Dedicated pistol/rifle setup?

[AreWeFree]

What do you recommend for the optimal 9mm reloading station with case/bullet feeder? How about .223?

I'm tired of single stage, I need a dedicated station for 9mm now, .223 later.

[Eljay]

Do you have a budget? A Dillon 650 or 1050 with a bulletfeeder will crank out either like nobody's business. When you start up the .223 you would also want to look into the Dillon trimmer.

If you budget isn't an issue you would also want to read up on the Mark 7 autodrive. http://www.markvii-loading.com/Mark-...rive_p_13.html

[Divernhunter]

Dillon 650 with case and bullet feeder.

[AreWeFree]

Do you have a budget? A Dillon 650 or 1050 with a bulletfeeder will crank out either like nobody's business. When you start up the .223 you would also want to look into the Dillon trimmer.

If you budget isn't an issue you would also want to read up on the Mark 7 autodrive. http://www.markvii-loading.com/Mark-...rive_p_13.html

Well kinda, I can't afford and don't need a camdex, and I don't want to be wasteful. Otherwise within reason, no budget.

I'm just not entirely certain what's the optimal machine/setup for 9mm and .223.

[jericho89]

the 650 will easily do both with a conversion kit...

[Eljay]

So a really nice setup would be a 650 with a bulletfeeder, the suitable conversions, and a spare toolhead with the Dillon trimmer.

You could load 1000 rounds/hour of 9mm if you really cranked. With .223 I'd go a little slower just to make sure the powder dropped and of course that assumes prepped brass. But we're still talking a high rate of speed.

A 1050 is just generally a more robust machine. It has a built in swager which would be handy. It's possible to buy an aftermarket "Swage It" to add to the 650 during the brass prep/trim stage for the .223 but Dillon frowns on it. Conversions are more expensive.

If you think the autodrive could be a real option the 1050 version is a) shipping and debugged, b) faster, c) lots more expensive. The 650 version is more of an unknown at this point.

I've loaded about 20K rounds in the last year on my 650. If it was ALL one caliber, or two calibers and logistically I could only switch it once a month and do big batches the 1050 would be a better fit. If I could afford two presses dual 1050s would be awesome. But it's not all one caliber, it's four so far and I'll get conversions for at least one more soon. Conversions are expensive and time consuming on the 1050 so the 650's a better press for me.

So that's some of the thinking.

Also I'm assuming you're talking "3 gun" quality .223 and not severe bench match precision fancy pants .223 which shouldn't be done on any progressive.

Also by bulletfeeder I mean a "Mr. Bulletfeeder", they're awesome.

[Eljay]

You might want to check out https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRxqi816MSs

That's the 5 time USPSA production national champion hard at work reloading 9mm.

[Eljay]

And here's some dude trimming 223 brass.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_jkUgOaHTM

[AreWeFree]

Thank you very much Eljay. I know the question is asked frequently but as a total system (bullet/case feeder) I wasn't sure which makes more sense.

[1HitaQuita]

Everyone seems to keep saying "bullet feeder". A GSI bullet feeder costs just as much as a 650xl setup (and that's just for 1 caliber). If the small movement that it takes to place a bullet on your brass is too taxing for your body then you're going to have much bigger problems. Save that money on the bullet feeder & put it towards more supplies. Just my .02. But you can't go wrong either way.

[Eljay]

I have no idea what a GSI bullet feeder costs, because everybody I know prefers the Mr. Bulletfeeder (and I shoot USPSA so I know a LOT of people with multiple Dillons, etc.) but it makes a HUGE difference to performance. Well worth the money. It's not about the motion being "taxing", that's a straw horse.

What it does for you is a couple of things. It speeds you up more than you would think. It's a little non-intuitive because it "only takes a second" to set the bullet but if you don't have to set the bullet you can really crank the handle without smashing your fingers. I pop out a round every three seconds.

The second thing it does is keeps you in more of a groove. You can totally focus on what you're doing, feeling the press, etc. It's a lot less herky jerky.

The last thing it does is it lets you keep your eyes on the powder level without having to look anyplace else. As each case gets filled and is about to get its bullet you can verify that level each time, no distractions.

If he gets the 1050 he can keep the low powder detector in the loop for a secondary check as well.