Search ? on progressive press

[alleyoop]

I think I've seen it here before but had no luck searching. I think someone posted a head to head comparison of the big 3 progressive presses, any help locating would be great. I'm tired of fooling with the loadmaster, the piggyback I'll keep but I'm thinking I want a real progressive. Thanks

[Alvarez Kelly]

I'll start. Dillon.

Seriously though... does anyone near you have a Dillon or Hornady LNL you could use? So much is subjective...

I have used every Dillon model made in the last 30 plus years. I have two RL550Bs on my bench. They are my favorite presses. I know folks who have two XL650s and even more who have two (or more) Super 1050s.

How fast can you afford to reload? Do you need a primer pocket swage on the press? Like I said, lots of subjective here.

Good luck with your decision. :-)

[Artful]

Just what are you searching on?

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?115271-First-hand-Review-of-the-Hornady-L-N-L-AP-vs-Dillon-550B

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?206624-Lee-Dillon-Hornady-comparison

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?205240-Hornday-or-Dillion

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?201993-Loading-with-the-550B

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?186511-Starter-Progressive-Press

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?194608-Star-versus-HOR-Dillon-RCBS-etc

- enough -

My $.02 is Dillon - I started with a RL-300 added RL-450 - the new 550B is just a product improved version

[jeff423]

Don't mess around: Dillon 650XL. I fought it for a long time, tried LNL, tried Lee, returned them both and bought the Dillon - never looked back. I think a lot depends on whether you want to reload or tinker with your press. I wanted ammo.

Jeff

[engineer401]

I am very happy with my Dillon 550b. I have added accessories such as roller handle, strong mount and case feeder. I cannot see using anything else.

[Lloyd Smale]

I dont think ive ever seen a totaly bias free test. Ive also never seen a test by someone thats loaded a 100k on each to really find out which is best. I own both and have loaded a ton on both. Personaly if you can afford it id go dillon but then thats just one persons opinion. Your best bet is going to be what alvarez said. Find something with both that will let you do a trial run and make your own decision. to many of those comparisons are made by people that bought one of the two and sure arent going to admit to the world they made a mistake. Its kind of like asking a guy thats drove fords all his life to compare a new ford truck to a chev. Your going to get biased comparisons like that or a comparison from someone that doesnt have any experience, maybe loaded 50 rounds on each to make his decision.

[HighHook]

Have 4 dillons on my benches. Also love the dillon dies... You have to research like everyone else said.

[milprileb]

I own 550 and 650 Dillons. The 650 is over kill but very convenient and outrageous for caliber conversions cost. Most always (and I should have taken my own advice on this ) the 550 satisfies most reloaders needs for a life time.

The LNL is now improved and falls between the 550 and 650 Dillons on features and price. Its worth a look as a its a very fine progressive press.

If you want a non indexing progressive: its the 550
If you want a indexing progressive: LNO or 650

If the tie is between LNL and 650: look at features and decide. Both will serve you well. If the tie is between 550 and LNL: features again and what you get for your money, either will serve you well.

Yes: I drank the Blue Kool Aid and am well served by Dillons but that LNL would have been as good a choice as the 650 for the features that I sought.

[jmorris]

The "big three", do you mean the 550, 650 and 1050? What do you want to know.

[Janoosh]

If you're just loading pistol ammo....Dillon Square Deal B....none better...I have two.

[dragon813gt]

I remembered why I haven't bought a Dillon after looking at their site today. It would cost me $900 in case feeders alone because I need all four. And full caliber conversions for the 650 w/ toolheads and powder measure cost $200. I load for nine different cartridges currently so that adds up to.....a lot of money ;)

One of these days I might pull the trigger on one but that's a pretty big amount of money.

[Alvarez Kelly]

I remembered why I haven't bought a Dillon after looking at their site today. It would cost me $900 in case feeders alone because I need all four. And full caliber conversions for the 650 w/ toolheads and powder measure cost $200. I load for nine different cartridges currently so that adds up to.....a lot of money ;)

One of these days I might pull the trigger on one but that's a pretty big amount of money.

I'm confused. Why would you need $900 in case feeders? Just change out the plate. One casefeeder and 3 extra casefeeder plates would do. I get about $335, if you bought all shiny and new.

[Doc_Stihl]

I keep popping into these threads to say.... "Check out the RCBS Pro 2000".
Best priming system in the business in my opinion. 6 Stations. VERY EASY to convert calibers and primer size.

[dragon813gt]

I'm confused. Why would you need $900 in case feeders? Just change out the plate. One casefeeder and 3 extra casefeeder plates would do. I get about $335, if you bought all shiny and new.

Yeah, that was my fault. I overlooked the plates and thought I had to buy whole units. At the end of the day it's the $200 caliber change that keeps me away from it. Even if you don't buy the tool heads it's more than I want to spend.

[rem700-3]

I'm an oddball but I wound up replacing my 550 with a pro 1000 and never looked back. I had to learn it and made some modifications but I sold the 550 and have well over 10000 rounds and counting on it

[Artful]

I keep popping into these threads to say.... "Check out the RCBS Pro 2000".
Best priming system in the business in my opinion. 6 Stations. VERY EASY to convert calibers and primer size.

You like those priming strips? How many have you damaged/worn out?

[IllinoisCoyoteHunter]

What about Star Universals??? ;) Ever wonder why the Dillon 1050 is such a great press????

I kinda go the best of both worlds...I love my 2 Star Universals and my 2 Hornady LNL APs. All 4 have case feeders. All 4 run smoothly and assemble great ammunition.

[Artful]

What about Star Universals??? ;) Ever wonder why the Dillon 1050 is such a great press????

http://www.starreloaders.com/faqs/faqs.html


Star Machine Works of San Diego is no longer in business. The company was sold and the original production machines and company assets sold.

Many members prefer only original parts made by Star Machine Works of San Diego and sell them through listings in our forum. Other members make parts and accessories that have been out of production for years or are new and original designs. Used parts and reloading tools turn up on auctions too.

http://www.dillonprecision.com/about_us.html


The Tommy gun came with a star loading tool, so I became a progressive reloader.
Shortly thereafter, I bought an M-16, and wanted to load .223 ammo progressively, but Star said it wasn’t possible to do it with their tool. They said, “If you want to try it, we’ll sell you a .380 shellplate and you can try to make it work.” So I went to a machinist and cut down an RCBS die, ground the hardcoat off of the outside and had him thread it to the weird thread size that Star dies used and I made the damn thing work. I changed the link-arms to give it a little more stroke and came up with a kit so my friends could convert their machines.

[Garyshome]

Dillon 550B loads a mess of ammo quick & easy!

[Garyshome]

Dillon 550B loads a mess of ammo quick & easy! Pretty good warranty also!

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

I keep popping into these threads to say.... "Check out the RCBS Pro 2000".
Best priming system in the business in my opinion. 6 Stations. VERY EASY to convert calibers and primer size.

+1, I've owned a 550, used a 650 a lot and owned a LnL for 10 plus years. I prefer the RCBS Pro 2000 to any of them.


You like those priming strips? How many have you damaged/worn out?

I love those priming strips, zero drama with priming on the RCBS Pro 2000. Never damaged or worn out a single strip in the several thousand rounds I've loaded on this press in the past couple years.

I should note I got one of a defective run when I had a buddy order me one from a wholesale warehouse. Apparently it had been sitting there for a while. But RCBS tech. support got things straightened out for me in reasonably short order. Since replacing the defective part (a subplate that had a been machined improperly) and adjusting the press, I've never had to adjust anything again on the press. Just crank out ammo. Lots and lots of ammo. The press primer disposal system keeps the press clean and all it ever needs maintenance wise is an occasional dusting, minor lubing and wiping down with an oily rag to maintain the blued steel parts.

The primer strips are easy to load, easy to run on the press and you can also buy primers pre-loaded on strips, though I've never had to. I run multiple brands of dies, multiple brands of powder measures, use a Dillon RT1200 trimmer setup on the press and it's been great with everything I've wanted to do.

At this point, the only hit I can make on it is it's not setup to accept a case feeder, but will take a bullet feeder. I'm betting someone with more mechanical aptitude than I could come up with a way to adapt a case feeder setup to this press.

[rocice]

If you drive a Ford you’ll buy a LnL ap, if Chevy then a Dillon. Dodge, well any of the other presses out there.

Whatever you do, make sure you take your time and learn the press. Any one of them will turn out good ammo.

[alleyoop]

Thanks for the replies, I was thinking I had seen a head to head on the 650,LNL and Pro 2000 thought it was hear maybe it was in my imagination. Rcbs has served me well for better than 20 years, the squaredeal has also been great. The only folks I know within a 100 miles that reload use either Lee or RCBS and the closest they come to progressive is the guy with the Lee.
I have a Lee loadmaster I was given but would stick to single stage before I depended on it.

[alleyoop]

Had to laugh at your reply rocice, I have a Chevy Blazer, a Toyota 4Runner, a Ford F150 and an old VW bug so now I'm even more confused.
If you drive a Ford you’ll buy a LnL ap, if Chevy then a Dillon. Dodge, well any of the other presses out there.

Whatever you do, make sure you take your time and learn the press. Any one of them will turn out good ammo.

[jmort]

"I think I've seen it here before but had no luck searching. I think someone posted a head to head comparison of the big 3 progressive presses"

Don't have time now to find it, but the article in question compared a Dillon, a Hornady, and a Lee. Conclusion for the author was the Hornady Lock N Load was best for him. Very well written article. Dillon came in second and Lee last, but not as worthless as some would have you believe. The Dillon Fan-Boys are annoying, just like the the Glock Drones, but you can't go wrong with a Dillon or a Glock, assuming they work for you. They are not for me, but that is my personal preference. I don't need/want a progressive anything. If I find some time, I'll find the article, it was very good.

[Guardian]

I'll save jmoritmer the time. http://www.comrace.ca/cmfiles/dillonLeeHornadyComparison.pdf

[jmort]

"I'll save jmoritmer the time."

Bless you

[Alvarez Kelly]

If you drive a Ford you’ll buy a LnL ap, if Chevy then a Dillon. Dodge, well any of the other presses out there.

Whatever you do, make sure you take your time and learn the press. Any one of them will turn out good ammo.

I LIKE this! I drive a Ford and reload mostly on Dillons. I guess I'm exceptional. Or something like that... :-P

[alleyoop]

Thanks again, the Dillion/Lee/Hornady one was the one I was thinking of. Maybe I ain't crazy after all.

[r1kk1]

I LIKE this! I drive a Ford and reload mostly on Dillons. I guess I'm exceptional. Or something like that... :-P

Same here. King Ranch 6.7l dually and 550b.

Take care

r1kk1

[dragon813gt]

I drive two GMCs and use Lees. Does that mean GMC = Lee? ;)

[jmorris]

Maybe a bad analogy. Some of use have Fords with Chevy engines at least those are the parts we started with.

http://i664.photobucket.com/albums/vv5/qvideo/Johns23T_zps933ceb55.jpg

Not to mention things like the GT 40 vs Pinto, or a Z06 vs Volt...

[TheCelt]

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?206624-Lee-Dillon-Hornady-comparison&highlight=

[r1kk1]

550 for me. Haven't found a cartridge I can't load on it yet, outside the BMGs. I wished they made different shellplates for the BFR.

Take care,

r1kk1

[Waldog]

JMORTIMER. Just because you asked. I wrote this and have posted this before but, I don't think I have posted it on this website. If I have, my apologies .
You will note in the post that I state I have loaded about 12,000 with the press. I wrote this about 3-4 years ago. I have since loaded at least TRIPLE that amount since.
Which is Better? What’s best?

This question usually ignites a firestorm of of "Blue verses Red verses etc." What you are not going to find is very many people that have actually loaded on BOTH DILLON AND HORNADY. I have loaded on the Dillon SDB, 550, 650, 1050 and the Hornady LNL.
I currently own a Hornady LNL and a Dillon SDB.

Here is my perspective:

Consider the Hornady Lock and Load Progressive. It’s cheaper than the Dillon and has several features that, IMHO are better than Dillon.

Dillon Precision has been on the market since late 1970’s or early 1980 and have set the standard for outstanding customer service. Hornady started business in 1949 producing bullets. In 1971 they started producing reloading equipment. Other manufacturers have since copied Dillon’s wonderful customer service. Speaking from experience, Hornady’s customer service is equal to Dillon. As a result of customer service, Dillon users are very dedicated to their blue presses.

Dillon presses are EXCEPTIONAL and do an exceptional job reloading. The competition to the Dillon is the Hornady Lock and Load Auto Progressive. Because most of the Dillon users are so satisfied, when you ask the question “Which is better?”, you get swamped with comments like, "The Hornady LNL is Junk!" If you asked if they have ever loaded on the LNL and 99.9% said no. When I did find someone that had experience with both presses, most liked the LNL and many had sold their Dillon's and bought the LNL. However, there have been those that sold their red presses and bought blue. I can also unequivocally state, based on my experience, that HORNADY has equal customer service. You just have to decide what you like best. Some times it’s just the color, red or blue!!

IMHO the Dillon has one major shortcoming and, most Dillon owners will agree if they are honest. The Dillon powder measure is sorely lacking in ease of use and adjustability. It is sliding bar type measure. It meters ball type powder well but, flake type powder less so. Extruded stick type powder is VERY troublesome and not all that accurate. To be fair, extruded powder is difficult in all powder measures, irregardless of design. Be advised that flake powder has been known to “leak” around the Dillon sliding bar as it is activated back and forth. Particularly if the sliding bar is worn. The LNL powder measure is a rotary barrel design that handles all types of powder MUCH better than the Dillon. A rotary barrel is the same design used by RCBS, Sinclair and other manufacturers. I have never heard of a rotary type measure “leak”. Also, it is a pain to swap out the Dillon powder measure to another die plate. As a result, many owners have several powder measures on separate die plates for changing calibers. This significantly drives UP the COST. I have never heard of a LNL owner that has more than one powder measure. There is no need. It is easy to adjust. Many LNL owners, myself included, own several "Powder Dies" that are pre-adjusted to load a specific case. (Note: Powder measure fits into the Powder Die.) Each LNL powder die costs about $20. A Dillon powder measure costs $75.

Also, IMHO, the Dillon de-priming/priming system is less reliable than the LNL. With the Dillon system, spent primers drop through the bottom of the shell plate into a small cup. It is an “open” system and is easy to empty. However, the press gets dirty with carbon. Whenever carbon/dust/dirt or “primer dust” fouls the primer seating station this causes "flipped" or "skipped" primers. The DILLON de-priming system works well provided it is kept CLEAN. With the Hornady LNL, spent primers are dropped completely through the press into a plastic tube and into the trash or bottle or whatever you want to use. It is a “closed” system. You never get carbon in and around the bottom of the shell plate. The point is the dirt off the spent primers does not foul the workings of the press. I have never had a “flipped” primer. Although, I have had “missed” primers that I feel were operator error (ME!) and not the fault of the primer system. (I forgot to seat the primer!) In all fairness, the LNL primer seating station will also not work properly if the primer slide is fouled with dirt or powder. Please note that neither Dillon or LNL primer systems will work flawlessly unless they are adjusted properly. Users of BOTH systems have expressed exasperation with these adjustments.

If you want a “Powder Check” system you need a press with at least five stations. The Dillon Square Deal and Dillon 550 both have 4 die stations. The LNL and Dillon 650 both have 5 stations. However, the 650 costs significantly more than the LNL. The Dillon 1050 is really an industrial machine and has eight stations.

How the presses indexes is an issue for some people. In reading the web about "KABOOMS" (Blowing up a gun!!), many of the kabooms I have read about were directly traced back to a manually indexing press. This is not the fault of the press but, operator error. However, with a manually indexing press, If you get distracted while reloading, you can easily double charge a pistol case. (A double charge will depend on the powder you are using and the charge weight.) IMHO, a double charge is less of a problem with auto-indexing presses. The Hornady LNL, Dillon 650 and, Dillon Square Deal auto index. The MOST POPULAR Dillon press, the 550, is a manually indexing press. Some people prefer manual, some people prefer auto.

In addition, the LNL auto indexing is significantly smoother than the Dillon 650. The LNL indexes 1/2 step while the ram is going up and 1/2 step when the ram goes down. The 650 indexes a full step on the ram down stroke and can cause pistol cases to spill SMALL AMOUNTS or powder with the indexing "bump". IMHO, the LNL is dramatically better. Of course, the amount of powder "bumped" from a case is dependent on the powder charge, operator and, speed of reloading. As I stated above, you get primer problems with a dirty press. "Bumped" powder fouls BOTH Dillon and LNL.

Next, the LNL uses a really slick bushing system for mounting loading dies and powder measure to the press. It makes changing calibers and SNAP. After a die is adjusted for whatever you are loading you can remove the die from the press with an 1/8 turn and insert a different die. Each die has it's own bushing. The Dillon uses a die plate that has the powder measure and all loading dies installed. The Dillon die plate costs more than LNL bushings. Another neat feature with the Hornady is that you can buy a bushing conversion setup and use the same bushings on your RCBS, Lyman or other single stage press and the LNL!

Additionally, the LNL seems to be built like a tank! The ram is about 2"+ in diameter and the basic press is similar in construction to the RCBS Rock Chucker. I would say that a side-by-side comparison to the either the Dillon 550 OR 650, the LNL is at least as sturdily built. And, in some areas I think the LNL is better built. i.e., The massive ram, powder measure, and primer system. The head/top of the press is solid except for where the dies are inserted. The Dillon has a large cutout that is needed for their die plates. By just looking, it would seem the LNL would be stronger. But, of course, that may not be the case.

There is one piece that can get damaged on the LNL. There is a coil spring that holds the cases in the shell holder that can get crushed if you improperly change shell holders. That's the bad news. The good news is that they are only about $2-3 for three and they won't get crushed if you change shell plates correctly. Also, recently Hornady sends these out as a warranty item free of charge. The other good news is that this spring is the primary reason while loading you can easily remove a case at any station. The spring is durable if it is not abused. I have been using my current retainer spring for about 2 years. I have loaded at least 12,000 rounds in that time. With the Dillon you have to remove small individual brass pins in order to take a shell out of a shell plate. My fingers require needle-nose pliers or forceps to remove the brass pins. It is a PITA.

(For the next discussion keep in mind that BOTH DILLON AND LNL shell plates rotate CLOCKWISE.)

Another item to think about. For NON-CASE FEEDER users; all Dillon presses (Except 1050) require you to use BOTH hands to insert brass and bullets on the press. The Dillon 650, 550 and, SDB operates as follows;

1. Right hand inserts an empty case at the right, front side of the press.
2. Left hand then sets the bullet on the case mouth at the left, rear side of the press.
3. Right hand then activates the operating handle.
4. For Dillon 550 only, Left hand manually rotates shell plate.
5. You then release the operating handle and insert another case with your right hand and so forth. (Right, left, right, left, right, left)

(Note: With the Dillon 550 you also have to manually rotate the shell plate at step 4. Most people do this with their LEFT hand.)

With the Dillon, “right-left-right-left” hand operating procedure, clockwise rotation and, the fact that you start your loading process at the front, right side of the press, your bullet seating die is at the rear, left side of the press. Why is this important? The Dillon powder measure drops powder into the case and the case is rotated clockwise to the REAR of the press to the bullet seating die. It is very difficult to see inside of the case to see the gunpowder. Many Dillon owners rig up flashlight, mirror or, believe it or not, a video camera to “look” into the case to see the powder charge.

With the LNL you start your loading process at the REAR, left side of the press. As your case rotates clockwise, after the powder is dropped, your case is directly in the front of the press and the bullet is seated directly in front of the person operating the press. Is is VERY EASY to look directly into the case to see the powder charge. Even though I use a “Powder Check” die. I look directly into each case as I am loading. I have never had a squib load OR a double charge. This is not to say that it can’t happen. It can. I just haven’t experienced one.

Loading cases and bullets with the left hand is very natural to me. Others may really dislike this feature and prefer the right/left/right/left/right operation of Dillon. Please note that a case feeder eliminates this operation and both Dillon and LNL only load bullets on the left side of the press. Dillon at the back of the press and LNL at the front of the press.

Dillon Customer service is legendary. You can buy a used Dillon press that is a total wreak and they will rebuild or send you a new one for about $40-$50 bucks. Any parts you break will be replaced free of charge. Hornady service, in my experience, is equal. When I needed some replacement springs that broke do to age, Hornady replaced them free of charge. They will also rebuild your press if it needs it. I think most other manufacturers are matching Dillon’s service. Dillon raised the bar pretty high for customer service and other companies see how devoted customers are to the BLUE presses. I do feel that is one of the primary reasons Dillon’s prices are HIGH. But of course, I have no way of knowing that.

You can load anything on both the Dillon and LNL from .25 ACP to 500 N.E. Realistically, I would say that people with progressive loaders mostly load pistol ammo 99% of the time. After using the LNL, I feel confident that my Grandkids will be using when I'm gone.

In summary, the Hornady LNL has all the features of the Dillon 650 but, is much cheaper. However, the Dillon automatic case feeder is about $50 cheaper than the Hornady. Changing calipers on the LNL is faster and cheaper. The powder measure on the LNL is VASTLY SUPERIOR TO THE DILLON, at least in my opinion. I bought the LNL and am very satisfied. A shooting buddy of mine is a long time, dedicated Dillon user. He has three! After giving me a ration of "stuff" about my choice, he came over and used my LNL and sheepishly said, "That's a very nice setup!!"

[Buzz64]

Thank you, Waldog. Well thought-out post with usable observations. Appreciate your taking the time.

[jmort]

My thanks as well. Nice to see rational information. Hard to be objective, but I think you got there.

[Artful]

Thank you, Waldog, you make your points very well.

Question have you tried RCBS Pro 2000?

[Waldog]

Thank you, Waldog, you make your points very well.

Question have you tried RCBS Pro 2000?

Sorry, I haven't used the RCBS 2000. I do know that it has a strong following. People either absolutely love the primer strips or they DETEST the strips. DaveInFloweryBranchGA LOVES his 2000 and he is very knowledgeable. In fact he gave me some advice years ago when I was just starting out with my LNL. He knows his stuff!

[jmorris]

I have owned both pre and post EZ Ject LNL's and currently have at least one of every Dillon on a bench. I would respectfully disagree with Waldog on a few points.


The one that "sticks" in my mind is the powder measure of the LNL working well with extruded powder. I picked up my first LNL after a friend gave me a 20 lb keg of IMR 3031 that the Dillon measure didn't like but the Hornady measure didn't like it any better.

The 1/2 stroke on the LNL seemed like a good idea, until, with the rifle rounds being loaded, I had to feed the bullet up into the die then put it on the case mouth after it finished rotation. If I place the bullet on top of the rifle case at the bottom of the stroke the ram would raise the tip above the bottom of the die before it finished the rotation, knocking the bullet off. You also never have to adjust the index on any Dillon because there is no paws to time.

The QD bushings on the LNL were pretty cool until the powder measure "QD'ed" it self while loading (an extra O-ring fixed that problem) maybe mine was too slick. Dillon pins don't self "QD".

You do not feed cases into the shell plate on a 650 by hand, case feed is standard on the base machine. You feed them into a tube if you don't have the collator.

A lot of guys stick with what they know. I like improving on the best stuff I can find.

[Oreo]

I'm the guy with two complete LnL powder measure systems.

I bought the second one to get the "Bench Rest" rotor which is unfortunately not sold ala-carte like the rifle and pistol rotors. The bench rest rotor is sized half way between the rifle and pistol rotors. It is sized better and throws more accurate charges for small rifle cartridges like the 223.

If I ever start loading larger rifle cartridges that need more powder then the bench rest rotor can dispense (30-06 and above) then I'll probably buy a third whole powder measure just for the rifle rotor instead of swapping the rotors around.

It is a matter of convenience, not necessity. It's just a lot easier to swap the whole powder system at the LnL bushing then it is to swap powder from the hopper, disassemble rotor, install new rotor, and then swap hopper on to powder die.

[hiram1]

All i have to say is I love my dillons .they work well for me .

[timtonya]

Yep I'll chime in. Tried the loadmaster boat anchor. Got tired of tinkering all of the time. Finally got a 550 and love it. I polished the powder measure and even varget works well. I don't think I'll ever upgrade. May buy another 550 so I don't have to change primer sizes.

[zomby woof]

I'll take the Loadmaster off your hands....

[Three44s]

I think Waldog hit it pretty square!

While I have no experience with "blue" ....... I studied the progressives pretty intensely during the summer and fall of '12.

What I ended up buying was the LNL around Jan of 13.

What drove me to "red" was the overall cost when back dropped with the number of calibers I load ....... in short, I am a tinkerer.

So having a blue set up for this and another set for that was just not in my financial comfort zone. Neither was buying all those tool heads. Neither was the time to convert.

Now, I have no doubt that if you are loading rounds by the ton as a competitive shooter ...... then blue makes a better choice ........ but again, I have not loaded with one. I do have an opportunity to use a neighbor's Dillon set up for .40 and run him some ammo ........ just to have some hands on .........

But then, I don't condemn blue ..........

But I do know, I am very happy I bought "red" ....... the LNL!

And by the way: Somebody else must have reached the same conclusion at about the same time ..... because LNL shell plates hit the "Top 40" there for months ........ it was eat or be eaten finding them ........ a lot of other brands were not any where near as sold out as Hornady.

When I go searching for a "greasy spoon" ......... count the cars in the lot ........... I figure the abject scarcity of shell plates for the LNL meant something?

I can't tell you what the Blue availability was because I was too focused on trying to get my LNL plates in .... finnally did .... and never paid blood money for them ... took my time because I had plenty of tooling to single state or turret load in the mean time relative to my shooting needs.

A loading pard was welcome to use my LNL ........ he kept getting smitten with it ...... I told him he was welcome to use mine as long as he wished. But he lives about 25 miles away.

The idea of being able to progressive load right on his turf won him over. He bought his own LNL last fall.

For what it's worth!!

Three 44s

[220]

Three44s sounds like your experience mimics my own, I also went the LNL.
For what I do the LNL just stacked up as a better choice than anything blue and after 6 months I still think I made the right choice.

[chambers]

I have several 650's, one square deal, and several 900's all in the blue flavor. They work well for me and once you operate one it easy to make good quality ammo.

[dbarnhart]

Three44s you came to the same conclusion I did when I was going thru the identical process. It is interesting that each manufacturer has a different opinion of what is most important and then designs their press(s) to meet that requirement.

[timtonya]

Well..... I almost went red. Everyone says ya gotta buy toolheads. What's the difference between toolheads or buy the lock n load collets? They all price about the same. Dillons comes with more standard goodies than Hornady.

[ricklaut]

Thank you, Waldog, you make your points very well.

Question have you tried RCBS Pro 2000?

I have an auto-indexing Pro 2000 - love it and I've made about 12500 rounds with it (9mm, .40, .45 ACP, .45 Colt, .38/.357, .223, .308 and 30-06...). To be fair, though, I've not owned another progressive press.

I love the APS priming system. I see no risk of primer detonation since there are no tubes & the primers stay segregated in the strips; about half of my primers were purchased in the strips and the other half I loaded into strips myself. Loading into the strips is simple & fast. It occasionally needs to be cleaned out (maybe every 2000 rounds?) and it's quick (5 min?) to do. I love the fast caliber changes; I have die holders for all of the above calibers, so swap that out, change the shell plate (one bolt holds it), adjust the powder drop (it has a micrometer adjust, so recording a setting is easy) and (if needed) convert the primer pusher from small to large or large to small (swap one piece).

[257]

a fellow on here said 200.00 for dillon 650 conversion i paid 75.00 for conversion kits 27.00 for tool heads. i have a lot of extra powder dispencers but i just use one for small and one for med bars and i set it with each change over.i have a 550b and a xl650 they work flawlessly my buddy has a hoarndy lnl it had some problems wiyh yhe powder measure sticking but we solved that and it works perfect now. i had a lee loadmaster i bought at a auction it was total mess(worthless)all i ever did was work on it all the time

[Chuck_ls]

I have wanted a Dillon since I used a friends 550 a couple of years ago. Nice units. I will make do with my Hornady Pro-Jector for a while more until I get the funds together. The Hornady works OK, but caliber changes are a chore.

Chuck

[waco]

Unless you are somehow shooting 2-5K ammo a month, a Dillon 550 is ALL you need. I, for one, am a big fan of NON AUTO INDEXING!

Too many ways stuff can get jammed up. The 550 is a pretty straight forward machine capable of producing a lot of good quality ammo very quickly.

The price is right, and like all Dillon products, you CAN NOT BEAT THEIR NO BS WARRANTY!

[angus6]

Yeah, that was my fault. I overlooked the plates and thought I had to buy whole units. At the end of the day it's the $200 caliber change that keeps me away from it. Even if you don't buy the tool heads it's more than I want to spend.

I'm at 10 calibers for the 1050 and am under $70 a conversion , will be adding another wildcat this week and figure the most it'll cost to add it is $30

[77ruger]

Dillon 550B for pistol and rifle gets my vote.

[bpratl]

The LNL with case and bullet feeder with a RCBS powder cop works for me and no more double charges.

[Crash_Corrigan]

I started out with a Lee Loadmaster. I tinkered and fussed over that *** for two years until a buddy of mine got out of reloading and gave me his Dillon 550B. Once I figured out how to run that sucker I never used the Loadmaster again. I have a Lee Challenger which I use to deprime brass with. I have a RCBS rockchucker for developing new loads. I have a Lee 4 Hole Classic Turret Press which I use for most of my rifle calibers and for making match grade ammo for competition for my pistols. I have a set of 3 Dillon Square Deal presses for .44, .38 and .45 ACP. I have an XL650 for my 9mm's and I use the 550B for my .41 Mag, .223 and 6.5 x 55 MM Sweede. I am contemplating getting a conversion kit for the XL650 to load 7.62 X 39 MM rounds for my SKS. I run a SAECO Lubrisizer for my BPCR 50-90 and 38-55 boolits and a star luber for all the rest.

I have never used a Hornady LNL press but if I had seen one back in the day I might have went that route. I thought I got into reloading and casting boolits to save money...............I just shoot more and I still spend like a madman. I reload or cast boolits in every room in the house except the John. However I still read about it on the throne. I have the disease and there is no cure for it.

[gunoil]

my press runs because: mikesreloadingbench.com

All his parts work with each other buy em all.
video may help:http://i1113.photobucket.com/albums/k511/putt2012/A59C463C-E849-4792-9187-0C97E7E30801-1400-0000016948AEE77E_zpsb2b00331.mp4

[skeet028]

Well I have used about all of the "progressive" presses. From the Star RL1000 1050 Super 1050 550s SDBs CH Marks IV V even tried the *** Green Machine as well as 2 or 3 Lee's including the worst *** of all the Loadmaster. Only one i haven't tried to date is the RCBS 2000..but...a guy has one with 4 cal conversions for 600 bucks locally...LOL. I even have a Hornady ammo plant. Works but it has some issues. Heck I used to sell and repair P-W shotshell machines so I have a little mechanical knowledge. My take on "progressive" machines. I feel when you buy a machine you should expect to get a machine that will WORK without a whole bunch of messing with them or the NEED to buy modifications to get 'em to work right. The Hornady is ok..the Star is really good but kinda limited in cals. most of the rest are kinda ok.. I do like the Blue machines..they are pretty well thought out and executed. The 650 is just a Star on steroids and seems to work just great. Most problems are operator errors..But the average guy doesn't need a 650 or a 1050. The 550 loads almost anything you want to put on it and does it well. And they have the great warranty of course. I have a couple..one large primer..one small and I use them quite a bit. I also have an AT 500 that I do hunting loads for rifles on. How many do ya need? So I do them singly. For my shooting and banging loads I use the S 1050s. for all the rst that I like to keep a bunch loaded..The 550s. The Ammo plant is gonna go as is that Real ***. Blue cool aid tastes just fine.

[fredj338]

Three44s sounds like your experience mimics my own, I also went the LNL.
For what I do the LNL just stacked up as a better choice than anything blue and after 6 months I still think I made the right choice.
Then w/o trying blue, you really have no idea.
Let's address cost. If you price the 650 & LNL equipped the same,. the 650 is only maybe $75 more. The LNL comes w/ no case feeder parts, the 650 everything but the bowl. The conversions are close in cost, with a slight edge going to the LNL. The 650 is faster to change calibers, just pop in a new tool head & shell plate.
So while the LNL is a decent press, the 650 has a better case feeder & priming system. The LNL is easier to use w/o case feeder, the 650 was designed for a case feeder so is a bit clumsy feeding by hand. Just my take owning a 550B, 650 & working a 1000rds on my friends LNL before buying the 650. A Lee, not if it were free.

[WILDEBILL308]

This must be the bi monthly “what press is best” post. I have been loading for a long time I have loaded on or have owned a bunch of different presses. I bought a Dillon 550B when it first came out and am to far down the blue road to change now. All the presses talked about will work some better than others. I am not nesacareley a fan of auto indexing. Yet I have 4 Square deal Bs. I like the new Dillon pistol dies better than the dies that are made for the Square Deal and keep bugging Dillon to upgrade.
One way to get away from the Dillon powder measure is to use adapter they sell and you can use a standard powder measure for stick powder and large capacity cases. One other thing try using powdered Teflon to lube your powder measure slide and the primer slide.
Bill

[gunoil]

If you use mikesreloadingbench.com the Lee loadmaster can be great. But only with all his afforable mods.

[Black Prince]

I've TRIED to read through this post to determine if this has been addressed and have not seen it, but in case it has been pointed out, I apologize. Most all of the progressive presses work well. I have used Dillon 550-B's for 37 years, so I obviously like them. The discussion of auto index or not is a non starter because once you get used to a non indexing press like the 550-B, it's not a big deal. BUT something that IS A BIG DEAL with the 550-B , AND OTHER PROGRESSIVE PRESSES that only have four stations on them is there is no room for a powder checker die. So what you ask?

There are so many operations going on at the same time on a progressive that it is easy to miss an under or overloaded case. And in some progressives, you can't actually see very well the powder level in the case before you have to put the bullet in the case. If you are loading pistol cases with a fast burning, low bulk powder like Bullseye for instance, you can load a case two or three times and it WILLNOT run over the case and it WILL ALLOW you to seat a bullet on top of that powder.

THAT is why although I own Dillon 550-B's, if I had to buy them again today, I would get the 650 machine because it has 5 stations which allows for a powder checker die. Now when I load 45 ACP's for example, I set my powder checking die (an RCBS) at the first station after the powder is loaded into the case, then seat the bullet, but then I don't have another station for the taper crimp die. So then I have to take each cartridge and run it through a Lyman All American press with a taper crimp die in it to complete the loading process. That one operation almost doubles the time required to load a group of cases. But I do it to be safe because I have seen the result of both over and under loaded cases and it is not good. For those reloaders who are like me that don't see very well anyway, a powder checker die can look at EVERY CASE to make sure it has the correct amount of powder in it. BUT if you don't have enough stations on your progressive press, regardless of who made it, you run the risk of missing just one case and it only takes one to ruin you whole day. So if you value how you day goes, you may want to consider that issue in buying a progressive press. Or not. I got away with not doing it for 10 years before learning the hard way that I really do need a powder checker die.

All the best to you in whatever you do and here's wishing you good shooting.

[sock]

Guys is this a Dillion site? I thought this was about loading,shooting, and having fun??? we all do the same thing shoot lead right. When someone asks what press should he buy why not ask some questions like budget, room to work, and if he has a buddy to get him started. Yes dillion is top of the line but it's expensive to say I've got a dillion press. Why not start like we ALL did with a single stage and take things slow and evolve from there. You dillion guys need to lighten up!!!!! You know damn well you all started with a single stage and if you didn't I'll bet you have one sitting on your bench you use for bull work.

[r1kk1]

Guys is this a Dillion site? I thought this was about loading,shooting, and having fun??? we all do the same thing shoot lead right. When someone asks what press should he buy why not ask some questions like budget, room to work, and if he has a buddy to get him started. Yes dillion is top of the line but it's expensive to say I've got a dillion press. Why not start like we ALL did with a single stage and take things slow and evolve from there. You dillion guys need to lighten up!!!!! You know damn well you all started with a single stage and if you didn't I'll bet you have one sitting on your bench you use for bull work.

The OP asked about the big three for progressive presses. Dillon's 550, 650 (not sure when the 1050 came out) came out before the Pro 2000, LNLs, and LMs hence you see more posts.

Not everyone starts out on a single stage. I can see your point about "bull work" as I have four for that duty.

Budget? Again the OP asked about the big three - Dillon, Hornady, and RCBS. He wants to retire his LM.

So when the OP posted about other presses to maybe replace his LM, it is assumed that he has the basics of reloading down.

Sock, expense for equipment is up to the individual. All I can say is after loading into the six figures of ammo (believe it or not, their are other posters that do more than this) I can say my progressive has paid for itself since the 80s when I bought it.

Friends and family keep my metallic progressive going almost every weekend. Some are too cheap to buy their own equipment. Some do and it's funny what they buy - either a Dillon or LNL. I don't care what they buy, it's their money.

If you think Dillon's are expensive try buying a new progressive shotshell loader for each gauge complete with hydraulics.

Take care

r1kk1

[Alvarez Kelly]

Yep r1kk1. I need a new Spolar. :-)

Google it if you've never heard of it.

[r1kk1]

Oh yeah. Spolar can do 12, 16, 20, 28 and both 410 2-½" as well as 3". Amazing machine and easy to swap gauges on. I'm saving for one Alvarez.

So well built. It is a work of functioning art.

Yeah I want one.

Take care

r1kk1

[WILDEBILL308]

I've TRIED to read through this post to determine if this has been addressed and have not seen it, but in case it has been pointed out, I apologize. Most all of the progressive presses work well. I have used Dillon 550-B's for 37 years, so I obviously like them. The discussion of auto index or not is a non starter because once you get used to a non indexing press like the 550-B, it's not a big deal. BUT something that IS A BIG DEAL with the 550-B , AND OTHER PROGRESSIVE PRESSES that only have four stations on them is there is no room for a powder checker die. So what you ask?

There are so many operations going on at the same time on a progressive that it is easy to miss an under or overloaded case. And in some progressives, you can't actually see very well the powder level in the case before you have to put the bullet in the case. If you are loading pistol cases with a fast burning, low bulk powder like Bullseye for instance, you can load a case two or three times and it WILLNOT run over the case and it WILL ALLOW you to seat a bullet on top of that powder.

THAT is why although I own Dillon 550-B's, if I had to buy them again today, I would get the 650 machine because it has 5 stations which allows for a powder checker die. Now when I load 45 ACP's for example, I set my powder checking die (an RCBS) at the first station after the powder is loaded into the case, then seat the bullet, but then I don't have another station for the taper crimp die. So then I have to take each cartridge and run it through a Lyman All American press with a taper crimp die in it to complete the loading process. That one operation almost doubles the time required to load a group of cases. But I do it to be safe because I have seen the result of both over and under loaded cases and it is not good. For those reloaders who are like me that don't see very well anyway, a powder checker die can look at EVERY CASE to make sure it has the correct amount of powder in it. BUT if you don't have enough stations on your progressive press, regardless of who made it, you run the risk of missing just one case and it only takes one to ruin you whole day. So if you value how you day goes, you may want to consider that issue in buying a progressive press. Or not. I got away with not doing it for 10 years before learning the hard way that I really do need a powder checker die.

All the best to you in whatever you do and here's wishing you good shooting.
Good point. I feel the biggest cause of lack of powder or double charge is not paying attention. I think if you are paying attention and complete each stroke of the handle completely it is hard to get a mistake. If you fell there is anything different STOP and check it out.
Bill

[dragon813gt]

I don't reload for shotgun......but I want that press w/ all the accessories :)

[Alvarez Kelly]

I don't reload for shotgun......but I want that press w/ all the accessories :)

You have to mean the Spolar, right?

[dragon813gt]

You have to mean the Spolar, right?

Yep, I have no need for it but I sure do want it.

[kayak1]

Yep r1kk1. I need a new Spolar. :-)

Google it if you've never heard of it.


Can one order one in blue?

[LUBEDUDE]

Can one order one in blue?

They only come in Gold, which is why Spolar actually calls them "Spolar Gold".

AK - I call them the 1050 of Shot Shell loaders!

Oh, for another thousand or so you add hyrdoulics with a foot pedal. But I prefer to feel whats going on.

[r1kk1]

They only come in Gold, which is why Spolar actually calls them "Spolar Gold".

AK - I call them the 1050 of Shot Shell loaders!

Oh, for another thousand or so you add hyrdoulics with a foot pedal. But I prefer to feel whats going on.

Lubedude, I'm envious. Such a work of art. Someday. . . I have my Spolar fund going from OT, Callback pay etc., soon . . .

Take care

r1kk1

[LUBEDUDE]

Lubedude, I'm envious. Such a work of art. Someday. . . I have my Spolar fund going from OT, Callback pay etc., soon . . .

Take care

r1kk1

R1kk1- Well, my fund was quite easy, I got fed up with some problems that I was having with my MEC 9000. So I took it, a Dillon 900, and a shotgun to a match a sold them all. Of course I told the MEC 9000 buyer about the problems!

I had about 3/4 of the the cash, so I dug deep for the rest.

[mozeppa]

went early thursday picked up my xl650 dillon....played with it all afternoon & evening.

went the next day and bought a second xl650. wish i could afford 5 more!

[WILDEBILL308]

Can one order one in blue?
I think it would look good in blue.
Bill

[LUBEDUDE]

I think it would look good in blue.
Bill

Anodized Blue would look awesome. *** Especially on a bench full of Dillons.

****
Spolars are all Aircraft Aluminum

[r1kk1]

When the kids were home I had both 9000 and an Elite 900 series if I remember right. One in 12 and the other 20 gauge. Sold both when youngest moved out. Now I'm thinking about the clay sports for my wife and I again. I'm tired of loading 28 and 410 on a single stage so I really can appreciate the quick gauge changes of the Spolar. Funny thing is, my wife is the one who pointed me to Spolar.

Take care

r1kk1

[LUBEDUDE]

That's awesome R1, sounds like your wife is a keeper! :D

[charlie b]

All you guys with *** Lee Loadmasters.....I will pay postage for the first couple that will ship them to me. :D

charlie

[trixter]

I keep popping into these threads to say.... "Check out the RCBS Pro 2000".
Best priming system in the business in my opinion. 6 Stations. VERY EASY to convert calibers and primer size.

I would concur on this one. I just set one up on my bench and very simple set up and smooth as glass. I took my time and from un-boxing to reloading In 5 hours. I took my time and made sure everything was clean of preservative and oiled and all went smooth.

[Petrol & Powder]

I don't want to get into the, "I use brand X so I think you should validate my decision and use brand X also" BUT I'm going to do just that.:?

I've used a Dillon 550 to load tens of thousands of rounds and it's an impressive machine. Equally as impressive is the service from Dillon. RCBS and Dillon are two companies that I'm loyal to because of their excellent customer service. The Hornady LNL looks like a good press but I'm happy with the blue one. The only small complainant I have is the priming system. It works but switching from large to small primers takes more effort than it should. The obvious solution is to have two 550's, one set up for small primers and the other set up for large primers. Changing calibers within the same primer size is quick and easy.
I've used a 650 but frankly I'm very happy with the 550. For the money I don't think you can find a more durable machine that can consistently produce rounds at 400 + per hour. I don't need or want auto indexing. I don't need a case feeder. And with pre-loaded primer tubes 400 rounds an hour is easy and I'm sure I could exceed that if I wanted.
The 550 is a solid machine. Simple is a good thing.

[Gliden07]

I have to say I started with a Pro 1000 (Given to me) learned the way a progressive works. Wanted a better progressive and did tons of research!! Settled on 2 companies Dillon (550 or the 650) and Hornady (LNL AP). I did not consider the Square Deal because of there propitiatory dies (already had dies for pro 1000) and its inability to load rifle cartridges. After pulling out what little hair I had left, I decided that I wanted full progressive so that left me with the 650 or the LNL! At the end of the day dollar for dollar I couldn't afford the 650! I bought the LNL AP and it works fine! I bought it at Cabelas and after all the discounts and points off on my card the LNL out the door cost me $185 plus or minus 5 bucks!! I still have my PRO 1000 and use it for loading 45 ACP. I think any of the Loaders listed in this thread will do what you want to do but remember no matter whose you choose there will be a learning curve. In retrospect the PRO 1000 was not a good progressive to learn on but it did teach me patience LOL!!!!

[Jtarm]

I think I've seen it here before but had no luck searching. I think someone posted a head to head comparison of the big 3 progressive presses, any help locating would be great. I'm tired of fooling with the loadmaster, the piggyback I'll keep but I'm thinking I want a real progressive. Thanks

Let's just make it a sticky.

Always surprised it's not the big 4. RCBS gets no love? Not that I own one, but I never see any reviews.

I must say,this is right up there with the best forum rivalries, like Stihl vs. Husqvarna over on The Arborist.

[jmort]

Here is comparison

http://www.comrace.ca/cmfiles/dillonLeeHornadyComparison.pdf

Hard to to make an article a sticky without permission I would think.

[WILDEBILL308]

Amazing that this topic is still getting action after a year. This could become as big as "witch is better 38 special or 9mm"
Bill

[alleyoop]

Ok it's been a little over a year since I ask the original question. The big question for me then was LNL or 650 with the Pro 2000 on the back burner. After reading here and the comparison in post # 86 and several earlier post, green was out of the running. I stopped in @ Graf & Sons and they had several presses set up, after seeing the LNL and the 650 side by side I went blue. As the first year of using the 650 comes to an end, I have no regrets other than waiting so long to get one. Thanks for everyone's help.

[firebrick43]

I have owned and loaded 10's of thousands of rounds on a lee and a dillon and loaded maybe 5000 rounds on a lnl.

The lee after several mods worked well for me and the ammo was fine in my rugers and 1892 for cowboy action shooting. However the primer seating depth was never consistant. A friends 1873 colt clone would lock up due to a high primer every 300 rounds or so due to a slightly high primer.

Also while change over on the lee was quick it took a lot of fiddling in adjustments to get the next round running right. I would leave a lee set up on one round if I still owned it. I like the auto disk powder measure after I converted it over to rod return instead of chain.

I bought a used dillon 650 and every thing was right as rain. It's had a small primer feed issue and new parts were free and quick to arrive. I wish I could dump primers into a flip tray like lee and not use a primer pickup tube but I am happy with the press. I find the dillon powder measure to be acurrate without fault. Just as accurate as my rcbs uniflow or lee auto disk. Never has varied more than a 10th of a grain. Also I have one measure for 4 calibers and don't understand the issues with setting it up? I have a 7/16 socket on a screwdriver type handle. I open the charge bar fully( don't over tighten). Then open it how many turns I need (written down from reloading log). A uniquetek micrometer would be even better for those who can't count turns. I end up whith in 2 tenths nearly every time.

My my shooting buddy and neighbor has a lnl. It's an early one and has priming issues. No one can get it to prime consistently and it skips one every 100~ rounds. This cause powder to dump and then really slows things down. Hornady is more than willing to send parts but won't exchange it or take it back and rebuild/repair it like dillon will(it's an early model) It is very picky about clean primer pockets as well and will leave a high primer every so often. I am a mechanic and machinist and could not make it work. I reloaded a years worth of ammo trying to pin down the priming issues for him.

He finally gave up and primes off press and things work ok but why buy a progressive. He paid for a tool head for my 650 and reloads 44 special on my press now as that's his high volume round.

I resisted buying a dillon for years because of price. I would have never bought one if I had not come across a used one at a really good price. (Dillon you will almost alway get 80% of your money back). Looking back it would have been cheaper and less frustrating if I had just ponied up and spent the money for a 650. If your not willing to pay for the case feeder on a 650 get a 550.

They are pretty worthless without a case feeder. But again, pony up as the case feeder is awesome!

[kryogen]

my lee loadmaster is "ok" to powder, seat and crimp.

have to manually feed cases.

IMO, casefeeder is ****, and priming is even worse.
I have completely stopped trying to make priming work. it doesnt work on my machine.
I just manually resize and re-prime every case on a lee single stage. works ok. processing brass twice kind of pisses me off, I am considering a 650. dump cases into feeder, crank handle, done...

[kryogen]

oh and if you care, I'm buying a dillon xl650 one day.
I might even sell a few pistols to buy it. or not :P

[WILDEBILL308]

You won't be sorry.
Bill

[pappyo]

Being a Bullseye pistol shooter and shoot allot. I have two Dillon Square Deals which I'm very happy with. The price may scare you, but they are guaranteed for life. Send one out a few years ago and they rebuild it completely.

[shafer44]

I have Dillon 450 x 2 and 550 x 1, but my favorite 45 acp reloader is an old C-H Progressive that is an inline and has auto prime and auto case feed, you just pick up a bullet, place it pull the handle and when you push back up to seat the primer on one, the finished shell drops down a ramp and into a collection box.

[Crash_Corrigan]

As a youngster I was lucky to be exposed to firearms at an early age. I never could lay my hands on enuf ammo to suit me. Dad's Savage Model 23 was a dandy classic old bolt rifle and I plumb wore it out along with a Colt Woodsman with a 4" bbl and a finishing nail front sight. I finally bought my own Remington Model 514 single shot .22 at age 10 and it really was a cheap rifle but it was mine and with it I was very accurate. My best shot was taking down a woodchuck at a measure 114 yds through the eye. DRT.

Dad also let me fondle but never shoot his war prize Mauser .32 ACP. It looked so evil with the perfect blue job in a polished leather holster with a spare magazine. I do not think he ever fired it either. .32 ammo was expensive and scarce. He also had a Baker 12 gauge sxs that I used a lot for taking out skunks and possums at night. At 21 I joined the NYC Police Department and I was married to a smith model 10 with a 4' bbl. I never failed to shoot expert with it and I had to use it a few times and it always worked and saved my bacon. After 20 years of service to the City of New York I retired in '84 and always packed a Smith .38 when I could.

I moved out to Las Vegas in '93 and I obtained my CCW and packed legally and began to shoot more. I got tired of pay big bucks for ammo so in '95 I bought a Lee Loadmaster. What a trip that was. I was always tinkering with it. I never could get the primer feed to work consistently beyond 25 rounds. I fell into a great deal on a Dillon 550B (free from a older gent) and it has stood the test of time and produced thousands and thousands of .38's for me during the years. Then I got into casting boolits and I expanded my gun collection to today's 25+ firearms along 16 calibers that I shoot with regularity. Along the way I picked up a Star lubersizer, 3 Square Deal's, a XL 650, a rockchucker, a Lyman Spar-T turret press, a Lee Classic 4 hole turret press, a FA single stage, a Lee Challenger Single stage and a Lee hand press. One Square Deal is dedicated to .45 ACP, another to 45 Colt and a third to .44 S&W Special. The 550B is used heavily for 41 Magnum and .223 Remington rifle along with a spate of other calibers. The Lyman Spar T is used mostly for 50-90 Sharps BPCR. The rockchucker for 6.5x55 and 30-06 to feed my Garands. I have the casefeeder on both big Dillons and I love 'em.

Were I to start over I would still buy the SDB's and the Rockchucker. However I really like what I have read about the Hornady LNL progressive and I would probably buy that instead of the big Dillons. To keep that 550B running a top efficiency takes a lot of attention to detail and constant awareness at all times when operating it.

I have never had a double charge in a case but I have had many cases go though without powder at all and only one gun blown up but a dud round followed by a properly loaded round. On that occasion it was my wife on the trigger and it only blew up the barrel on EAA Witness 9MM and she only got a face full of oil and grease all over her glasses. She was shooting a fast string and did not notice the dud (weak explosion but cycled the action on only the primer) and kept on the trigger.

It cost me about $200 to have the barrel replaced but my wife learned a valuable lesson I hope.

The Lee loadmaster was a horror. The Dillons have been working for me for years but I would buy Hornady's LNL if I need a new press.

[David2011]

Regardless of which brand of progressive you use, here's a tip I got from a friend. Any time you walk away from any progressive while still loading, leave the handle down/stage up. If the stage is down, did I or did I not charge the case? If the stage is up you know exactly what the status is. This friend only loaded one caliber for USPSA on his progressive press and shot 2000-3000 rounds/month so it was always mid-stream. Any time he walked away he handle was down/stage up.

[Crockett12]

I know this is an old thread but it's still a good discussion for others just finding it.
I've owned a Hornady Pro-jector progressive press (the predecessor to the Lock-n-load) and even though it was a good press, I never fully trusted it. I finally sold the Hornady and bought a Dillon XL650 and have far more trust for the Dillon than I had for the Hornady. The Hornady worked but not always. There was always a failure here and there – usually with the powder drop. The Dillon works all the time and I’ve not had any failures to date. Go Dillon all the way!

[Gunners Mate]

The 2 progressives that I own and use are the RCBS pro 2000 and a Dillon 650 XL, I use the dillon to load with and the RCBS 2000 to size brass with the RCBS primer strips suck big ole richards. Of the two if I could only have one it would be the Dillon hands down. Gripes about Dillon are if you want to do quick caliber change outs buying tool heads, tool head stands, powder measures, powder drop funnels, locator pins, and case feed locator plates, shell plate holders, ect can get a bit pricey, FYI there quite a few mods that can be done to a dillon to make them run really smooth namely a couple of roller bearing and 1 thrust bearing upgrade. The dillon priming system is the better than the RCBS Strip primer, (((However))) you need to upgrade it with a spent primer catch and a live primer catch. The DIllon will deposit primers everywhere. If you buy a Dillon be prepared to have your wallet lightened, make a few inexpensive mods mentioned above, and get extra small and larger primer tubes and the case feeder and the case feeder conversion plates, the case feeder is the one must have with the Dillon 650. I Load 308 Win, 6.5 Grendel, 5.56mm and 45 ACP on mine and can easily load 500 rounds an hour. I am planning on adding a bullet feeder and the Mark 7 PLC autodrive to mine which can get you upwards of 1500 rounds per hour I beleive.

[10or45]

I LIKE this! I drive a Ford and reload mostly on Dillons. I guess I'm exceptional. Or something like that... :-P

Ford/Dillons

[mwhite49]

I would like to add a case feeder to my 550 and dillon is sling them. But they sure look over complicated. They should have used a Hulme design and kept it simple.

[Walks]

I've read every single post on this thread in detail. I'll have been loading ammo for 60yrs this month. I grew up with STAR RELOADERS in .38SPL & .45ACP. My Father rarely changed them out to other calibers. We shot 100rds each of .38 & .45 for one of all others combined. With Father, 2 Uncle's, 3 Brothers and Cousins we went through A LOT OF AMMO. Growing up in the 50's/60's LEAD was free, or pennies a lb. Primers were bought once a year. They came on a skid by truck. Powder came in 20lb cans. Also by truck. My Dad's friend with an FFL received them for him. I guess he was the person they were ordered through too.

I'm going the long way around the barn. But what I'm trying to say is been there, done that, got a lot of t-shirts.

Used everything from the old dillon 300 on up through the 650. Even a 1050 once.

The dillon 550 IS NOT 37+YRS OLD. I bought my 1st house in Feb 1984. The dillon ad for the old 450 appeared in Guns&Ammo the next month. $185.00 w/ one caliber conv. ***. Sold to a guy for $180. I watched him buy every little upgrade & DoDad for the next 20yrs. Every upgrade loaded the press up, ie; it required more force on the handle. And that powder measure is an abomination. He blew up 2 6ixguns & a good rifle that I know of with ammo loaded on one of those blue presses. I'm not sure how many blue colored presses he had when he died 12yrs ago, but I do know he bought a blue shotgun press & at least one each sdb, 550, 650 & the same caliber conv. For each press. They just sucked him dry. I know in the right hands they can turn out good ammo. But they nickel & dime you to death & the caliber conv take up a lot of room.

I've had the RCBS Green machine & 4x4. I've worked on various versions of their 2000 press. Lee, If you can't say anything good, say nothing at all.

HORNADY PRO-JECTOR was a good try & It took the L-N-L to work out the bugs. The bushing die system works well if you pay enough attention to tighten die/bushing properly. And the dies in the bushing fit in the die box and stack on a shelf just like other quality dies. The shellplates just stack on a shelf. Most importantly it uses a proper rotating drum powder measure. Which is the most consistent you can get.

All things being equal start with a single stage, learn what each step is/does & then buy whatever you're willing to try. My RCBS RockChucker is 40+yrs old, my LYMAN Spartan a few years older & my HORNADY L-N-L is about 12 or 15yrs old.

Heck my MEC 650 is 50+yrs old & it's accompanying Super-Sizer is over 40yrs old.

Buy what you want, and good luck with it.

[Mr_Sheesh]

David2011 said "Regardless of which brand of progressive you use, here's a tip I got from a friend. Any time you walk away from any progressive while still loading, leave the handle down/stage up." I'll agree and even suggest that, if any idiots have access to your press, consider locking it (chain and padlock?) in the down position so they can't mess you up BADLY by playing with the handle...

[firewhenready7]

I have used my LNL for 6 years and loaded thousands of rounds. I have also loaded on my buddies blue machine. Sometimes I have to mess with the primer set-up but I have had several different brands and all have little quirks from time to time. I don't think either press is any better than the other, just personal choice.

[Livin_cincy]

Buy what you want, and good luck with it.

Thanks for saying all of that.

[Steve E]

I started with a 45 Colt Lee Loader (still have it) then a Lee Hand Press after that it was a Lee Challenger Press, then went to an RCBS Rockchucker and then added a Piggyback II and switched to a Lee Classic Cast Press (also had the PB II on it). I finally upgraded to a Hornady LNL AP and absolutely love it. After setting it up and reading the destruction manual and watching You Tube videos on adjusting/tweeking it it runs sweet. I considered a 650 XL but went with the LNL AP because of price as I think they are both quality machines.

Steve.......

[fast ronnie]

I know this is an old thread, but thought I would add my 2 cents worth. I have been reloading off and on for 35 years. I have two Rock Chuckers set up on the bench and don't bother to keep them set for any one thing. Most times one is set up for depriming, the other for something else. I would like to find a cheap used Lee (the little cheap one) for a dedicated de-cap die as I always deprime them and clean with stainless pins BEFORE the brass ever gets near a size die. I don't like all the residue in my RC's.

That said, 2 weeks ago I got an SD-B that a friend's wife bought for him 28 years ago. He had never had it out of the box. It was set up for a caliber that I never intend to use, but I will keep that setup for when he needs loading done. Someone on the forum had a set of >38/.357 dies for it which I got last week. One part missing, so ordered it from Dillon. I figured that by the time I had paid shipping, I might as well buy the 45 acp setup, as well as a primer changeover. Those parts came in on Friday. It is now Wednesday, and so far I have loaded about 300 .44 mags, 500 .38's, and almost 500 .45's. Yes, it did take a slight learning curve to get up to speed. I have a light set up above the press to the left side so that I can look in the case for powder. It has not missed a charge in 1300 rounds. I like the way the primer setup works. If you don't seat the primer, it does not feed another primer and jam up the machine. This may sound bad, but I don't have to reset everything when I run all the cases through and start over with an empty carousel. I do not leave brass on the machine when I take a break. I run whatever is on the machine so that it empty. That way, I know that there are no goofed up operations. I can load a single round if I want to. (I have done this several times during set-up) The only issue I have had concerns the original instruction book that omitted what the pins were for. When ordering the new parts, it was explained to me. They also sent me a new instruction sheet that had more information than the original. The only other progressive I have is a MEC 650. If you have a problem there, it takes some time to recover, but with the SD-B, you can be back up in a minute or less.

The dies are only for that press, and are expensive, especially since I already have those same caliber dies by another company.

I got the press for a thank-you for something I did for a friend. I never figured to buy a progressive, even though I had used a friend's 650. Now that I have it, I like it A LOT. The only issue that has tripped me up a few times is on the .45's, there are small and large primers and getting a large primered case while setting small primered cases. You don't know it until you have loaded a round with no primer. As I put them in a storage case, I find them while unloading the catch tray, so not a real big issue, and is not a press problem, but an operator failure to properly sort the cases.

Overall, I should have gotten the SDB a long time ago.

[Gunners Mate]

11/8/2013 to 6/6/2018 this post deserves a record for longest running thread great comments in this thread

[dragon813gt]

I’ve been following the Mark 7 threads on the Enos forum. It appears there’s a new king when it comes to progressives. And this is before they even have all the bugs worked out and can meet production demands. Unfortunately Mark 7’s forum is a walled garden so unless you own a machine you can’t read it. This is a bad move IMO because as someone that’s interested I want to read about all the problems before spending that much money. And it’s a lot of money if you get all the bells and whistles.

[dyecocker1]

I’ve been following the Mark 7 threads on the Enos forum. It appears there’s a new king when it comes to progressives. And this is before they even have all the bugs worked out and can meet production demands. Unfortunately Mark 7’s forum is a walled garden so unless you own a machine you can’t read it. This is a bad move IMO because as someone that’s interested I want to read about all the problems before spending that much money. And it’s a lot of money if you get all the bells and whistles.

Do you mean the Mark 7 drive for a 1050 or the Revolutions? I have the 1050 drive, its great. But the presses they are putting out are simply outrageously priced for anyone not selling ammo as a business. I just priced a Revolution with all the recommended accessories that would make it comparable to what I have now in the 1050 and it added up to just shy of $12,000 dollars in my cart. For one caliber:killingpc

[dragon813gt]

I was talking about the Evoloution/Revolution presses. Plenty of competition shooters are buying them. That’s who has them at this time. People aren’t shying away from the price because it’s more press. The primer collator is just one area where it’s a huge improvement over the Dillon.

The Mark 7 presses aren’t for everyone. But neither is a 1050. The markets are the same and once the production issues and first generation bugs are worked out of the presses they will become the market leader. The Evo and EvoPro is what a lot of reloaders will end up buying. I sure like the advantages of a ten stage press.

[dyecocker1]

I was talking about the Evoloution/Revolution presses. Plenty of competition shooters are buying them. That’s who has them at this time. People aren’t shying away from the price because it’s more press. The primer collator is just one area where it’s a huge improvement over the Dillon.

The Mark 7 presses aren’t for everyone. But neither is a 1050. The markets are the same and once the production issues and first generation bugs are worked out of the presses they will become the market leader. The Evo and EvoPro is what a lot of reloaders will end up buying. I sure like the advantages of a ten stage press.

Seems like they are sponsoring most people that have them:groner: Even a competition shooter would probably never save enough money reloading ammo over just buying factory to make up a $12k + deficit. Then start adding $1000 per for caliber conversions. I actually do not see the hype with all those stations, half the time I am running my 1050 with only a couple dies per operation. Unless I can trim cases and wash them in the same operation as loading on one of these magic presses, lol. I am not saying they are not a nice machine, they are just grossly overpriced for what a person really needs to reload. I mean 2500$ for a primer collator and 800$ for a powder measure???

[dragon813gt]

You’re focusing on the cost aspect. It’s not a factor for a lot of people. Most people aren’t going to buy the Revolution. They will end up the cheaper Evoloution. And just because you don’t see a need for ten stations doesn’t meant others don’t. People have been buying the presses w/ their own money. If Mark 7 is sponsoring them then they’re making them pay full retail, potentially buy through a third party seller and wait months to take possession of one.

Like the 1050 the Mark 7 presses aren’t for everyone. They addressed a lot of the issues that people had w/ the 1050. They were buying your 1050 from you for a little while. Dillon wasn’t pushing things forward so another company stepped in. Competition is a good thing.

[razorfish]

Most top USPSA and 3 Gun competitive shooters attitude is the more time practicing/shooting and the less time reloading the better.

I can go to any local match and point out a dozen competitors with six thousand dollar+ guns and they often have a matching backup pistol in the bag. Factory ammo isn’t an option for these guys so hand loading ammo is a necessary evil.

The Evolution/Revolution is squarely aimed at this group of shooters. If I had the money (I don’t), I’d jump on the bandwagon.

I’m a USPSA shooter and often shoot over 3000 rounds a month. If I had the time and money, I would shoot more.

As it is, today I’m going to pickup about 150 lbs of free lead today and with any luck, I’ll have ingots tonight. Eventually that lead will make it’s way to my well used Dillon 650 to get boxed up for a match. And yes, I rather skip the casting and loading steps and just go to the range.

I’m not a poor person by any means, but these guys mindset is on a completely different level. Mark 7 reloading is filling a need/desire for this crowd.

The good news is that these shooters continually buy the latest and greatest gadgets. Maybe I’ll have a shot at one these presses in a few years when a better version is created. :)

[Turkeytracks]

I have the mark 7 autodrive pro on my Dillon 1050. It is absolutely amazing machine. The drawbacks I have is the crazy price of $780 for a caliber change. Case feed plate, spring and output assembly, large dropper die, conversion kit, toolhead, powder dropper, and dies. Currently loading for .223 and converting to pistol is gonna be expensive. I also swage my own bullets from spent 22LR hulls. The machine does NOT like flat based boolits unless you run it at the slowest speed, (900 rounds an hour) with the index speed and top and bottom dwell maxed out, or bell the neck to the point of cracking. Boat tails are GREAT and can be ran at the max of 2400 rph due to they sit down in the neck. Flat base almost always topple over when indexing. 80,000 rounds through this machine and the only REAL downfall is the bullet feeder. I have broken several parts (most were my fault) and Dillon has replaced them without delay, but you would expect that with the money you paid. OK I guess there is one more drawback. The WARRANTY. It is only good for a year. Come on Dillon $1900 and a 1 year warranty

[jmorris]

I have a mark 7 pro, it’s nice but doesn’t do much more than my homemade computer controlled 1050 does for a lot less buy in.

[Baltimoreed]

I started reloading with a pacific ‘c’ press and a rcbs ‘o’ press but bought a Lyman T2 and then a second T2. Was given a Dillon 550 in .45 acp and then given a second 550. The second 550 needs work as it was in a flooded shop but the first one is on my bench along with the two T2’s. With my creative T2 upgrades including an automatic Dillon powder measure and a loaded round kicker, my lymans are as fast as my 550B, imo. I alternate between the 550 [.45acp] and the T2[.45lc]. Both are good systems but both need to have their priming systems tinkered with to be 100% reliable. I don’t know anything about the other progressives and don’t care for Lee anything except their old auto prime tool.

[farmbif]

A lot of folks complain about the lnl
I guess I’m lucky it has always indexed properly and have had to replace springs and primer slides but other than that never a problem as long as I pay attention to what’s going on
I reload more than 50 calibers and the bushing system is a great aspect to it

[b2lee]

I went from a RCBS RCIV in Feb of 2011 to a Hornady LNL. Originally I used my RCBS/LEE dies in the new bushings and the included powder measure. It speeded things up but I wanted it even easier and so added the case feeder, then bullet feeder, then electronics....then bought the 1911 style primer tube filler. I always had the blue envy. I'm the opposite of most. I always think something else is better than what I have. I simply looked at the short comings of the LNL and thought the blue press would be an upgrade. Eventually I have one by one eliminated most of the issues I have with the LNL. Whether from hand lapping the primer shuttle, to finding that sweet spot on adjusting the timing paws, to adding the ergo handle, to finally finding Inline Fabrication and getting the upgraded case feeder base plate...and well practically everything else he sells for quick detach systems and wall mounts...to..well everything.

So I finally got to use a blue press...and to tell the truth...I was like meh...I think it would have been about the same journey. I would have looked at all the short comings and had red envy while I worked out solutions to the problems at hand.

I originally bought the LNL because it was available locally with cash in hand...not ordering online and waiting. I think if I had to choose again....I'd go red...I simply like the bushing system and I added the bushing adapter to my Rockchucker and I do all my precision rifle on the RCBS.

Round count on the LNL is about 100k rounds. I just did a three week stretch here getting ready for the 2019 season where I did 2k 9mm, 5k 40S&W, and about 1k 45ACP. About to do 2k 300blk as soon as the bullets are delivered Thursday. So, the LNL has done me well....it finally runs like a dream...but it was a long journey.

[odette]

I need a new reloading press and would like to go with a progressive. I used a Dillon 450 and a 550, but was not impressed with the powder measure. It was inconsistent on both machines. I load an equal amount of pistol and rifle, so would like a machine that is accurate dropping powder for both. I see several brag that the Hornady powder measure is the most accurate. Does anyone use the Hornady LnL measure on a Dillon 550 with good accurate results. I think I would stay with Dillon 550 beacause of all the die blocks and caliber conversion kits

[Kenstone]

I need a new reloading press and would like to go with a progressive. I used a Dillon 450 and a 550, but was not impressed with the powder measure. It was inconsistent on both machines. I load an equal amount of pistol and rifle, so would like a machine that is accurate dropping powder for both. I see several brag that the Hornady powder measure is the most accurate. Does anyone use the Hornady LnL measure on a Dillon 550 with good accurate results. I think I would stay with Dillon 550 beacause of all the die blocks and caliber conversion kits
Most any powder thru expander setups will work as they are case activated.
The Hornady and RCBC set-ups are almost identical and would be easily adaptable to a Dillon, although I have not done it.
I have put the Lee setup on all my progressives though, 2 with disc measures, 1 with an auto drum.
I searched youtube for Dillon's with another brand powder measures but didn't get a lot of hits.
Here's one with a Lee measure:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=daSIAaQvDJw
It might be difficult getting Dillon fan boys to admit/recommend to use a different measure though :kidding:.
:mrgreen:

[AllanD]

I LIKE this! I drive a Ford and reload mostly on Dillons. I guess I'm exceptional. Or something like that... :-P

Same here, I drive Fords and ALL my pistol ammo is reloaded on a Dillon. (RL550B)
Which I got used after the previous owner decided to drive his motorcycle home from
his favorite bar in the rain with a BAL of 0.35% (According to his highly ticked-off widow)

And I am about to replace my Green single stage press (RCBS) with a Black press (MEC) for my rifle loading.

And BTW, I have never had the slightest urge to trade my 1911 in and get a Glock

[rmantoo]

I have a Mark 7 on one of my 1050s, and all I can say is that it's simply amazing. Unlike many, I started on a progressive, a Dillon 550, and within about 3 months, bought an RL1050, then 2 years later, a Super 1050, and a 650... only after using those for many years did I finally buy a single stage just last year...

I don't see any reason NOT to start on a progressive IF one is mechanically minded and willing to tinker and learn on a continuous basis.

[deboog93]

Progressive for postal
SS for rifle

[deboog93]

Progressive for postal
SS for rifle

[Casper29]

I have a Hornady LNL once you get it set up the way it is meant to be it is very reliable, but if you do not have the patience to learn how to set it up, as with all progressives, you will pull your hair out or throw it in the trash.

[rototerrier]

I have a Dillon XL750 and a Hornady LNL. Started on the LNL. Dillon costs more in almost every regard, but I do like it better. It's not been without its issues though. The priming system, though new and improved, was a total mess. I finally have it dialed in but I had to take a file to some parts, per Dillon's recommendation, and several parts have had to be replaced.

Zero parts on my Hornady have ever had to be replaced. But, the Dillon is still the better press IMO.

[honest jim]

Help, I'm new at this and hope I am posting correctly. I have a Star Progressive reloading press which is no longer progressive. I've studied the schematic and can't figure out what makes shell plate spin. Would greatly appreciate any help

[Renofish]

I have a Hornaday lock and load press that has shell plates for 223. 38 cal, 44 mag and 500 S&W it has add on equipment low primer alarm, low powder alarm, special articulated handle, extra primer tubes and more. Looking to trade or sell.

Richard

[mwhite49]

I guess I'm the Odd duck. I have had several RCBS single stage, 1 Dillon 550, one Hornady LNL. And I have sold all of these except my Rock Crusher and my old first press a RCBS Junior. I also have 1 Forester that I load Match ammo on. But my main press is a Ponsnes Warren Matalic 2. It is not a speed demon but it is a pleasure to operate. The company is still in business making these and selling parts and accessories. Located in Idaho. They are expensive but very well built.

[Baltimoreed]

SS for rifle ammo
Dillon and Lyman T2 for handgun ammo
Ford and Jeep Wrangler

[hawkeye1]

I have an old Lee three hole turret, a Lyman all American 8 turret and a Dillon 1050. If you can afford the Dillon, jump on it. I found mine used. The 1050 is amazing, you’ll never look back.

[deces]

Lee Precision is coming out soon, with a 6 true station progressive press in the ball park of $250. Might want to wait for that.

[Rockindaddy]

I love my Dillon Super 1050 and my old Dillon RL 1000 They crank out a pile of good ammo! Thinking about a 750 cause I have an extra case feeder. A friend gave my an old Hornady Pro 7 Had a 44 Mag shell plate in it. Loads plenty of 44 Mags but Hornady said sorry when I called them. No parts available. Would buy another one if I could find one. They work great! Hornady replaced the old Pro 7 with the Lock and Load progressive.

[Txcowboy52]

I have two Dilion 650’s and I really enjoy both of them . IMHO they are great presses and I have excellent service from them.

[skeet028]

I have two Dilion 650’s and I really enjoy both of them . IMHO they are great presses and I have excellent service from them.
Have a couple 750s and a couple 550Cs...an old 1050 and a Super 1050 I've hardly used. It's gonna get sold soon I think.A retired Star and a retired CH Mark III or IV. They work fine just went to Dillon and never looked back..eBay bound soon. I also tried Lee progressives. Take too much work to keep em going. eBay also bound. Had a Hornady Ammo Plant that I never got to work Never even put the case or bullet feeder on it. Fellow came in my loading room and really wanted the press but not the feeders..so it's gone may put the bullet feeder on the 750. I load rifle ammo on Redding T 7s and a Dillon AT500..A Dillon 550 with out the bells and whistles. The older I get the less I load so in the next year I'll probably reduce the herd a bit more .

[D.Bullets]

I think I've seen it here before but had no luck searching. I think someone posted a head to head comparison of the big 3 progressive presses, any help locating would be great. I'm tired of fooling with the loadmaster, the piggyback I'll keep but I'm thinking I want a real progressive. Thanks

I wish I could help you with your LoadMaster. Mine too sat on shelf for many years until I was shown how to make them great. Good luck.

[skeet028]

I have never seen a great Loadmaster. A great press is one you get set up and load on with no adjustments or other problems. I have a loadmaster here that has Never loaded a complete box of ammo without foul ups with mostly primers. I have a CH Mark III that loads great as do the Dillons. RCBS has never made a great progressive either

[Combatmedic63]

If you drive a Ford you’ll buy a LnL ap, if Chevy then a Dillon. Dodge, well any of the other presses out there.

Whatever you do, make sure you take your time and learn the press. Any one of them will turn out good ammo.

????????????? What in the world, this doesn't make any sense to me at all unless I'm missing something, or need to smoke something first.

[Jtarm]

Hmm, I have two Toyota Tundras, what does that equate to?

RCBS Rock Chucker
Dillon SDB
LNL AP

[gnappi]

Dillon 550B loads a mess of ammo quick & easy! Pretty good warranty also!

I'll add to that... this past year I sent back TWO powder measures from my 1990's 550's for "repair" and they sent me back two brand new measures.

Being young and stubborn I went through Lee, RCBS, and Hornady presses before I went with the overwhelming popularity of Dillon presses and have three 550's and a 450. I gave away everything but my RCBS BIG Max. I'm stuck with a Hornady "Pro" Jector

[Jal5]

If someone wants to get rid of a Loadmaster let me know by PM. THX
JOE


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[MOshooter]

I've been reloading on 2- Dillon 550's and Dillon 450 since the late 80's and very happy with the product and Dillon warranty. I actually consider the 450's and 550's a semi progressive since it's not fully automated like the 650's and LNL's.

That's what I like about the 550's, it can be used as a single stage press or progressive press