Thinkig about a progressive

[hondo1892]

OK guys never owned a progressive loader. Always had a Lyman turret press. But I've been thinking lately about getting a progressive press. I just want one for handgun rounds. I think. Which would you guys get the Dillon "square deal b" or the 550? I know the 550 will do rifle cartridges also. I just don't know if I will ever need one for rifle cartridges. Also, do you need four dies for the progressive press? One for seating the bullets and one for crimping.

[jhrosier]

I had a Dillon Square Deal.
I sold it a year ago and bought a Lee Classic Cast turret press.
The Dillon was a PITA to set up.
I really like the Lee for cranking out a couple hundred rounds at a time.
I can set up the Lee in just a few minutes and load a couple hundred rounds in the time that it takes just to get the Dillon set up.
If I were loading many thousands of rounds at a time I might go with the Dillon 650.

Jack

[Richardx]

I have been very happy with a 550B since 1991, literally thousands of rounds in both pistol and rifle cartridges, about 14 calibers.

Once you have the initial set up which IMHO is just as easy a single stage, you just swap tool heads, and shell plates.

Dillon's customer service is excellent, have and will provide replacement parts for free, even when I told them I broke it myself (just one time when I was not paying attention).

I have a few CAS buddies that against my advice went Lee and after a short time of futzing with the beaded chains sent them back to Midway USA (another great customer service company) and order Dillons.

Check the Brian Enos site lots of good info there, 550 or 650 you will not be un happy.

Good luck!

Richard X

[DerekR]

I reload a fair amount of .38/357, 44 magnum, 45 Colt and 45 ACP. I have had the Dillon 550 for many years and I love it.
I have settled on one powder for everything and swapping calibers is pretty quick.

[AJMD429]

I think for the money the RL-550 is better. It uses standard dies and even if you never intend to do rifle cartridges you may change your mind someday and want to load a few thousand 30-30, 223, or 308's. Plus more resale value. Cartridge conversions actually cost less too.

Here's a useful comparison chart:

http://m.dillonprecision.com/mcontent/c ... oader.html

I use lots of Lee Factory Crimp dies so like being able to use any standatd-size dies.

I usually use my Lee Turret for batches from 100 to 1,000 though. Rockchucker for 1-200 & only the Dillon for at least 500 or more.

A micrometer charge bar from UniqueTek is very helpful to add to make powder settings almost instantly 'on' when changing loads.

http://www.uniquetek.com/site/696296/product/T1231

[Shrapnel]

If you want something that really works, get a couple of Dillon 650's. If you want something that works well, get the 550. All the concern about Dillon presses and how complicated they are, it is easier to learn them than a computer and getting on the interet...

[hondo1892]

Shrapnel that's a serious reloading room you have there. Thanks for the input guys.

[stretch]

I have two progressive presses. The Dillon Square Deal, which I got used,
and the Lee Pro 1000, which I got new.

The Square Deal is a good press, but takes only proprietary Dillon pistol
dies. (The 550 and up take standard dies.) It loads good ammunition.
With separate tool heads, caliber change is fairly easy, unless you're
going from small to large primers or vice versa. Then it's an extra step
and some adjustment. I'm not nuts about the powder measure. Dillon's
support is legendary. Unbelievably good.

The Pro 1000 is cheaper and easier to deal with. The powder measure
is exceptionally good, the primer loading setup is finicky. It takes standard
dies. I think I might prefer it to the Square Deal. There's a nifty little catch
box for the Dillon to snag completed rounds, but with the Lee you're on your
own. I figured it out, but it's not as elegant a solution as Dillon's.

I might choose the Lee. If I recall right, I could buy two Pro 1000s for the
price of one Square Deal, and I can use any dies I want.

The 550 or 650 are horses of an entirely different color. On day.......


-Stretch

[Griff]

I have 2 Dillon 550Bs... one I bought new, and the second might as well have been. It was missing a few parts... which believe it or not, Dillon shipped out to me under their "no BS Warranty". One is set up for small primers, the other for large. The 550 is great in that it uses std dies as mentioned above... and is absolutely great if you're just going to load a few hundred rounds at a time. Having the auto indexing as on the 650 would be a boon, if you're going to be reloading a few thousand at a time. (I think). Takes me about an hour to do 3-400 on my 550s, as I'm usually just loafin' along.

As stated above, you won't be disappointed with the Dillon. My B-I-L has been loading 38Spl, 45 Colt and 45ACP on his Square Deal for almost 30 years. He hasn't seen the need to upgrade.

Almost any poll of the CAS types has Dillon favored in a nearly 4 to 1 ratio. The ability to change calibers by just changing the shell plate and die head is absolutely great. Since I tend to load the same bullet from one reloading session to the next, have them already set up in the head is a real time saver. I've got mine set up with the same RCBS dies I used before on my single stage... only upgrading to carbide dies for the pistol calibers as I wanted production to increase, and didn't want to have to lube cases.

One Dillon is nearly 30 years old... purchased in 1986... literally loaded a couple hundred thousand rounds on it. If my calculations are correct. If it ever shows signs of wearing out... I'll send it back and get it rebuilt.

[hondo1892]

Do you use two seating dies? One for seating and one for crimping. Or is it done in one step? I like the two step best my self. And Griff if I can load two or three hundred rounds in an hour or two I'll be happy, happy, happy.

[Griff]

Do you use two seating dies? One for seating and one for crimping. Or is it done in one step? I like the two step best my self. And Griff if I can load two or three hundred rounds in an hour or two I'll be happy, happy, happy.

I usually use the std RCBS seater/crimp die. But for my Cowboy45Special loads I'd been using a std 45ACP seater/taper crimp die, but it was quite crimp enough, IMO, to use in a lever gun, (Marlin 1894), so I'd been using a spare sizer die to put just a little more squeeze on the mouth of the case. Very little. Now that I got the 45ACP Roll Crimp die, I'm back to using just a combo die.

I keep thinking I'll move my seating/crimp dies to station four and put a powder check die in station 3... but that seems to be a "round-to-it", just haven't gotten up the energy to do so... Seems there's always some higher priority in my reloading shop.

You know the old saw, "there are folks that reload so they can shoot, and there are folks that shoot so they can reload..." I'm in that second group. I like to putz around when I'm out in the shop... and can still crank out about 300 rounds an hour. I have extra primer tubes, and preload enough for how many rounds I want to load... then am disappointed when I run out of cleaned cases or bullets of a particular flavor! Those are the slow parts of the process now... casting/sizing bullets and cleaning cases.

[mohavesam]

Another vote for Dillon. I started with the 550 as my first press, Dillon upgraded it (no charge) to the B config, and I've never regretted it. I've loaded twenty or so cartridges on it and bough another 550B, and a SDB dedicated to 45ACP. I only use a single-hole press for priming and special loads ...
I just wish Dillon would offer a little bottle of "Dillon blue" touch-up paint... I get nicks here and there on my presses.

[M. M. Wright]

When I started the 450 was top of the line. After several years and many thousands of rounds I upgraded it to 550, (Dillon had a kit available) and have had only a few stoppages since. Any broken part was shipped out the day I called them and only a couple of times did they ask for the old part. Lets see, 10 years of IPSC, 30 years of SASS. How many thousand rounds is that? And yes, I practiced a lot.

[buckeyeshooter]

I bought a Dillon 650 and returned it because it would not seat primers most of the time and they could not get it working correctly when I returned it for service. I replaced it with a Hornady Lock and load and it works much better.

[Shrapnel]

I bought a Dillon 650 and returned it because it would not seat primers most of the time and they could not get it working correctly when I returned it for service. I replaced it with a Hornady Lock and load and it works much better.

That is like getting a flat on your Mercedes and fixing it by getting Yugo...

[hondo1892]

Ok you guys talked me into a Dillon RL550. Now I just have to come up with the money.

[Jay Bird]

I'm taking my father advice and going with a RCBS pro 2000. It seems a little bit more simple then the 650/1050 don't know much about the 550. Already have tons of RCBS stuff with no issues. Just order it today, the Easter bunny made me do it.. got it at Midway for $509 and has a $50 dollar rebate.

[Sixgun]

I'm taking my father advice and going with a RCBS pro 2000. It seems a little bit more simple then the 650/1050 don't know much about the 550. Already have tons of RCBS stuff with no issues. Just order it today, the Easter bunny made me do it.. got it at Midway for $509 and has a $50 dollar rebate.

Good job young man! I knew you could do it. Just think of all the neat accessories you can borrow and steal from me.

Piggyback for handgun and pistol calibered guns........Pro-2000 for rifle ammo......and a single stage for experimental ammo, case forming, or low count runs.------yo daddy

[CowboyTutt]

Just for the record I've been told by a reliable source that the RCBS Pro 2000 is being discontinued because of the lack of popularity of the primer strips. RCBS intended the 'strips to be the same cost as a box of primers but distributors charged more for the 'strips (despite RCBS complaining about it but there was nothing they could do). I imagine parts and hopefully the strips will be available for a while longer. I would not throw away the empty strips however.

-Tutt

[Sixgun]

That's a good tip Tutt. I've been using the same 100 strips for ???? ...I don't know....can't count years anymore........anyway, I personally think the strips are the best priming dispensing object ever invented. With the tool you get with the 2000, it ain't nothin to load up 500 primers..lickily split.

Well, as a guy who gets paranoid pretty quick, it looks like I'm gonna stock up on those strips.-----thanks bud!-------6

[CowboyTutt]

Thanks Six. For what it is worth, both McPherson and Jim Williamson think the 'strips were the superior design of primer feeding and seating and it was not supposed to cost anymore. It's just too bad that the distributors ruined it for RCBS and everyone. Regards my friend! -Tutt

[Old Savage]

Dillon 550b here.

[Jay Bird]

[Malamute]

I've had both a square deal B and a 550. The square B had several calibers of dies that were useful to me, so I used it a while. Its a very quick and handy loader, I wouldnt hesitate to use one, but,...as has been mentioned, it used special dies. When my dad gave me his 550, there was no real reason to keep the square deal.

The 550 does use regular dies, but the 550 I came into had several sets of Dillon dies, which are very good dies, and easier to use on the Dillon press than RCBS dies, as they have the two seat/crimp dies, and widely belled dies that help at times.

Like Griff, I loaf along, pay specific attention to all steps, especially the powder level after it drops, and seating. If theres the slightest doubt as to whats going on (get a high primer and redo it, and you just dropped another powder charge in the same case as was there. Just pay attention and youre good!), or I get interrupted and stop, I take the shells on the plate off and restart so I know exactly where I'm at. Never had any problems with the ammo I've loaded on the Dillon.

The seat and crimp in separate steps is how RCBS recommends doing it, but many of us do both at the same time. To be able to use my RCBS dies on the Dillon, and do them in separate steps I've been keeping an eye out for cheap dies at gun shows. I've bought several sets for $10, then I have an extra seat/crimp die so I can do the steps separately. I dont think it hurts to do both steps at once in the Dillon, but its been a couple years since I loaded any rounds.

[Old Savage]

I have found the separate seat/crimp procedure the way to go.

[Malamute]

I think its optimal on all loads, though many (me) dont want to mess with doing it in separate steps and having to adjust the dies each time. The Dillon makes doing it in separate steps very simple and easy so long as you have the extra die.

Sixgun Jr, your avatar pic makes me smile, very cute picture! (hope it doesnt get changed to something I'll regret saying that about)

[2ndovc]

I've had a Dillon 550 for over 15 years. Love it for all my pistol reloading.
I'm a bit anal when it comes to rifle ammo though. Still use Grandpa's Hollywood Gun Shop press.
Built like a tank and a bit of a collectable these days.

jb

[buckeyeshooter]

I bought a Dillon 650 and returned it because it would not seat primers most of the time and they could not get it working correctly when I returned it for service. I replaced it with a Hornady Lock and load and it works much better.

That is like getting a flat on your Mercedes and fixing it by getting Yugo...

So you say, but at least the Yugo runs! The Dillon shure didn't!

[Shrapnel]

I bought a Dillon 650 and returned it because it would not seat primers most of the time and they could not get it working correctly when I returned it for service. I replaced it with a Hornady Lock and load and it works much better.

That is like getting a flat on your Mercedes and fixing it by getting Yugo...

So you say, but at least the Yugo runs! The Dillon shure didn't!

You are an idiot...

[Gaucho Gringo]

Not a very nice comment.