What hardware am I missing?

[510dat]

I'm looking to get into reloading, so I've been reading up here and other places. I'm trying to figure out an accurate list of what hardware I need, so I can put together an estimated budget.

I did read the Reloading 101 sticky, but that's focused on single-stage presses and pistol rounds, which doesn't quite cover my interest. I will be reloading .308 for an M1A, and it seems like a progressive loader is the way to go.

With the five stations of a Dillon XL650, it seems like I should have: a)resize/deprimer b)powder drop c)powder check d)bullet seating e)crimping

I'm fuzzy as to where the primers get installed, and a case lube die would be useful as well, but I'm sure I can do that by hand.

Anyway, here's what I've got so far, please let me know what I'm missing, or if you have alternate recommendations I'm happy to hear your input. Prices are mostly from the Dillon site. Thanks.

Reloading manual: Barnes #4 & Speer #14 (got them, both are focused on single-stage presses)
Press: Dillon XL650 $505
3 Die set, .308 (size/deprime, seating, crimp) $60
case feed assembly $200
Powder scale (balance) $50
Powder measure $71
shell plate $35 (included with the press as "caliber conversion kit??)
case trimmer die $42
primer pocket swager $92, or $6 for a hand held
collet bullet puller $9 (midwayusa.com)
primer tubes $7.50 ea?
cartridge catch bucket $3 ea
vibratory case cleaner $55 (Harbor Freight)
case deburring tool $12
calipers (dial) have one
loading block $9 (rcbs)

Guesstimate total: $1140 +tax/shipping, plus consumables

[GW]

A bullet tray and case lube
You stand the cases in the tray and give it a blast of One-Shot
You cannot run rifle cases thru dies without lube They will stick badly
Also, get a Lyman reloading manual.
It has all sorts of data for lead bullets as well as for popular bullets.

[f4tweet]

I would stick with a Rock Chucker unless you are going to shoot 3-Gun. This will give you time to learn. It would be nice to have a Hornaday OAL tool and threaded case to learn what size your chamber is, and an RCBS case micrometer so you can tell where to set your sizing die. It helps to have a Hornaday comparator to check YOUR cases OAL There are some great threads here, and some great people who helped me learn and understand how to reload .308.

[Sunwolf]

You can use

.40 caliber/10 mm plastic or styrofoam trays that come in the ammo boxes for .308 loading blocks,if not get the cheaper wooden loading blocks from midway.

[Sunwolf]

I think

The shellplate,powder measure and primer tube is included with the machine.

[ar15barrels]

With the five stations of a Dillon XL650, it seems like I should have: a)resize/deprimer b)powder drop c)powder check d)bullet seating e)crimping

I'm fuzzy as to where the primers get installed, and a case lube die would be useful as well, but I'm sure I can do that by hand.

The primer gets pushed in on the second stage before the powder drops.

Do your sizing and trimming in a separate operation from your priming, charging, seating and crimping.

I setup a separate toolhead to lube, decap, size and trim.
Then tumble the brass to clean off the lube.
Swap toolheads and run a decapping die in station one to knock out media from the flash hole.
You could also omit the decapping from the first toolhead and do it before priming on the 2nd toolhead.

[hogwild]

I'm in the same boat and just posted about reloading video.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I know I need a case trimmer and some other things but not sure.

These are the list of things I have:
1.Kinetic bullet puller
2. Case lube pad
3.Powder funnel
4.RCBS reloding dies in the calibers I shoot 7MM Weatherby Mag-243 win-308 win
5.Uniflow powder measure
6.Lee 2001 challenger press
7.#3-4 Shell holders
8 Case brush.
9.some books.
The ABC's of reloading 6th Edition By Rodney James

What am I missing?
any help is really appreciated. should I stay with this press for now.
what trimmer is recommended?

[510dat]

Thanks everybody, there's a lot of good information here.

The shellplate,powder measure and primer tube is included with the machine.

Now that I've read the description again, you are correct.

[Sunwolf]

Also

I did away with the case lube pad 20 years ago and use the Hornady one shot spray lube now,just easier and less messy.

[30Cal]

You'll be FL resizing so you need something to measure case shoulders as mentioned above. I like the Hornady case comparitor. This is something you'll need fairly infrequently assuming you leave the dies alone in the toolhead.

The trim die you listed allows the Dillon trimmer to be mounted to the press. I have no experience with the Dillon trimmer. My only advice is to get something with a motor. You'll need to trim every 2nd or 3rd firing with M1A loads

The primer pocket swager is necessary only for surplus brass. I use a chamfer/debur tool spun with a drill/drill press to cut crimps rather than swage. Better yet is to buy brass with the crimp already removed and forget about it.

I have a 550 and just a single primer feed tube. Works fine. You will need a primer flip tray (Dillon or whoever) to load them.


The kinetic bullet puller is quick and will be more than adequate for fixing the occasional mistake. The collet puller is for massive errors (if you screw up an entire box) and will require you to free up a station on your press to get into action--then you'll have to put whatever die back into place and adjust it (time consuming). You probably don't need both.

[ar15barrels]

I was waiting for someone else to catch that dillon trim die...
IF you want to use a dillon trimmer, then you need the trim die.
Otherwise, look at a different method of trimming.

[lead chucker]

I'm looking to get into reloading, so I've been reading up here and other places. I'm trying to figure out an accurate list of what hardware I need, so I can put together an estimated budget.

I did read the Reloading 101 sticky, but that's focused on single-stage presses and pistol rounds, which doesn't quite cover my interest. I will be reloading .308 for an M1A, and it seems like a progressive loader is the way to go.

With the five stations of a Dillon XL650, it seems like I should have: a)resize/deprimer b)powder drop c)powder check d)bullet seating e)crimping

I'm fuzzy as to where the primers get installed, and a case lube die would be useful as well, but I'm sure I can do that by hand.

Anyway, here's what I've got so far, please let me know what I'm missing, or if you have alternate recommendations I'm happy to hear your input. Prices are mostly from the Dillon site. Thanks.

Reloading manual: Barnes #4 & Speer #14 (got them, both are focused on single-stage presses)
Press: Dillon XL650 $505
3 Die set, .308 (size/deprime, seating, crimp) $60
case feed assembly $200
Powder scale (balance) $50
Powder measure $71
shell plate $35 (included with the press as "caliber conversion kit??)
case trimmer die $42
primer pocket swager $92, or $6 for a hand held
collet bullet puller $9 (midwayusa.com)
primer tubes $7.50 ea?
cartridge catch bucket $3 ea
vibratory case cleaner $55 (Harbor Freight)
case deburring tool $12
calipers (dial) have one
loading block $9 (rcbs)

Guesstimate total: $1140 +tax/shipping, plus consumables

If you are looking at just what you need to get going, in my opinion, there are some things on your list that you don't absolutly NEED:

1. case feed assembly - will definitly speed the process up, but not required.
2. collet bullet puller
3. loading block - you will find it nice to have a pair during your trimming/deburring/etc process, but not as important as with a single stage.
4. cartridge case bucket - not sure what that is!?

And if you want to have a powder check stage (not required, but a good idea), that's about $66.

Primers are installed at the powder stage (on downstroke before upstroke to the powder measure).

I've never heard of a lube die... cases should be lubed prior to re-sizing (the first stage). I use dillon's spray... easy to do in mass.

BTW: the 650 is what I have - I love it!

[510dat]

If you are looking at just what you need to get going, in my opinion, there are some things on your list that you don't absolutly NEED:

1. case feed assembly - will definitly speed the process up, but not required.
2. collet bullet puller
3. loading block - you will find it nice to have a pair during your trimming/deburring/etc process, but not as important as with a single stage.
4. cartridge case bucket - not sure what that is!?

And if you want to have a powder check stage (not required, but a good idea), that's about $66.

Primers are installed at the powder stage (on downstroke before upstroke to the powder measure).

I've never heard of a lube die... cases should be lubed prior to re-sizing (the first stage). I use dillon's spray... easy to do in mass.

BTW: the 650 is what I have - I love it!

According to what I've read, a lube die is a 'hollow' die with a felt ring around the base and some kind of tube that lets case lube soak the felt. You would put it just before the resize/deprime die

a cartridge case bucket is the squarish plastic bucket that the finished cartridges drop into, but I have since learned that one comes with it

[ar15barrels]

According to what I've read, a lube die is a 'hollow' die with a felt ring around the base and some kind of tube that lets case lube soak the felt. You would put it just before the resize/deprime die

There is no stage before the resize/deprime die in a 650.
Depriming must be done in station one.
That's where the hole for the spent primers is.
A lube die also deprimes though.
The issue is that you won't have a way to size and neck expand before powder charging.

If you want to use a lube die, setup a separate toolhead to lube/decap/trim and neck expand.
Then clean that processed brass to remove lube.
Setup the other toolhead to decap again (clears out media from the flash hole), prime, charge and seat.

You run the cases through the press twice, but with the casefeeder, it goes really fast.
I load all my 223 in this fashion.
I call is loading by the "bucket method"
Brass goes from bucket to bucket to bucket...