what do i need with the press?

Tak7ics

Tak7ics

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I am very new with reloading, and i am getting my first press. I decided on the
dillion xl650, but not sure about what options i need/should get, and the extra parts that I would want. the majority of my reloading will be S&W.40, and .223/556. money isn't an issue as I was saving for this for quite some time.

I know i want the case feed system as one of the add-ons, and I will be getting that and the press initially in S&W.40 . but im not sure if that means it will come with the dies for the .40? or will that be extra.

I am looking for the best set up I can possibly get.

any thoughts and suggestions would be great!
 
It won't come with the dies, I use Hornady new dimension .40 dies in my XL650 with excellent results and a Lee factory crimp die in station 5 just to be safe... A powder cop die in hole 3 would be a wise investment as it will check rifle and pistol cases, the dillon check system is nice but I like the powder cop for its simplicity.

For .223 you really need the dillon super swage... Despite what others may tell you about drill bits and hand reamers I have prepped thousands of crimped cases and after fooling around with such toys as lymans reamer and several counter sink bits I bought the super swager and never looked back.

Extra primer tubes are a must... And the dillon primer flipper is handy but I use a Lee hand primer tray.
 
Tak7ics said:
I am very new with reloading, and i am getting my first press. I decided on the
dillion xl650, but not sure about what options i need/should get, and the extra parts that I would want. the majority of my reloading will be S&W.40, and .223/556. money isn't an issue as I was saving for this for quite some time.

I know i want the case feed system as one of the add-ons, and I will be getting that and the press initially in S&W.40 . but im not sure if that means it will come with the dies for the .40? or will that be extra.

I am looking for the best set up I can possibly get.

any thoughts and suggestions would be great!
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Oxford Dictionary to learn all the formal swearing words due to 650's primer feed system?
 
CeeZer said:
Oxford Dictionary to learn all the formal swearing words due to 650's primer feed system?
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That's meant as some sort of a sick joke I take it? If you think the 650 has a bad primer system then you have never owned a Lee Load Master :D

In many many thousands of rounds both large and small primers I have never had a single issue... Case feeding has given me a few head scratchers but it's always simple adjustment.
 
id start on a single stage press progressive press's are not for the faint of hart one wrong move and you have a double charge or too much powder its a safer bet on a single stage you charge your powder then seat the bullet no worries. ive been reloading for about 6 years now and i still dont want to play with a progressive press even for 9mm
 
Do you mean the extra equipment for reloading or the extras for the Dillon 650?

For the 650 I would grab an aluminum roller handle, some guys swear by the powder check some guys swear at them. I don't think I would pay extra for it. Extra primer tubes is a must! I would love a Dillon RF primer tube filler. Like mentioned before if you are going to reload .223 you will need/love the Dillon super swager, it is awesome!

For extra reloading equipment, you are going to need a scale, and a micrometer, but a good investment is a bullet puller.
Thats all I can think of right now. Have fun and keep saving your money, because you will think of something else you can add to your collection.
 
Do you have a buddy with a 650 to help you get set up? If not, you are taking too big a first step. Much too big.

I assume from you question you have not loaded before. I suggest you just buy a single stage press and a power thrower, Lee Auto Primer plus all the normal bits you would need anyway, like a carbide die set, scales and caliper.

With a single stage you take a bucket of brass and size/deprime. then you prime the bucket of brass. then you mouth expand the brass. then you drop a powder charge and seat a bullet, to finish the job.

This approach will get you into loading in a way that you learn the tricks and understand each step. Even then, setting up a 650 on your own would be a challenge.
 
yeah i have a friend that has a 550, and has been teaching me on his, I have operated and loaded on his before he's just not around right now to help me pick out the "extras" for the press.
 
If your buddy can help you install the 650, sort it out and make the initial adjustments, then go for it.

But it will be like learning how to drive in a 18 wheeler....

That said, I learned how to fly only after I bought a Mooney.
 
Ganderite said:
That said, I learned how to fly only after I bought a Mooney.
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That's friggin' awesome!

OP, good luck with the reloading. I'm at the same stage as you, except that I've not yet settled on whether to get the Hornady LNL AP or an XL650. I too learned progressive on a Dillon 550, and do have a soft spot for the blue machines. I recently tried out the Hornady and it runs very nicely, so the lower cost and lower cost for calibre conversions make it an attractive option.

I hope you've also spent some time loading single stage, and I'll echo the importance of a thorough understanding of each step that others have mentionned. I'm still new, less than a thousand rounds loaded in various calibres, but as long as you remember to take your time, err on the side of caution, and CHECK EVERY CASE FOR POWDER, I don't believe there's any reason not to jump in to a progressive.

I strongly recommend investing in a single stage press anyway though, as I've learned that doing load workup and playing with COL and other relatively small-volume tasks for determining the best load for a given firearm and calibre are much easier on a single-stage. There's less time spent on setup and it's much easier to adjust dimensions when you're only playing with one at a time. This is because until you've got all of the adjustments nailed down, and a cartridge at every station in the press, things will vary a little bit due to flex in the ram/shellplate on a progressive. Eg. you think you've got your sizing length right, then you advance a station and the changing force on the ram as you start engaging more than one die causes it to change slightly and a case hangs up, or is not fully sized. It can mess with bullet seating depth, case bell/flare, crimp, whatever. Expect to go through a few components until you get your dies set for a given calibre on a progressive. I need to get both as I'll be loading pistol on the progressive and using single stage for the .308 target rifle I've got on the way... :)

For the Dillon, not sure if their case-activated powder measures also expand the case mouth, but if not I definitely recommend a powder-through expander as it will save you a station for a powder check and/or to separate the seating and crimping operations.

Again, I'm pretty new, but these are things I've learned so far, and I'm lucky enough to have a very experienced mentor. Good luck!
 
Holy fack, people, it not rocket science! Lot's of people learn on a progressive. Suggesting a single stage is like suggesting a bicycle to learn how to drive a car.
 
I am also thinking about getting a Dillon 550. I have been reloading rifle for a long time and used to reload shotgun for trap using a MEC 9000 hydraulic.

Is using a progressive press for pistol much the same as using the MEC 9000 ?
 
joe-nwt said:
Holy fack, people, it not rocket science! Lot's of people learn on a progressive. Suggesting a single stage is like suggesting a bicycle to learn how to drive a car.
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I hate to go against the grain as well but... I have to agree with you.

I started on a turret press using it as a single stage press and cant say I really gained any kind of special understanding of reloading that I did not know about already from the books I read.

I just started on a progressive and aside from the set up they are really not that scary to use.

After that being said I do second the notion of buying a single stage for load development. I just got my progressive all set up and would hate to mess with adjustments just to load 5-10 test rounds to just have to set it back if I did not like the way they shoot.
 
Mycroft said:
Afternoon Tac7ics,

I purchased mine from Williams Arms in Port Perry a few years back. Excellent service.

The Dillon has proven itself time and again for reloads.

If you purchase the 650 please be ready to part with a few dollars (these prices are a few years old):

-$715 - 650 Press.
-$50 - Carbide Pistol Dies (approx depends on caliber).
-$60 - Strong Mount.
-$53 - Bullet Tray.
-$56 - Roller Handle (found it be much better than the standard ball handle).
-$27 - 650 DVD assembly manual (highly recommended).

Also, if you are going to load both rifle and pistol you might want to look at the quick change tool head. It saves time not having to reset all the dies each time you change from pistol to rifle.

Hope this helps. Take care.
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thanks that helps a bit!
 
....times are a changeing

I bought my 650 thru TSE Calgary for about $600 shipped to my door

The better half bought the case feeder thru MD Gardner down on the coast

The roller handle is real nice to have as well but ya it's a $60 option

Strong mount is not required for most benches

Caliber conversion kits run about $75-$100-$140 depending on where you buy em

Die sets are $40-$50-$75+ depending on quality and if they are 2/3/4 die sets

You will still need a scale, calipers, lube, load manuals etc etc... Oh and if you plan on using any stick powder such as H4895 or Varget you will soon discover they don't meter very consistently thru any powder measure on any progressive press (+/- .5-1.5gr).
 
Mycroft said:
Afternoon Tac7ics,

I purchased mine from Williams Arms in Port Perry a few years back. Excellent service.

The Dillon has proven itself time and again for reloads.

If you purchase the 650 please be ready to part with a few dollars (these prices are a few years old):

-$715 - 650 Press.
-$50 - Carbide Pistol Dies (approx depends on caliber).
-$60 - Strong Mount.
-$53 - Bullet Tray.
-$56 - Roller Handle (found it be much better than the standard ball handle).
-$27 - 650 DVD assembly manual (highly recommended).

Also, if you are going to load both rifle and pistol you might want to look at the quick change tool head. It saves time not having to reset all the dies each time you change from pistol to rifle.

Hope this helps. Take care.
Click to expand...

Do you need a caliber conversion kit also if you buy the quick change tool head? for instance if your going from 223 to 308? Caliber conversion kit includes shellplate, locator buttons, powder funnel and casefeed adapter parts.
 
sikwhiskey said:
Do you need a caliber conversion kit also if you buy the quick change tool head? for instance if your going from 223 to 308? Caliber conversion kit includes shellplate, locator buttons, powder funnel and casefeed adapter parts.
Click to expand...

The quick change kit only includes a tool head and powder measure, it's nice to have one so you can leave your dies setup and powder measure calibrated when going between calibers you use the same load for every time.

I have 2 complete quick change's, one for .223 and one for 10mm, all I need to do is swap primer feed plate, case feed parts and shell plate going between the 2... With practice it's a 10min job... Setting up the powder measure and dies adds up to 20min to a caliber change.

The down side is a $130 quick change plus $100 caliber conversion plus $50+ for dies adds up really quick.

A lot of us buy extra tool heads @ $40ea and leave our dies setup and just swap the powder measure around.
 
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