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Thread: Dillon XL 650 autodrive

  1. #1
    Boolit Buddy
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    Dillon XL 650 autodrive

    My 650 has seen a lot of use and it's close to 20 years. I also have a 550 and a couple of single and turret presses for low volume processing. My 650 is mostly used for 38 spesial and 9mm.

    I'm thinking of automating my 650 and i see there's a lot of various models and they differ quite a bit in price. Of course the Mark 7 is tempting but with all its bells and whistles the price is pretty steep.

    I've also considered the Possen/Warren drive and this looks like a good option to me and it's more affordable and it looks simple compared to the mark7. In my opinion that's not always a disadvantage.

    Ammobot is another option.

    I'm looking for you good people to chime in and share experiences and thoughts on automating the 650 and wich one would you choose, and why? And of course the 1050 is more suited for automation, with the swager and all, but then the price is getting even higher. What i want is to save my shoulder and not higher production rate than I have today, a manuel 650 is plenty fast for my use. What I'm looking for is a more comfortable way to process 38 and 9 bangers loaded with lead boolits of my own making.

    Thanks

    Sent fra min SM-G930F via Tapatalk

  2. #2
    Boolit Buddy
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    I don't think I've seen posness warren or ammobot cater for the 650.

    I have a 1050 with a mark 7. I love it so that's what I would recommend.

  3. #3
    Boolit Buddy cas's Avatar
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    A friend had a P&W drive for his 650, it was never right and he sold it.

    Based on my many years of loading on a 650, I wouldn't even consider putting an auto drive on it.
    Former cylindersmith.

  4. #4
    Boolit Master
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    I would do it if and only if, I was going to make one cartridge till the end of time. If I was never ever going to touch it or change it out for another bullet style, powder charge or most anything else....forever.

    I added a bullet feeder to mine and once you get it right, they're wonderful but man oh man, getting it right takes forever and it really discourages you from making any changes. I can only imagine that adding an auto-drive to it would magnify it by a zillion.

    So make sure you love the cartridge you choose because that's all you'll ever want that machine to make.
    [

  5. #5
    Boolit Grand Master jmorris's Avatar
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    I have several automated 1050’s, I thought about doing one of my 650’s but they just are not the same machine.

    The swage station makes all the difference in the world. Not to mention on the 650 you need the stroke precise on both ends as actions occur at both top and bottom strokes.

    On the 1050 everything happens at the bottom only thing at the top is index and that’s not critical?

  6. #6
    Boolit Buddy
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    Quote Originally Posted by jmorris View Post
    I have several automated 1050’s, I thought about doing one of my 650’s but they just are not the same machine.

    The swage station makes all the difference in the world. Not to mention on the 650 you need the stroke precise on both ends as actions occur at both top and bottom strokes.

    On the 1050 everything happens at the bottom only thing at the top is index and that’s not critical?
    I suspected this to be the case. I'll scrap the idea of automating my 650 and maybe go for a 1050. I've ordered the Mr Bulletfeeder for my 650 and my plan is to get it to work with the short 100 gr swc i kal 38. This short boolit is a true PITA to collate in the MA systems collator for my Bullet Master.

    Anyone with good experience with automating the 1050 with anything else than than the Mark 7?

    A new 1050 AND a Mark 7 is well.... a lot of money. With the price beeing what it is on factory 9mm and even 38s, I have to do some serious ammount of shooting the next two decades, to defend that cost

    Sent fra min SM-G930F via Tapatalk

  7. #7
    Boolit Grand Master jmorris's Avatar
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    I made my first automated 1050 before anyone sold kits to do so.



  8. #8
    Boolit Grand Master jmorris's Avatar
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    Bullets get harder to collate the closer they get to “square” or as length and diameter get close to one another.

    Hollow base further complicates things but it’s still possible.

    I 3D printed this one to collate 100gn HBRN bullets.


  9. #9
    Boolit Grand Master jmorris's Avatar
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    FWIW a 650 with case and bullet feed is no slouch, even ran manually.


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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check