Progressive press

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micgunner

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Progressive press
Monday at 1:59 PM

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For you guys that have a progressive reloader I have a few questions. In the search for a good progressive press.

What brand do you like?

What would you fix on your press if you could change something?

What would you add to your press to better it?

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sawgunner2001XGunny Sergeant
Rating: 3.1/5 this site
595 posts this site
Re: Progressive press
Monday at 2:38 PM
(1 vote)

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I've personally used a Dillon Square Deal B and a Hornady LnL progressive. I think the Dillon was a much more 'efficient' machine. The Hornady is just really quirky. Sometimes cases don't line up perfectly with the sizer and need to be guided by hand...the case feeder has been impossible to get adjusted (for rifle casings...for handgun it does okay, but not flawless)...the primer seater is super sensitive to stuff getting into it. Just a couple of gripes.

Overall, the Hornady machine does work, but not butter smooth. If money wasn't an issue, I'd part ways with it and get a Dillon 650...but of course money's an issue. I'll keep loading on it for a few more years. I haven't gotten mad enough at it to throw it in the trash.

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AntiMatterSHXGunny Sergeant
Rating: 2.9/5 this site
634 posts this site
Re: Progressive press
Monday at 2:52 PM

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Dillon and never look back. They're customer service and no BS warranty is reason enough to consider them. Couple that with their fantastic products and they are easily the best in the industry.

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fursniper

XFirst Sergeant
Rating: 3.3/5 this site
1131 posts this site
Re: Progressive press
Monday at 2:52 PM

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A dillion 550 or 650, you can't go wrong with Dillion's no BS lifetime warranty either. I load 9mm, .40, .45, .38spc and 357 mag pistol & 223 & 308 for the AR's on my 650. All the precision rifle ammo is done on a Forster COAX. You can add little dodads here and there but out of the box the 650 is hard to beat with the casefeeder, roller handle and strong mount.

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Shanerbanner10XFirst Sergeant
Rating: 3.3/5 this site
1853 posts this site
Re: Progressive press
Monday at 3:34 PM

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Hate to steal the thunder, but do any of you use them for loading precision rifle ammo?

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morganlamprechtXFirst Sergeant
Rating: 3.8/5 this site
1312 posts this site
Re: Progressive press
Monday at 3:36 PM
(1 vote)

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all my ammo for the finale was loaded on my 650xl...charges thrown with 2 chargemasters

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padom

XFirst Sergeant
Rating: 3.8/5 this site
3050 posts this site
Re: Progressive press
Monday at 3:50 PM

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XL650 all the way!! I LOVE IT! I have the case feeder, probably 10 tool heads, the RT1500 trimmer which is probably the greatest thing every made. I can deprime, size and trim brass all on a toolhead lightning fast.

I do precision loading on the XL650 for 300blk, 5.56 and 6.5cm AR10. I do still load my bolt gun ammo on my Co-Ax. For 77g 5.56 precision ammo I use 8208XBR which meters great on the XL650 and I use a Forster Ultra Micrometer seating die. Virtually no runout. I was getting runout with the Dillon .223 seating die.

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jakefreeseX47 MONTHS
Premium Member
First Sergeant
Rating: 3.3/5 this site
1191 posts this site
Re: Progressive press
Monday at 3:56 PM
(1 vote)

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Dillon 550, yes I'm loading my precision rifle ammo on it. Whidden floating tool heads and dies. I'm dumping powder by hand for now

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AntiMatterSHXGunny Sergeant
Rating: 2.9/5 this site
634 posts this site
Re: Progressive press
Monday at 5:11 PM
(1 vote)

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Shanerbanner10 wrote:

Hate to steal the thunder, but do any of you use them for loading precision rifle ammo?​

Yeah I've moved almost entirely away from single stage presses because the 550 does everything better and faster imo.

I free float the sizing and seating dies and have had incredible results. I still weigh each charge but use the Dillon dispenser to initially throw charges then trickle up when needed, often the thrown charge in right on, this has sped up my process considerably.

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WyoWindCallXPrivate
Rating: 2.7/5 this site
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Re: Progressive press
Monday at 5:15 PM

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I use a dillon 650 to load my match 260. I do all my case prep on a single-stage though, and use the 650 to seat primers, charge powder, and seat bullet. I do use the dillon powder measure with H4350 and achieve accuracy of + - .1 of a grain powder drop (which is better than my chargemaster most days when tested against a balance beam scale.) The trick is with stick powder, lower the handle slowly and you will feel the powder trickle into the case, that way you dont get powder caught in the drop tube and you dont "cut" the powder as the slide moves.

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gunsnjeepsXFirst Sergeant
Rating: 3.2/5 this site
1168 posts this site
Re: Progressive press
Monday at 8:56 PM

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Setting up to make match ammo with a 650. One head to prep brass; size/deprime, trim. Another head to load brass. Chamfer, deburr, and decrimp off press.

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nuttsackXGunny Sergeant
Rating: 3.1/5 this site
836 posts this site
Re: Progressive press
Tuesday at 7:59 PM Last edited Tuesday at 8:01 PM by nuttsack

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I have a SDB that I load all if my pistol on and I just recently purchased a 550BL after using a Lee turret for 10 years. I use a Redding BR3 measure on the 550 BL since I use extruded powders. I also use a Whidden tool head too.The BR3 throws IMR4350 within .2 with most being spot on. I use the 550BL sort of like a turret by sizing all in one station and I hand prime because I like to feel the resistance when seating the primers. When it comes time to throw the charge and seat the bullets I use it like a progressive. I shoot my loads out to 1k and have been happy with the results.

I say get the 550, I wished I would have right off the bat.. .

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AntiMatterSHXGunny Sergeant
Rating: 2.9/5 this site
634 posts this site
Re: Progressive press
Tuesday at 9:22 PM
(2 votes)

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Check this out:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/mmk8tv8yrk7vii7/12.23.15-Dillon-Prometheus-Article.pdf?dl=0

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ZY100XSergeant
Rating: 3.4/5 this site
267 posts this site
Re: Progressive press
Tuesday at 10:55 PM

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I load 6.5 match ammo (including powder) on my 650 w caseffeder and dillon powder measure. I am not nationally ranked but usually finish top 5-10 local matches and top 3rd+ in the regional shoots. Shot 8x rounds randomly past weekend 140 ELDM @ 2815 and SD of 10.0...so the ammo is good for me. With prepped brass I loaded 100 rounds in 8 minutes Friday.

I clean and run my brass through the case feeder to resize/deprime (Redding FL bushing die, sizing ball removed) then set 0.002 neck tension with a sinclair mandrel on station 3. Quick tumble to remove lube then new tool-head with floating dies, to prime, dump powder, check powder, and seat bullet. I do have the powder check set to the "edge" so if the charge is light by ~.1gn it goes off. It seemms I pull around 2-5 rounds per hundred and re-throw the charge.

YMMV, but works for me. One key is to cycle the powder throw about 20-25 times when setting up to get the powder settled in the hopper and keep it more than ~ 50% full of powder.

ZY

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dopedealer

XSergeant
Rating: 3.2/5 this site
149 posts this site
Re: Progressive press
Wednesday at 8:47 PM

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All pistol ammo on Dillon 650 precision on single stage
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MunsonT45X27 MONTHS
Premium Member
Private
Rating: 3.0/5 this site
42 posts this site
Re: Progressive press
Thursday at 1:34 AM Last edited Thursday at 1:35 AM by MunsonT45

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Great results for me out of the 650. For loading pistol and 5.56, it's all done on the machine. when I'm loading up my 69 and 77 grain stuff, and all my precision loads, I'll pull the cases for the powder drop and do those on a Chargemaster. I also have a Co-axe that I will use in all my load work ups and smaller batches. I used to do all my precision stuff on the co-axe, but I found once the Dillon is set up right, I can get Ammo that is so close in performance, that it does not justify the added time for loading up large amounts. If I'm just loading 200 rounds, I'll just do that on the co-axe. That's about my crossover number for jumping on the Dillon.

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MunsonT45X27 MONTHS
Premium Member
Private
Rating: 3.0/5 this site
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Re: Progressive press
Thursday at 1:43 AM
(1 vote)

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Just to add...as said Dillon stands behind their product like no other company I've ever seen. I was given a Square deal B a few years ago. It was a complete rust bucket. Totally unusable for anything other than an anchor. I called Dillon up and asked them if there was anything they could do. They told me to put it in a box and mail it to them with a check for $40. About 2 weeks later I get a box in the mail...a brand new press. I called them up and explained that it was given to me and I didn't even pay for it. They reiterated that its a no bs warranty and they don't care if your the first owner or the 50th...I couldn't believe it. You can call and their tech's are reloaders, they speak our language, and they will walk you through whatever the issue is. They send out replacement parts for free without question. When you get the machine, buy the optional parts kit. When a part wears or breaks, call Dillon and they will send you out a part. Since it will usually happen while your doing a reloading session, just pull the part from your parts kit and replace it when you get the part in the mail. Buy Dillon and you'll be happy

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NWLaSaintXSergeant
Rating: 3.1/5 this site
134 posts this site
Re: Progressive press
Thursday at 4:49 PM

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My wife gave ma a Dillon 550B for Christmas. I was loading on a Hornady LNL single stage press before that. I've since loaded about 1200 rounds (9mm and .45) on it. I will never look back for high volume loading, especially pistol. I haven't loaded .223 on it yet, as I don't have the conversion kit and tool head for it. But I can only imagine how nice it's going to be.
I've looked at Dillons for a while, and and watched videos, and thought they were kind of complicated and I was a little intimidated by them. Boy was I wrong. They are easy breezy to set up and easy to use.
Order you a Dillon. You won't be sorry.