Dillon SL900 Shot Shell Loader.

[tallengnr1]

I like both Dillon and Spolar. To me, it's like comparing an Oldsmobile and a Cadillac...which one is better is subjective. There are also electric and hydraulic drives for the Spolar reloader. Using my electric drive, I can easily get 600+ shells per hour. It gets so fast I wish the hoppers held more powder/shot so I didn't have to stop so frequently to replenish!

[Jet Setter]

I like both Dillon and Spolar. To me, it's like comparing an Oldsmobile and a Cadillac...which one is better is subjective. There are also electric and hydraulic drives for the Spolar reloader. Using my electric drive, I can easily get 600+ shells per hour. It gets so fast I wish the hoppers held more powder/shot so I didn't have to stop so frequently to replenish!

The Spolar with hydraulic system is rated to run 1200 shells an hour. Impressive to see this thing crank out shells.

[tanks]

The Spolar with hydraulic system is rated to run 1200 shells an hour. Impressive to see this thing crank out shells.

Hmmm, that comes out to one every 3 seconds while still feeding it shells and wads manually. I guess one would develop the dexterity required over time.

Edit: BTW, Spolar advertises one shell at every 3.5 secs with the hydraulic system. Comes to 1028, still impressive.

[shovelon]

All presses have their quirks. Some have better/differing features than others. For shotshell, Dillon would not make my top three.

IMO, there are better options for high volume shooters.

The Dillon looks a bit flimsy to me.

[novelty]

Spolar resizes the hull, no need of a resizer. And, SL900 does not seem to have a resizer

[Jet Setter]

Hmmm, that comes out to one every 3 seconds while still feeding it shells and wads manually. I guess one would develop the dexterity required over time.

There is a little learning curve. You have to have all your hulls and wads ready and have a consistent motion. Much like anything, you build muscle memory and it becomes second nature. Even manually you can work up a brisk pace. I am slow and always box shells every 50 rounds. I don't have a lot of room behind my press and 50 is the magic number for me before I start to back up.

[Jet Setter]

Another tidbit: If you aren't sizing and depriming off the machine and then washing your hulls, you are NOT turning out good quality Ammo. It is just part of the process. Dirty ammo wears fine guns quickly. My old style Win AA's have been reloaded as many as 12 times before they split! That's because they are cleaned before they are Reloaded.

I tend to wipe my shells a little and inspect them before loading. I guess I am particular that way.

How do you "wash" your shells?

[Dooder]

Contrary to the popular opinions on here, I run an SL900 with STS hulls and I dig it. Works great, hasn't led me to stray to get another press. I learned to deal with it just like I learned to deal with every other press I have. I'm sure there's better presses, but that's also why there are so many presses out there and why I have about a dozen different presses...I guess I like presses haaha.

[W.R.Buchanan]

I tend to wipe my shells a little and inspect them before loading. I guess I am particular that way.

How do you "wash" your shells?

After resizing and depriming, I put them in a Laundry Bag and run them in an old washing machine with detergent. Now I have a 5 gallon bucket with a plunger I use as I'm not doing as much as before.

They come out nice and clean with all the Powder Residue and Carbon Deposits gone.

You have to deprime first or else the primer holds water which becomes a problem later.

The Carbon Deposits left on hulls wear chambers, and whereas it takes a while to do it it still happens. It also wears the breach face of the gun.

Guys this is just common sense.

Look, I don't expect anyone else to reload like I do, but after 150,000+ I have some idea of where I speak. I spent many nights pulling the handle and figuring out how to make perfect reloads using many different machines. That's how I know what works the best.

I started with a DL266, then got a DL366, then a PW 800, was over 50K by then. Then thinking the Spolar would be better than the PW I got one of those and figured out real quick that it was just a nicer made PW. Then I got my first Dillon and loaded most of the rest on that.

Spolar claims 3.5 seconds per round and you might be able to do that if you are 15 years old and are being paid by the round for it. Nobody can keep up that pace for very long when you are having to manually load a hull, pull the handle, insert a wad, and then pulling the handle again. That is 4 manual operations per round. The Dillon has 2! Insert wad and pull handle.

I suck at Trap! and shoot Skeet with a .410 and occasionally a 12 ga. No place to do SC near me. I can load enough for 4-6 rounds of Skeet or the occasional Trap Shoot in an hour or so on a DL266. I might add that there is only one 12 ga load and only one .410 load on all my machines because that is all I've ever needed to shoot. Many times I've even let Walmart Reload for me and it is hard to compete with $21.74/100. Should be on sale right now for less?

I have 6 12 ga Shotguns and 2 .410's. All the 12's get the same #8 loads but 3 get Buckshot and Slugs which I load on the DL266 with the same powder charge and wad and Crimp. Some get roll crimped.

Neither of my .410's has ever had a Factory Round fired in it! All Loaded on a DL266 single stage.

You Spolar owners should be dedicated Shot Gunners and I doubt I will sway your thinking, however those who are just looking at Reloading really need to think about it before they drop $2075 on a legacy machine they have no experience with. Better to start off with something a little less expensive and learn how to reload Shot Shells right before jumping in whole hog.

YMMV

Randy

[tanks]

...

Spolar claims 3.5 seconds per round and you might be able to do that if you are 15 years old and are being paid by the round for it. Nobody can keep up that pace for very long when you are having to manually load a hull, pull the handle, insert a wad, and then pulling the handle again. That is 4 manual operations per round. The Dillon has 2! Insert wad and pull handle....

Just to be accurate the 3.5 sec claim is with the hydraulic system, not manual. So, it is two operations with that system. Of course then you are looking at another $1,500 for that.

[Jet Setter]

Randy,
Good info on washing the hulls. That would be too much effort for me knowing I already wipe my hulls clean before loading.

Folks, I certainly did not want to say/imply that the Dillon is a bad press. Far from it. Just not my personal preference. As I have sated before. All presses have their quirks. You just have to figure out what works best for you and your budget. Just like Dooder, you can amass presses as you go on your reloading journey.

[whutsup40]

Randy,
Good info on washing the hulls. That would be too much effort for me knowing I already wipe my hulls clean before loading.

Folks, I certainly did not want to say/imply that the Dillon is a bad press. Far from it. Just not my personal preference. As I have sated before. All presses have their quirks. You just have to figure out what works best for you and your budget. Just like Dooder, you can amass presses as you go on your reloading journey.

Good for him with his nice shiny clean hulls! to much work for no benefit, just wipe the hull and load them, clean your gun afterwards and good to go.

[JagerDog]

Loaded a lot of shells on an old single-stage Texan.

First progressive was a Hornady Apex. Great design, poorly executed with cheap parts. Eventually broke the platen on the 12g mahine. No longer supported

Bought a Mec 9000. Make some really nice shells, easy to adjust. If you F up and get things out of sync, it will spill. Doesn't happen during the normal course of reloading, but if you take something out of rotation to monitor or fix the occasional FUBAR.

Added the Universal charge bar so i didn't need a bunch of bushings and could tailor my load. Nominal charge weights, or if required for fit, I can adjust in fine increments. Set up in minutes.

I have several different routine loads. 7/8 oz #9, 1 oz #8, 1-1/8 oz #7.5. Each identifiable by a different hull. I keep approx 1000 of each hull in rotation. Finished rounds go in cat sand buckets (no boxes). "Fully stocked" is close to 2 buckets. When the 2nd bucket is getting low, I dial in the press for that load and fill back up the 2 buckets. When the lot of hulls starts getting crispy, I cycle in a new (1X) 1K or so. A little roll between thumb and forefinger during the act of placing a hull in the press is my primary "test". If petals are cracking, it will "click".

FWIW, I hate hull feeders. My reloading is a "peaceful" time and the last thing I want to hear is hulls/cases rattling around in a squirrel cage.

I know a lot of people with fine guns with 100k - 200k+ rounds. I don't think any wash their hulls.

Is the Mec a nice piece of kit? Not particularly. More Rube Goldberg. Stamped parts. Mostly cheap parts for replacement of the rare worn-out parts. Makes very nice shells. Fast enough. Few hundred per/hr easy coupled with my parallel "inspection". I do wish some adjustments had a fixed nut on the frame rather than double nutted (each side of frame with just a threaded rod in a hole). Adjustments would be more clear and precise.

[Thefeeder]

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Just finished loading a case of steel #6's on a MEC 9000. The steel shot wads are a pain to deal with and the adjustable charge bar was not the best to use. In fact, don't use an adjustable charge bar, unless you enjoy the punishment, go with a solid that has the rubber pad.

One point that helped , by disconnecting the actuator bar and hand rotating the carousel, saved a lot frustration.

All in all, I have a case of steel 1oz 6's ready to go.

Don't know if steel shot loading is possible on the other reloaders but it can be done on a Mec 9000

[JagerDog]

Just finished loading a case of steel #6's on a MEC 9000. The steel shot wads are a pain to deal with and the adjustable charge bar was not the best to use. In fact, don't use an adjustable charge bar, unless you enjoy the punishment, go with a solid that has the rubber pad.

One point that helped , by disconnecting the actuator bar and hand rotating the carousel, saved a lot frustration.

All in all, I have a case of steel 1oz 6's ready to go.

Don't know if steel shot loading is possible on the other reloaders but it can be done on a Mec 9000

I haven't tried steel on the 9000. The UCB has it's lovers and haters. Few between.

Did you have shot hanging up between the bar and housing?

I've done bismuth #4 with no issues.

I've done small quantities of ITX, but on the PW 375.