The 1050 may take longer to switch, but conversion isn't a major issue. You should stop and clean the beast anyway.
Can't keep up. Suggestions.
- Thread starter TACTICAL111
- Start date
The 1050 may take longer to switch, but conversion isn't a major issue. You should stop and clean the beast anyway.
Hotwheels81
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- South of GP
Don't get hung up on the conversion time... All presses have the same issues.
Takes me 15min to do a big/small changeover on my 650 with seating adjustment and powder bar adjusting.
Once the machine is setup tho its pretty much a Swiss watch for many thousands of rounds then Some cleaning and a bit of lube and your back at it....
I can pump out a sore thumbs worth of 9mm ammo (700-1000rnds) in about the same ammount of time it takes to load 20-30 .308 match reloads on my single stage.
Takes me 15min to do a big/small changeover on my 650 with seating adjustment and powder bar adjusting.
Once the machine is setup tho its pretty much a Swiss watch for many thousands of rounds then Some cleaning and a bit of lube and your back at it....
I can pump out a sore thumbs worth of 9mm ammo (700-1000rnds) in about the same ammount of time it takes to load 20-30 .308 match reloads on my single stage.
OK, for the sake of argument, let's pretend grown men get sore hands from hanging on to a plastic ball. And let's say that that bullet tray has some magical properties that make it work better than any other similar container placed in a similar location. But you can't tell me that if your bench wiggles a bit after you've built it that the strong mount will magically make it stronger. I call bull####. Yes, it will raise the height of the press, IF YOU NEED IT.But it won't cure a wobbly bench. Actually, with the added leverage, it will make a wobbly bench worse.
BTW, my bench IS blue.
To the OP: don't go buying a bunch of stuff based on any one's recommendation until you figure out if you actually need it or not. For example, my bench is standard height. Sitting on the stool that I use, it is at the perfect height without a strong mount.
- Location
- Nova Scotia
To the OP,
+1 to joe-nwt's comment "don't go buying a bunch of stuff based on any one's recommendation until you figure out if you actually need it or not." I agree with this sentiment 100%. When initially purchased the only accessory my 650 arrived with was the case feeder. I purchased the others after about four months of steady reloading when it became clear that the setup needed tuning to better suit my requirements. I suspect joe-nwt would agree: just purchase the bare minimum and accessorize if and when you see fit as you become comfortable reloading.
Reloading equipment has fantastic resale value and, especially if purchased second-hand, depreciates very well. If you've over purchased or get a sudden sense of buyer's remorse shortly after your purchase a for-sale note on your local club's bulletin board will quickly solve the problem.
joe-nwt,
I appreciate your constructive criticism of my recommendations but take issue with your assessment. We both agree there is no substitute for a sturdy bench and in no way did I write that the bench would move less with the strong mounts. There is no magic required to describe the strong mount's ability to reduce movement of the press on the bench however, it's called torque. The press-to-bench fastener hole center-to-center distance with the strong mount is greater than without. Everything else being equal the longer distance between mounting points on the bench's top surface gives a longer moment-arm resulting in less flexing: hence the press will wiggle noticeably less with the strong mounts than without. QED
For holding bullets without the strong mount I concur that just about any container will suffice, in the first pic's background observe a metal dish that was my original bullet tray before I had the strong mount (now it catches non-conforming material). With the strong mount however the tray is very convenient. To amplify your statement on this subject I say the strong mounts and tray almost belong together: you should really use them as a pair, or neither.
Being employed at the helm of a desktop computer averaging fifty hours a week for almost sixteen years clearly has resulted in soft wimpy hands as I find the roller handle a much needed accessory for reloading 8-10k rounds a year. Not much compared to some for sure, but enough that without it loading much more than seven hundred rounds in a session was not enjoyable; strike that, it was just painful.
Agreed, everyone's bench apparatus is going to be different to suit the individual behind it. For example I prefer to stand at my bench while you prefer to sit.
About drinking the blue kool-aid, all my IPSC buddies that reload have Dillons and some of them shoot 30k+ rounds a year and the only negative I saw was the occasional guy looking to dump his RL550 because he was looking to pick-up a 650 or a 1050 so for me it was a no-brainer... blue it was! One friend got his black badge and shot three matches using a single stage press... he hasn't shot a single match since and that was almost two years ago!
+1 to joe-nwt's comment "don't go buying a bunch of stuff based on any one's recommendation until you figure out if you actually need it or not." I agree with this sentiment 100%. When initially purchased the only accessory my 650 arrived with was the case feeder. I purchased the others after about four months of steady reloading when it became clear that the setup needed tuning to better suit my requirements. I suspect joe-nwt would agree: just purchase the bare minimum and accessorize if and when you see fit as you become comfortable reloading.
Reloading equipment has fantastic resale value and, especially if purchased second-hand, depreciates very well. If you've over purchased or get a sudden sense of buyer's remorse shortly after your purchase a for-sale note on your local club's bulletin board will quickly solve the problem.
joe-nwt,
I appreciate your constructive criticism of my recommendations but take issue with your assessment. We both agree there is no substitute for a sturdy bench and in no way did I write that the bench would move less with the strong mounts. There is no magic required to describe the strong mount's ability to reduce movement of the press on the bench however, it's called torque. The press-to-bench fastener hole center-to-center distance with the strong mount is greater than without. Everything else being equal the longer distance between mounting points on the bench's top surface gives a longer moment-arm resulting in less flexing: hence the press will wiggle noticeably less with the strong mounts than without. QED
For holding bullets without the strong mount I concur that just about any container will suffice, in the first pic's background observe a metal dish that was my original bullet tray before I had the strong mount (now it catches non-conforming material). With the strong mount however the tray is very convenient. To amplify your statement on this subject I say the strong mounts and tray almost belong together: you should really use them as a pair, or neither.
Being employed at the helm of a desktop computer averaging fifty hours a week for almost sixteen years clearly has resulted in soft wimpy hands as I find the roller handle a much needed accessory for reloading 8-10k rounds a year. Not much compared to some for sure, but enough that without it loading much more than seven hundred rounds in a session was not enjoyable; strike that, it was just painful.
Agreed, everyone's bench apparatus is going to be different to suit the individual behind it. For example I prefer to stand at my bench while you prefer to sit.
About drinking the blue kool-aid, all my IPSC buddies that reload have Dillons and some of them shoot 30k+ rounds a year and the only negative I saw was the occasional guy looking to dump his RL550 because he was looking to pick-up a 650 or a 1050 so for me it was a no-brainer... blue it was! One friend got his black badge and shot three matches using a single stage press... he hasn't shot a single match since and that was almost two years ago!
Well even though you made me feel bad with your thoughtful, well written post I would like to add if your bench is sturdy and your press is properly mounted, there should be no wiggle, strong mount or not.
And yes, everyone's bench and set-up will be different.
I would like to add if your bench is sturdy and your press is properly mounted, there should be no wiggle, strong mount or not.And yes, everyone's bench and set-up will be different.
beretta boy
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Orillia, Ontario
I buy powder (Alliant Promo) in 8 lb. kegs, wads by the case (5000), primers by the sleeve(5000) and
lead by the 1/2 ton, picked-up from the mfg. With maybe 15-20,000 once fired old-style AA's and
1/2 as many Fed GM's on hand, I still find a savings in shotshell reloading.
With shotgun loading for skeet, rifle and pistol I am officially out of time and I can't keep up.
The 9mm reloading is the one taking the time. I am loading on a Lee turret. I shoot around 700-800 9mm per week.
Require a 9mm progressive and am looking for suggestions.
Fan of Lee products but am open for other makes.
Need something fast and durable. Don't mind investing some cash.
Cheers
Only an issue if you don't keep it clean. Otherwise it works fine.
Without a doubt the Dillons are fine machines. However, you can easily get into $1000 or more for a 650 and $1500 or more for a 1050. If you've got the cash that's fine but it's like saying "I need a car to commute. What do you suggest?" If you've got the money the answer is "Ferrari". For most of us, however, that's not the answer.
Despite what the Lee naysayers opine I have used 2 Loadmasters for years and had minimal to zero problems. Keep 'em clean & lubed & they work. Are Dillons better - sure they are. For 3x-5x the cost they should be. And considering you're looking at loading mainly 9mm I'm surprised that no one has suggested a Dillon Square Deal. Good for pretty much any pistol cartridge and not in the Ferrari price range. The Hornady progressive is also a fine machine and not in the Dillon price range stratoshere.
Want some great info - read the Dillon Lee Hornady progressive comparison sticky by acrashb on the first page . Some great unbiased material there.
It's amazing that everyone has a different view on the "must have" options for certain presses. I have no use for a strong mount for my Dillon. In fact it would be a pain for me because I'm only 5'10" and would have trouble checking my case feeder without having to stand on my chair. As it is, I can just see inside it standing on my tippy-toes. Some people need the strong mount because they can't mount their press any other way with their particular bench, or enjoy loading while standing. That's just not me.
My first problem with my Dillon was that spent primers were often flying all over the place, even when I remembered to check and empty that stupid little cup all the time. Now that cup is gone, replaced by a metal adapter perfectly designed to take its place that connects to a tube, leading to the floor under my bench where the primers fall into a 4 liter plastic bottle. Yeah, I know Lee Classic Turret Press owners are rolling their eyes thinking they've had this system for years. Well my Dillon has caught up!
Then there is the little "jerk" the shell plate does when it advances - leaving powder grains all over the shell plate, and beyond, depending on how full you have to fill the cases. I'm surprised the company couldn't design a system that would advance smoothly, at least for a press you pay this amount of money for. So either DIY or buy a shell plate bearing kit to lesson (not totally eliminate) this problem.
The Dillon pistol decapper die. It sucks having to pull finished rounds just because the darn decapping pin reseated the spent primer instead of pushing it out. Plus a good primer goes around and ends up in the silly little plastic thing with the low sides. If you don't keep this empty, the good primers end up on the floor too. So either replace the die with another brand, or get out the dremel and modify it by shaving off a few thousandths. That's if the c-clip doesn't snap first. The after market clips sold at Canadian tire seem to be stronger than the stock clip, at least it was for me. My original broke within a month. My Canadian tire one has lasted ever since.
I HAD to have extra primer tubes. It takes literally minutes to load up a couple hundred pistol rounds on the Dillon, and the last thing you want is to break your pace in order to find the box of primers, remove a packet from the box, empty the box in the flip tray.... blah blah blah. Plus you can fill primer tubes anywhere, such as on the coffee table while watching TV, or outside by the beach. The luckiest among us can convince the wife and kids to help load primer tubes. More than one person can load primer tubes at the same time. But reloading finished rounds can only be done by one person in the same place. Hence, it's not rocket science to realize that the more extra primer tubes you have the happier your reloading life will be. Even extra flip trays can be useful if you have more than one person in your family and can recruit some help.
I wish the case feeder didn't pick up .40 S&W with the 9mm plate. Yes, I know I should sort and inspect my brass better... but one for every 5000 9mm sneaks in there. So sue me. It breaks my pace, and I hate having to clear the jam. Haven't found a solution to that issue yet... At least I don't get upside down cases from the case feeder anymore (strike on wood).
The Dillon isn't perfect folks, no matter what anyone here tells ya. But you can make it better.
My first problem with my Dillon was that spent primers were often flying all over the place, even when I remembered to check and empty that stupid little cup all the time. Now that cup is gone, replaced by a metal adapter perfectly designed to take its place that connects to a tube, leading to the floor under my bench where the primers fall into a 4 liter plastic bottle. Yeah, I know Lee Classic Turret Press owners are rolling their eyes thinking they've had this system for years. Well my Dillon has caught up!
Then there is the little "jerk" the shell plate does when it advances - leaving powder grains all over the shell plate, and beyond, depending on how full you have to fill the cases. I'm surprised the company couldn't design a system that would advance smoothly, at least for a press you pay this amount of money for. So either DIY or buy a shell plate bearing kit to lesson (not totally eliminate) this problem.
The Dillon pistol decapper die. It sucks having to pull finished rounds just because the darn decapping pin reseated the spent primer instead of pushing it out. Plus a good primer goes around and ends up in the silly little plastic thing with the low sides. If you don't keep this empty, the good primers end up on the floor too. So either replace the die with another brand, or get out the dremel and modify it by shaving off a few thousandths. That's if the c-clip doesn't snap first. The after market clips sold at Canadian tire seem to be stronger than the stock clip, at least it was for me. My original broke within a month. My Canadian tire one has lasted ever since.
I HAD to have extra primer tubes. It takes literally minutes to load up a couple hundred pistol rounds on the Dillon, and the last thing you want is to break your pace in order to find the box of primers, remove a packet from the box, empty the box in the flip tray.... blah blah blah. Plus you can fill primer tubes anywhere, such as on the coffee table while watching TV, or outside by the beach. The luckiest among us can convince the wife and kids to help load primer tubes. More than one person can load primer tubes at the same time. But reloading finished rounds can only be done by one person in the same place. Hence, it's not rocket science to realize that the more extra primer tubes you have the happier your reloading life will be. Even extra flip trays can be useful if you have more than one person in your family and can recruit some help.
I wish the case feeder didn't pick up .40 S&W with the 9mm plate. Yes, I know I should sort and inspect my brass better... but one for every 5000 9mm sneaks in there. So sue me. It breaks my pace, and I hate having to clear the jam. Haven't found a solution to that issue yet... At least I don't get upside down cases from the case feeder anymore (strike on wood).
The Dillon isn't perfect folks, no matter what anyone here tells ya. But you can make it better.
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You cant go wrong with a Dillon, but for me, I went with the Hornady LNL. I only load 9mm and 400 an hour is pretty easy to do and I've done 550 hwen I was just "in the zone". But 400 - 450 is an easily acheivable goal. For me it was the price and the fact that Budget Shooter had it sitting there, so I could just drive down and pick it up
