Moving to progressive press

[horsegoalie]

I have been considering moving to a progressive press for a while, and I think I am ready to make the plunge. I currently run a Hornady single stage press, and have Hornady dies. This setup works well, but I would like to work faster. I reload 9mm, 45ACP, 223 and 308. I will probably keep using the single stage for 308 as the volume is lower and I try for more precision in those rounds.

So, advice would be appreciated on moving to a progressive setup. Being that I have the investment in Hornady dies, should I consider their progressive product? What besides the press itself and the dies that I already have do I NEED to purchase? Are there add-ons that save time and would be a good buy up-front?

Thanks.....

 

[SJan]

If you want to reload 9, 45 AND 223 on one press, I would recommend a Dillon 650.

Downsides of the 650 is price of caliber conversions. Everyone I can think of that has loaded lots of ammo on the Hornady progressive has switched to a 650. I have one myself, recently upgrading from a Square Deal B. That brings me to a second recommendation. If you can live with reloading your rifle ammo on your single stage, get a Dillon Square Deal B (it only does pistol cal.) They are a great (underrated) progressive press. The press itself and caliber conversions are affordable. Its quite a bit simpler to setup and run than a 650 or any progressive for that matter.

 

[Gammon]

My vote goes to the RL 550.

 

[Royal]

Everyone I can think of that has loaded lots of ammo on the Hornady progressive has switched to a 650.

I've heard this a few times now and curious as to why. I went Red with the AP but I don't do high volume. What is it about the AP that drives people to Dillon? Is it mainly caliber changes?

 

[beaker]

Good advice You can use Hornady dies in the 650. You can save up for the caliber conversion kits ($~200 per caliber not including dies) if you go with the 650. The auto-indexing and excellent case feeder are superb for the 650 and progressive reloading in general. You can get a base 650 with auto-indexing and add the case feeder and caliber conversions over time but you start with the best. The 550 case feeder isn't that good (what I hear). If you don't care about the case feeder option, or auto-indexing the 550 is a great option. If cost is a huge deal and you only want to do pistol calibers on the progressive, the Square Deal is a very low cost option.

If you want to reload 9, 45 AND 223 on one press, I would recommend a Dillon 650.

Downsides of the 650 is price of caliber conversions. Everyone I can think of that has loaded lots of ammo on the Hornady progressive has switched to a 650. I have one myself, recently upgrading from a Square Deal B. That brings me to a second recommendation. If you can live with reloading your rifle ammo on your single stage, get a Dillon Square Deal B (it only does pistol cal.) They are a great (underrated) progressive press. The press itself and caliber conversions are affordable. Its quite a bit simpler to setup and run than a 650 or any progressive for that matter.

 

[BostonBullit]

I've heard this a few times now and curious as to why. I went Red with the AP but I don't do high volume. What is it about the AP that drives people to Dillon? Is it mainly caliber changes?

I loaded maybe 15k pistol rounds on my LNL AP before switching to an XL650. The LNL can pump out a high volume of ammo once you get it dialed in but it can take a lot of tinkering to get it running just right. I did the tinkering and had it running well EXCEPT for the case feeder. I couldn't load 100 rounds without having to stop and deal with something case feeder related and it finally pissed me off enough to switch. It ran a lot better with .40SW than 9mm and when I started loading 9mm as my primary round the feed shuttle would get hung up trying to shove the case into the shellplate, every few rounds I'd have to reach down and nudge it to get it to go in properly. I also had problems with where the cases drop out of the collater into the plastic funnel, cases would actually end up sideways jammed front to back against the plastic. I'd get hit in the head with a case and look up to find the thing overflowing because it was clogged up. People have solved that issue in a few different ways but I decided I don't have enough "spare" time to deal with it. In retrospect 98% of my issues were case feeder related. The only issues I had with the press itself were the powder drop working loose and they sent me a new frame insert for that, and sometimes loose powder or shmutz would get in where the primer shuttle is and cause it to not advance all the way, keep the press clean and that won't happen.

Reminds me, I need to inventory all the stuff for that press and try to sell it off...it's taking up valuable space which is in short supply (too many hobbies).

The 650 has a few quirks of its own but it's been a smoother running machine for me in the 5k or so rounds I've loaded on it

 

[DW357]

I've heard this a few times now and curious as to why. I went Red with the AP but I don't do high volume. What is it about the AP that drives people to Dillon? Is it mainly caliber changes?

Yeah I have the LNL AP and haven't had any major issues. I've cranked out tons of 9mm, 357 magnum, 44 magnum, 7.62x25, 30 carbine, and 30-06. I don't use the case feeder as it cranks out enough rounds for my shooting needs without the feeder.

 

[Royal]

BB's experience is consistent with what I've read about the AP. The automation addon's take a lot of tweaking and give a lot of headaches. That explains why we haven't had issues as we aren't using the feeders.

 

[DW357]

I have had recently the primer feed issue where the tray gets hung up trying to load the next primer. If I keep the allen screw loose that holds the primer tube system to the press, it fixes the problem. I've read that you just need to polish/sand the bottom of the primer feed tray. Also have an issue with my 44 mag shell plate where if I have the shell plate screw tight, I can't index the press. It's the only shell plate that does this which is strange. I have to keep the screw loose and it works fine. Weird. But those are the only issues I've came across after loading about 2,000+ rounds.

 

[Royal]

I took fine grit sandpaper to my primer shuttle and took off the burrs (smoothed it out) it's 100% now.

 

[DW357]

I took fine grit sandpaper to my primer shuttle and took off the burrs (smoothed it out) it's 100% now.

I'll have to try that out. Been too lazy to fix it lately.

 

[EddieCoyle]

I loaded over 200K rounds on an L-N-L before switching to the 650. In addition to the case feeder problems, I had to live though/with a lot of the growing pains as the machine was being designed. Mine was pre "EZ-Ject" so I had a wire on top of the shell plate that would sometimes eject the finished rounds after screwing with it for an hour. One thing it would always do though was prevent me from using an unmodified non-Hornady crimping die in station 5.

The priming system on the L-N-L is atrocious, and you guys that have just started using them will grow to hate it when you get a little wear on your press (when you get to about the 40K round mark). It's a bad design. If you get one little stray piece of tumbler media in the wrong place (which can happen), you will ruin two of the priming system parts with a single actuation, and have to replace them to get the machine to run right.

The Dillon 650 is what I expected when I bought the Hornady L-N-L, but Hornady didn't deliver it.

- - - Updated - - -

I'll have to try that out. Been too lazy to fix it lately.

My favorite thing about the 650 is that I haven't had to do any mods on it to get it to run right. None.

You wouldn't believe the shit I had taped all over the Hornady case feeder in order to kind of get it working sometimes.

 

[Woodstock]

There's a Square Deal in the classifieds right now with 9mm. and .45 dies. It might be a cheap way to get started if you can stand to keep loading your rifle rounds with a single stage. I sometimes set up two single stage presses with the two rifle dies and batch them through without having to remove one die and install and adjust the other.
Brian Enos has a thread on his website titled "Which Dillon for You" which explains the advantages and disadvantages of each. For flat-out speed, the 650 with a case feeder is hard to beat. If you're not shooting thousands of rounds you might find the 550 is plenty fast enough. Caliber changes are cheaper than for the 650 and there's a good supply of used accessories out there.
On my 550, I've found that having a dedicated powder measure for each caliber, installed and adjusted for standard loads, really saves time.

 

[Gammon]

The RL 550 will produce an easy 400 rounds per hour, and has the option to reload most rifle cases. The 550 also offers the option of a case feeder. I bought one, what a mistake! The feeder itself is well made, but I just couldn't get the press to work reliably and I have a lot of experience (30 years +) with progressive machines.

I mention this because the 550 is an excellent, reliable machine that will give you 400 rounds per hour with no problems. If you are interested in higher production and a case feeder you need a 650 or, my favorite, a 1050.

 

[Steve Marshall]

I reloaded 100's of thousands .223's on a 550. But had to process the cases prior to. Start to finish, I can reload about 125 bottleneck cartridges an hour on a single stage press. If you are in shape and have a smooth repertoire, 600 9MM's an hour can be loaded on a 550 for short periods. More if you get the primer filler. Filling tubes takes longer than anything else. 550 caliber changes are available all over the place for relatively short money. For reference only, and taking into account that I crimp separately, I can load about 225 9MM's an hour on a single stage. Press and charge time only.

 

[jtnf]

There's a Square Deal in the classifieds right now with 9mm. and .45 dies. It might be a cheap way to get started if you can stand to keep loading your rifle rounds with a single stage. I sometimes set up two single stage presses with the two rifle dies and batch them through without having to remove one die and install and adjust the other.
Brian Enos has a thread on his website titled "Which Dillon for You" which explains the advantages and disadvantages of each. For flat-out speed, the 650 with a case feeder is hard to beat. If you're not shooting thousands of rounds you might find the 550 is plenty fast enough. Caliber changes are cheaper than for the 650 and there's a good supply of used accessories out there.
On my 550, I've found that having a dedicated powder measure for each caliber, installed and adjusted for standard loads, really saves time.

Should be noted, I believe the Square Deal presses require proprietary dies... OP had some standard 7/8-14 dies that won't carry over.

 

[Gandalf]

Well, I like my L&L AP. I only load 9 and 45. If you go to the Firearms Forum and check out 76 Highboys video series of how to properly set up and run a L&L AP I don't see how you could wrong. But, I don't own Glocks either....

JD

 

[dhuze]

If it was me I'd still load my rifle ammo on the single stage press. I have two progressive presses and one single stage for rifle ammo. One is set up for 9mm and .44 magnums and one is set up for .45 and .40. I just switch out the die carrier plate and the shell plate. Any other pistol ammo I do single stage because I don't have the plates to set them up because I don't shoot them as much.

 

[Davidk]

I have two progressive presses that I am about to put up for sale.

Dillon 550
Hornady Ammo plant with case feeder and bullet feeder

Both are in like new condition with very little use


Are you still looking?

 

[horsegoalie]

Thanks, but I already purchased.

 

[tysdad115]

I have two progressive presses that I am about to put up for sale.

Dillon 550
Hornady Ammo plant with case feeder and bullet feeder

Both are in like new condition with very little use


Are you still looking?

Since OP is all set, I sent you a PM.