Dillon Press help please.... decision time

550 is the fastest and easiest to change calibers, 650 is not much slower, but is a more capable machine. Both would be fine for rifle loading.

I've used the 1050s for both 223 and 308 loading, but it's very tight for 308. The new Super-1050 is designed for rifle cartridges, but I have no experience with it.
I use the 1000 for .308 nowadays, but they are harder to find.

I recommend a 650, it's fast and a pleasure to use.
LT

If your volume is expectd to increase i'd say your best bet is a 650 w/electric case feed. I went through the same decision process as you, as I also have an older upgraded PiggyBack I. I chose a 550B based upon my specific needs.
cw

You will have half the money of a 1050 invested in a loaded 650 but if you go through 8-10k rounds of crimped primer pockets you’ll wish you’d given up the other half.

I was faced with a similar decision earlier this year. I looked back over the years and realized that every time I tried to save some money by buying something a little less expensive, I ended up spending more by the time I was finished getting all the accessories and gadgets that were still needed.

This time I went with a Dillon XL-650 and Case Loader. Extra Toolheads, with powder measure makes changeover a piece of cake. No need to re-adust dies or reset powder charge. Just a quick check of powder weigt and OAL measurement after changing and away we go. If you go back and forth from small primers to large primers get the extra primer feed mechanism. Two bolts and go.

For my military crimped primers I still want to inspect and sort so I process them all separate from the press. A primer pocket swager for $80-90 will let you swage cases at a quick rate.

Subsequent reloads of the military cases don't require further work other than a cleaning and inspection.

It all depends on the quantities that you are loading.

This is what I did and it works pretty well for me. First off, 500 rounds a week equates to 26,000 rounds per year and you can easily load 500 rounds per hour on a Dillon 550. Changing calibers on the 550 is quick and easy as long as you are not changing primer sizes. In your cse, going from the 308 to the 223, you would be. You probably saw it coming, I have 2 550s. One is set for small primers, the other for large. In addition I have 3 extra powder measures and several tool heads. The dillon 550 will set you back around $350 each with caliber converion kit. So, for around $700 you could have 2 dedicated machines for less than the cost of a 650 with extras or a 1050. Changing the shell plate only takes less than 10 minutes and swappin out the tool head, complete with powder measure takes less than a minute. The bonus here is that some of the shell plates work for more than one caliber. I believe that the 308 shell plate will work forthe 45acp and the 223 will work for the 204. I am set up primarily for Cowbay action shooting and with one shell plate I am able to load for the 45 colt, 45 Schofield, 44 Mag/special, 44-40 and 38-40 all of which I have loaded for at one time or another.

I have a 550 and a 650 and both work wonders. The 650 takes a little longer to change calibers. But as for ease of use and quickness of changing calibers, can't beat the 550 really. I just bought a 900 for shot shells. Haven't got it set up yet, have to build another bench for it. I would start out with the 550 and then move up to the 650 later on. It opens up a whole new world for ya. Have fun and good luck.

I agree, among the Dillons, the 550 is a good deal for rifle loading, especially since you're not as likely to need more than 4 stations, and as long as you only have one setup per cartridge (no changes in powder, bullets, FL/neck sizing etc. in the same cartridge). If you do much of that, the Hornady LNL AP is worth a look, with individually changeable dies and powder measure metering inserts, micrometer adjustable if desired.

Andy

I had a 550 and was very happy with it for reloading rifles but went to a 650 because I primarily shoot .45 acp and wanted a powder cop. I find that I love my 650 for .45acp but now use my single stage for alot of my rifle reloading. The volume of rifle ammo I shoot in a year isn't that high though . .maybe 500-600 rounds of .223 and 200 rounds apiece of 5-6 other calibers. If I hit the lottery I'd probably have a 650 for pistol ammo and a 550 for rifle ammo with all the various caliber conversion kits.

If you go the 650 route spring for the video. I found that watching it greatly simplified caliber conversions for me. With the 550 it was a no-brainer.

Have a good one,
Dave

my mistake

I bought a less expensive press and accessories for caliber changes
and spent about $300 which included carbide dies for 3 calibers.

I was told repeatedly that i was making a big mistake, and they
were right.

I bought a 650 with casefeeder and don't regret it.

I am selling the other to a beginner who is now using a single stage press,
He will wind up with a good deal.

If your looking for volume without a lot of hassles while reloading
at the least get a 650. You won't regret it.

wood

Only ONE Difference Between 650 and 1050?

Is is really true that the only major difference between the 650 and the 1050 is that the 1050 swages military primer pockets? Obviously that is a big convenience, but does it justify the $800 base price difference between the presses?

I may go with the 650 instead of the 1050.

Is is really true that the only major difference between the 650 and the 1050 is that the 1050 swages military primer pockets? Obviously that is a big convenience, but does it justify the $800 base price difference between the presses?

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1050 is a faster machine, and is more precise. Everything on it is steel, not aluminum. It is designed for commercial production, and I've seen them motorized. The primer feed is more reliable, in my experience.

One of my 3 1050s loaded at least a million rounds at the commercial loading operation where I used to work. I needed to replace a couple of moving parts when I bought it from them (indexer pawl, one or two cams). Still runs like new.

Is it worth the extra money? Hard to say. It's probably too much for an average reloader, and caliber changes take much longer than with a 550 or 650. Extras are much more expensive as well. 650 is a simpler design, easier to set up and to adjust.
But , if you shoot a lot, 1050 is a good compromise, or you have to move up to a Camdex.
LT

Thanks for the information. General build quality and steel versus aluminum probably account for a fair measure of the cost difference.

How would you go about motorizing a 1050?

How would you go about motorizing a 1050?

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I've seen both electric and hydraulic. The electric one used a motor driving the crank through a gear reducer, with limiter switches controlling the reversal. Three phase for instant reverse.

The hydraulic unit used a Bimba cylinder to provide the linear motion to a shortened handle.

In both cases, the 1050s were mounted on a thick metallic plate, to handle the torque. Both had a vibratory primer feed, and automatic bullet feed, vacuum if I recall correctly. A poor man's Camdex or Ammoload
LT

Minor side trac here but...Linear Thinker and other's running 1050's, w/o a doubt they are idea for your usage and they are impressive presses. Given that is it more prudent to use one of them for a primary caliber and not change it to another? I guess what I'm asking is could you come out ahead money wise with a 1050 and 650 set up together? Also I'd love to see some pictures of a 150 set up for hydraulic or electric automation, very cool.

cw

Why did you eliminate the Pro2000 for an easy change-over press?

Why did you eliminate the RCBS Pro2000 for an easy change-over press?

I can't let this pass!! The Dillon's are excellent machines. However, I bought a Hornady Lock and Load and never looked back. Same features as the Dillon 650 but cheaper. At least look and the RCBS and the LNL.