XL 650 and 550C

If the rounds happen to share the same shell plate, caliber conversion on a 550 looks like this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=689Wzn4qY3w

You have to back off a set screw and remove the shell plate bolt otherwise. Might have to swap locator pins too.

If you wanted to save some money you can use the same measure on all your tool heads and just swap preset powder bars, so you don't have to waste time adjusting them all the time. Like this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdNZkkTFQEM


There is no progressive that is as fast to convert primer size on than the 550.

If you do it like this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rCGV-JPYaE
 
Many of my buddies that reload, me included, think the time to convert a caliber is really irrelevent ....because we reload on progressive machines ( 650's, LNL, 550's, etc )...and we generally load 30 - 40 boxes at one time, box them and pull from inventory for weekly range trips.

Most of us reload 8 - 10 calibers....but when we convert calibers...we take the time to clean dies and toolheads, clean and lube the press, clean the casefeeder, empty and clean the powder measure and disassemble and clean the primer feed mechanism......and most of us have quick change kits for each caliber ( dies, powder measures and powder check dies installed in the specific caliber toolhead on the shelf )... so we clean as we break it down...and the next caliber up is clean and ready to go.

Breaking the press down, clean & lubing might take 30 min...but its really not a big deal because it isn't like you are liable to only run 4 boxes, break it down & run 4 of another caliber...you could do that change on a 650 in 10 minutes...but its not the way most of us run our hobby.

As an example my press was setup this am in 9mm...I loaded about 15 boxes in an hour or so after breakfast while i had some free time.....case gagued them...boxed em up.... / put 5 boxes in my range bag for practice today and put the other 10 in inventory for another day....right now my handgun ammo inventory looks like this:
60 boxes of 9mm ( I shoot 10 boxes a week )... so 6 wks inventory
40 boxes of .357 mag .. ( I shoot about 6 boxes a month -- 6 months inventory)
30 boxes .40 S&W ...I shoot about 10 per year
40 boxes of .45acp...I shoot about 40 boxes a yr
12 boxes of .44 mag....i shoot about 5 boxes a yr
20 boxes of .38 spl ( keep it for grandkids ...probably 10 bx a yr)
40 boxes of .380....( couple people in my family shoot 6 - 8 bx a yr...

I keep bullets for each caliber, powder, etc....but 90% of the time my press stays in 9mm mode...unless I need to replenish inventory....kids or grandkids visiting...son & daughter in law want to go to range, etc...

All my buddies are similar ....some of them shoot mostly .45acp.....or .40 S&W....so their inventories reflect their trends...

Wed...i'm meeting some buddies at range ...for some revolver drills...so I'll take 2 or 3 .357 mag revolvers out and probably 6 boxes of .357 mag... / when my inventory on .357 mag gets down to about 10 boxes, i'll setup press to run 30 or 40 boxes ....so i just need to make sure i have a few thousand bullets & a tub of cleaned and sorted brass ( and I do )....

In general, i break the 650 press down for cleaning & lube about every 3,000 rds regardless if i change calibers or not...
 
Many of my buddies that reload, me included, think the time to convert a caliber is really irrelevent .
Click to expand...

It's only irrelevant until you have to do it. I don't think it's a huge deal myself but I have a bunch of presses. 1050's setup with what I load most, 650's for what I load a lot of. SD's for moderate amounts of other pistol ammunition. 550 for stuff I load more of than I feel like doing on a turret fess but not as much that I feel like converting a 650. Then SS/turrets for relatively low volumes.
 
Ok, so I figured up what I plan to do.
So I will be loading for 2 rifle calibers, and two pistol calibers in some volume. I will be loading about 500 rounds per month .223 ( or the equivalent of say 2000 rounds in 3-4 months) 500 rounds/month .40s&w and 9mm. And about 250 rounds/month .308.

My hunting, and long range F-CLASS stuff I will do on my single stage presses.

So with that, it sounds like I could do that on a 550, but a 650 would allow me to crank out 3 months worth of ammo in a weekend. So I think I am going with the 650 with the shell dispenser. I will forego the bullet feeder unless I somehow later on believe I need it.

Thanks guys for all the input.
 
I suggest you price out the two units with the setup you want and I think you will see the 650 isn't worth it unless you really need the output level, and then you might prefer a 1050.

I find the lack of auto-index to be a feature that give you added flexibility with the machine. Many people use a 550 as a semi-single stage and with the ability to move the shell-plate in either direction, you can do that. You can set up a tool head for brass prep and switch over to a totally different caliber in 5 minutes. It will be twice that on the 650 and cost twice as much or more to do it too.

The other day I made 1000 rounds of 9mm on my 550b in three hours. I wasn't in a hurry but once you get a rhythm going, the rounds come out quick.

IMO, the 5th station is not needed. You don't need a powder check, just look into the brass as you set a bullet on and you will notice if there is no powder.

That's my .02 but you really can't go wrong with either one.

And whichever one you get, I recommend the Inline Fab "skylight" kit: https://inlinefabrication.com/collections/lighting/products/skylighttm-led-lighting-kit-for-the-dillon-550
 
It wouldn't matter to me whether I had a 650 or 550 since I don't process that much volume on my 650. But with the 650, your have the extra station that can be used for the powder check system or a bullet feeder. Can't do that with the 550. Other than the auto indexing and extra spot on the tool head, not that much different. But both of those options are big selling points to me. I really like the powder check system. I like it so much, I'm not willing to give it up for a bullet feeder. One less thing for me to worry about when I load on my 650. I use mine for loading .223/5.56, 6.8, .45, .40 and .308. My single stages loads some .308, 30.06 and 270AR.
 
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