Reloading 9mm with a Dillon 650

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johhny12gauge

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I only want to reload 9mm. I shoot about 200 rounds a week during practices. I've been told the Dillon 650 is the way to go. What/where do I need to order to start the process and what sort of savings should I expect? I currently pay $11.30/$12.50 (tax in) a box of 50 for factory MFS and AE 9mm.
Thanks
 
Once you've mastered the 650 you can expect to load for $7.50 per 50, excluding the cost of brass.

I don't know where you are located. If you are ordering directly from the US then order from Treeline Sports.
 
You'll generally reload for half of what you can buy even reloaded cartridges for from a store.

The question is whether you want to order direct from Dillon or buy from a local dealer. Without knowing what area you live in it's hard to recommend someone.
 
650 is expensive... I am personally buying the lee load master for 250$.....
I know dillon is fine, but do you need a porsche 911 to go to work? depends I guess.
 
The 550 lacks auto-indexing (you have to index the shell plate manually with your finger) and its add-on casefeeder doesn't work as well as the 650's. My recommendation to everyone that asks me about presses is to get the 650 over the 550. The difference in price is only about $100 and that way you won't regret it later if you are loading enough that you want to load faster.

Elwood Epps is about the cheapest "local" place I know for Dillon stuff. Depends on how far you are willing to drive I guess.
 
EPPS isn't too far away. I've been on the fence about reloading for about 5 years now. So Dillon 650 is the way to go. If I buy one what else do I need to purchase?
 
Kryogen said:
650 is expensive... I am personally buying the lee load master for 250$.....
I know dillon is fine, but do you need a porsche 911 to go to work? depends I guess.
Click to expand...
A better analogy would be choosing a toyota over a lada... Ie. Paying a bit more to not have to push it down the road once a week.

OP: 200 rounds a week; the 550 will do the job, unless you really despise reloading and want to get though it quicker.
Other things to buy are a scale, caliper and brass polisher.:cheers:
 
johhny12gauge said:
EPPS isn't too far away. I've been on the fence about reloading for about 5 years now. So Dillon 650 is the way to go. If I buy one what else do I need to purchase?
Click to expand...

Minimally I would buy the 650 strong mount (not the 550/650 combo one... the 650 only one is lower and hence allows for better clearance up top if you put a case feeder on later), the bullet tray (saves your arm/hand), and the aluminum roller handle (saves your arm/hand and is only a few dollars more than the plastic roller handle -- the handle that comes with the press is one of those ball-end jobs and is not terribly ergonomic).

If you are not already buying Dillon dies then I would also buy a set of their 1" lock rings and a bench wrench (which is pretty cheap... I forget how much but something on the order of $10 or $15 for both). If you have to adjust a die after all the dies are initially setup it can be a real pain trying to get in there with a regular wrench on standard lock rings, and the Dillon rings give you more room to work with as they are smaller.

The machine will come with one caliber conversion but won't come with dies. If you want to do additional calibers you'll likely want to purchase a quick change kit for each caliber (toolhead, powder measure, powder die) plus the associated conversion kit and dies. You CAN make do with one toolhead/powder measure but being able to leave your dies and measure all set and ready to go and just swap out toolheads/conversion kits is REALLY convenient.
 
So just to clarify:
-Dillon XL 650
-strong mount
-bullet tray
-aluminum roller handle
-1" lock ring and bench wrench

So if I only plan to do 9mm than it will come with that calibre kit?
 
johhny12gauge said:
So just to clarify:
-Dillon XL 650
-strong mount
-bullet tray
-aluminum roller handle
-1" lock ring and bench wrench

So if I only plan to do 9mm than it will come with that calibre kit?
Click to expand...
Do I need 9mm die set, powder scale, calipers, etc?

So far using the online calculator on the site it is $800 US. Is this the cheapest way to get into a Dillon 650?
 
why dont you look at dillons SD press if your only going to load 9mm. I have one and works great i also have a 550 only because the deal was to good to pass it up
 
johhny12gauge said:
Do I need 9mm die set, powder scale, calipers, etc?

So far using the online calculator on the site it is $800 US. Is this the cheapest way to get into a Dillon 650?
Click to expand...

It will come with one caliber conversion but NOT dies. You will need to buy dies. If you order the press you will have to specify what caliber you want it for. If you are buying one that someone has already in stock at a brick and mortar store such as Epps then you will want to make sure it's got the conversion for the caliber you want.

You will also need a scale to setup the powder measure to throw the correct charge (and for later spot checks) and also the calipers to get your seating depth correct (and to spot check it later).

I haven't priced out presses lately but call Epps and see what they'll do for you.
 
I'm liking the price on the Square B
http://www.dillonprecision.com/content/p/9/pid/25237/catid/1/Dillon_Square_Deal___039_B__039_
I might go this route based on price alone
 
Be forewarned that the Square Deal uses its own special dies that you won't be able to use on anything else if you upgrade later.

If price is your primary concern then it can be an OK choice so long as you know what you're getting yourself into, but I generally tell people to stay away from it as you really have no upgrade path with it. You can't even do rifle calibers on it.
 
I really only plan to use 9mm, maybe .40 if I ever switch to standard for IPSC. I don't shoot too much rifle so no need to have that. So do the same accessories apply for the Square B?
 
johhny12gauge said:
So just to clarify:
-Dillon XL 650
-strong mount
-bullet tray
-aluminum roller handle
-1" lock ring and bench wrench

So if I only plan to do 9mm than it will come with that calibre kit?
Click to expand...

We didn't use the strong mount but instead built a dedicated bench. With a table top consisting of two layers of 1/2" plywood supported by a sturdy frame lag bolted to the foundation of my buddies house. The press itself sits on a 3/8" thick piece of plate steel and on the nut side of the bolt is a 3/8" angle iron on either side of the table top frame, sandwiching the table top. The press does not move. We haven't tried it with .308 yet though, since upgrading our bench.

I personally found the roller handle uncomfortable and quickly went back to the original ball handle that comes with the press. I run the press for our loading and my buddies keeps the consumables supplied, but I quickly found my hand fatiguing by having to keep a hold of the roller. The ball on the other hand is more like the stick shift in my pickup truck, easy to grab and hold onto and you always know what it's going to do. The other thing that I didn't like about the roller handle is that, in my opinion, you have to put way too much torque on that lock nut in order to prevent the handle from twisting off axis.

You can order the press with whatever caliber conversion kit you would like. Dies come separately.

If you intend to use the 650 the way it's meant to be, you'll want to spend a bit more and add the case feeder to the mix. Our first load of .45acp was without a case feeder and it gets real annoying manually keeping the press fed with casings. Twenty cases at a time in a tube out of a session of 700 was not fun at all.

Tools to secure the dies, I went onto the Snap-On truck and got thin hydraulic dual open end wrenches. I can't remember the sizes off the top of my head.

I can't remember if our 650 came with the powder drop or not, but you'll need that as well.

At first I thought the powder check is needed, but if you setup really good lighting over your press you can easily see into the cases as they swing by and use that station for a bullet feeder.
 
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