750 vs. 550

[lewdogg21]

Edit: Bought a 550c.


I've been reloading in earnest since March. Mostly 10mm and nontoxic hunting ammo for big game. My shooting cut back around the time of the internet ammo ban and I dont shoot often now. With that said I've been eyeing a 550 or 750. I look at it as a life long investment I suppose.

Now I don't foresee myself dropping $300 on a bullet feeder (been saving a while for a dillion so $$$ is a factor) so if I've not using an case or bullet feeder on the 750 what is the advantage over a 550?

I understand auto indexing.

Thanks.

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[elpaisa1]

Buy the 750. The 750 allows for volume loading where as the 550 will load alot slower because of the manual indexing. Both good machines, backed by awesome company.

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[BajaJames83]

I loaded on a 550 for 15 years and easily 400000 rounds.
The 550 is a great machine and vs a 650 or 750 actually just as fast unless you add a casefeeder.
I recently sold my 550 and went to a 750 so I can tell you from experience that while the 750 is a great machine unless you really want to get the casefeeder there is NO advantage over the 550.
Do you ever plan to load other calibers?
That is another factor as the 550 is much easier and cheaper to change calibers on.

And actually if you do not have a casefeeder on the 750 it will be slower than running a 550. The auto index isnt any time saving feature.

Dont get me wrong the 750 and its older brother 650are great machines but a 550 is still the workhorse

[ysr_racer]

The main differences between a 550 and a 750 (I have both) is the 750 auto indexes, you can add a case feeder, you can add a bullet feeder, and the 750 has an extra station you can use for a powder check.

If you're shooting under a 1000 rounds a month, I'd go with the 550.

[slyMon]

[ysr_racer]

Having a 750 without a case feeder and bullet feeder kinda defeats the purpose of having a 750.

[ghideon]

You also said non toxic ammo for hunting. If I'm assuming rifle (and your 10mm), I would probably go with the 550. If reloading rifle on the 550 is too much of a pain, add a single stage press down the road. IIRC the 550 may support more calibers than the 750 (this is from memory, double check).

I say this as a 650 owner w/casefeeder, but my original needs 10yrs ago involved shooting 1k 9mm a month in competitions.

[sirgrumps]

one other advantage the 750 has over the 550, the case feeder on a 750 will feed rifle cases, the feeder on a 550 is only pistol cartridges

[lewdogg21]

I currently load or have dies, primers, powder for 10mm, 35 rem, 458 SOCOM, 270 win, 308, 257W, 300, and 338. All of the rifles are non-toxic so it's not high volume shooting and it's high cost to load.

I think I also have 9mm dies but no spp and enough 9mm to last years.

What is the ballpark caliber change cost (not including dies since I've read I could use my rcbs) on a 550 vs. a 750?

I really appreciate the input and well explained reasoning, even fro. YSR-Racer.

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[jyc]

I currently load or have dies, primers, powder for 10mm, 35 rem, 458 SOCOM, 270 win, 308, 257W, 300, and 338. All of the rifles are non-toxic so it's not high volume shooting and it's high cost to load.

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Prices for caliber conversion kits and quick change kits are on Dillon's website. About $180 per caliber if you want to make your life easy.

Definitely stick with the 550 since you load magnum class rifle cartridges. It's the more versatile of the two and can still kick out pistol cartridges around 400 rounds/hour.

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[hambam105]

550

[randomBytes]

I started on a 550, after a couple of years got a 650 - with case feeder.
I still have the. 550, but due to limited bench space it is back in its box.

Doing it again, I'd go straight to the 650/750 with case feeder of course.
The extra station is handy. for 38spl etc where you cannot easily see the powder charge I use an RCBS lockout die for that.

[ysr_racer]

I started on a 550, after a couple of years got a 650 - with case feeder.
I still have the. 550, but due to limited bench space it is back in its box.

Doing it again, I'd go straight to the 650/750 with case feeder of course.
The extra station is handy. for 38spl etc where you cannot easily see the powder charge I use an RCBS lockout die for that.

What's a lockout die?

[ghideon]

[ghideon]

What's a lockout die?

https://ultimatereloader.com/2010/09/19/rcbs-lock-out-die-part-i-theory-of-operation/

RCBS's version of a die to detect no powder or double charges. It'll hang up the press if you encounter one of those situations.

For Dillon, 'caliber conversion kits,' 'E-Z change kits' and 'quick change kits' are three different things. I'm going to have to limit myself to a 650/750, since that's what I know.

650/750 caliber conversion kit (note the casefeed adapter parts, they aren't on a 550 conversion kit). Also this doesn't include the casefeeder plate in the case feed itself:

https://www.dillonprecision.com/xl-750-xl-650-caliber-conversion-kit_8_2_23804.html

A 'quick change' kit. Note there are no dies, and no actual bits and bobs for the press:

https://www.dillonprecision.com/xl-750-650-quick-change_8_2_23806.html

An E-Z change kit. Basically a combination of both of the above, with dies included:

https://www.dillonprecision.com/xl-750-xl-650-e-z-change-kits_8_2_26743.html

This website is helpful for determining what bits and bobs crossover on the caliber conversions, so you can order the individual parts instead of the whole kit:

http://thegunwiki.com/apps/calconversion/

It's certainly possible to just use one tool head and one powder measure to reload multiple calibers. But who wants to setup the dies again once you've got them dialed in?

Plus taking off the powder die, putting in a different funnel, and then possibly swapping out the powder bar (Dillon makes 4 different sized powder bars, and there are aftermarket ones). And also installing the small or larger primer feed parts (a lot of 650 folks just bought another separate primer feed assembly to bolt on, I'm not sure how that works on the 750).

In the end your cabinet looks something like this: