Need Choosing A Press

[Luv1911's]

Ok guys, I was just about to order a Dillon 550B and have recently been talking with some of the guys at our gun club that reload. Several said that the guns that they have seen blow up through the years was due to a double charge using a Dillon 550 largely because the 550 doesn't auto index. I only use the Dillon here because that is the press I was inquiring about. I know we can talk about the need to be focused and look into every round to check for powder but Murphy sometimes comes into play whether we like it or not. So I have been looking at other presses like the Dillon XL650, the Hornady LNL AP and the Lee 1000 Pro. All have positives and negatives about them including but not limited to price (Dillon), indexing issues (Hornady) and issues with types of primers recommended for use and over all quality of the press(Lee). I'm not here looking for press bashing but good constructive comments on reliability, ease of use, clearing a jam, and ease of changing calibers so that I can make a final decision. While cost is of concern and I am new to reloading. I only want to do this once and am willing to pay a little more if necessary for a good press but don't want to throw money at something just because. I will be reloading 9mm and .45 acp pistol cartridges. I do shoot competition with the local gun club so at times I can chew up some ammo if I shoot every weekend. The Dillon 550B appears to be a great press and it may still be in the running but I can see an advantage to an auto indexing press. Your comments will be greatly appreciated, share with me some of your knowledge.

[Luv1911's]

Sorry that should read "Need Help Choosing A Press".

[Dark Mod]

You will find the LNL and the 650 to be very similar presses. While the Dillon is arguably a finer quality press, it also has a pricetag to match. The other good news about the LNL is that caliber changes are very quick, and all you need for a new caliber is the shellplate, making caliber changes cost about $30.

The Dillon can change calibers fairly quickly if you buy an extra priming assembly and a whole toolhead with powder measure for each caliber, but that will get expensive quick. were talking $120+ per caliber change.

Ive run into a few hickups with my LNL, but they have been remedied fairly easily. I dont know if Dillons malfunction less, but it certainly seems that way (im sure dillon owners will chime in). They do seem smoother and vetter engineered. I think the priming system is superior on the Dillons too.

If money was no object id own all blue equipment, but when i did the research the LNL came out on top.

[Divernhunter]

Get the Dillon 650XL and you will never look back. There is a station for a powder check die and it has a buzzer also to tell you if the charge is high or low. Self indexing and a great machine I have one that currently has change overs for 45ACP and 9mm. Have another set up for 223 now. Get the case feed and primer sensor as well as the powder measure sensor.

Dillon. may cost alittle more but worth every penny.

[BigBronco]

I would recommend the LnL or the 650 for the simple reason of the fifth die station. This allows for a powder check, Alarm or Lock out die to be used.
I have the LnL and it serves me well.

[XDRoX]

Consider me old school but I say the 550 is the way to go. I don't mind manual indexing. In fact I prefer it. I look into each case before I place a bullet and so I know that I charged the case and know that I didn't double charge it. It's not hard to do. If you learn to look into each case before placing a bullet it becomes habit.

The other day I was loading on my neighbor's LNL with a case feeder and powder check. I still looked into every case before placing a bullet. In fact the powder check started to cause problems and I asked him to take it off. It just slowed me down.

The simplicity of the 550 is what sets it apart from the rest. I could have easily afforded a 650 but didn't need the speed of a case feeder and preferred the simplicity of the 550 so that's what I bought. I have zero regrets.

And even if I had room for a powder die, which I could if I seat/crimp in one step, I wouldn't use one anyways. Just one more piece of equipment that has the possibility to fail.

Most the guys on this forum load on 650's and LNL's. So you're going to get more recommendations on the other two. But don't throw out the idea of a 550. It truly is the work horse of the bunch.

More parts = more possibility for problems. The 550 is the Glock of reloading presses.

[Bill Steele]

I have a 550B and like it a lot. I do believe in Murphy's Law but I also believe if I look in the case before I set the bullet, then I have eliminated Murphy. I also never had a problem flying on instruments and doing approaches to minimums, so I guess to some degree it has a lot to do with the person. I have many tens of thousands of rounds loaded with no doubles on my 550B, ymmv.

I also believe auto indexing (with the appropriate interlocks on the powder drops that all the popular options come with) can help with the risks for those that might not trust themselves to remember to look before they set the bullet. For the "belt and suspenders" crowd, a powder lockout or buzzer like Dillon offers is added insurance. A powder cop die makes no sense to me, as you have to be looking at it to determine if the charge was correct, I mean, if you can't trust yourself to look in the case, why do you trust yourself to look at the powder cop doughnut?

I think either the Hornaday LnL AP or the Dillon 650 should meet your needs if the 550B is too much risk. I think you will likely have a few more minor tweaks from time to time with the LnL, if the post volume on it is any guide, but there are a lot of VERY experienced hands on that press, right here on these threads, so getting it dialed back to smooth operation is likely just a few posts away.

Really, in the end, whatever you select of the above options should make you happy, as soon as we all can start getting components again...

[stilly]

If you shoot more than 300 rounds a week then you might consider a dillon still. BUT, if you are new to reloading and for many folks that are then I recco a Lee Classic Turret. I find that I can pump out about 150+ in about two hours or less. It is all about getting a feel for what you are doing and being familiar vs being clunky. I have yet to make a squib on accident but sometimes I feel that if I am not as familiar with that load recipe or round or mechanics of what I am doing that I can screw up.

Murphy only comes in the door if you let him. He is like a Vampire and can only enter if you invite him in...

Why do people look at the Lee Pro 1000 and not that massive Load Master or whatever it is called? That Load Master is what I would get because it has what, 5 stations, massive, stronger, and can do .308 where that Pro 1000 can not go past .223 it seems. PLUS that pro 1000 looks to have the same body of that cast aluminum 3 hole turret press. I could be wrong but if I were to look at the Lee loaders then I would look at the Load Master. Looking at a Dillon I would consider a 650 or 1050 and for Hornady the LNL AP only.

Lyman. Rcbs, and Redding, forster and others are out of it for a progressive for me even though I would consider them for other types of presses.

... A powder cop die makes no sense to me, as you have to be looking at it to determine if the charge was correct, I mean, if you can't trust yourself to look in the case, why do you trust yourself to look at the powder cop doughnut?...

I think that if your lighting is not positioned in the right spot that it makes looking down some cases (.223 and .308) harder for some folks that use the vibrators to clean their stuff and still have dirty insides. Of course in the case of the .223 and .308 I will say that no matter how clean those are it can be a pita to efficiently look inside each case. I have noticed that for the cases with the smaller necks you might have this problem. With as many flashlights as I have around the house, I do not have any near my loading bench...

[MIAMIbaseballer]

Dillon 650 for sure......

[kmca]

If you narrow it down to a Dillon, check this out:

http://www.brianenos.com/pages/dillon.html

Brian runs a very good forum, he's a Dillon dealer and if you call to place your order, you get to talk to Brian himself.

[morrow]

You won't regret buying the Dillon 550 or 650. 650 is much faster than the 550, i highly prefer it.

Again, you won't regret either.

[Clownpuncher]

I have an LnL and aside from initial growing pains with it, it runs good.

My (main) criteria for an auto press when I was shopping for one was 5 stations so I could have a powder check, auto indexing, and easy caliber change.

I never really looked at the 550 since I wanted an auto indexing press if I was going to buy another.

I looked at the 650 and the LnL mainly and they both met my needs/wants and, to be honest, the deciding factor was price. Not necessiarily the initial buy price but the caliber change price. As Dark Mod stated above, that is very expensive with the dillon and not expensive at all with the LnL. I am especially glad I went with the LnL now that I load 8 different calibers.

As for the powder check, I've heard the dillon powder check is good with the buzzer but again, expensive. I have the RCBS lockout die and it works great. It has saved my bacon a couple of times as it locks the press up with an under or over charge.

Oh, and I have other Dillon equipment and can say that Dillon's and Hornady's customer service are both top notch.

Bottom line, the 650 and the LnL are both great machines and both have their quirks. The biggest difference I found was price. Good luck.

[elhefe50ss]

i have a loadmaster and its a great unit

[luvtolean]

For volume handgun (IPSC, USPSA etc), I'd want 5 stations, and auto indexing.

I have a LnL, and Hornady's customer service has been the best I've ever experienced with any product, ever.

Certainly Dillon builds a great press too, I'd just say get a 650 not a 550. It will cost much more to get running for multiple calibers than a LnL, but it holds it's value.

[Lead Waster]

OK, on a manually indexing 550b, it's hard to double charge a case because if you DON'T index, then you might notice that there is already a bullet seated where you are trying to shove a bullet, and there is a case already where you are trying to shove a case...