new to progressive. need help choosing press

H

hbhobby

New member
I have been reloading for about 35 years and my shooting is starting to increase. So i want to move to a progressive press instead on the single stage i have now. I am looking at a dillon 650 and rcbs 200 and lee load master. I want something that will "do it all" except me putting the bullet on primed/powered case. It looks like the three i am looking at will do that but i would like some insight as to which is best buy and why. Thsnk you in advance for opinions
 
No Lee kit is anywhere near the same league as Dillon kit. Lee kit is entry level stuff. RCBS kit is good, but if I was buying a progressive, it'd be directly from Dillon.
 
Since you are so close by at Payson, you can easily stop by Dillon's at Scottsdale to examine their presses. I'll go along with Mr T on this one and suggest a Dillon. Compare arguments between the 550 and 650. The 650 has five die stations compared to four on the 550. Possibly an objection to the 650 is the auto advance feature which I argue can lead
to more frequent problems than what will occur with the manual advance 550 and easier to solve with the 550. Probably more will recommend the 650.
 
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I've owned a 550, 650 and 1050. All were good presses but I left the 550 and moved to the 650 because of having 5 stations instead of 4. The extra station allows you to use a powder check die.

I urge anyone buying a progressive to buy a press that allows you to use a powder check die. It's not if you get a bad charge but more when.

Have heard good about Hornady but all my experience has been with Dillon.
 
I have only one progressive a dillon xl650.
love it so far - have loaded about 10k rounds.
case feeder is a must have
 
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I`m another Dillon fan. I have been using a 550 Dillon since right after they came on the market. The 650 has some advantages over the 550, but it cost more for to set the 650 up for another round and I load for so many different round it would be cost prohibitive to go to the 650.
 
After 31 years of loading on an RCBS single-stage, I finally broke down this year and got a Dillon BL 550 press. I am very pleased with it, and it more than suits my needs.

I load different than most people. I do a "hybred" progressive process. For me, brass reconditioning and the actual reloading of said brass are two completely separate processes. I would never be comfortable with breaking down and reloading brass in a single progressive process. I want to clean my brass after flairing. I want to prime by hand. I want to powder charge by hand, using fifty-round loading blocks, where I can see all the charges before adding the bullet. But that's just me.

All that said, I only need two stations for brass reconditioning; and two or three for the actual reloading. So the four-stage 550 is more than I actually need.

I am extremely pleased with my Dillon unit. The fit and finish is excellent. I'm not a machinist; but I know well made mechanical stuff when I see it. And Dillon makes good stuff.

I enjoy brass reconditioning and hand loading. Having equipment that doesn't work right and gives nothing but headaches would defeat one of the most important (for me) purposes for hand loading - enjoyment. The overwhelming positive opinions of Dillon equipment here on TFL thoroughly exceeds the anecdotal; and that is why I chose Dillon. I made the right choice without any doubt whatsoever.
 
Guess I'm in the minority, I like my Hornady Lock-N-Load. Main reason I got it over a Dillon was price, and several of the guys at the club have it to so I have tech support down the street.
 
I too am surprisedHornady is not top of your list.

More stable die mount.
Cheaper caliber changes.
Free bullets
5 stations
 
Thank you for the opinions. I am going down to Dillon store next week to play with all their toys and make a final decision
 
People like to compare the LnL with the Dillon 550 or 650. In reality the LnL should be compared to the much older Dillon 450. The LnL IS just an updated 450 with a 5th stage added. Several generations behind the Dillon 650.

I've only heard one complaint from Dillon 550 owners...
They wish they would have bought a Dillon 650 instead!!!

T.
 
Lock out die or powder cop

I have 2 lnl ap presses and 2 rcbs progressives.I am happy with them.
I have watched a friend on his 650 and it is good press and the Dillon shell feeder is much better in operation than the Hornady. I know everyone likes the 550 but no way am I gonna use a four station press with no powder check,just an accident waiting to happen! Would never buy a lee pro 1000 for same reason!
 
In reality the LnL should be compared to the much older Dillon 450.
Click to expand...
I've never owned an L&L to be fair, but I think that's a bit off.
The L&L & the RL550 have different approaches to the same issue, changing calibers quickly.
It there was a side-by-side direct comparison, which I don't think there is, the L&L would be an "RL 500" if such a beast existed.
 
For what it is worth I am a big Lee fan. I have used a Classic Turret set up for many years now. It makes excellent, accurate ammo. Mine is currently doing 11 different calibers. In my opinion you can't go wrong for the money.

Having said that, my shooting buddy uses a Dillon 550. While the initial investment is greater the machine itself is awesome. Caliber changes are slightly more expensive I think. I am actually thinking of moving to one myself.

I know the Lee Classic Turret isn't a full on progressive but it can kick out a lot of ammo.

I have owned a Lee Loadmaster and I can't recommend it. I have never owned a Lee 1000 so I can't comment.
 
People like to compare the LnL with the Dillon 550 or 650. In reality the LnL should be compared to the much older Dillon 450. The LnL IS just an updated 450 with a 5th stage added. Several generations behind the Dillon 650.

I've only heard one complaint from Dillon 550 owners...
They wish they would have bought a Dillon 650 instead!!!

T.
Click to expand...

Ohhhhh , did the Dillon 450 have:
- rigid quick change accurately aligned dies
- cheaper caliber conversions
- auto-indexing
- 5 stations
- ability to easily add case and bullet feeders
- reasonable price for performance
??

I didn't think so. The 550 is arguably just a way to get people sucked into buying blue. Hope you don't double charge loading pistol on that. The 650 is a good loader and their 1050 is great. Price of admission is high, but Dillons high end is very good.

Mid range, I like Hornady for reasons stated.
 
Dillon 650 is a solid choice / 5th station allows for a powder check die which is a big deal to me / the extra safety factor of a powder check is important to guard against a low or high powder charge that your eyes can't see - even on fine powders they are accurate to 0.1 grain in my experience.

550 ...manual indexing gives you more chances for human error / and it won't allow for installation of a powder check die because its a 4 station press - both issues combine to make the 550 a non-starter in my view.

Hornaday LNL is similar to Dillon 650 / both good presses...but Dillon gets my nod for a better press.

All of the name brands are decent equipment ...but everything offered by Lee is a step back from Dillon and Hornaday especially / RCBS may be an option for you -
 
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