Dillon 550 or the Dillon 650

[Highland Lofts]

I will probably set up one of the 550 presses first and get the feel for the ways of a progressive then get the rest of the progressive presses set up one I have the room for them.
Thank all of you for the responses.
I have heard stories on people double charging cases on the 550 presses.
I see that special attention needs to be spent for that issue.
My plan is to set up a progressive press for a certain caliber, once set up it will stay set up for that caliber.
I have four progressive presses. If I want to load another caliber I will buy another progressive press.

 

[Soonerpesek]

I blew up one of my favorite guns on my 550 because I got interrupted and double charged a case

I sold my 550 to a friend. The same thing happened to him. Blew a Ruger up in the first 50 rounds.

Neither of these is the fault of the press.........no matter what BRAND....

I have heard stories on people double charging cases on the 550 presses.

Attention for detail is a bit important here..............
If you don't LOOK, you can't SEE.....................
But hey, different strokes for different folks...........

 

[EricBu]

What is your personal preference the Dillon 550 or the Dillon 650?
I have two 550s and a 650 and will be setting one up here shortly. Curious as to which one you guys like better.

Live Life nailed it....550 supports case with ram, less deflection, more consistency. If you hand weigh and use a drop funnel, the 550 will turn out match ammo every bit as good as a single stage. 650/750 support the case on the shell plate.

There is no such thing as a free lunch, you trade speed for consistency. But why not set up all of them, or one of each? Leave the 650 set up for the caliber you shoot the highest quantity of range ammo with, and do your "good" stuff on the 550?

I have 2 Revolutions and 2 750s, and I STILL load a heck of a lot on my 550's, including my long range 338 Lapua Magnum. IMHO, 550 and 650/750 are apples and oranges, if you have both already, figure out your end goal (fast or match) and go from there.

 

[EricBu]

650. Just for the auto indexing it's worth it. I blew up one of my favorite guns on my 550 because I got interrupted and double charged a case. This cannot happen with the 650.

I sold my 550 to a friend. The same thing happened to him. Blew a Ruger up in the first 50 rounds.

That's a process failure on your part, and your friend's part, not the fault of the press. I've known far more people who've had doublecharges using a single stage than any other press.....because they weren't using a process with checks and balances in it.

 

[9mmepiphany]

I have heard stories on people double charging cases on the 550 presses.
I see that special attention needs to be spent for that issue.

It isn't so much "special" attention as having a process which avoids errors...and then check for errors anyway.

A very good process for the 550 is:
1. Rotate the shell plate with your left thumb whenever the ram comes down (immediately avoiding the possibility of a double charge)
2. Right hand reaches for next case as left hand reaches for a bullet
3. Look into the case before placing the bullet (to check for powder)
4. Insert next case with right hand before transferring to press handle
5. Pull handle to raise ram

 

[jmorris]

I have heard stories on people double charging cases on the 550 presses.
I see that special attention needs to be spent for that issue.

If you can walk and chew gum, it shouldn’t be a problem. You only stroke the handle once, every time You add a bullet on top at #3 and a case at station #1. If you don‘t have an empty place to put a case and you already deprimed and primed the one in there, index the press instead of depriming the primer you just seated..,

 

[usaral63]

Since 1988............multiple calibers..........never a hitch that wasn't MY fault......great CS..................what more do you want. Incidentally some fools manage to overcharge on hand presses, if you have your wits about you, that isn't gonna happen!!

 

[hdwhit]

I'm a single-stage-for-life handloader, but I have considered going to a progressive press and when I did, I decided I'd pay the difference and get a 650.

 

[9mmepiphany]

If you don‘t have an empty place to put a case and you already deprimed and primed the one in there, index the press instead of depriming the primer you just seated..,

That would work too. The point is to have a process, to avoid double charging a case, that you always follow

 

[usaral63]

That's called THINK!

 

[9mmepiphany]

That would be the antithesis of following a process...as it entails expectations and presumptions

It is the difference between "I think I rotated the case to the next station" and "Rotating the case to the next station"

 

[jmorris]

That would work too. The point is to have a process, to avoid double charging a case, that you always follow

Yeah, pull the handle one time, index the shell plate so you have another place to set the bullet in your left hand, while you insert a case in station 1 with your left and pull it again, is how it works on the 550.

If you have a senior moment and forget what planet your on, you still wouldn’t try and put two bullets in the case at #3 or two cases in #1.

I think it’s a problem created out of thin air by people that have never used one.

 

[MarshallDodge]

When loading, I never walk away from my 550 unless the handle is fully down.

 

[9mmepiphany]

When loading, I never walk away from my 550 unless the handle is fully down.

I've learned to do the same with all my progressives. It takes the thinking/speculating out of where you are in the process

 

[Blue68f100]

When loading, I never walk away from my 550 unless the handle is fully down.

I do the same thing with my AP. There is no dought as to were your are in the cycle if the ram is all the way up, handle down.

 

[Chuck R.]

I also have both a 550 and a 650:

I use my 650 for my IDPA and 3Gun pistol loads, usually in batches of 1000rds plus
I use my 550 for 13 other handgun calibers and .223 3Gun and .308 blasting ammo, 100-500 rd "lots"
I use a Redding Ultra Mag for the majority of my rifle loads.

For me, volume dictates between the 550 and 650/750, how much time, VS how much ammo you need. My 650 sits ideal most of the time.

IF I was bouncing back and forth between 9mm and 30-06 I'd probably stick with the 550, it's just quicker for me to convert calibers. The 550 also has the capability to act like a single stage, due to the manual indexing. IMHO it's a more versatile press.

 

[Nature Boy]

The 650 (with case feeder) for the flexibility.

I can make consistent, high quality, precision rifle rounds one at a time like a single stage press.

Then….

In a matter of minutes I can switch over to cranking out high volumes of pistol rounds with a powder check installed for the additional piece of mind.

 

[Nature Boy]

Live Life nailed it....550 supports case with ram, less deflection, more consistency. If you hand weigh and use a drop funnel, the 550 will turn out match ammo every bit as good as a single stage. 650/750 support the case on the shell plate.

I know people believe this intuitively but in application it’s not a differentiating factor.

I have no issues holding constant +/- 0.001 bullet seating depth variation with the 650. Variability in neck tension has a bigger impact.

 

[bihj]

I got a 550 to make enough ammo for not only myself but also two sons, no such thing as a 650 at the time. It more than kept the three of us stocked for hunting and range trips.
Now that they have left home, I wonder if the 550 is really needed.

 

[MarshallDodge]

I got a 550 to make enough ammo for not only myself but also two sons, no such thing as a 650 at the time. It more than kept the three of us stocked for hunting and range trips.
Now that they have left home, I wonder if the 550 is really needed.

The way I figure it is anything that can crank out lots of accurate ammo while requiring me to spend less time at the shooting bench, is a good thing.