Set me up

[Adam_MA]

you can't even fully adjust the amount of powder because the system is a poor design.

Lee resolved this issue with the following part

Lee Auto Disk Adjustable Powder Charge Bar

 

[jkelly]

If you are into action type shooting you might take note that, at the USPSA Nationals, the high holy holidays of action shooting, somewhere about 85 % (I think) of the shooters use a Dillon reloading press, not a Hornady and not a Lee. I'd bet there is a reason for that!



Respectfully,

jkelly

 

[Fsorrent]

I think its because that Dillon 1050 comes with an espresso maker . Seriously though, in life you can't argue with quality. I don't know the first thing about reloading, but from the noobe stand point, it seems the Lee would totally turn me off. I want something that is user friendly, and that I can pump out tons of ammo with. I would hate to spend more time reloading then actually enjoying going out their and shooting. More time on the range, less time making cartridges = better time.

 

[Dirtypacman]

I think its because that Dillon 1050 comes with an espresso maker . Seriously though, in life you can't argue with quality. I don't know the first thing about reloading, but from the noobe stand point, it seems the Lee would totally turn me off. I want something that is user friendly, and that I can pump out tons of ammo with. I would hate to spend more time reloading then actually enjoying going out their and shooting. More time on the range, less time making cartridges = better time.

That was the exact reason i went right for the progressive to start. I knew I would use it as I spend tons of cash on ammo as is. I wanted something I could sit down with for an hour or two at the most and pump out some serious rounds.

 

[GTOShootr]

If you are into action type shooting you might take note that, at the USPSA Nationals, the high holy holidays of action shooting, somewhere about 85 % (I think) of the shooters use a Dillon reloading press, not a Hornady and not a Lee. I'd bet there is a reason for that!

It was more like 95% or more. There'd be more if sponsored shooters didn't get ammo from Georgia Arms, Armscor, etc. I haven't seen recent survey results though.

 

[jkelly]

It was more like 95% or more. There'd be more if sponsored shooters didn't get ammo from Georgia Arms, Armscor, etc. I haven't seen recent survey results though.---Steve

Thank you Steve, I thought that it was higher but I didn’t want to over state the %.


Respectfully,

jkelly

 

[noidlight]

I reload .45 .223 and soon to be .38 super on a Dillon 550b and love it. If I had to go back and do it again though, I would go with the 650 with the case feeder.....I am shooting way too much.

 

[tele_mark]

Yeah, that "retail" price is way inflated to make the deal look better.

Still, even if you figure $80/1000 as the "real" value of the bullets, you're getting a well made, self-indexing, 5-station progressive press for under $300.

Even less if you have a C&R on file with Midway. My LnL cost me $328 shipped on my C&R account.

 

[Supermoto]

It was more like 95% or more. There'd be more if sponsored shooters didn't get ammo from Georgia Arms, Armscor, etc. I haven't seen recent survey results though.

maybe next year I'll be the first. I'll have to get a ''I love my LEE 1000'' shirt

There is no doubt that that Dillon is a better machine but you can make good ammo with the LEE. I'm loading about 2000+ rounds a month on my presses

 

[jkelly]

Supermoto,
I’ve never owned a Lee 1000 so I know nothing about them. How many rounds an hour can you load with it?


Respectfully,

jkelly

 

[Supermoto]

Supermoto,
I’ve never owned a Lee 1000 so I know nothing about them. How many rounds an hour can you load with it?


Respectfully,

jkelly

with the press ready to go I can do 100 in under 10 minutes easy. This is looking into each case before I drop the bullet. I very rarely load more than 200 at one time. I have yet to load for an hour straight. sometimes things get out of wack. usually the cases feeder is out of adjustment and the empty case doesn't slide all the way into the shell plate. but the issues have been minor and easily fixed. for me it is worth the minor hassle for the money saved

 

[jkelly]

Supermoto,
600 rounds an hour is nothing to sneeze at. Thanks for the information!

Respectfully,

jkelly

 

[Adam_MA]

with the press ready to go I can do 100 in under 10 minutes easy.

+1

I can do 500/hr from setup, to cleanup, and I only have 1 primer tray, so that's stopping every 100 rounds to refill it.

 

[EddieCoyle]

If you are into action type shooting you might take note that, at the USPSA Nationals, the high holy holidays of action shooting, somewhere about 85 % (I think) of the shooters use a Dillon reloading press, not a Hornady and not a Lee. I'd bet there is a reason for that!

Yes there is a reason: Because the Hornady is new.

If I started building high-precision clones of the Dillon 1050 tomorrow and selling them for $50, you'd be able to say that 95% of shooters did not use my press either; and that would be true - for a while.

The truth is that the Hornady L-N-L is outselling Dillon. You get a well-made press with 650 features for less than the cost of the 550. That 85% (or 95%) number is not going to change quickly because people are not going to throw out their Dillon presses to get a Hornady.

I have used Hornady, Dillon, and Lee. I still have a Dillon 550 that I keep set up for .38 Special, and use the Hornady for everything else. If anybody would like a true side-by-side comparison you can come and try mine and you'll see that the Hornady is every bit as good as a Dillon (or better if you like auto-indexing and a 5th station). We'll do a caliber change on each, and then try to work up a load using different charge weights of a flaky powder like Titegroup and you'll see why I use the Hornady for 90% of my reloading.

In fairness to Lee, I've never used one of their progressive presses (Tele_Mark did though - he gave it away after buying a Hornady). My experience with Lee is limited to the cheesy "press" that came with the Anniversary Kit. That press was so poorly designed and constructed (I gave it away) that I've given up on Lee products altogether - I don't even like their dies anymore.

Dillon owners will say that Dillon is the best and the rest are junk. There are a lot of Dillon owners out there and that Blue Kool Aid is strong stuff. Hornady owners will say that their press is just as good as a 650 but cost less. Lee owners will say that the press isn't that bad and they'd rather spend their money on components. To each his own - I'm not trying to start a Red vs. Blue jihad here.

Here's a pretty fair and balanced article somebody wrote comparing specific features/function of the three. Read it and decide.

 

[jkelly]

Yes there is a reason: Because the Hornady is new.---eddiecoyle

Come back and talk to me when just 10% of the shooters at the USPSA nationals use a Hornady and your statement might contain a little veracity. Until then it’s all just wishful thinking, but that’s okay it’s good to dream.


jkelly

 

[Fsorrent]

EddieCoyle,

What Hornady press where you referring to as being cheaper than the dillon550? I just checked them both out online and it appears as if the hornady was a little more. Not to knock either of them, mainly because I have no experience in the matter, but to me it seems as if the Dillon has a little more admirable features (at least as stated on the website).

 

[Dirtypacman]

Hornady Lock an Load I think it is --- I was pricing em through Midway but it was backordered so I went with the 550.

 

[EddieCoyle]

Hornady Lock an Load I think it is --- I was pricing em through Midway but it was backordered so I went with the 550.

Yeah, it is the L-N-L AP. The prices are pretty close, it depends on where you get the Hornady. The L-N-L's do seem to be on back order at quite a few places, probably from all the USPSA shooters buying them up.

Come back and talk to me when just 10% of the shooters at the USPSA nationals use a Hornady and your statement might contain a little veracity.

jkelly

I'll do that. It may have already happened. Speaking of veracity, does anyone care to share a recent source for the 85% (or 95%) number? I'd like to see it. Keep in mind that the L-N-L AP has only been out for a couple of years so a 2005 source would be suspect at best.

Why the venom? Did you have problems with a Hornady L-N-L or is it that you just own a Dillon?



Respectfully,

EddieCoyle

 

[jkelly]

Why the venom?---eddiecoyle

What venom?

Did you have problems with a Hornady L-N-L or is it that you just own a Dillon?---[/qutoe]
I had no experience with Hornady presses. I own a Dillon 650, but please note that I haven’t advocated that the OP purchase my preferred progressive, as he hasn’t been specific enough as to what his goals and time line are.

What I did want the OP to understand, if he is contemplating IDPA or USPSA or other action pistol shooting, is that the action shooters who shoot the most, the USPSA crowd, choose Dillon presses. I did this so that the OP could separate the “MY PRESS IS BEST” crowd, from what the more prolific shooters use. I’ll try to find the “85% (I think)” that I referenced earlier, but I’m sure it was a couple of years ago.


jkelly

 

[TonyD]

Yes there is a reason: Because the Hornady is new...

...Here's a pretty fair and balanced article somebody wrote comparing specific features/function of the three. Read it and decide.

Good article. If I were to add another press to the bench I would seriously look at the Honady LNL AP.

RCBS 4x4 Auto usin' USPSA shooter.

 

[GTOShootr]

Here are the survey results from the Front Sight editor for the USPSA Open/Production Nationals from last October in Tulsa:

Reloading press:
Make #of users %
Dillon 286 99.31%
RCBS 0 0.00%
Other 1 0.35%
Hornady 1 0.35%
Lee 0 0.00%
Total : 288 100.00%


Dillon model:
1050 70 36.08%
650 82 42.27%
550 34 17.53%
Square Deal 5 2.58%
1000 3 1.55%
450 0 0.00%
194 100.00%

They're working on this year's.

I remember the IDPA results being close. I didn't hang on to the Tactical Journal in which their survey results were published though.

 

[IPSC_DRL]

Why Dillon presses are so popular with people who shoot a LOT!

Any modern progressive press will give you fairly good results if you pay attention to what you are doing. Some are easier or have more features and the cost goes accordingly.

The lifetime No-BS warranty from Dillon is the secret ingredient in the blue kool-aid.
Dillon’s presses are routinely sold used for a high percentage of the price of a new one because of this. You can get a Dillon press (Other than the Super 1050 which is considered a commercial unit) that has been in a fire and run over by a truck and send it back to the boys in AZ and they will rebuild it good as new and return it to you free of charge. I load all of my pistol ammo on a Dillon Square Deal-B press. It is an auto-indexing fully progressive machine. Two drawbacks of this press are that it is only for pistol calibers and it does not accept “standard” die sets. However for MY purposes it is perfect. YMMV. I have had it for ~12 years and have loaded tens of thousands of rounds in .380, .38 special, .357, .44 Mag, 45 ACP, 38 Super and occasionally 9mm. I have broken/lost a couple of small parts over the years and a call to the toll-free number gets me new parts in the mail next day at no charge.
I sent it back for a complete re-build a couple of years ago and got back a virtually new condition machine for the cost of me shipping it to AZ. I have nothing against any other product or manufacturer, but this one certainly has earned my respect and repeat business.

 

[jkelly]

Speaking of veracity, does anyone care to share a recent source for the 85% (or 95%) number?---Eddiecoyle

Steve,
Thank you for doing the leg work, sending me the information and answering Eddiecoyle’s question.


Respectfully,

jkelly

 

[TonyDedo]

You guys are missing one HUGE factor. Have you seen the Dillon catalog?

See, as it turns out, hot chicks dig Dillon products! And if YOU buy Dillon products, hot chicks will dig you too!

So if you buy a Dillon press, you get one of the best presses in the world, one of the best warranties in the world, AND you get hot chicks. You can't beat that.

I've got the Dillon 650XL, I sent in my registration and UPC with proof of purchase. Now I'm just waiting on the chicks. I hear they take 6-8 weeks to arrive...

 

[EddieCoyle]

...I own a Dillon 650, but please note that I haven’t advocated that the OP purchase my preferred progressive, as he hasn’t been specific enough as to what his goals and time line are...

...I did this so that the OP could separate the “MY PRESS IS BEST” crowd, from what the more prolific shooters use...

jkelly

My bad. I shouldn't have lumped you in the "Get a Dillon, you'll end up there anyway" crowd.

What I was trying to do was to let the OP know that there are alternatives to the "learn on a single-stage and then get a 550" approach; which is exactly what I went through (although I had a Square Deal between the single stage and the 550), and if I knew then what I know now, I'd've done things differently.

If I had it to do over I would've bought a Dillon 650 or a Hornady L-N-L right off the bat. If it turned out that I didn't like reloading, I could've re-sold either press and would have been out less than the $100 or so that I wasted on the Anniversary Kit. The 550 is a fine machine - I have one and use it often - but knowing what I know now, I would've either spent the extra cash to get a 650 - or bought an L-N-L - to get the automatic indexing and extra station.

 

[6hold]

Doing Well With Less . . .

I, thank God, had a friend that went through the reloading endeavor far before I ever got into it. Many moons ago I was shooting reloads from some gun shops when my buddy said “You would get better scores if you loaded your own ammo.” I thought he was joking but he wasn’t and said most of those “flyers” that you’re getting is the crap reloads your buying.

Well to cut it to the quick, he talked me into buying a RCBS, Rockchucker, a single stage press with a “starter pkg.” and showed me how to set it up and run it. I couldn’t be happier, almost never had a flyer (accept when I new I pulled one) and the groups in general were much tighter.

After a while he asked how long it took me to load a couple hundred rounds of ammo and then said I should get a “progressive” reloader and cut my time by more than half and it would add to my enjoyment of shooting. It took him quite a while for him to convince me but when I finally bought a Dillon Square Deal I was overjoyed with the speed and quality of the ammo produced.

I didn’t shoot rifle at that time (except 22) but did luck out with a very good bargain from another buddy for a sporterized Springfield .30-06 with scope, sling and case for $150. I used the Rockchucker for reloading for the Springfield and for a Thomson Super 14 in .30-30 cal. that I bought when they came out. Everything is working out great using both presses. The Square Deal doesn’t do rifle so the Rockchucker came in perfect for the rifle sized reloading.

I’m satisfied with what I have but if I really need to push out a humungus amount of ammo I might just purchase the 550 or better. I must say, the Square Deal has stood up and treated me great through the years as has the Rockchucker, no gripes here.

 

[depicts]

I started reloading on a Rockchucker (RCBS), and 20 years later I still use it when I'm working up loads and for small runs.

The concept of reloading seems kinda overwhelming when you start, but after using a single stage press for a very short time I understood the various stations and dies, and knew I'd eventually get a progressive.

I did some work photographing for Dillon, and got paid in product. I got a Square deal and four calibers of dies and plates.

The square deal has seen very limited use because I seem to have less time and more money these days, so I buy a lot of .38, 9mm and .45 from Dicks on sale.

When I clean out my workshop/shed, I'm thinking I might go with another Dillon, a 550, mostly for the automatic case feed. Nothing against the Square deal, I'll still use it if I get time.

Eddie Coyle praises the Hornaday, and has both, so I'd be surprised if he wasn't right that it's a good press.

In all my dealings with Dillon, I've been very satisfied.

(LOL, as I did a spell check on this post, my ieSpell tried to replace Rockchucker with Cocksucker.... really.

 

[JimB]

cheap route

I took the cheap route and bought a Lee pro 1000. I was repeatedly
told that this would be a big mistake.

WELL, they were kinda right. The pro 1000 does work, BUT yu
better keep a lot of tools on your bench. (after you have it for
awhile you know) i tried my damdest to get it running flawlessly
but, it just takes constant adjusting and tuning to keep it running.

I looked into a 550, 650 and a Hornady... I already had an indexing
press so a 550 was out. the Lee although a poor substitute
has a case feeder.

I bought a 650 with casefeeder and powder check.

I should have done this to begin with but hind sight is always 20-20.

The replies here are excellent, hope you got some good advice. here.

JimB

 

[jon]

I have the oppurtunity to buy a 550b with strongmount, dies for 40 and 45 (I own a 40 and will soon own a 45), a case tumbler, spare parts kit, and some misc brass and bullet trays for $450

good deal or no?

 

[PistolPete]

I would say it's a great deal. What type of tumbler is coming with everything? Having the casefeeder is a HUGE benefit as well.