Looking to go with a progressive press

[liber]

You probably change calibers more often than I do so it probably doesn't go as long without being touched due to that.

I normally only load about 300-400 rounds before I change a caliber. For a given monthly trip to the range, I'll take about 600 rounds with me, and will end up shooting about 400-450. Lately I shoot more 308 than I do 5.56.

Also if the priming system gets dirty enough I have to clean it. Maybe every 5-10 thousand rounds?

I have 2 priming systems so I don't need to swap too much around, just undo those 2 screws and swap out for small or large caliber when needed. I just kind blow things off when I change it...and put a drop of oil on the needle-roller bearing I added on top of the shell plate.

Also I broke the plastic shoulder washer...

I broke the plastic shoulder washer that goes on the failsafe rod for the powder measure. To be honest, I'm not sure it is needed, I used it while it was broken. I got a couple from Dillon.

My press only has 18,000 rounds on it though.

Mine only has about 3,000-4,000 on it.

I spend about 4 hours including all the case prep for about 600 a month. I consider it to be a nice time saver, there's not way I could load as fast with a single stage. I did get a single stage recently but so far only have a universal decapping die in it. But I think it might make more sense to get an extra tool head for the Dillon so I can use the case feeder. In the past i just remove the powder measure when I process brass.

[tanks]

That is an observation that I can be in agreement with. And I think I am.

Not best, just tinker less. I can get that. For $150 I do have to tinker about every 15-25 rds even if that means just tightening the center nut and or setting the index lever since it missed...

If I had to tinker every 15-25 rounds for a savings of $150 I would junk the whole thing and start all over again. The reason for a progressive is to create quality and consistent ammo with minimal fuss. Tinkering every 15-25 rounds is not minimal fuss in my opinion.

[drdarrin@sbcglobal.net]

Looking to go with a progressive press

If I had to tinker with my 650 that often, I wouldn't still have it. I do have to pause and clear the occasional case that jams the case feeder or one that is fed upside down, but that's all. The only other reason to pause is to replenish primers, powder, bullets or because my arm gets tired.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[stranded1980]

Dillon 650 here and I too prefer to place the bullet by hand.
Easily 800 to 1000 rounds per hour and not even trying that hard.
Earlier posts suggest that the more you spend on a press, the less you tinker. While having only owned my 650, I will say the only tweaking I've done is really just cleaning and keeping it lubed.

I wanted to comment on this too, since I processed a ton of 223 brass last night on the Dillon 650 with the Swage It attached.

Although I got my Dillon 650 used, I do think it's worth it's value for what it costs new, and if I lost everything in a fire and had to start over, I'd pay the price from the factory. And the reason is stated above by Pauliedad.

I don't have time to tinker. My Hornady LNL AP required it excessively, so when I blew through 1,000 rounds with no stoppages on my Dillon 650, I became a believer in it's value. When I set it up for 40 cal, and made it through 6,000 rounds over a couple of weeks in my spare time with no adjustments, I was permanently sold.

Having a career, a wife, young children, involved with church, non-profits & charities, the needed time to exercise, parents and sisters that need phone call time, homeownership duties.....I don't have time to tinker. When I saw the Swage It on ebay, and thought that for $120, I save 10 hours of my life from making swaging a separate process, I bought it. That's time I can spend doing other things I enjoy.

If you were told that for $1,000 you'd get a minimum of an extra 1 month of life, would you pay it? That's how I view the Dillon 650, and that's how some view the Dillon 1050. We just don't have time to tinker. With the amount of time I'll save for the amount of shooting I do and will do over the course of my life, it's a no brainer.

Now some will follow that logic and say I should just buy factory ammo if I'm so concerned with time. I am also concerned with money, and I do to an extent enjoy reloading. Over the next decade, my fixed cost per round will be amortized to under a penny.

Now, some have had fantastic success with the Hornady LNL AP and the RCBS progressive, and have gotten the same results in it working effortlessly as the Dillon 650, but some of us didn't. Do a google search, and you'll find a plethora of those negative experiences.

OP: best of luck in whichever press you decide. I'm sure any of them will be quicker than the turret you've been using.

[desertjosh]

I made this exact choice this week. I went with the Hornady lnl. It comes next week. I can't wait!

[Pablo5959]

So has the OP decided on a press yet, after 4 months?
Some Realitor is going to be pulling their hair out trying to sell you a house.

Just kidding.
Take your time and get the one YOU want.

[Ojallday]

So has the OP decided on a press yet, after 4 months?
Some Realitor is going to be pulling their hair out trying to sell you a house.

Just kidding.
Take your time and get the one YOU want.

Looks like I'll be going with the hornady progressive press. I'm just looking for the best deal. I found one here but someone else beat me to it unfortunately.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G925A using Tapatalk

[Pablo5959]

Here's the best price I can find right now.

http://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/item/00005095100/Lock-N-Load-AP-Auto-Progressive-Press

Shop around for shell plates. Prices can be all over the place.
Good luck

[Dark Mod]

I've owned a LNL Ammo Plant, 650, and 1050, and I'll tell you right now the 650 is the superior machine.

If you can afford it I reccomend the 650, if you can't, or load a bunch of calibers I recommend the LNL. Since hornady introduced the LNL I cant see any reason for anyone to buy a 550 anymore. Granted I've never owned or used one, and I'm an admitted Hornady fan boy so take that for what it's worth.

I'm not a big fan of the 1050 at all. It's one of the few reloading purchases I really regret and the value you get for the money is awful. I would have had much less heartburn over the 1050 if it was priced closer to $900.

The LNL is really a top notch machine, changeovers are quick and simple, conversions are cheap, and it will pump out ammo just as fast as a 650. Even faster with the bullet feeder. It's one drawback is the tinkering required to get it to run smooth and stay smooth. Every few hundred rounds I would have to readjust certain settings to keep it from hanging up. The 650 is more set it and forget it.

[stilly]

Wow! That would drive me crazy. I have to "tinker" at that level every couple thousand rounds.

Well then you must be using a Dillon or a LNL...

Yes, Lee has this stupid o-ring and as soon as it starts slipping slightly and coming loose it makes the pawl able to reverse which allows the index flipper to fall off the rail... So when the press fails to index, I gotta back it up half a troke, pull out the rail and continue on and THEN tighten the nut. Apparently you can not put a lock washer on that... :\ I need to see if there is a fix/mod for that.

Oh and yes, it has started to frustrate me. Even though I only paid $150 and it works great, it does slow me down. And it seems that it never did it as bad as this before so maybe it is worn out after 20k rds...

If I had to tinker every 15-25 rounds for a savings of $150 I would junk the whole thing and start all over again. The reason for a progressive is to create quality and consistent ammo with minimal fuss. Tinkering every 15-25 rounds is not minimal fuss in my opinion.

I agree with you whole heartedly. But since it was my FIRST progressive, I wanted to play with it a bit and see what I could do and even if I have to readjust every 15-25 rds, I am STILL making ammo faster than on the turret I have so logically it DOES work faster and the ammo is still excellent, AND this is also why I am looking to get a new press and I REALLY wanted a 1050, but then I dropped it down to maybe a 650, but then I thought that I REALLY wanted to get a PC-7 but I do not want to commit to that if I have not been able to see one up close and get a feel for it. I wish I was closer to an RCBS showroom. I want to see one of these LIVE.

If I had to buy a new press today based on internet reviews, videos and comments, I would go with a LNL AP. I might still go that way but I really want to hear that the PC-5 and the PC-7 are looking to be the best progressives out there yet. Sadly though I do not think there is enough feedback on them yet and at the prices they are selling for, I would feel safer with a LNL, but only by a small amount. I ALMOST have the RCBS faith that the PC-7 and PC-5 will rise to the top, but I am basing that on it being made by RCBS. They typically DO make great presses but why have not enough folks ever talked up their piggy-backs? Things like that make me wonder sometimes. Same with the Pro-2000...

[liber]

Well then you must be using a Dillon or a LNL...

Now you're starting to understand grasshopper, people are willing to pay for time and convenience.

Yes, Lee has this stupid o-ring and as soon as it starts slipping slightly and coming loose it makes the pawl able to reverse which allows the index flipper to fall off the rail... So when the press fails to index, I gotta back it up half a troke, pull out the rail and continue on and THEN tighten the nut. Apparently you can not put a lock washer on that... :\ I need to see if there is a fix/mod for that.

Quite honestly that sounds like a real cluster fudge to deal with every 15-25 rounds.

Oh and yes, it has started to frustrate me. Even though I only paid $150 and it works great, it does slow me down. And it seems that it never did it as bad as this before so maybe it is worn out after 20k rds...

I don't see how you can say it works great.

At the end of the day my time has a value, and your post only reinforces why it makes sense to buy a Dillon. Thank you for that reminder.

[John Browning]

I don't get you guys who have to tinker with your LNL to make them run. In over 100,000 rounds covering almost a decade of use, I have done the following:

-Changed the ball on the handle to a Dillon smooth one
-Chamfered the primer shuttles (needed to do this to run S&B primers)
-bought a larger Acro-Bin
-replaced the powder reservoir tube (they discolor with age/use)

That's it. 100,000 plus rounds. I can set it and run 500-1,000 rounds without needing to adjust anything.

Having owned red, blue and green presses here is what my experience is:

The 650 is best if you have a lot of space, money isn't a consideration and you need to be able to load 5000 rounds in a weekend.

The LNL is best if space and money are considerations and you only need to load 1000 rounds in a weekend.

The RCBS progressive is of no merit.

[Dark Mod]

I don't get you guys who have to tinker with your LNL to make them run. In over 100,000 rounds covering almost a decade of use, I have done the following:

-Changed the ball on the handle to a Dillon smooth one
-Chamfered the primer shuttles (needed to do this to run S&B primers)
-bought a larger Acro-Bin
-replaced the powder reservoir tube (they discolor with age/use)

That's it. 100,000 plus rounds. I can set it and run 500-1,000 rounds without needing to adjust anything.

Having owned red, blue and green presses here is what my experience is:

The 650 is best if you have a lot of space, money isn't a consideration and you need to be able to load 5000 rounds in a weekend.

The LNL is best if space and money are considerations and you only need to load 1000 rounds in a weekend.

The RCBS progressive is of no merit.

I feel pretty much the same way, with the exception of tinkering with the LNL. Every 30 minutes or so I would have to tighten the center screw on the shell plate, re twist the die bushings into place because they would work themselves loose, a tip out the primer shuttle cavity so it doesn't hang up, clear a catch in the bullet feeding dies or jiggle the bullet feeding tube around a bit, manually reposition a fed case on the case feed ramp, or some other such thing. I made a YouTube video of me pumping out 1000 rounds for Time and I did it in 40 something minutes and had 3 hang ups and had to re tighten everything before doing a second 1000 round run

[stranded1980]

Since hornady introduced the LNL I cant see any reason for anyone to buy a 550 anymore. Granted I've never owned or used one, and I'm an admitted Hornady fan boy so take that for what it's worth.

Here's a few reasons why I like my Dillon 550 more than the Hornady LNL I used to own:

1. The indexing on the Dillon 550 has always worked 100%, not so for the Hornady.

2. I like the straight up ram pull, especially for larger cartridges. While I found the Hornady's 1/2 step indexing very innovative and still think it's a neat idea to powder spills, I didn't really care for it. I like to hold the bullet on the case while I raise the ram, and didn't like having my arm move in a slight swing with the 1/2 index.

3. I found the priming system on the Dillon superior; it's always worked for me, never gets stuck. I wanted to start using the Hornady as a boat anchor I got so frustrated with it. Supposedly some few people have problems on the Dillon 550 priming when it gets dirty, but I am not one of those.

[stranded1980]

I don't get you guys who have to tinker with your LNL to make them run. In over 100,000 rounds covering almost a decade of use, I have done the following:

-Changed the ball on the handle to a Dillon smooth one
-Chamfered the primer shuttles (needed to do this to run S&B primers)
-bought a larger Acro-Bin
-replaced the powder reservoir tube (they discolor with age/use)

That's it. 100,000 plus rounds. I can set it and run 500-1,000 rounds without needing to adjust anything.

I am jealous of you. Really I am. My didn't run that good; I got a lemon and I should have just returned it for another one. I have since sold it and am left with 2 holes on my reloading bench where it used to sit.

I think the Hornady is innovative, and with their prices, and satisfied customers like you sharing their positive stories, it will force their competitors to come out with new designs and lower prices as they lose market share.