Talk me out of a Dillon 550

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  • Cleric
    Unwashed
    • Feb 2017
    • 10

    #16
    Originally posted by Hoser1 View Post
    I inherited my dads dillion 550, cant wait to start using it this winter for a large volume of 30-06, 45 acp, and some grendel. My dad says he used it for rifle reloading a lot, he just simply weighed the powder charge on a lyman scale and dumped it into the case. If you go to dillion.com or even graf and sons, you will find all the pieces you need. I put my single stage under the bench, but will be getting it back out for working up loads from time to time. I agree with all the guys here, you should have both for all the right reasons. If nothing else start with a single stage,you can always upgrade in a few years. no need to buy new dies, you can use what you have.
    Can't beat the price of free . I did get my single stage for free.

    The best feature about the Dillion's is the tool heads. You can quick swap much easier. But at the same time it adds slop in the machine as you need another tolerance. Again for bulk ammo it will do more then fine. But if you want chasing groups singe stage is where it's at.

    I am looking for a used 550 to add to the stable.

    One last thing. Think about how you are going to process. For my bolt guns. I deprime, clean, size, trim, hand prime, charge, and finally seat so this is built around single stage

    For proegressive if you plan on trimming it can negate some of the benefits...

    Comment

    • diddlyv
      Warrior
      • Aug 2016
      • 352

      #17
      I started reloading to feed my NRA high Power addiction to 7.62 ammo and went with a lyman mag t turret press. The biggest reason I did not buy a progressive press in first place is the need to trim brass after resizing (especially when shooting a gas gun). Having to kick out the brass to trim and inserting a trimmed chamfered and clean of lube piece of brass rather defeated the purpose of an auto indexing progressive reloader. Having said that if I was shooting a truck ton of straight walled or slightly tapered like 9 mm I would have gone for Big Blue in a heart beat. In the beginning I was using the turret press to batch resize then would trim chamfer and tumble the brass to remove the case lube. Then use the turret like a progressive to prime, charge and seat the bullet. Somewhere along the line I went to a Lee auto priming system. Initially had the auto primer in a slot on the turret press. Lee was offering a deal that was either buy the latest manual and get their cheapy press for free or buy the cheapy press and get the manual for free. In either case I bought what was needed to get the deal and set the auto primer up on the light duty Lee press.

      Lately I have become paranoid about missing a charge so I have taken to batch priming and batch charging of cases in lots of 50 (loading block holds 50) then visually inspecting the charged cases to verify all are charged and appear to be charged to the same level. I then will use the turret to either bell, seat bullet or just seat bullet if not shooting cast requiring the expander step.
      Queen of Battle
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      Life NRA, DAV ,VFW, SASS

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      • mongoosesnipe
        Chieftain
        • May 2012
        • 1142

        #18
        when loading cases that need trimming i run a prep run with lube, resize dies then trim and and tumble clean, then i run them back through the 650 to load and the 650 has a powder check station which eases the mind as far as not seeing whats happening on a progressive
        Punctuation is for the weak....

        Comment

        • The Profit Joseph Sith
          Warrior
          • Nov 2016
          • 596

          #19
          I think cleric and lr hit the nail. It can be done but you should definitely understand the cost to benefits before committing. I'm learning to and I have no problem taking it super slow in a single stage. Those automated Dillon's are fun to watch though for general plinking high volume setups.

          Comment

          • derek45
            Bloodstained
            • Jun 2017
            • 69

            #20
            I have a 550b and an XL650.

            I love them both

            I use the XL650 for 1000 round batches of bulk pistol, and processing and loading 5.56NATO

            I use the 550B for smaller batch stuff, like 44mag, 30-06, etc.

            Very satisfying machines, that can produce large amount of quality ammo.
            NRA LIFE

            USPSA-IPSC


            "The rifle itself has no moral stature, since it has no will of its own. Naturally, it may be used by evil men for evil purposes, but there are more good men than evil, and while the latter cannot be persuaded to the path of righteousness by propaganda, they can certainly be corrected by good men with rifles."

            -Jeff Cooper

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            • Lightning8
              Warrior
              • Jun 2015
              • 136

              #21
              I have three 550s on my table. One is dedicated to small primer pistol - 90% 9mm and 10% 40. One is dedicated to small primer rifle - mostly 223 (and 380 Pistol fits that shell plate). One is dedicated to large primer - mix of 308, 260 Rem, 6.5 CM, large primer 6.5G, and 45ACP. I tend to load pistol the most and I usually load 200 rounds of pistol at a time multiple days per month - that adds up to volume - and that works for me. I know others like the 650 or 1050 for mass volume pistol at one sitting. I picked the 550s up one by one from other shooters upgrading to 1050 or off Craigslist.

              Comment

              • DDRanch
                Warrior
                • Jul 2017
                • 314

                #22
                Seems like the consensus is to prep brass, than run it on a 550 for rifle. I tried running rifle on my 650 and for blasting 223, 300 blk or 308 it works out OK as I do use the powder check die. For the more precision rifle reloading, i prep brass, hand prime, powder charge shells using a RCBS Charge Master to weigh powder, than seat bullet and crimp on my 550..

                Comment

                • slickshot223
                  Unwashed
                  • Apr 2017
                  • 19

                  #23
                  Two 550's and two Square Deal B----nuff said???

                  Comment

                  • Jakerz
                    Unwashed
                    • Jan 2017
                    • 9

                    #24
                    There are a few youtube videos of guys using a 550 for precision work, he's using a Prometheus 2 and the free floating die setup from Whidden Gunworks. Seems like a killer setup, I've thought about getting one and doing the free floating die setup and just run powder on my Charge Master.

                    Jake

                    Comment

                    • Kswhitetails
                      Chieftain
                      • Oct 2016
                      • 1914

                      #25
                      I had a 550, sent it off to Dillon to have it refurb-ed. Came back looking like it was brand new. Seriously. Not kinda new, or like it was just cleaned and painted, it was new. Every wear part was replaced. Nothing was sloppy, and they had even re-painted it. It looked like a new unit.

                      I got it back, mounted it on my bench, and started pressing 9mm.

                      The next morning a friend of mine made an offer to trade my S&W PSX15 for his 650, set up in 9mm. Sold.

                      Now, I have the 650, and after using both, I would spring for the 650, but wouldn't begrudge the 550 at all.

                      If you want to load volume or precision, either works. The repeatability, options, and warranty service are second to none.

                      Talk you out of a 550? Nah, Talk you into a 650

                      Best of luck, enjoy the journey.
                      Nothing kills the incentive of men faster than a healthy sense of entitlement. Nothing kills entitlement faster than a healthy sense of achievement.

                      Comment

                      • gkbiv
                        Unwashed
                        • Aug 2017
                        • 1

                        #26
                        I have a first year production RL 550 and have had nothing but good results from it. The only problems I had were from storage. I have only loaded handgun ammunition with it so far and have been very happy with it.

                        I have never gotten around to trying to load rifle cartridges but am likely to try 5.56 this year.

                        I would consider the RL650 if I was buying it now.

                        Comment

                        • derek45
                          Bloodstained
                          • Jun 2017
                          • 69

                          #27
                          DILLON XL650 RT1200 electric trimmer, "SWAGE-IT" primer pocket swager setup for processing LC 5.56NATO brass.

                          Each pull produces a resized, de-capped, trimmed piece of brass.

                          NRA LIFE

                          USPSA-IPSC


                          "The rifle itself has no moral stature, since it has no will of its own. Naturally, it may be used by evil men for evil purposes, but there are more good men than evil, and while the latter cannot be persuaded to the path of righteousness by propaganda, they can certainly be corrected by good men with rifles."

                          -Jeff Cooper

                          Comment

                          • derek45
                            Bloodstained
                            • Jun 2017
                            • 69

                            #28
                            Then change out toolheads, and load like pistol. Each pull produces a loaded round.

                            Life is Good.

                            NRA LIFE

                            USPSA-IPSC


                            "The rifle itself has no moral stature, since it has no will of its own. Naturally, it may be used by evil men for evil purposes, but there are more good men than evil, and while the latter cannot be persuaded to the path of righteousness by propaganda, they can certainly be corrected by good men with rifles."

                            -Jeff Cooper

                            Comment

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