Money is here: RCBS Pro 2000, Dillion 550B, Dillion 650

I have been wanting to buy a new press for a year. I have went thought the turret phase asking questions on the board with great support, but my wife entered a consignment sale so she could get money for our anniversary on 8/3, and she hit the jackpot.
Looks like I can have the pick of any progressive I want. I left out the H.L-N-L because I just do not like the band feature to hold the cases. I also do not like some other traits. Just personal preference.
I did look over the Lee Load Master, and thought, well I have put up with Lee for years, and I had jimmy'd it to work, and it has done well. Maybe the Load master would've saved me some money with a little re-engineering.

But I have the money, so I want a lifetime press that should be a little less hassle free.
First I'd like to thank my brothers here on THR for putting up with my "turret or progressive" and "which turret and why" posts.


So what it comes down to is the Pro 2000:
Cons: I don't really see any other than the powder die is connected to the press. Can you remove this for different loads, or are you stuck re-calibrating with each change of calibers.
Pros: 5 stations, auto index, built like a tank, can load long action rifle cases as well as pistol.

Dillion 550b: The work horse of reliable progressive presses.
Cons: manual (not really a con but could be), pickup primer tubes (seems very tedious,and prone to breake IMO), only a 4 dies setup
Pros: The standard for progressive presses, easy caliber changes, just seems to work, and work well at it's job. I am not sure about it's ability to load long action rifle. Someone please chime in here.

Dillion 650: 5 station press, fullet feeder (not needed at this time for me, and just takes up space. a lot bigger than the pro 2000, still uses the pickup tubes. Cost about the same of as the pro 2000.

On the Dillions how hard is it to dial in the charge? On the pro 2000 can you swap the power drop for a preset powder drop, or do you have to setup that up every time you load a differnt load.


Thank for the advice.

i'd go with the 550. easier to change calibers than the 650. i'd rather deal with primer pick-up tubes than the APS strips on the RCBS press. manual indexing doesn't really slow you down.

the 550 will load all common rifle cartridges.

Just to add some information. The calibers I will be loading are:

.44 Mag
.44 Spc
9mm
.32 H&R Mag
.30-30
.25-06
.303 Brit

If this makes a difference.

So what are anyone's cons on the RCBS Pro 2000. It looks like a really well thought out machine, and seems very spacious.

I have all the Dillons, both the 550 & 650 are good presses. While I will pick the 550 over a turret press for loading several hundred, if I am looking at 1000's I will pick 650's every time. I have two so i don't have to swap primer systems but it's not really that big of a deal as long as your not going to load 100 of this then 100 of that. On the Dillons I keep the charge bars setup (and marked for powder/charge) for everything I load). So empty the measure and one socket head capscrew lets you swap them and your ready to go. Also keep the powder check rods set for each load and swap the "unit" from one tool head to the other (with each PC die set up they send mandrels for 3 different cal).

The RCBS strip would be fine if you always get your primers already in them. I think I have only seen that once but I don't look for them. There is a fellow that really likes them here, even made a case feed for one, he can answer most any question you have about them I bet.

Come on guys. All these opinions throughout the section, but now it's time to buy, and no one has any advice?
It is a lot of money, and want to make the correct selections.

550 and 650 here. No experience with the 2000, but own other RCBS equipment. Excellent customer service. I think Dillon followed their lead and Hornady caught on later.

I use a battery powered tool to load primer tubes. Haven't broken one yet, but the oldest one I have won't turn 30 for a couple more years.

I was wondering about the Dillion Trimmer. Makes sense to have a 5th stage so that you an size/primer and then trim before you drop powder and place the bullet.. Wow the options.
I bet I just get the 550b and run it simple. It will be used more for .44 mag, .44 spc and .223 than anything else.
I sure would like to hear from some pro 2000 users. Do the swap the powder drop, or do that re-calibrate it with every different load?

If at all possible, visit a few friends who have these presses and get some up close and personal hands-on time.

I think you cannot go wrong with any of the three choices.

I have a Hornady LnL. If I had to replace it and was not allowed to get another Hornady, I'd probably go with the Dillon 650 because it offers the most flexibility of the three.

The 550 is a bit less expensive than the 650. Caliber changes are also faster and less expensive. I have/had both models and stuck w/ the 550 due to it being more forgiving of mistakes.

Auto indexing makes one less thing to worry about. That would rule out the 550 for me.

I hand prime off my progressive in part because I absolutely know that have a primer seated correctly. I do not ever fill a case with powder and bullets with a miss seated.

That said, I do some hand priming with the CCI APS strips. Tey are available preloaded or it takes no more time to fill four of them them (100 primers) as it does to fill a primer tube. You can see the strip index in the press giving you the warm fuzzies that a primer is under the case to be primed.

Personally, I chose the Hornady L-N-L over the Dillon 650 when I bought my progressive press. It is more versatile when adjusting the process to meed my preferred operation.

Have used Dillons, 450 then 550, for 30+ years and would not have anything else. Lifetime guarantee is a plus. Could not go wrong with a 550B. Auto indexing is not a priority for me.

I've been using a Dillon 550B for 25 years and have never had a problem with it. Also have never had a problem with a primer pick up tube.

For me hands down it would be Dillon. I'd most likely take the 650 over the 550 too as I started with a 550. The 550 isn't bad but the 650 is just better for what I do.

I have a fried with the 2000, when I asked his opinion he said go with Dillon. He said the RCBS is not hassle free whatever that means.

I went with the 550B also. I have two of them now, one for large primers and one for small primers.

If you pick one of the Dillons, just be advised that the tool heads are different between the 550 and 650. The dies will of course interchange, since any 7/8-14 die will work on most presses.

The tool heads aren't cheap, and they have a tendency to multiply. The conversion kits are different as well, due to the different number of stations each press has. You can't go wrong with either of them, though.

I have no experience with the Pro 2000, but past RCBS buys have proved they make excellent products as well.

I recently added a turret press to the stable, a Redding T7 to use on rifle calibers mostly for bolt guns. The AR gets loaded from the SP Dillon.

My friend says my bench is going to fall over forward from the weight of the presses. LOL

Good luck with your decision, whichever way you go. Both companies have beyond excellent customer service as well.

I started reloading at the beginning of this year. I had been looking at presses for 2 years before finally buying anything and could find absolutely no complaints toward Dillon. My 550 has been everything I had hoped it would be and then some.

I was concerned about the lack of auto indexing at first but that quickly became a non-issue when I relized that I could easily produce a box of ammo in 10-15 minutes. (Even being a total noob to reloading.) While I have no personal experience with the 650, and only limited time on my 550, the 550 makes more sense to me especially considering the expense and time associated with 650 caliber conversions. One reviewer noted that the only way a 650 makes sense is if you plan to get a case feeder as well.

There are people here that know a lot more about this stuff than I do, so listen to them first; just remember that you can't go wrong with Dillon.

-Zach

Big fan of the Pro2000 here... I load about a dozen calibers with it. It is THE fastest press out there for caliber changes. I know a lot of people that buy two Dillons, one for small primers, one for large, because of the complexity of the primer changeout. On the Pro2K, you remove one primer plunger with a 7/16" wrench, and screw the other size primer plunger back in. Takes about 30 seconds total.

The press is designed with a fixed station #3 (part of the press frame, not the die plate) to hold the powder measure. However, the measure is still removable (it's still a threaded die station - just not on the die plate). For loading rifle, this position works fine. Changing it from one caliber to another is as easy as dumping the old powder, refilling it, dialing the micrometer adjustment to a pre-determined setting (from your previous loading sessions), and fine-tuning the setting with your scale. This usually takes a couple of minutes - less if you record your settings (ie. to throw 5.5 grains of W231, use a setting of 55 on the micrometer), and work in a climate-controlled environment (not much changes in temp/humidity).

For those of us who load pistol, AND use an automatic bullet feeder, we install the powder measure in station #2, and use the RCBS expander inserts for the Uniflow that expand the case and allow it to powder charge - using a powder check/lock-out die in the fixed #3 station. Station #4 is bullet feeding, and station #5 seats/crimps. You could also use this setup without a bullet feeder, seat in station 4, and a separate crimp in #5, if you like to seat/crimp in separate steps.

I also much prefer the APS strips over primer tubes. I can load up a box of primers (1000 primers) into strips in around 15 minutes - and I do this to use up my inventory of regular primers... but I much prefer simply buying the primers pre-loaded in the strips (at a cost of maybe $3 more per 1,000), and not have to mess with primers at all.

All in all, my experience with the Pro2000 has been very good, with few problems, and I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a progressive press, especially someone looking to load a bunch of different calibers with it.

Thanks for the info on the Pro 2000. It was a close race. My wife and I put together a spreadsheet of pros and cons, what I wanted in a press, and which would give me what I wanted for the cheaper price.

I ended up choosing the Dillion 550b. I will be doing multiple caliber changes, so the 650 seems a little to much for me. I will be loading around 400 .223 rounds per week. I will be loading around 800 .44 magnum and 500 .44 specials per week. 100 .25-06 and 150 .30-30 per week also. Then there will be the occasional 200 lot of .303 British.

The Pro 2000 was a close runner up. I love RCBS tools, but in the end, I have always wanted a dillion, adn I like that it is manual instead of auto index. I will let you all know how it goes in the up coming weeks.
Also I will be getting the Dillion 1200 trimmer. :)

I bought my first Dillon in 1983 I think it was, a 450, and since then I've used a 550 and 650. I think, based on your cartridge list, I'd recommend the 550. The 650 is good if you want to crimp rifle cases in that last station, but for pistol the 550 should work just fine.

I also prime off the Dillon, because I like the feel of the RCBS Autoprime bench mounted tool. I've worn out two of them, and I'm about ready to toss out the third one and replace it.

As far as the trimmer, it's not needed on the poistol cases in my experience, and offhand I don't think Dillon makes trim dies for .303 British, and I'm sure they're not made for .30-30 and .25-06. So it's hand trimming for all those.

No, but it would make a dent in the thousands of .233 that have. I have trimmers for the other calibers. I have also been loading for a decade now. I am just deciding to move on up to the progressive presses.
these arms are getting tired of pulling the handles 1 time for 1 chore.

Sent from phone.

A 550 does everything I need a press to do.
I've been through the Lee single stage, Turret & Pro1000.
If you can afford a Dillon, there's just no comparison.
I've had my 550 for almost 2 years now, & there's no way in heck I'd ever go back.
I'd give up reloading before I went back to a Pro1000.
I'm not bashing Lee, as I think most of their stuff works great (just got too frustrated with their progressive).

If you absolutely have to have a powder cop type die, then the 650 is probably a better option.
For me?
If I went with a 650, it'd cost me almost $1500 with all the bells & whistles that I'd want on it.

I was wondering about the Dillion Trimmer. Makes sense to have a 5th stage so that you an size/primer and then trim before you drop powder and place the bullet.. Wow the options. No, thats not an option, using the Dillon trimmer requires 2 passes, no matter what press you use it on.

Can you explain about the two passes?

I was thinking of just setting up a die plate that would decap/size and then trim with the 1200 when prepping my .223. Then having another die plate that would drop powder, check with powder cop, seat bullet and crimp since the decap/size and trim have been done already.

Is this thinking incorrect?

But to be honest due to money on the front end, which I have enough for the press and stand, will be to just run it with a 4 die set and get to banging. I do not crimp most of my .25-06 or .223 rounds. So if I wanted to use a powder cop die I could. Correct?

I was thinking of just setting up a die platethatwould decap/size and then trim with the 1200 when prepping my .223. Then having another die plate that would drop powder, check with powder cop, seat bullet and crimp sincethedecap/size and trim have been done already. That is two passes and yes how you have to do it. From your quote above I thought you were thinking you could size/deprime, trim, powder drop, seat and crimp in a single trip through the machine, and that you can't do.

I was thinking of just setting up a die platethatwould decap/size and then trim with the 1200 when prepping my .223. Then having another die plate that would drop powder, check with powder cop, seat bullet and crimp sincethedecap/size and trim have been done already. That is correct, two tool heads and two passes through the press. From the above quote I thought you were thinking you could do everything with only one trip through the machine.

The 5 stations of the 650 are
1 size/deprime
2 primer seat/powder drop
3 powder check
4 bullet seat
5 crimp

There are a number of bullet feeders that replace the PC die at 3 so you can still seat and crimp in two different stages, they are made to take the place of the die so they can be used on any press. GSI makes bullet feeder tool heads for the 650 and 1050 that allow you to keep the powder check die AND still seat and crimp in two steps, you can't do that with any other combination of presses/feeders.

The 650 sounds awsome, but I think that the 550b has been on the back of my mind for about 4 years now. The pro 2000 has been right there with it, but when I see the 550b run it just sounds right, looks right, and I can see myself enjoying the press.
I think the 550b is what I will go with. What is the name of the shooter that sells them for a little bit of a discount?

I think you're talking about Brian Enos. He seems to be quite popular.

You'll like the 550, that was my first progressive press. The only reason I sold it was I wanted 5 stations so I could use a powder check die.

the 550 YOU have to index the plate. double charges are possible though the calibers you are loading for tend to fill the caseup enough for you to eye each one.
the rifle id stay with the lee as one tends to not make a lot of them.
44 and 44 mag are the same dies you just have to adjust by a few turns in or out. same for 38/357.
32 H&R can also male 327 federal and 32 long ( and short and some brands of dies will do 32acp also)

as for the filler tubes, i have 7 and load them while watching tv. so im good for 700 rounds, no time wasted.

my dillion is 20 years old, hasn't cost anything to fix--they answer the phones and you talk to a tecknician who talkes you through any adjustments or realizes you need parts. they arrive in 2 days--free. if the very detailed instructions don't work for you--phone again, never been a problem that was not handled rightly.

if only dillion ran congress...

Dillon would be the only press I'd used and recommend, and I also prefer the 550 to the 650.

550 here. Got it not to long ago and I could kick myself for not getting it sooner. Excellent press, easy to use and suits my needs. Dillon cust service is second to none. Can crank 150 - 200 rounds an hour easily taking my sweet time. ( you should take your time reloading anyway ) My rifle stuff still gets cranked by my RC except for the 30/30.

The 650 sounds awsome, but I think that the 550b has been on the back of my mind for about 4 years now. The pro 2000 has been right there with it, but when I see the 550b run it just sounds right, looks right, and I can see myself enjoying the press.
I think the 550b is what I will go with. What is the name of the shooter that sells them for a little bit of a discount?

You're not going to be unhappy with either Dillon or RCBS if they fit what you want to do. There are just features that differ, and some features fit a particular person better than others. If you want status on gun forums, Dillon anything is tops...but they are really no more perfect than RCBS's or Hornady's offerings. The one thing that RCBS has is simplicity, fewer moving parts, and a faster, safer primer system....that means less to go wrong and nothing to recalibrate. If it's important to you, it also has faster caliber changes. Cons...one...no case feeder unless you make your own like I did.

The RCBS is an interesting case. As it is as easy to use as a 550...but has the capability of a 650 with it's 5th station. In fact, the Pro 2000 can be had as a manual advance, then upgraded later to auto-advance if you desire for $100. No you can't do that with a 550, nor can you upgrade to five stations without buying something else. The stationary powder measure station does not limit it. You can prime, expand and charge in station 2.

That means the permanent station 3 can be used for a lock-out die or powder cop if you want.

There's no good reason I can find NOT to use the permanent station 3 to drop powder, as it was designed, while loading rifle calibers.

BTW, the only Dillon press that is cast iron like the Pro 2000 is the 1050.

Warranty & service? 6 of one half dozen of the other. Both companies take care of their customers equally well.

This review, several years old, by Peter Eick, was the decider for me 3 1/2 years ago. Now he's passed 300,000 rounds loaded.
http://www.handloads.com/articles/default.asp?id=26
He still likes it, but he can tell you that....himself.:)

I hand prime off my progressive... I chose the Hornady L-N-L over the Dillon 650 While the hornady has more issues with the priming system than the 650 it still is much faster than running everything through the machine twice. You really have that many problems priming on the press?

What is the name of the shooter that sells them for a little bit of a discount?

I bought my last press from this fellow, best prices I have seen.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=96922&highlight=dillon+price

I don't recommend any junk pot metal presses, especially ones with two year warranties when every other manufacturer has a LIFETIME warranty that they stand behind.

While I have not used a RCBS 2000, either it or the Dillon 550 (I have a 550 and several 450s) should do anything you want. Friends have Dillon 650s and love them too. You can't go wrong with any of them. The ONLY thing these presses can't do is swaging and case forming, but for regular reloading, I'd go Dillon.

So, Dillion 550 over the Pro 2000? I have the money for the 650, but I heard it was a pain in the but to change calibers, and I will be loading at least 5 calibers on the press. I still have my old single stage stand by, by the way. I have also been loading for about 10 years now. I just now have gotten the money and balls to go progressive.

I picked the 650 over the 550, so that's what I would recommend.

Unless something has changed the 550 case feeder doesn't do rifle. If your gonna load a lot of rifle that's something to think about. The 650 also gives you one more spot for things like a powder check and of course auto indexing.

If you buy quick change tool heads and another full primer system caliber changes take minutes. If you ever want to chat to someone who knows a bit about Dillon gear give Brian Enos (http://www.brianenos.com/) a call, he's nice and very helpful.

While the hornady has more issues with the priming system than the 650 it still is much faster than running everything through the machine twice. You really have that many problems priming on the press?

I prefer to clean cases between resizing and loading. Gives me another opportunity to inspect the cases. Over the years, I have found plenty of split case mouths and split bodies after the resizing/expanding steps.

I can hand prime 100 cases about as fast as filling a primer tube. Since I separate the process in two steps, no loss in time.

I never, I repeat, never load a case with a miss seated or missing primer when I hand prime. I inspect ever seated primer. Also, I hate re-working ammunition.

One miss seated primer on the progressive per session is one too many in my book. See above paragraph.

The bulk of my stoppages when running the progressive occur at the resizing die. If I run a case from resizing to loaded, this leads to either miss charged cases or extra loss time pulling suspect cases from the press to avoid a miss charged cases. I waste time process the case then running it through again. I do put my trust fully in powder check devices to catch these "oops"

When I do not resize cases while loading,the loading goes slick and quick. No problems at all.

I prefer the case mouth expanding done by the expander die and not the PTX powder drop tube. This step is done during resizing and before cleaning. All of my powder drop tubes are custom made, do not require adjustment of the powder die and do not expand the case mouth.

Besides hand priming, there are times that I charge the cases off the progressive as well. Small cases or very small batches go quicker if I do not bother with the press mounted powder measure.

Even when separating resizing from reloading, I still load more ammunition than I can shoot.

The Hornady with it's die installation works well for me. I place only the dies I need for the task. I can resize 100 cases in less than 5 minutes. I resize and clean cases shortly after shooting then store them away for a future loading session. Goes quick and I do not have a mountain of unprepared cases lying about.

I have two Dillon SDBs and both of them have the resizing die rempved and the priming system removed. The SDB's priming system was no better than the Hornady and I resize the cases on the Hornady. The SDBs are dandy loaders though.

It works for me, it may not work for all.

I have been loading for more than 30 years. I enjoy reloading as a hobby and do not need to crank out a ton of ammunition in two minutes.

Progressive presses can do some wonderful things if you think outside the box and mold the process to your liking and comfort level.

Chuck, I am not looking to crank out hundreds of rounds a hour. I don't want to run an ammo factory.


I do however would like to expand my reloading experience. I to can use my Lee Hand Press and in an afternoon load around 250 .44 Magnum rounds using a Lee Powder Hopper.
I am really looking into the Dillion 550b. I think that press has been around, and has proven itself very well. I have read horror stories about the Hornady L-N-L.

What I think is going to happen is I will end up with a 550b classic press ready for .223. I will buy a tool head and shell plate for .44 Magnum, and a tool head that will be used for .223 depriming/sizing and then for the Dillion Trimmer to process brass.
Until then I will setup my Possum Hollow trimmer for .223, RCBS chamfer tools in some drill heads that I have lying around. It will be fun, and possibly save me hundreds from having to buy the Dillion trimmer.

I'd like to have the 650, but I have read that it is a pain to change calibers. Someone said it was pretty simple, but what about having to move the case feeder? That seems troublesome. I am still not ruling out the Pro 2000. It seems like a pretty simple progressive press and that is appealing. I just don't think that I'd like having to adjust the power throw every time I change calibers. I am doing it now though with the Lee Powder Hopper.
I like the idea of setting the powder throw, and never having to adjust it again, but maybe someone with a 550b can chime in and let me know how well their powder hopper works.

I'd like to have the 650, but I have read that it is a pain to change calibers. Someone said it was pretty simple, but what about having to move the case feeder? That seems troublesome. The only time you would move the case feeder would be if you had two 650s and only one collator, it is held on the post with one screw and takes about 5 seconds to remove.

I like the idea of setting the powder throw, and never having to adjust it again,but maybe someone with a 550b can chime in From post #4 On the Dillons I keep the charge bars setup (and marked for powder/charge) for everything I load). So empty the measure and one socket head capscrew lets you swap them and your ready to go. . All of the Dillons use the same powder bars.

Chuck, I am not looking to crank out hundreds of rounds a hour. I don't want to run an ammo factory.




Apologies, I did not mean to imply that all you wanted to do was be an ammo factory.

Some folks cannot understand why I separate resizing from reloading and the resultant use of a hand primer. Just giving some reasons why. It works for me. It does not work for many and I am fine with that.

Progressive presses open up many options. You do not have to always do the stereotypic reloading process on them.

Any of the presses you are looking at will serve you well.

No, worries.

I gave my Lee Challenger away to a friend who wanted to get into reloading. His daughter played on a soccer team I coached, and he was there to help me every step of the way. At the end of the year the parents gave me gift cards, and he didn't get anything. Well, I wanted to show him my appreciation so I gave him my single stage press, some other things I had duplicates of, and a Frankford reloading stand.

I didn't leave myself without a way to reload. I still have my beam scale, calipers, dies, a lee hand press, funnels, etc, etc, and I use them now to load .44 Mag - .25-06. My wife has known for a long time that I would like to own a progressive press, and we finally own a home with a nice area for my to work on my Harley and setup a bench for reloading. So for our 8th year of being married she worked hard to get stuff to sell in a consignment sell they have here twice a year, and she was able to sell enough to get me any progressive press I want. She is a keeper.

I have had my eye on the Pro 2000 for a long, long time. Because of the priming station, and the 5th die placement, and also the auto-indexing. But to be honest the first progressive I ever saw was a Dillion 550b. I like the sounds it makes when I watch someone load on it watching youtube videos. I know this is contradiction, but I like the manual indexing as well. I don't know about the primer tubes. Seems a little dangerous to me.

Anyway. After reading Brian Enos's page regarding the choice of a 650 or 550, if I go Dillion it will be a 550b. I am going to do more research into the Hornady, but I have seriously read horror stories about them on here and on other forums. Some have even touted the Lee Loadmaster to be a better progressive press than the L-N-L. Just what I have read, fellas not my words.\

Now that it is time to make the choice. I am so worried about making the right choice it is becoming a negative experience, and it was to be a gift and a great experience. Ugh!!

... I am still not ruling out the Pro 2000. It seems like a pretty simple progressive press and that is appealing. I just don't think that I'd like having to adjust the power throw every time I change calibers. I am doing it now though with the Lee Powder Hopper.
I like the idea of setting the powder throw, and never having to adjust it again, but maybe someone with a 550b can chime in and let me know how well their powder hopper works.

You will always have to adjust powder throw with any powder measure, just because of temperature, humidity, and powder lot differences that change powder density. On a Uniflow powder measure with a micrometer and a known setting, it usually means dropping a charge, measuring it, and then turning the mic a degree or less one way or the other. That's about as quick as it gets.

For changing Rifle calibers, a it's just a matter of releasing the spring, lifting the hopper and emptying it ... if a drop tube needs changed that's only a matter of pushing it out and dropping another in before you drop the hopper back in and attach the spring.

You do have to adjust the depth of the p.m. sometimes, but you can opt out of that too if you buy a lower assembly to mount on each die head. If you do that, you set it once, and only have to set the mic. (which setting takes all of 3 seconds if you write it down the first time.)

For pistol, I buy the powder-through-expanders and prime, expand, and charge cases on station 2. That allows me to have a lock-out die on 3, a simple Hornady bullet feeder on 4, and my seater/crimper on 5. Works for me.

Not trying to sway you one way or the other, because only you know exactly how you will want to load and enjoy the hobby.....but the powder measure is one of the plus features, not a reason reject the Pro 2000. :)

BTW, you can buy the manual version the the Pro 2000 and "enjoy" that feature if you want......I did......and I enjoyed it for a hundred rounds. But I also had the $105 auto-advance kit....which I mounted after a few hours. Did I ever make it manual again? :rolleyes: I don't think so.

Why did I buy a manual Pro 2000 and the auto-advance kit at the same time? Because in Obama Victory January, that was the only way to get a Pro 2000......all the auto versions were sold out.:D

Thanks for the input. I called Brian Enos, and had a conversation with him. It seems that all my H4895 and IMR 4227 loads are going bye-bye if I buy a Dillion. He said the powder would not load correctly into the .223, but might in the .44 Mag.
So it looks like I will be reworking my loads. Another option is to get a cheap single stage, and finish out the 3 lbs of 4227 and 6 lbs of 4895. I doubt Unique loads worth a flip on the Dillion either. Which I use a ton of. Also there goes the IMR 4350 and I haven't even opened the RL19 and RL22.

Looks like I am going to loos about $200 plus dollars in components just moving to a progressive, and then another $200 plus in working up loads to replace the loads I already have. GEEZ!!!

Now I am thinking of getting the RL550 with a RCBS Chargmaster to finish out the components I have, and then buying the parts to upgrade the RL550 to a 550B. I can't win for loosing.

why won't those powders work?

It was said that the extruded powder would not load in the smaller .223 case mouth, and that the charges could be off.

There's a heck of a deal on a used 550B on the Buy & Sell Reloading Forum here on THR. The guy's in Alabama and selling a complete setup.

Thanks. $1650.00 is a little much for me right now. I am thinking $550.00-$600.00 is my budget.

Thanks. $1650.00 is a little much for me right now. I am thinking $550.00-$600.00 is my budget. Post #33, link to a fellow whos sells new 550Bs for $415.

I have owned Dillon, Lyman, Lee, and RCBS. I can afford any press I want and I choose the PRO 2000.

PRO 2000: I like manual indexing, caliber changes are easier, primer swapping is easy and fast, the powder measure is superior to the Dillon, toolheads are cheaper, built like a tank, you can choose aps or tube priming, auto index is an option, warranty is top notch, service is fast and friendly.

Dillon: Decently built although not as stout as the RCBS, expensive caliber conversions, decent powder measure but it must be removed and replaced when swapping tool heads, or you can just buy a measure for each tool head, service doesn't match RCBS AND Dillon is the only company who ever gave me grief over a warranty issue. I have had better service from Lee, outside their warranty period. Dillon builds a good press, but they are overpriced and don't measure up to the green $ for $.

I like my Load Master. I like it better then my LNL. I don't have any advice for you because I don't know anything about the Dillions or Pro2000. I'm just following along to see if I learn something.

I have been doing more research. Some say that the powders I use like Unique and IMR 4227 will work pretty good.
I have been wanting to try some Ramshot powder, and I looked it up. I can use True Blue for 9mm, .44 SPC Jacketed and Lead, Medium Loads of .44 Mag. Jacketed and Lead.
TAC for .223 and .30-30
Magnum for .25-06

I also have a few pounds of BLC-2, H335 and 748.

What I will probably do is try to sell my unopened H4895 at a gun show to buy the Ramshot powder, but I will try to see how the Dillion press loads first. Funny thing is, what I have read is that people with Dillions using stick powders are putting RCBS powder chargers on their presses. Well the Pro 2000 comes with that powder charger. What a coincidence. Or is it?

Thanks for the input. I called Brian Enos, and had a conversation with him. It seems that all my H4895 and IMR 4227 loads are going bye-bye if I buy a Dillion. He said the powder would not load correctly into the .223, but might in the .44 Mag.
So it looks like I will be reworking my loads. Another option is to get a cheap single stage, and finish out the 3 lbs of 4227 and 6 lbs of 4895. I doubt Unique loads worth a flip on the Dillion either. Which I use a ton of. Also there goes the IMR 4350 and I haven't even opened the RL19 and RL22.

Looks like I am going to loos about $200 plus dollars in components just moving to a progressive, and then another $200 plus in working up loads to replace the loads I already have. GEEZ!!!

Now I am thinking of getting the RL550 with a RCBS Chargmaster to finish out the components I have, and then buying the parts to upgrade the RL550 to a 550B. I can't win for loosing.

Since I've been loading with my progressive, I've loaded a couple of pounds of Unique for my .45 ACP and .40 S&W. I don't have a problem at all. The loads are just as accurate as my Gold Dot ammo. I have preferred Unique over other powders for my .45's for many years...you know, old dog, not so many new tricks.:) But yes, I load other pistol powders as well.

I don't use H4895, but I do exclusively use IMR4895 for my .308 AR 10 ammo loaded viva the Uniflow and Pro 2000. For .223 I use TAC and Varget. The Uniflow is more forgiving when using stick and flake powder than Dillon's P.M. I use a baffle in the hopper, and I wax the inside of the hopper and casting. I does plenty well at uniformity.

That said, I wouldn't want to be without my single stage Rock Chucker. In the first place, I prefer to deprime and size all my rifle cases on the R.C., then do the case prep operations off press. For rifle the Pro 2000 is used to prime, charge, seat, and crimp (if I want). I haven't noticed any limitations or incompatibilities, between powder and progressive.....yet.

The Rock Chucker is also used for calibers I don't shoot much of...for which I haven't as yet set up die heads on the Pro2K.

GW Star,

You are saying you use both the Dillion and the Pro 2000, or the Uniflow on your Dillion?

If you have the Lee Auto Disk just use it on the new press. I have used it, the LNL, & Inflow. The Lee is second to none of them.

Alright. This is getting interesting.

So, if I buy the Dillion BL 550, and then add a Lee Auto Disk measure, and prime off the press, I would have a pretty good setup. This might be an option to think about.

And after further reviews and videos, I think the Pro 2000 is a very, very good option with the Auto Index for a progressive press. Caliber changes are very reasonable. $26 for the die plate, and roughly $30 for the shell plates. Way cheaper than the Dillion, and if people are putting the Uni-Flow on their Dillion presses due to the powder charger not handling extruded powders well. Why even mess with Dillion? <--Kind of a rhetorical question.

GW Star,

You are saying you use both the Dillion and the Pro 2000, or the Uniflow on your Dillion?

Eb1, just to confuse you a bit, I modified a Redding 10-X powder measure for use on my Hornady progressive.

Reloaders always think they can come up with a better mouse trap.:)

Sounds like you arriving at a good plan.

Like I said I have never used the Dillion but it looks just like the RCBS & the Hornady. To me the Hornady & RCBS are the same thing. I don't like either measure but if you do I don't see why you wouldn't like all 3.

So, if I buy the Dillion BL 550, and then add a Lee Auto Disk measure, and prime off the press, I would have a pretty good setup. This might be an option to think about. That would be the least "progressive" way to load on a progressive. If I thought that was the way I wanted to load I would sell my progressive presses and just use a turret press.

jmorris, this is true, and i agree. It would be pretty much a turret press at that point.


I am really leaning towards the RCBS 2000. I am trying to read more about it, and find as much info as possible. I'd get the Dillion in a heartbeat if Brian hadn't told me that my stick powders wouldn't work very well with the press. Gotta give it to the man. He was honest, and I might just change my mind, and take up to finding new loads again. After all that is what hand loading is about to me. I had a good time finding new loads. Although now that I have them, I enjoy shooting accurate guns. LOL

I did read that Ramshot has powders that would fill the bill for all of my cartridges. True Blue for 9mm, .44 SPC, and .44 Mag (Medium Loads and Cast Loads), Magnum for .25-06, and TAC for .30-30 and .223.
Which would allow me to load on the Dillion. I also have H335 and BLC-2, and could use H110 or 296 for .44 Mag.

Options are not always a good thing... LOL

If I couldn't have come up with better loads using "progressive frendly" powders, I would have rigged up a way to throw extruded powders with the other measures I have.

I had a 20# keg of "long cut" 3031 given to me that I suffered through on Dillons and then bought an LNL (as many say it's measure is better with extruded powders) but didn't have much luck. A turret and loading 45-70 fixed the problem.

jmorris, i really appreciate the information and suggestions.

Well, since my wife is selling stuff on consignment to pay for this anniversary gift, and has been doing her own research. She does not want me to get a primer tube feed progressive press since she has seen some images on G'oo'gle.
She wants to buy me the RCBS Pro 2000, and said if I wanted another press later to buy it myself, but from the videos she has seen, and what she has read about the press. She like it. Hey! It is her money, and gift to me. I won't spoil her fun and surprise. I also think I will be happy with the press. It will be an improvement over the Challenger I gave to a buddy, and the Lee Hand Press I am using now.

Guy and Gals, thanks you so much for the conversation. I plan to revisit this thread with a full review including pics and/or video of me using the press. The first calibers will be .223 and .44 Mag/Special.
I have also seen that RCBS is making a Power Expander/Drop so that you can use the Uni-Flow in station 2, to allow for more versatile die setups.

I owe a lot of thanks to THR. This is a great forum.

I plan to revisit this thread with a full review including pics and/or video of me using the press.

I, for one, will be interested in your review of the RCBS progressive.

Enjoy your new machine.

Well I reread my post twice and couldn't see where I suggested I was using a Dillon. My only progressive is the Pro 2000. Sorry if I confused you. For powder measures I have 2 Uniflows. One has the RCBS linkage. The other I bought the Hornady p.m. linkage and powder thru expanders. Fits the Uniflow just fine.

Why? Because at the time RCBS did not have a powder thru expander for their progressive linkage/Uniflow. They do now, so now I use both linkages and expanders. All that to drop powder at station 2 for pistol loading.

Dillon's powder measures have always expanded and dropped powder on the same station, RCBS finally listened.:)

My actual experience with Dillon was that I used a friend's Dillon 650 for a while before I bought the RCBS. Good press...just more complicated. I prefer the APS primer system. More fool proof, and with preloaded primers, faster.

BTW, changing primer size on the RCBS is extremely fast and simple. Less than 10 seconds. Unscrew little primer rod, screw in big rod.

GW Star,

You are saying you use both the Dillion and the Pro 2000, or the Uniflow on your Dillion?

Here's the reality: Most folks are coming off a single stage press will find any progressive a big improvement. However, I don't think it's a reasonable to compare a Lee Turret press or even some of the other cheap alternatives out there to a Dillon 650. Will both make decent ammo? Sure, I suppose. Will a Toyota Corolla and a Mercedes both get you to work on time? Yup. If you want the no-compromise best press, get the Dillon 650 with case feeder. I have two of them, plus a 550. Even the 550, while a well made unit, will not even come close to competing with the 650 in volume. I'd even argue that the 650 is safer WITH the auto indexing. It reduces or eliminates the chance of a double charge. A big bonus is Dillons warranty. Lifetime, no questions, no BS.

If you want a great powder, arguably the best for up to 55 grain bullets, H335 is great. It meters extremely well in a progressive.

I had a 550 for several years, it works well. The de-priming and priming in the same station is it's big downfall. I had to clean the primer slide every few hundred rounds to keep the priming fairly reliable.

I broke the crank on the 550 FLS 7.62 brass in a small base die I use for 7.62. Dillon replaced the crank of course.

I lucked into a used RCBS 2000, and I ran it fora year side by side with the 550, and preferred the RCBS 2000 in every way other than the paint quality. The primer strip system looks hokey, but it works great and is much more reliable than any tube system I have used other than Star's. I have never heard of a primer strip system blowing up, Dillon's systems do blow on occasion.

I sold the 550, no regrets at all. If you load rifle ammo progressively, you will appreciated the greater leverage and rigidity of the 2000.

One advantage to Dillon equipment in general is it's resale value. If you need to raise money, Dillon's sell quickly and for good money.

Meta, thanks for the advice, and I don't doubt one bit from my research and others infomration that the 650 is one heck of a machine.

Here is my situation.

I need to be able to load around 400 .44 Magnums and 200 .44 SPC a month possible every two months. I want to load around 300-400 .25-06 per year. I am going to load around 2000 .223 rounds per month, and about the same for 9mm. I will load about 200 rounds of 30-30 per month also. .32 H&R Magnum will be loaded in 200 round batches, I figure.

With these totals I am nowhere near the potential output of a Dillion 650, and the cost of caliber changes for these minimal amounts of ammo doesn't add up. No, pun intended.
Yes, I could and do load this much with a single stage, but the time away from my family and other chores around the house are consumed by hand loading. A turret would suffice, but I don't like the 4 pulls for one bullet aspect.
Therefore I think the RCBS Pro 2000 will be perfect for my needs. It will produce good ammo in the quantities that I need. The caliber changes will be cheaper for me, and the powder measure is better suited for the loads, using extruded powders, I already have developed over the years.

When I get back into High Power the RCBS Pro 2000 will be fine for loading enough practice and competition ammo between matches.

I pretty much have my mind made up. I am choosing the RCBS Pro 2000, and with the new powder through funnels I can expand and charge in one station if I would like.

Everyone, again thank you for the awesome information, and helping me work out my decision. There will be a review with pics and possibly a video when I have the press setup.

Like I said I have never used the Dillion but it looks just like the RCBS & the Hornady.

Pretty much the only similarity between Dillon and the RCBS and Hornady are the powder hoppers. Operation is completely different.

I've successfully loaded 322, 4227, 135 and a couple other smaller granuled stick powders with Dillon measures. For larger granuled powders the RCBS and Hornady work better.

I chose the RCBS 2000 manual indexing for most of my reloading. It is by far the most flexible press you can get.

For pistol I use a Dillon powder measure in station #2 for any load that uses a ball or flake powder. This also expands the case mouth. The Dillon part that goes in the tool head and sets the case flare stays with the tool head. Only the powder measure is moved for changes. One trick with the Dillon measure is to measure the space from the adjustable part of the powder bar to the end of its slot and record it. This makes powder charges easy to duplicate.

For extruded powders there are a couple of choices. You can use the RCBS powder measure with the linkage or using a couple of Dillon parts you can "hand throw" the powder using any powder measure that mounts in a die station. I use a Redding BR3. This allows the "tap tap" on the up stroke and the "tap tap" on the down stroke that makes these measures very consistent. It also allows them to cut powder without jolting the press.

The RCBS 2000 also works great with the Dillon Case Trimmer. I put the trimmer in station #3 (the one that is part of the frame). I use a Dillon or Redding decapping die in station #1 and a Sinclair expander mandrel in station #5. Each pull of the handle produces a decapped, sized, trimmed and neck expanded case that is ready to go except for possible primer pocket swaging.

I own a LNL AP and if I were in your shoes I would get the 650. That way you can eventually get the case feeder and maybe the bullet feeder and would not have to buy a new press to go faster.

If I had it to do over again I would get the Dillon 650. Yeah it would have ended up costing me more in the long run but their superior customer service is unquestionable. Now I wish I had a 1050 just for the extra die stations!

.I ended up choosing the Dillion 550b..
Very good then. Please tell us what you think of it.

Dang, it seems that somehow when money comes, money goes, but not to the things it was meant for.
My mother has had surgery on July 11, 2012, and I have had to help with her bills. Call me the good son.

Well. To save a few buck I have put together a blah... dare I say it? A step down to a Turret Press.

Consists of:


109.99 4 classic turret press
8.00 Lee Auto Disk Powder Measure Riser
21.99 Lee Safety Prime Small and Large
24.00 Auto powder measure
10.99 double disk measure
10.99 Lee Auto-Disk Rifle Powder Charging Die 22 to 30 Calibers

Total $186.00 for press and accessories

I also thought about buying the Hornady Auto Charger since it is on sale for $215.00. I always wanted an electronic powder charger for those single stage rifle rounds. That would be a total of $401.99 + shipping.


I can see the Turret Press being logical. As I will have more bills to cover for my mother when in the coming months. She has about a years recovery from the surgery she had, and I am the only child that seems to care, and will give back what we have received our entire lives.

Another thought it to save money on the risers and auto disk power measure, and buy the Hornady Auto Charger then I could just use a funnel in an auto index turret to crank out ammo, and it would be pretty consistent. Definately not as fast as the Pro 2000, but possibly accurate ammo with any powder I choose, and shouldn't I still get my numbers per month? At least close to it. Darn it! I have waited so long for a progressive press, and now I am having to settle again unless I want to keep using my hand press.

I think you, like everybody that's laid hands on one, will be happy with that setup.

Now I wish I had a 1050 just for the extra die stations! You really don't get any "extra" stations over the five station presse as station 1 is nothing but case feed, station #3 is for the swager and #5 is only for priming (no threads for a die), that only leaves 5 stations just like the 650 and LNL (they just combine case feed with size/deprime and primer seat with powder charge). What you do get is a down stroke priming system that lets you adjust the depth you seat primers, the swaging station a tool head that aligns with the shell plate using dowels, a device that prevents anything other than a full/complete stroke and one hell of a solid press.

Okay, Okay.

The final decision is made! Here is the conclusion, and it is on order.

I switched gears completely, and went with the............

Redding T7 Turret with the primer bar. I think that I will be very happy with this press. It offers a lot of different setups, and semi progressive loading as well as being strong enough for specific chores.

When I get it setup I will reply back and let you know what I think about it. Price with shipping $323.00..

I have both a 550b and a 650. Unless I'm going to load 1000+ at once I use the 550. The extra time it takes for setting up the 650 just doesn't seem worth it to me

Funny how things change.

After putting together the Redding package and ordering it, I had a change of mind. Then more money came about. :)
So, what happened was I went to Brian Enos' site, and ended up ordering a Dillion 550B in .223, and a caliber change to .44 Mag with a Deluxe change kit. I also added the "As it should be" kit from his site.

I know that I will have to wait a month or two, but I have waited this long... I went back and forth over the LNL and the 550B. For me, I really liked the fact that it was a manual indexing press. Able to be used as a single stage press easily, and can be used for precision loading like the BL550 for my larger rifle calibers doing small runs for hunting and fun shoots to 6-800 yards.

I will be loading primarily .44 Magnum, .223, 9mm, and .30-30 on this press. I think I am going to sell one of my 30-30 rifles to buy a .44 Magnum lever rifle. I love shooting those Lever Action Carbines, but don't like the bottle neck cartridges of the .30-30. I would love to be able to make runs of 1000 rounds of .44 Mag to shoot out of a rifle and revolver.

I'd like to thank all who gave their experiences. I know I could have just kept on keeping on with a hand and single stage press, but I have secretly wanted a Dillion 550B since I first saw one. Should make for some fun loading. Now to work up loads using some ball powders. DOH! All my loads now use stick powders. Not a big deal, and certainly not a deal breaker.

So I just went through Brian's site, and it looks like you spent $772 for the 550B, accessories, two sets of dies, and a caliber conversion kit. For that, you got a 4-station, manually-indexed press capable of loading .223 and .44mag.

Whereas, going through MidwayUSA's site, the RCBS Pro2000 you were previously looking at, with shell plates, die plates, and dies for both .44mag and .223, would have ran $733.

$40 cheaper, for a 5-station, auto-indexed, progressive press.

In the end, I'm sure you'll be happy with the 550. But... I just don't get it.

You don't have to get it. I researched and got what I wanted.

Also, your price is not correct. Take into consideration the shipping from midway. Also, not everything was in stock. So, you have to pay several shipping charges from Midway as parts come in.

In did not want an auto-index press after i thought about it. Do not need one, and wanted to manually index for several reasons. What advantage does a five hole do me when I only need four?


I didn't get dies. Have them already. I am not getting off the high road here, but if you want me to have a pro 2000 from Midway, you can buy me on with your money.

Nothing wrong with the 550B.

I use mine for both pistol and bottleneck rifle, though I found I have to "break out" resizing/remove case lube/trim and then resume with progressive operations, for rifle.

The only modifications I've made to my press are the UniqueTek turbo bearing -

http://www.uniquetek.com/site/696296/product/T1281

and the micrometer powder measure bars -

http://www.uniquetek.com/site/696296/product/T1231

There is nothing wrong with the Dillon design, but these make it better.

Of the two, I really like the smoother indexing operation with the turbo bearing. I understand a similar thrust bearing can be purchased from McMaster-Carr for around $5, if you don't like UniqueTek's price.

With the micrometer powder measure bars, I find I can quickly change to a different load for that caliber (toolhead), but all it does is save a few minutes of trial and error adjustment with the original Dillon bolt. So I'd classify it as a "hassle remover" rather than a real improvement.

The primer tube thing makes for a nice break. Yes, it is tedious, but it is not fragile.

Something that may not be obvious is that there is a corresponding plastic finger thing at the end of the magazine tube, above the primer slide. After a couple of thousand rounds, I managed to wear this out. Easy to replace, and then I was back in business.

It is probably a good idea to get a replacement for this part, in both sizes if you reload both small and large primers.

Something else that can be done is to get spare primer tubes, if you don't find reloading primer tubes to be a relaxing break from the press. Then you can load up 4 or 5 and settle in for reloading 500 rounds with only a brief pause to refill the magazine on the press.

I like my 550B and I wouldn't replace it with a more automated model, even if someone gave me one. I find it is "fast enough".

I received the press tonight with the .223 shell-plate along with the powder funnel. I have not received all of the extras at this time, strong mount, .44 cal conversion, aluminum handle, etc, so I have not mounted the press.

I did however mock up the press on the bench, and thought about mounting it, and then remounting it when the strong mount came in.

Man, what a nice press, and the finish is second to none. I can't wait to get rolling on this press.
I am going to sell all of my powder stock, and make the switch to Ramshot powders probably. I have several H4895 1 lbs. canisters, 2400 1 lbs. canisters, and IMR 4227 (my favorite .44 Magnum powder) that I will be selling off to pay for the new powder change.

I have an LnL that I've had for about a year and a half. It's been decent. I jus got a Dillon 650XL and so far I like it better. I'm going to try to slowly migrate over to the Dillon and maybe sell the LnL

I've been really happy with my 550. Its given me years of service with only a few problems. The problems that were the presses fault usually were fixed with an improved part, not just something that will fail again. Even the stuff that I broke was replaced for free, and always fast. I can approach 550 rounds per hour, but I can not sustain it for very long. I would guess about 400-450 per hour for an afternoon would be my average. The first caliber change takes a little time, say 10-15 minutes maybe. After the first time or two, its quicker. I use several different brands of dies, but if I did not have any, I would use Dillon. Hope this is some help, Lightman

the 5th hole allows you to seat and crimp in separate stations which is critical if loading lead w/o cannalure. It also allows for a powder check die. If you're loading jacketed and eyeball every charge, 4 holes is just fine!. I prefer manual indexing too. Less powder sloshing imho.

they're all great presses. I personally use the rcbs pro 2000, mostly because the price was right on ebay, and I love the APS primer strips.

it also depends on what you're reloading. I load for 30'06, 223rem, 44mag, 45acp, and 40s&w. If I'm making sniper rounds for 30'06 with trimming and trickle charging, I'd honestly prefer a cheap single stage.

edfardos

I love my RL550b. It's got well over 25,000 rounds through it without a single broke part. I actually have a extra tool head just for my .223/5.56 sizing die. My .223/5.56 tool head with my powder die, seater, and crimp die has station 1 empty. I have slowly added extra powder measures on each caliber tool head except my .223 sizing tool head. I plan to add a new RL550b soon for Lrg primer so I don't have to change out priming bars. Welcome to the BLUE side!!

I am a fan of the Pro2000 and have done over 300,000 rounds on it. It works and is easy to use. There are a lot of threads on the optimization of it.

I suggest a simple TCO calculation. (Total Costs of Ownership). Figure out the total costs to load all of your calibers and all of the needed supplies and then weigh the advantages/cons.

I have concluded that while I like the pro2000 and it works well for me. You can do just as well with other tools like the Dillons or Hornadys. The key is learning to work with the press instead of fighting it. I feel no obligation to use ball powders which seem to be popular with the Blue clan. I like big fluffy powders like Trailboss, 800x as my press delivers them nicely. Others have issues with these powders and don't use them. I tend to avoid fine ball powders as I don't have the need for fine flowing powders to get consistency and they tend to flame cut my revolvers.

So, pick what you feel comfortable with. Learn its quirks and load away. After a few hundred thousand rounds you will probably figure out how to make a decent piece of ammo with it.

Oh, took the blue kool-aid, huh? I'm sure you'll be pleased, I think the 550 is the most known and popular blue press. The nice thing is you can leave the turret and casually load one round while doing it any way you wish.
A friend of mine is a uspsa grand master, he operates a 550 with casefeeder and bullet feeder and can continuously run well over 1000 per hour on his(not for the timid nor casual loader).








After a few hundred thousand rounds you will probably figure out how to make a decent piece of ammo with it.

I'm sorry you are such a slow-learner, Mr Eick. :rolleyes:

The OP took delivery of his 550b, which is why the thread was bumped.

A few hundred thousand rounds? That does seem a little high to get a good reload. I thought hard on the pro-2000, but in the end did not want to use an Auto-Indexing press. Most of the time I seat and crimp in the same station for .44 Magnum since I do trim my brass (sometimes), so a powder-cop die isn't out of the question.

Also, as far as ball powders go, I prefer some ball powders in my .223, but they are hard to come by where I live, so H4895 and RL15 got the most use here because I can load decent loads in all of the calibers I shoot in rifle accept .25-06.
But since I have a new hand loader friend who can split the cost of the hazmat fee, the change over to Ramshot and the cost savings will not be a big deal for me. Especially now that people are drooling over H4895 where I live because it cannot be found.

Who knows? Quite possibly RL15 will load very well in my RL550b, and I might not use the powder throw for .44 Mag instead choose to use a powder funnel and dip my IMR 4227 charge, which I do most of the time anyway.

SO you can judge me, criticize me with your passive aggressive comments for going "BLUE", but end the end it wasn't your money, you will not be using it, and I find it out right childish for an adult to judge another adult on issue regarding personal preference of material goods.
Yes, I did ask for opinions, and I changed mine frequently over the last year. Went from Lee Classic Turret, Redding T7, Pro-2000, Dillion 550B, Hornady L-N-L AP, and the gamut, but the end result was a choice made from a long list of pros and cons, many thread readings, dealings and conversations with Brian Enos, and personal preference that I could never shake from the back of my head. The Dillion 550b has been in my thoughts since I first saw it. The manual progression is what turns me on to it. I know there is a manual Pro-2000, but then again I just couldn't get the Pro-2000 to out weigh the Dillion on my pros and cons list for what I needed in a press.

I may be a slow learner, but I have sure had a lot of fun along the way!


:D:D:D:D:D:D

Good luck on your press and have fun at it. Just remember they all have their quirks and none is perfect. Learn how to make yours work to its best capabilities.

Congrats on the new press!
A 550 is absolutely a workhorse.
I've had mine for just over 2 years and loaded close to 20,000 rounds on it.

While there was a hiccup or two, Dillon's customer service fixed me right up.
(even when I caused the hiccup)

PS: Don't over tighten the Primer Housing and Shield when you change primer size - it will warp.
I caused the problem, but Dillon sent me a new assembly FOC (Free Of Charge).

I have owned the Dillon 550. I've owned the Hornady LnL. I've reloaded a lot of ammo on my buddy's 650. After all of that, I currently own an RCBS Pro 2000.

The RCBS has one flaw: It does not take a case feeder without serious modification. That said and having owned a case feeder on my LnL, I much prefer the RCBS Pro 2000 to any of the others.

Why? Because the primer strip feed is so much more trouble free than a tube fed system. Once the RCBS is set up and adjusted properly, it becomes boring to operate, it's so reliable and simple.

BTW, I do use Hornady, RCBS, Lee and Dillon powder measures on my RCBS Pro 2000 and nearly every single brand of die, each brand and die chosen to improve the application/performance/experience of reloading a particular cartridge for a particular firearm. I'm extremely happy with the setup.

All of the company's progressives can be adjusted to run extremely well. Some are easier to setup and maintain than others. So pick the one with features you think suits you best, use it and see how you like it. Worst case, if you don't like it, you can sell it in a year or two for more than you bought it for and buy yourself another brand to try.

I did and it was a very fun experience. Kinda like trying out a new rifle.

If money is no object, blue is the color to go for. Yes, they are pricey, but "Buy once, cry once". Now you are down to "which blue press"? :)