Best reloading press for the money?

[btroj]

I bought my Dillon years ago when there were fewer choices. The 550 fits my needs as I rarely load more than 300 rounds at one time.
Never have worn out a part. Changing cartridges is pretty easy once you get the hang of things. Only thing that irritates me is that I get primers all over. This is because the cotter pin on the spent primer catcher gets bent and things don't work quite right . Minor irritation in my book.
Never have tried a LNL so I can't say. But since everything progressive is compared to a blue press that should say something.

[mike in co]

I bought my Dillon years ago when there were fewer choices. The 550 fits my needs as I rarely load more than 300 rounds at one time.
Never have worn out a part. Changing cartridges is pretty easy once you get the hang of things. Only thing that irritates me is that I get primers all over. This is because the cotter pin on the spent primer catcher gets bent and things don't work quite right . Minor irritation in my book.
Never have tried a LNL so I can't say. But since everything progressive is compared to a blue press that should say something.

have you tried calling dillon, telling them the problem..ask for a new pin ??

why put up with the issue.......


mike in co

[sargenv]

Um... I loaded for years on a Rock Chucker.. my wife, in her infinite wisdom, bought me a 650 - 13 years ago and stated, "I bought this for you since I actually wanted to SEE you in this marriage". She had seen how much time it took to load 200 rounds of pistol ammo for an ipsc match the next day.. over 2 hours it took me... now with the 650 set up, it takes me maybe 15 mins. I have likely loaded 200,000+ rounds of pistol and rifle ammo on it since then.. Just last year I replaced a major component of my only powder measure.. It just keeps on running..

[DCM]

Another inteseting comparison. About 1990 I bought a Hornady projector press, (progressive pre LNL), got fed up with constantly trying to tweak it so it would run the way it's supposed to. Bought a 650 which runs like a champ! Sold the 650 to help finance buying the used 1050 which I still have. Decided that I really miss the fast and much cheaper and easier caliber changes of my old 650. Bought another 650 and have never missed the Hornady! As I said earlier the hornady would have an anvantage with black powder as they do make a BP powdermeasure. I do have a number of other Hornady tools I like and doubt that I would part with and love thier bullets. My favorite single stage press is a Forster Co-ax, really fast die changes, no shellholders to buy, and many more advantages. The customer service at Dillon is TOP NOTCH! My teenage son cuoldn't figure out how to get my media seperator open so he went to brute force and broke a latch off. I called Dillon and told them EXACTLY what happened and they insisted on sending me a new one and spring free of ANY charge. I have had other small issues that they didn't have to warranty in the past that they dealt with the same way.

[DCM]

Sargenv Does your wife have a sister?? LOL

[sergeant69]

AGAIN............this is why all others are compared to dillon. thanks for the infor. about returning to the 650 from the 1050. i was considering switching to a 1050. not now. THANKS.

[DCM]

The main advantage of the 1050 is that it can swage the primer pockets, the other is that it is a little more idiot resistant. Load rate may be a little faster but IMO it's not worth the extra $. Another fast and cheap way to remove the crimp on primer pockets is a slow drill with a deburring tool.

[Smoke-um if you got-um]

I simplified my life greatly. About 10 yrs ago sold the Dillon Square Deal and the 550. Kept the lee auto index turret for my pistols and now load for my rifles with 4 presses lined up on the bench. 1 RCBS Rockchucker for sizing, 1 cheapie Lee C for case mouth belling, 1 Redding C for seating and a Lyman C for Crimping. As you can see I "ain't a sceered "to use any ole brand because they all have their strengths and weakness's. Plus, the Lyman and the Lee were gifts and that is always a good thing. I prime with a Lee hand primer that has probably primed 30,000 or more rounds, (so much for them not being durable). I charge the cases with an RCBS Measure mounted on the bench with a C Clamp. You would be surprised how quickly a rifle round can be assembled this way. Just went back to basics......... Good luck, Mike

[sergeant69]

The main advantage of the 1050 is that it can swage the primer pockets, the other is that it is a little more idiot resistant. Load rate may be a little faster but IMO it's not worth the extra $. Another fast and cheap way to remove the crimp on primer pockets is a slow drill with a deburring tool.

i have a dillon swager so thats taken care of. i only load .223 for rifle rds on the 650 and the forster co-ax for the 308, 30-06, 30-30, 300 h&h etc etc
the 650 takes care of all the handgun calibers though. in a hurry! i got 2 sons and a son in law that need to figure out that they can buy em already rolled at a sports store.

[DanWalker]

I have been loading on a LEE Classic Turret Press for a few years now and really love it.
I still have a Dillon 650 on the wish list though!

[derek45]

I LOVE my 550b and XL650

[pls1911]

DILLON RL55B WINS HANDS DOWN FOR VERSATILITY , SIMPLICITY, AND ACCEEPTABLE SPEED.

Dillon's lifetime gaurantee and customer service is second to none. I stripped screw out of a small part and ordered one for pay for ..NOPE!! Dillon sent a whole new assembly ....FREE, and I was loading again in 48 hours... I've run it hard for 10 years and it's as good as new.
Load 'em slow and easy or faster if you please.
It takes two minutes to swap tool heads, base plates, check powder throw weights and start loading another caliber at the the rate of 300-400 perhour... ALL pistol rounds, and 30-30s too! Heavier brass like .308, '06, slows you a little.

The 650 is a good machine, but takes a lot of tinkering to get all the moving parts in moving and is much more trouble to change calibers.
However, if you're only going to load one caliber, and need the extra speed, then the 650 is at the top of the class and still covered by the famous Dillon warrantee and customer service.

If you need a single stage, the Rock Chucker is industry standard, and I use it for load development... That is five rounds, then change powder load, seating depth, etc.
I didn't mention any others.... for a reason....

[sergeant69]

The 650 is a good machine, but takes a lot of tinkering to get all the moving parts in moving and is much more trouble to change calibers.
However, if you're only going to load one caliber, and need the extra speed, then the 650 is at the top of the class and still covered by the famous Dillon warrantee and customer service.

If you need a single stage, the Rock Chucker is industry standard, and I use it for load development... That is five rounds, then change powder load, seating depth, etc.
I didn't mention any others.... for a reason....

i don't know how much easier it is to change calibers in a RL55B but i have all my diff. caliers set up on stands for my 650 so that takes oh maybe 5 seconds to change a toolhead, maybe 2 minutes to change shell plates, another 2-5 if a primer assy. is needing a change out etc. no longer than 15 minutes tops if it all needs to be changed. say from .44 mag to .223.

you are one of the few reloaders that i have heard would prefer an RCBS single stage over a FORSTER CO-AX, NOT THAT YOU'RE WRONG, just a diff. opinion for sure. i have 3 RCBS single stagers, actually 2 as one went to a son that never uses it. why should he, DAD reloads all his ammo. but theres no question, in the progressive arena, dillon is the one to get. every time i go to the reloading room and see the blue machine sitting there and the orange machine NOT sitting there i smile.

[Cowboy T]

The best progressive press for the money is the Lee Pro1000. It works and the price can't be beat.

The best progressive press made has blue paint on it.

Gear

6bg6ga, since all those rounds you mentioned are handgun rounds, you might seriously consider a Lee Pro 1000...IF you're thinking about a progressive press. It was built primarily to do handgun ammo. I have two of them (one for small primers, one for large primers) and love 'em both.

[Moonie]

Quote
I'm an old school single stager. I tried turrets and progressives and went back to my true love a coupla' decades ago.


There is a lot to be said for the tried and true single stage presses. I know a lot of people that wouldn't dream of reloading say 223's or 30-06 on a progressive press. I can remember my youth of watching my father reloading 30-06 and going thru each stage of the reloading process.

Interesting, I have 2 sons with 30-06's and all 3 of my sons and I shoot my AR-15 quite a bit. I can't imagine loading .223 on anything except a progressive and I usually load the 30-06 rounds on it as well.

I also buck the trend, I use the Lee LoadMaster.

[Moonie]

I have to agree with cowboy T, for just pistol you can't beat the pro1000 for the money, I had one years ago and loaded thousands of 45, 44, 357, 9mm and 445 SM on it.

[1hole]

"What would you consider to be the best reloading press for the money? "

Lee's "Reloader" press. It will load anything smaller than .50 BMG and only costs about $30, nothing out there can beat that for a deal.

[Tom R]

The case feeder for the hornady costs more. The Dillon has everything you nee to make your own case feeder. That won me over.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7ULK7lVYJ8
The link will show you how I made mine.

[DanWalker]

I'm just not a fan of the Priming setup on the Pro1000. The little chain just looks REALLY flimsy to me. I also wish dillon would figure out a better way to store primers, or at least come up with a faster way to load the tubes.

[AJ Peacock]

I'm just not a fan of the Priming setup on the Pro1000. The little chain just looks REALLY flimsy to me. I also wish dillon would figure out a better way to store primers, or at least come up with a faster way to load the tubes.

I have no problem keeping my Dillon tubes filled. My kids and wife keep my primer tubes filled. I have 10 tubes and every 5-600 rounds, I come upstairs for a cup of coffee etc. and swap the empties for the full ones. With the kids/wife filling the tubes, I can do 1000/hr no problem (straight wall pistol).

AJ