progressive presses, what should I get?

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Update, I am thinking I am settled on the Hornady. The main selling point for me was the number of stations for the price. I decided I really wanted 5 stations, to allow me to crimp separately, flare a case mouth, or add a powder level checker for 223. If I'm dropping the money it will only be once.
These were my top 3 contenders and why I ruled them out
Lee 1000, great price, not enough die stations
dillon 550, not enough stations, manual case advance is another step added. too much for the cost
Dullons 750, too expensive, could not find vids of it being used without all the add-ons I cant afford
RCBS, too expensive, not enough add on systems for future use, like bullet or case feed down the road.

It was very helpful, thank you a ton!
 
You should be happy with a LNL, I am with mine. I too liked the 5 stations and the LNL system was something I already used with my single-stage. Plenty of videos on how to get the timing right and various tweaks. I really haven't done anything to mine other than add the case feeder. I've found no issues with priming 223 on the press as long as you make sure your pockets are cleaned and properly swaged.
 
brasscollector said:
You should be happy with a LNL, I am with mine. I too liked the 5 stations and the LNL system was something I already used with my single-stage. Plenty of videos on how to get the timing right and various tweaks. I really haven't done anything to mine other than add the case feeder. I've found no issues with priming 223 on the press as long as you make sure your pockets are cleaned and properly swaged.
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Good to know, thanks! 9mm should be easy, just run it through. For 223, twice fired brass will be the best. For range/factory brass I will need to clean swage the primer, resize, then trim, after than it should be easy. Once I get my Christmas bonus I'm gonna start hunting one down.

I don't plan to use the lock n load system yet. I will probably just thread my dies in for now. set up, run a 500 or so, and put it up. I tried the Lock-n-load on my single stage, but didn't want to have to buy a ton of the adapters for my dies. Got too many dies, about 15 currently and probably more in the near future like a powder level checker.
3 die hornady 9mm
3 die hornady 45acp
3 die lee 223
3 die lee 30-06
2 die RCBS x series 223
1 lee universal decapper
 
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Update, I am thinking I am settled on the Hornady.


The bottom line is: You get what you pay for.

If I were you after having read the information I asked for, I'd take the advice given me. I'd get a bare-bones Dillon 650 or 750 now (both are available new and used on Ebay), and add to it as I could afford to do so, which is what I did. The 750 worked fine w/o the case feeder, but I added it a few months later. Dillon even does 0% financing.
 
hounddawg said:
No you cannot just thread the dies in and out, they have to be in the lock and load adapters

why does the lock and load system bother you?
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can't you just leave the L&L adapters in the press? currently at 15 dies, and my single stage is thread is, not wanting to switch to a completely propriatary system just yet.
 
Kevin Rohrer said:
Update, I am thinking I am settled on the Hornady.


The bottom line is: You get what you pay for.

If I were you after having read the information I asked for, I'd take the advice given me. I'd get a bare-bones Dillon 650 or 750 now (both are available new and used on Ebay), and add to it as I could afford to do so, which is what I did. The 750 worked fine w/o the case feeder, but I added it a few months later. Dillon even does 0% financing.
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Its hard to make the call without being able to see the press run in its stock configuration. I eliminated the 650 as I prefer a new press in this case. I would love case and bulelt feed, but the main problem is the space I have to work with. hopefully I will have a dedicated space in to work in an can add on in the next couple years.

Also while the majority was for the dillons, there were several who provided insight on the lee and hornady presses. As far as you get what you pay for, the hornady is in the same price range as the 550...
 
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Shadow9mm, I believe you made a well informed decision to buy what you thought suited your needs best and not what some stranger thinks you need,

Sure the Dillon is a nice press but not everyone that is loading on a progressive needs a Dillon to get the work done.

Personally I reload maybe once every couple to every few months but let's say 7 times per year on average, not counting the times I am working on new load ladders. I could take that 7 sessions and extend it to 10 session and still produce the same amount of ammunition on a turret press..

I use a progressive because it reduces the number of strokes to complete 1k rounds and not because it does it faster.
 
All this talk about progressive presses is going to force me to get my Lee Loadmaster out of the crawlspace and see if I can find a space for it on my bench.

Back to the OP: I don't know anyone with a Hornady L-N-L who is unhappy with the choice.
 
After thinking about it, if you can do 5, or 6 steps in this case, in 1 operation (if you include prime) that makes it 6 times faster. It was simple and right in front of me. Which also makes sense, if it took me 60min to load 100rnds, they in theory it should take 10min to load 100rnds on a progressive, which seems to be a similar to what I was seeing.

It was fairly obvious, feel like an idiot for not seeing it that way soon.
 
Dillon 650 or 750.
You don't need a bullet feeder.
You can also get by without the case feeder.
Why do you need a video of a 650 or 750 without a case feeder to judge the press?
My 650 lasted about 4-5 months before I bought a case feeder.
A Dillon press is the ONLY press that does not depreciate in value, that there should say something.
 
sevt_chevelle said:
Dillon 650 or 750.
You don't need a bullet feeder.
You can also get by without the case feeder.
Why do you need a video of a 650 or 750 without a case feeder to judge the press?
My 650 lasted about 4-5 months before I bought a case feeder.
A Dillon press is the ONLY press that does not depreciate in value, that there should say something.
Click to expand...

No depreciation is a good thing, and it can demonstrate quality, but it can also demonstrate a fan club. The reason I want to see it is to see if the mechanisms used make sense to me. Every system will have its quirks and oddities, like the 550 with its manual feed system. It does not mean it is a bad thing, it was done that way for a reason, it just does not fit my need. I want to understand the press and how it operates as is, at $565, not with all the bells and whistles 1334, over double the price of the press. I want a press that is good without all extras. Based on the fact that I am having a HARD time finding a setup, or use vid with the base press, it makes me think it might NEED the extras to make it work well, or deal with some of the quirks of the system. It is a great thing to have extras available, and designed to interface with your system, however if that interface on the press side make it harder to use without the add on, its not a good thing.
 
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If a 650 or 750 can operate with all these bells and whistles it surely can operate in base form. Heck companies make systems to fully automate Dillon presses, you're not gonna do that if the base model is not a quality unit.
Once again, no need for a bullet feeder, I can easily do a 100 rds in 15 mins without breaking sweat on my 650.
A case feeder doesn't change ANYTHING about a Dillon 650 or 750 because the press was built around the case feeder. When you buy the case feeder its nothing but the actual feeder.
The case feeder on the Hornady IMO is a complete after thought. If you buy one its a complete system adapted to fit a press that wasn't meant for one IMO instead of designed for one.

I ran my 650 for months without a case feeder, I would just stop and refill the tube, about 15 pieces of 40sw. Some people would buy plastic tubes and prefill them with cases.

I recall a poll taking from competitive shooters, somewhere around +90% of those people used Dillon machines.

About 5 seconds worth of Google.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2uKYi2063y4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYJXvx1u8KA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zm8JLmflvrw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEdFj2uZst0
 
Good grief, are all the dillon fanboys going to badger him until he buys blue?

Didn't see where he said he was a competitive shooter??

Still cranking out round after round on my LNL...
Pretty sure someone is out there right now using a LEE to make useful ammunition too.
 
I’ve owned presses in blue, red and green. But only own a 650 and a 550C currently. I use the 550C for precision cartridges and it produces match ammo. I manually drop the powder that’s weighed on a A&D scale with Auto Trickler and Throw. I’ll never buy another Hornady press. Cheaply made compared to the Dillon. The case feeder on the LNL is also not as good as Dillons IMO. Good reason why the Dillons retain 80% value for resale.
 
Dillon 650 or 750.
You don't need a bullet feeder.
You can also get by without the case feeder.
Why do you need a video of a 650 or 750 without a case feeder to judge the press?
My 650 lasted about 4-5 months before I bought a case feeder.
A Dillon press is the ONLY press that does not depreciate in value, that there should say something.

^^This^^
 
No depreciation is a good thing, and it can demonstrate quality, but it can also demonstrate a fan club. The reason I want to see it is to see if the mechanisms used make sense to me. Every system will have its quirks and oddities, like the 550 with its manual feed system. It does not mean it is a bad thing, it was done that way for a reason, it just does not fit my need. I want to understand the press and how it operates as is, at $565, not with all the bells and whistles 1334, over double the price of the press. I want a press that is good without all extras. Based on the fact that I am having a HARD time finding a setup, or use vid with the base press, it makes me think it might NEED the extras to make it work well, or deal with some of the quirks of the system. It is a great thing to have extras available, and designed to interface with your system, however if that interface on the press side make it harder to use without the add on, its not a good thing.

I understand what is going on here, but will not comment on it.

Suffice to say that the concept of Impossible Expectations is not applicable in this situation. The 550 and 650/750 have been around far longer than any of the other presses you are thinking about, and have far more satisfied users all the users of all those other presses combined. Buy cheap or buy a Dillon. In the end you will do what you will w/o listening to us.
 
I know it’s taboo but my Loadmaster had served me well for the past 8 years. I only load pistol on it, but for what I have into it for 5 pistol calibers, you couldn’t even get the base 750 with no bells and whistles.
 
I know it’s taboo but my Loadmaster had served me well for the past 8 years. I only load pistol on it, but for what I have into it for 5 pistol calibers, you couldn’t even get the base 750 with no bells and whistles.

One gets what one pays for. If you want to pay for a Lee, expect Lee quality. On the other hand, if you want Dillon quality, dependability, and flexibility, expect to pay for it.
 
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