So you're been reloading for a while ...

[414gates]

.. and you've owned pretty much every brand of press over the years - not necessarily every model, but enough to get a feel for the quality of each brand.

You reload handgun calibers on one or more progressive reloaders as well.

Knowing what you learned over the years, if you were to choose a new progressive reloader for several pistol calibers, what make and model would you choose different from what you already have, or the same again, and why ?

Any features you think you could benefit from now that you didn't think were necessary before ? Any features you thought were great that turned out to be overrated over time ?

Did you ever consider one progressive press to be good enough for multiple cailbers, and do you now prefer dedicated progressive presses for each handgun caliber ?

[G W Wade]

Just thru the normal course of things I ended up with 2 Dillon 550's. Do everything I expect them to do with minimum problems. GW

[toallmy]

I am finding this question to be impossible to answer , but I use the reloader that I am most comfortable with the most . Caliber conversations & primer swapping is a moment away at any time .

[Winger Ed.]

As big an investment as presses are, most people will decide to get one of whatever brand and use it almost forever.

The group that has more than two different brands is pretty small.
Then there is the Dillon cult......... you know what their answers will be.

[Martin Luber]

I have 2 Star Loaders, a Dillon 550, bought used, a Lee Loadmaster and Pro 1000.

Stars run the bulk of pistol ammo in 38 & 45. Match 45 comes off the heavily modded Loadmaster.

Small primer rifle and everything else off the Dillon. Pro 1000 for oddball stuff. Lee's are fussy but manageable. Star, the best, like a Swiss watch

[jetinteriorguy]

While not a true progressive, for sheer reliability, simplicity, and quality it’s hard to beat a Lee Classic Cast Turret press. Easy to change calibers and extra turrets for each caliber are cheap. Add a roller handle and shell ejector kit from Inline Fabrication and it’s a fantastic press. Granted it’s slower than a true progressive and takes more effort to pull the handle four times per round vs. one pull per round, it still is easy to produce a pretty fair amount of ammo in a relatively reasonable amount of time without working overly hard.

[dverna]

Makes a huge difference if shooting 2000, or 20,000 rounds a year. Mostly in one or two calibers, or ten?

Also how much time and how much you "love" to reload factors in.

My answer is what works for me and will not matter to most. This is my main hobby so I have invested heavily in it. Cost is really not a factor when you think of what a serious golfer or a casual boater must spend.

Winger, Dillon cultists have four main attributes. The load a lot, and/or do not like to fiddle with things, and/or are smarter than most and invest wisely, and/or are "too dumb" to get a Lee progressive to run.

In my case, I know I have three of those attributes and will shortly know if I process the last one...just ordered a Lee 6000....so we shall see. LOL

[BK7saum]

While i don't have a dillon at the moment, if i was going to run a case feeder and bullet feeder Id run a Dillon.

I do have two Hornady lock n load progressives. I run them without case or bullet feeders and the ergonomics work well for that. I never take my right hand off the handle, just pick up a case and a bullet in my left hand, place the bullet to seat and then replace the case in the empty slot when ejected. I can load plenty fast this way to suit my needs. I typically load 400-800 rounds at a session and don't feel handicapped at all wothout the bullet and case feeders. If I were to need more production, I'd probably buy a deck out Dillon 650 or 750 depending on availability.

[toallmy]

I find a really nice machine set up for 1 caliber alone , to set for long periods of time with the dust cover over it .
It's a shame

[414gates]

.... if i was going to run a case feeder and bullet feeder Id run a Dillon.

I do have two Hornady lock n load progressives. I run them without case or bullet feeders....

Why not the case and bullet feeder on the LnL AP ?

[Walks]

I've had a Rockchucker since 1975

A Hornady LNL since it came out. Before that a Hornady Pro-Jector. That replaced a dillon.
Still have a Lyman Spartan single stage under my bench.

Case/bullet feeders are very noisy. They irritate the heck out of Me. Just don't like them.

If I were to buy a new press or start with new equipment.

Hornady L-N-L & RCBS Rockchucker.

[Land Owner]

RCBS (iirc) estimates there are 2M reloaders in the US. IDK how many "progressive" press types and Mfg's there are. Choice is driven by low cost, and/or cost is immaterial, and/or cycle rate, and/or "no-headache" warranty, and/or what others think, etc. Your mileage WILL DEFINATELY vary.

Each of us uses our own "niche-system" in which we have become thoroughly familiar. I bought one (1) progressive press. My choice is not like anyone else's of whom I am familiar and was driven by the factors of cost, compatibility with existing equipment, brand loyalty, no-questions-asked warranty, and by comparison to some, low(er) annual volume. I think about my progressive today in terms of ROI - Return On Investment, totally amortized, (spoiler alert - salesman ahead) assembled of steel, clean, complete, many tried and true features, a plethora of calibers, makes GREAT ammo, mid-level cycle rate, can be removed and returned to a single stage press, and can I sell it for what I paid? Probably, though the "demand" for an RCBS Piggyback II (discontinued) is limited. I have been WELL SERVED...

[JimB..]

I’ve owned a lee 1000, Dillon SDB, Hornady LnL ammo plant (case and bullet feeder), and 3 Dillon 650s.

I threw the Lee in the trash and then fished it out for someone that wanted it for free, giving it away was a great investment in my personal life.

The SDB was awesome for pistol. Proprietary dies, but so what. Sold it for pretty much what I had in it, but kinda wish I’d kept it for mid volume pistol like 41mag or 357mag. Sold to make room for the Ammo Plant.

Hornady press was a bit of a disappointment. Even after a trip back for repairs and adjustment it was always stopping for something. The bullet feeder on it ran continuously, and boy was it loud. It went away not long after I got my first Dillon.

I’d gotten a bonus at work or something so finally decided to buy a brand new 650. It ran great, and to this day my only complaint is powder leaking from around the powder funnel. It’s not enough to matter for the rounds being loaded, but after a few hundred rounds it becomes unsightly, have never found a solution. Honestly, I prefer the Hornady powder measure.

Later added a Mr. Bullet feeder, and while a little tricky to swap over, it works great for 9mm and 223.

Peaked at 3 of the Dillons, but recently sold one and waiting for the buyer to pick it up.

I load low volume rifle on a single stage, the Dillon 550 has never appealed to me.

That’s my years long path to Dillon, and if I had it to do over a 650 would have been my second progressive press after the SDB.

Almost forgot, also had an RCBS green machine. Threw it out without thinking that it had collector value. Happy to have it out of my life, but regret that I acted impulsively.

Hope that helps, and good luck with your decision.

[C.F.Plinker]

My first progressive was a Dillon 300. When the 550s came out I sold it and got a 550B which has been my mainstay for years. I also have a Lee Classic Cast single stage which sees use for loading magnum pistol calibers when I use H110 or 296 powders that are difficult to measure with the Dillon powder measure and also for pulling bullets if necessary. I like it for load workups because I can easily disconnect the fail safe bar to drop single or multiple charges into a pill bottle for measuring test loads then reconnect it for actually making the test loads.

My latest acquisition is a Lee 4000 (also known as the ABLP). I have it set up to load my 3 most used pistol calibers. It takes about 50% longer to load a batch of 100 or 200 than the Dillon so I just use it for batches of 100 or 200 and use the Dillon for batches of 500 or so.

If I were getting started again I would seriously think about starting with the Lee 4000. The ram is directly under station 1. This way it can be readily used as a single stage press while learning to reload. As a single stage it will load pistol and rifle up to 30-06. Like many lee products it is a bit fiddley and requires some "sweat equity" to get it up and running. Caliber changes are easy since the dies are mounted in their quick change bushings and you don't loose the settings while they are not being used. The 4000 can be used as a single stage press, a turret press (one case processed at a time), or as a progressive where 4 cases are processed simultaneously.

I use one frame for multiple calibers with both presses since it doesn't take long to change calibers with either. I did buy a second primer setup for the Dillon so all I have to do is take out the 2 screws to change primer sizes and each of the primer bodies stays adjusted. I did modify the operating handle on the Lee so it has a ball end rather than the roller handle because I sit at about 30-40 degrees to the press. I also have LED lights set up on both to give me a better look when I check to make sure of my powder drops.

[stubshaft]

Dilloln SDB! Smaller than the 550 and cycles fast.

[georgerkahn]

Knowing what you learned over the years, if you were to choose a new progressive reloader for several pistol calibers, what make and model would you choose different from what you already have, or the same again, and why ?

I'd again go for a Dillon 550x (my "x" is a "B", but they "improve models" ) I've had mine for at least 25 years, thousands upon thousands of loads, and nary a problem. I *do* only use it for pistol calibres.

Any features you think you could benefit from now that you didn't think were necessary before ? Any features you thought were great that turned out to be overrated over time ?

None that come to my mind.

Did you ever consider one progressive press to be good enough for multiple cailbers, and do you now prefer dedicated progressive presses for each handgun caliber ?

A buddy has RCBS Green Machines (imho ) and has three for three each diff calibres. With my Dillon 550B the only minor pia is switching primer size tubes, but other than that, I have 11 tool heads -- each complete with powder measure (which, after use I dump out powder, replacing it with a cut 3" x 5" card noting powder and charge used) -- which -- their changing -- is not even to me a minor inconvenience. That all die stations are set up, and (again) powder is all ready -- I smile how easy it is. One note is I ADD, on occasion, another step where I do an "OCD Powder weight check" where I dump case on to a Determinator scale pan to ascertain weight is still within my QC limits; pour back into case; and continue. I LOVE it!
I have several (Forster Co-Ax, MEC Marksman; and a couple of Redding BOSS presses) I employ for rifle cartridges, with the addition of .22-250 for a Striker pistol in this calibre, and my XP100 in .221 Remington Fireball.
geo

[GhostHawk]

No progressive, my main press is a lee hand press. Been that way for the past 6 years.

I have a Lee classic cast C type mounted inverted for sizing and gas checks.

And a larger square frame Lee for sizing bottleneck rifle calibers.

Everything else I do on the hand press, but I don't shoot that much.

Save your money and buy a dillon.

[BK7saum]

Why not the case and bullet feeder on the LnL AP ?

The case and bullet feeders were an afterthought on the LnL. Maybe they work okay now, but i feel the 650/750 Dillons were designed around automation from the getgo.

Just my personal thoughts. The ergonomics for case and bullet placement by hand are about ideal form me and work very well without any feeders for the press.

[Soundguy]

While not a true progressive, for sheer reliability, simplicity, and quality it’s hard to beat a Lee Classic Cast Turret press. Easy to change calibers and extra turrets for each caliber are cheap. Add a roller handle and shell ejector kit from Inline Fabrication and it’s a fantastic press. Granted it’s slower than a true progressive and takes more effort to pull the handle four times per round vs. one pull per round, it still is easy to produce a pretty fair amount of ammo in a relatively reasonable amount of time without working overly hard.

I agree. I never went past a turret press. I have a friend with a dillon 650.. I just couldn't justify the extreme extra cost for caliber conversions and all of the black magic to actually make it run. I own a few turret and a bunch of single stage.. they do everything I need. If I ever do upgrade.. it might have to be an ammo plant.. after I hit the lottery or something...

[oley55]

I’d gotten a bonus at work or something so finally decided to buy a brand new 650. It ran great, and to this day my only complaint is powder leaking from around the powder funnel. It’s not enough to matter for the rounds being loaded, but after a few hundred rounds it becomes unsightly, have never found a solution. Honestly, I prefer the Hornady powder measure.

JimB, have you tried using the Hornady Case Activated type powder drops on your 650? I switched both of my 450s over to the case activated drops (well actually a Hornady and a near identical one from RCBS but I don't recall the name RCBS hung on it) with RCBS Uni-flow measures. No more powder leakage or powder bar binding with super fine powders. Yea it seems clunky and loud but it is working for me.