[The Freeholder]

All of my equipment is RCBS, based around a Rockchucker Supreme press. I'm finding that I'm shooting more and more pistol caliber stuff these days, and reloading is well, kinda slow. Especially when you shoot a couple of hundred rounds at a time.

I've been looking at Dillion progressive presses, since RCBS doesn't seem to make a true progressive. If I buy a Dillion, can I use my RCBS dies, or do I have to buy new dies as well?

[Sheldon]

RCBS does make a "true" progressive, but I like Dillon. The RCBS dies will work on the Dillon as they are the same thread size....in fact most all dies are the same size for the most part. The Dillon dies are shaped a little wider at the mouths of the dies for easier use in progressive presses and a lot of guys like them better than some other brand dies....but your RCBS dies will work.

[dmftoy1]

There is a caveat though about using your RCBS dies on a dillon press. (For pistol rounds). If you want to crimp in a separate step from your bullet seating then you'll have to pick up another die. I just added a Lee FCD to my .45acp RCBS setup and voila. If you wanted to seat/crimp on the same step then you don't need anything other than the dillon calibur conversion for the calibur you intend to load. (assuming a 550 or 650)

Have a good one,
Dave

[The Freeholder]

I may be using the terminology wrong. I looked at the Pro 2000, but it's a manual indexing press. (The Piggyback is the same idea and besides, I can't use it anyway--it doesn't work with an RC Supreme).

I was under the impression that Dillon indexes when you pull the handle, and that's what I meant when I said the RCBS wasn't a true progressive. Does the Dillon require manual indexing as well?

[dmftoy1]

It depends on which model you're talking about. The 650 and 1050 auto-index, the 550 is a manual index.

Regards,
Dave

[The Freeholder]

Ah-ha. I wan't able to glean the differences in the models from their website. Thanks.

[SASS#23149]

even though my 550b is manual-index,it's light years ahead of a single stage.the indexing is a 1 second step at mostEven if you used it to only load one round at a time while learning the steps,it's light years ahead of a single stage
Did I mention it's light years ahead of a single-stage?? :)

[Third_Rail]

SASS, wouldn't that just mean a few years ahead? A lightyear, afterall, is one year. :neener:

[BluesBear]

Your RCBS dies will work just fine in a Dillon press. Spend the extra money for the 650. Or if you're going to change calibers a lot, consider the Hornady Lock & Load Progressive press.

As for the Dillon tapered entry dies... if your press is set up right and is properly indexing, you'll have very few, if any, problems.

I do, however, strongly recommend separating seating and crimping.
You'll just make better ammo that way.

Here's where the Redding Mmicrometer Seating and/or the Redding Profile Crimp dies really shine.

[Hutch]

Except for the Square-Deal, which has it's own proprietary dies.

[The Bushmaster]

One light year equals the distance that it takes light to travel, in a vacuum, in one year. Approximately 5.878 trillion (5.878 X 10 to the 12th power) miles. SASS#23149's press is WAY ahead of all of us.

[CB900F]

The Freeholder;

As other's have stated, yes the RCBS dies will work.

I also started with RCBS & am currently using the Rockchucker as my single-stage press. But I've also been using the RL550B for years & now use the Dillon dies with it. Don't let the manual indexing throw you off of the 550, there are some definate advantages to the system. One very important one, you can cease the process at any time & pull a suspect cartridge from any station without upsetting anything else. Want to pull every 10th & check the powder charge? No problem.

As it's name implies, it's possible to crank out several hundred rounds an hour with the 550. Every once in a while I contemplate buying a second 550. But now that I've heard that Winchester is gonna make .45ACP brass with small primer pockets, well then there's no need to switch the primer feed. Or buy the second press to get away from that little chore.

Besides, the bucks you save buying a 550 instead of a 650 will buy a fair amount of components. Or other reloading accessories, or a thingobang, or - - - .

900F

[Third_Rail]

The Bushmaster, while you are corret re: distance, the way "lightyear" is commonly used is as a unit of time, which is faulty thinking in that it's only a year. :)

[The Bushmaster]

And?!? ;)

[Paladin7]

The RCBS Piggyback will work with your RC Supreme Press. The model is the Piggyback-4. I just purchased one for a lot less $ than the Dillon. I don't think you can go wrong with the Dillon, as everyone who has them raves about them, but for price considerations the RCBS Piggyback is hard to beat.

[brickeyee]

I always understood 'lightyears ahead' to be a reference to the huge distance, and that the competition was loosing the race.

[The Bushmaster]

You got it Brickeyee....

[klover]

Would the RCBS Piggyback work with an old Rock chucker? What exactly does
the RCBS Piggyback thinggy do anyways? :confused:

[brickeyee]

The pigyback goes on top of the rockchucker.