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Thread: considering a new progressive press (talk me out of it)

  1. #1
    Boolit Buddy
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    considering a new progressive press (talk me out of it)

    I have been reloading for 15 years so i do have experience, but i have a redding single stage and redding t7. I am considering a dillon 750 or maybe a 550. The 2 calibers i am interested in reloading for with a progressive is 9mm, 223, and maybe 300blk, everything else is on my other presses. I use nothing but range pickup brass, i never have new brass. I don't track firings my 9mm, but try to on my 223 but gets mixed up at the range. My concern is that i may not find problems in brass if i use progressive to size ect. I might not notice a split or loose primer pocket. And if i prep my brass ahead of time and prime is it worth going progressive. I am not sure the process you guys use for brass prep before you load up a progressive press but i am open to suggestions. Also i wet tumble my brass, and that means i cant clean my brass before i deprime on a progressive because of water in primer pocket unless i bake my brass.

    One of the cool things is my wife is onboard with me spending the money on the press, over 1200 bucks, because she has helped me size a lot of brass and knows how long it can take. She did about 1500 9mm before at one time. She also runs the wet tumbler so i am lucky she is involved with my hobby.

  2. #2
    Boolit Master


    Finster101's Avatar
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    Go with the 750. You won't be sorry. You can use a universal de-capping die so you don't have to worry about the brass being clean. There is a very good feel for primer seating so it is not hard to tell when something is amiss.

  3. #3
    Boolit Master
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    YOU Want You can afford Your wife gave you her blessing WHY the hesitation ???
    I wet tumble my brass after I deprime, just let air dry a day or two on top of the clothes dryer and then put into the corn. I stopped using the progressive, went back to onesie onesies. I think I have better control; I know a lot of guys like the progressive presses.

  4. #4
    Boolit Master 15meter's Avatar
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    Similar thread just a few down from this thread:

    https://castboolits.gunloads.com/sho...ng-for-a-while

    This gets into a Ford/Chevy kind of argument at times.

    There are also a couple of other threads in the recent past on the same subject, if you don't see them, check the setting on how far back threads are displayed. Some times it is only the last 30 days which may not show some of the threads you are interested in.

    Good luck, new toys are always fun.

  5. #5
    Boolit Buddy
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    I agree with BLAHUT. I wet tumble after depriming. Let wet brass sit on a towel for 24 hours to finish dry. I do use a media separator to shake out the water in the cases and primer pockets before laying them on the towel.

    Sent from my SM-S908U using Tapatalk

  6. #6
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    Winger Ed.'s Avatar
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    Your wife is definitely a keeper.
    You should do something really nice for her too.
    For example: You could get her a electric start lawn mower or a new battery charger for Christmas.

    Anyway-
    Lots of guys load rifle ammo on progressives.
    I've never been too keen on loading rifle cases on my Hornady progressive.
    If I did,,,,, I'd probably size & deprime on the single stage, then wash the case lube off & dry them.
    After that, I do the priming and loading on the progressive if I was going to sit down and load several hundred or so.

    I do all my handgun stuff on it, but never really got comfortable with doing bottle neck calibers.

    Then prime, charge, and seat & crimp on it.
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  7. #7
    Boolit Master

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    Salient information:
    a.) reloading for 15 years - you know the drills
    b.) calibers 9mm, 223, and maybe 300blk - all good for a Progressive
    c.) range pickup brass - frugal, nothing wrong here
    d.) might not notice a split or loose primer pocket - Whoa! Case prep is the FOUNDATION of reloading. Consider a change in your case prep habits. Work each case separately and independently prior to its use on a Progressive or single stage.
    e.) deprime brass before tumbling. Drying is having the patience to prep cases well in advance of use. Have a dry batch for reloading while you prep another batch through wet tumbling.

    Consider lube, deprime and resize on a single stage press. Consider priming cases off of the Progressive too. Trim rifle cases to their respective common length. Individually debur and chamfer rifle case mouths when using jacketed bullets (and why wouldn't you). Find and sideline split necks, sloppy primer pocket cases, and crushed bodies (a lot of 223 cases [idk about 300blk] are reformed at powder ignition, if the round will chamber).

    just my opinions and what works for me...I am not familiar with Dillon, so for you guys, my way may not be your way.
    If it was easy, anybody could do it.

  8. #8
    Boolit Grand Master GhostHawk's Avatar
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    I have a Frankford Arsenal hand depriming tool, everything gets citric acid wash, soak swirl and rinsed before primer pockets get brushed. Every single piece of brass gets handled by me in the process. If there is a ding, a split or a scrunch it goes into the big recyle tub.

    This way all brass is clean when it meets my dies.

    If you want progressive and want to shoot enough to be willing to pay for it, do it. Tis your money.

    Me I never wanted progressive, don't shoot that much. I wanted easy to switch between rifle, pistol brass. Small batchs of odd amounts. Whatever I used and picked up at the range.

    Bottleneck rifling resizing I use a full size lee press. Everything else I do with dedicated hand tools and the Lee Hand press. Better feel for the process.

    Lately I have been shooting more .22lr and .22WMR because they are easy. No work to replace them. Just order a couple k more rounds as needed.

    If I need 500 I buy 2k, just cause.

    But I'm 70 and slowing down. YMMV.
    I truly believe we need to get back to basics.

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  9. #9
    Boolit Master
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    For me progressives are great for pistol since no lube is involved. I deprime with a universal depriming die and wet tumble before loading. For rifle I completely process and hand prime then use two single stage presses to drop powder and seat bullets. I’ve thought about using Hornady One Shot case lube since it’s not necessary to remove it but I don’t mind my current process since I’m retired and have plenty of time to spend reloading.

  10. #10
    Boolit Grand Master
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    I would be called a "Dillon fan boy" by many but I have bought the new Lee 6000 to evaluate. It is a bargain....if it works. I suggest waiting to see how the Lee 6000 preforms before making the decision.

    I am old school. See no reason to deprime as a separate operation and then go anal about super clean pistol brass. It defeats the advantages of a progressive.

    If I was to run .223 on a progressive, I would get anal about tracking and separating lots of brass. I do not do that with pistol brass. Worst case scenario on pistol brass is a split neck and that is not going to blow me up.

    If you intend to prime off the press, get a used Lee 1000 or 4000. There should be plenty hitting the market soon enough. The only reason to prime off the press is because the priming system does not work IMO.

    If you decide to get the Dillon you will be very happy with it, but the way you reload it may not be the best bang for the buck.
    Don Verna


  11. #11
    Boolit Master
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    I think I am OCD about brass prep, and I load 9mm and 223 on an xl650.

    For pistol I deprime and then wet tumble then load. I find split brass at every step in the process, but I find most while spreading it out on a towel to dry. Pushing it around by hand and hear a “ting” then chase it down. Even on the progressive I can feel a tight or loose primer pocket.

    For rifle the process is more complicated, especially for range pickup. I’ll dry tumble range pickup (sometimes in a vibratory tumbler, but most times in the rotary with walnut media) then lube, size and deprime on a single stage or Lee APP, swage the primer pockets, trim and wet tumble and dry. Then prime, charge, seat and crimp on the progressive.

    For me brass prep is simply a different process than reloading. I have dozens of 50cal ammo cans full of prepared brass in each of the common calibers, so when I want to load, I load.

    Precision ammo, different process and all on the single stage.

    Ultimately it depends how much you plan to shoot.

  12. #12
    Boolit Buddy
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    Well you guys didn't talk me out of it, i am going this weekend to go look at them, about an hour from my house is a dillon dealer with with everything in stock and they are very knowledgeable, not like the people at bass pro. i am planning on getting a 750, case feeder, extra primer tubes, primmer flipper, think i will need different feeder plates for the case feeder and 9mm and 223 shell plates. Is there anything else i need?

    also i don't think i am sloppy with brass prep, 9mm i don't track, but 223 and 308 i go threw my 5 gallon buckets and get batch's of matching brass, size, trim every time i shoot with little crow trimmer, anneal every 3 shooting, and if i start noticing problems throw all the brass away. i loose 9mm brass before i can wear it out. Really just sounds like i need to de-prime and clean first. guess i just always see on youtube people just throw a lot of brass in the hopper and go to town and that worried me. Just let me know if i need any accessories i didn't mention.
    Thanks

  13. #13
    Boolit Master
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    You’ll want the small pistol and small rifle plates for the casefeeder.

    It is entirely fine to dry tumble pistol brass then toss it in the hopper and go. Press will get dirty from the depriming process. Brass isn’t as shiny, but shoots as well.

    You’ll want to consider if you want a second toolhead so you have one for each caliber, and then if you want a second powder measure so everything is ready to go for either caliber.

  14. #14
    Boolit Master

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    you can automate a 750 down the road if you want, just make sure you have deep pockets. you will need a full length sizer for 9 and 223 to eliminate the bulges. get an FW auto center deprimer then wash after depriming
    if you are ever being chased by a taxidermist, don't play dead

  15. #15
    Boolit Master
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    Well, this is just me saying. First your a lucky guy that has a wife that likes to help. My wife likes to help also in all aspects of the process. Her hands are much steadier and she see's much better than I do. Checking powder throws in the scale and adjusting the throwers are her job. Always she wipes and inspects every loaded round before boxing. We have arbor presses & dies, many single stage , and two progressives. Around here a few stores have presses set up on display to look at, Dillon, Hornady mostly sometimes a few others. Keep your wife involved and you will have a lot of fun picking the best press for your need. My wife likes to tag along in the LG's because she gets a lot of attention and the guys flirt with her.

    Just about 100% of the time we deprime, wash, dry, and inspect days and weeks before loading. Yep! She does the inspecting.

  16. #16
    Boolit Master nueces5's Avatar
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    Reading the majority I don't think there is bad advice here, but you have to choose where you are most comfortable.
    I have a single stage press, and in my opinion, it is much more precise since I have more control in the ammo loading for the rifle.
    And I use an RL 550 for my 9mm, 45 and 357 pistols.
    I have no experience with the 750, but I think you won't be sorry if you use a dillon 550
    maybe if you want more accuracy in reloading, you can do the first separate step in the single stage and then finish in the 550

  17. #17
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    I've owned Dillon a 450's, two 550's, three 650's, an RL1000 and two RL1050's. I also tend to collect presses. The 450 and 550's went down the road mostly due to no auto-advance and (at the time) no case feeder.

    Almost all of my bottle necked cases are sized, deprimed and cleaned/trimmed during the first trip through the progressive press. Second trip through is primer seating, powder drop and bullet seating. For the 600 to 1,000 competition ammo it's still loaded on a progressive. For that application I mostly weight the powder charge.

    These machines like to be kept clean. I have a vacuum and compressed air at the press. On the 650's I average 1 stoppage per 6,500 rounds. On the 1050's it just under 10K per stoppage.

    Accuracy wise the ammo coming off my progressives is equal to any of my large collection of single stage presses. Like they say garbage in garbage out. My match rifles will hold 3/8" MOA 10 shot groups at 300 yards ammo off my progressives

    I personally never liked the 550's since they lacked auto-advance and at the time case feeders.
    Last edited by M-Tecs; 11-18-2022 at 05:35 AM.
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  18. #18
    Boolit Grand Master jmorris's Avatar
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    I wet tumble brass by the thousands with primers in them, during the summer they are not only dry in 2.5 beers sitting in the sunlight, they are also too hot to hold in your hand.

    You are still going to feel each and every primer being seated with those two presses, so if you can pay attention, you will feel a loose pocket.

    FWIW I post load tumble dry for 15 minutes in corncob to knock lube off and if any primers are loose (I use 1050’s for the stuff I shoot a lot of and you can’t feel the primer being seated on them, even the manual ones) they won’t be there when you remove them to case gauge (a final check to ensure all rounds are right and would catch a split if you had let one past.

    Rifle on a progressive is a two pass operation for me. Once to size, prime and trim (Dillon trimmer), then a load pass.

  19. #19
    Boolit Buddy
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    dillon does sell the 750 as a package deal setup with 9mm and 223 . I like the strong mount and the bullet tray option

  20. #20
    Boolit Master Rapier's Avatar
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    I prefer the 550 B since it is Not and auto advance, it can be backed up and checked, without recreating the entire world or breaking a shear pin, like in the Hornady. The cost of changing calibers or primer size with the more advanced progressives is multiples of the cost in the 550.

    If you cast your own, you already established that you do not need thousands of rounds to reload for at a single session.
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Abbreviations used in Reloading

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