the amount of ammo he consumes, and the chamberings he wants to load for, anything less would be wasting time that is valuable to someone with his interests and business ventures.

Work up loads on the SS, pump out a large volume of said load in the Progressive or auto.....
 
If cost is no object, the 1050 with Ponsness Warren Autodrive would be the way to go:

[youtube]I9wGVRGbQrU[/youtube]
 
sure, go with a 1050 if cost is no object, but then get one for each caliber you want to load :) Otherwise, the 650s are the way to go :)
 
You will LOVE the versatility of a 650 with case feeder and multiple toolheads!

TSE in Calgary is selling them for factory prices and Murray Gardner has great prices as well.
 
I loaded on single stages and turrets for 20 years before moving to a Hornady LNL progressive. Lessons learned: a) if you make a mistake, a progessive turns out a lot of bad ammo in a hurry. I never needed a bullet puller until I bought a progessive. b) I've never used a Dillon, but I will testify that I have never been truly happy with the Hornady. Mine was made in 2009, during the first Obama ammo crisis, and the effects on quality were apparent. c) For those calibers you like to shoot in volume, once you can get them working, a progessive is a godsend. My press has been a pain in general, but it has never given me trouble in .38 Special or .40 S&W, and when I load those calibers I get a whiff of the sheer capacity I was expecting. 200 rounds isn't an evening project anymore, it's a whimisical diversion.
 
Doug, check your email. The reason for 550 first is to get used to progressive, then you buy a 650 and set it up for your "real" high volume reloading. For me the 550 does all the large primer stuff and the 650 is for small primer stuff. We be hard on varmint ammo in SE Sask. How is that for helpfull? PS, still looking to collect on that plane ride.
 
tjhaile said:
Ponsness Warren does list the Autodrive for the 650 as well:
http://www.reloaders.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=71
Click to expand...
I wouldn't go there. I have a Ponness Warren with a 1050 setup now. It really is all that people dream of.

I know the 650 really well too. I don't think the 650 would mate up to the autodrive near as well.
The 650 just isn't built as bullet proof as a 1050 (ie that plastic collar for moving the shell plate) and priming on the upstroke will only complicate a complicated setup more. It would be worth spending the difference for the 1050 for the autodrive - and in the big picture the price difference won't be that much.

RE: OP Question; I can't imagine loading pistol on a single stage. I have a deep respect for you doing so, but everyone's time is worth something and I'm sure you can find something better to do with the time you will save with a progressive press outputting your ammo. (So long as it is not a Lee progressive, that is...)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom