Buy a Dillon 550

Utah said:
I'd like to buy a 550.. where's the best place to buy this from, and do they come in "kits" or one piece at a time?
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What is the reason you want to go with the 550?

If you are new to reloading the 550 with it's manual indexing is good since you can bring the ram up and down without the shellplate moving.

Once you use it for several months and you get the hang of it you will wish you had a 650 which auto indexes.

I'm one of those people who can't walk and chew gum at the same time and the more automation I put into my reloading setup the less mistakes I had.
I'm now running the Hornady LnL AP Progressive with case and bullet feeders.

If I were you I'd go with the 650.
 
Unless you are a commercial reloader a 650 is not *necessay* per se as the 550 can kick out enough rounds in a short enough time to keep you going. Also a 650 is a little more expensive so if you are working with a starting budget the 550 is better priced so the savings cann be put towards the peripheral equipment you will also require. The 550's come in kit form with one conversion kit.

There are 550 for sale on the EE every now and agin ( I think I saw one thee yesterday???). They are great machines and very versatile. Easy to set up and easy to use (switch) and Dillon's no BS warranty is top notch should anything happen (which is most unlikely).

If buying new then you can order from some of the sponsoring dealers here such as CRAFM above who is a Dillon dealer or from Dillon directly.

Regards,

Regards,
 
I've had my 550 for a long while and do not feel the need to upgrade to a 650. With practice the 550 is just as fast as a 650 w/o the case feeder. It is also wayyyyy cheaper to convert between calibers - i load 6 different calibres on mne and the cost to do it all on a 650 would be prohibitive on my budget.


also X1000 on dillon's warrenty - its as good as it gets - they will even rebuild it if it should ever wear out but i have seen 550s with over 50000 rounds on then still running good.
 
Don't bother with the 650 unless you plan on running it with a case feeder. The 550 is practically as fast, but with much less expensive conversion parts. Conversely, the 650 is the best choice if you want a case feeder.

I find that I can easily break 500 rounds/hour cyclic rate with my 550 with bullet tray and empty case bin. I shoot about 500 rounds/month and I find this to be a good match to my needs.
 
If you are doing handgun only consider the square deal.

Remember the 650 also has an extra station that you can add a powder check in later.

Just my 2cents worth
 
I have been running a 550 for about 14 years now and I have never felt the need to upgrade to the 650 either.... I load in the neighbourhood of 5-8000 rounds a year with it....
 
For rifle and handgun, the 550 is the way to go. If you will only ever load handgun progressively then go with the SDB. You can pick them up used pretty reasonably. The 550 is better suited than the 650 because of the manual indexing. You can catch and fix any spills or jams easier and still knock out 500+ rounds per hr. I currently have a SDB and will be getting a 550 soon for my varmint/target shooting.
 
Thanks guys..
Don't think i require the auto-indexing or case-feeding that the 650 offers.
I shoot less than 300 rnds per month of pistol and less rifle, so it seems to me the 650 would be overkill.. not to mention I don't mind taking it slow, this will be my first reloading experience.
The SDB would limit me to pistol calibers, so it's out.

So there it is the 550 wins.
Now to figure out what else I'll need to get myself going.. looks like:
-dies
-bullet tray
-tumbler
-scale
-bullet puller
... this is going to get expensive fast :eek:
 
I love my XL650 with case feeder, but I'm loading for both my wife and myself. For our IPSC practice and matches, that has averaged close to 5,000 rounds total each month. If I was doing 500 a month or less, I wouldn't even bother with a progressive press and would probably use a Lee Classic Turret instead, especially if I was loading other calibers too.
 
New 550 setup..

Here's the new press, for better or for worse:
http://1.bp.########.com/-De0qjzb2ueE/TnwtI1PRTLI/AAAAAAAAAGc/iBymmzDIsuQ/s640/IMAG0068.jpg
http://4.bp.########.com/-yL4ybAa5yUw/TnwtQMFBtNI/AAAAAAAAAGk/lgVVCstsM9I/s1600/IMAG0066.jpg
http://1.bp.########.com/-vQOGoNdbfg8/TnwtM2RZfOI/AAAAAAAAAGg/1SFaHsWWCKc/s400/IMAG0063.jpg

Now to figure out how to reload :)
 
i just started reloading with the 550. got mine from P+D which had great service.

I am reloading 223 for my Ar's so also picked up the Giraud power trimmer to help with case prep. That thing is a life saver for trimming brass:p and I would consider it a must.

Will start reloading 45 acp soon too.

So far so good, the press is very simple and easy to figure out. highly recommended.
 
550 ... !

Chrismasparty010-2.jpg
 
The Best Press and the Best Warranty

Wish I had the Dillon "NO BS, LIFETIME WARRANTY" for my 2008 GMC truck! The factory Mexican speakers went for a crap. Had to replace the whole front woofers and tweeters. On my dime. The rears are still in the crapper. Out of warranty at 60,000 kms.
I have had my Dillon RL550 since 1982 or 1983 and have loaded literally thousands of rounds of every common pistol caliber you can name. Of course I have had some parts wear out and break, but the NO BS guarantee fixed it all for free. Really. The other guys only wish they could copy their reloaders.
I really liked my 5-speed manual 1997 V6 Ford Pickup, but it didn't have the guts to pull my trailer. Upgraged to GM's 4.8 small block V8 but found it wanting too. My next truck is the Ram with the Hemi.
The Dillon press is the industry standard. All the rest are after-rans. The NO BS warranty saved my bacon on many occasions. I would NEVER buy anyone else's press. Believe it!
 
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