Progressive press
Folks: please help an unimaginative fellow. For the life of me I cannot figure this out. I have a used Rockchucker but for 45acp it seems a turret or a progressive would be the way to go. What I cannot fathom is:
1. how one cleans the dies.
2. how one gets lube off of cases (right, with 45acp and carbide dies this is n/a but what about other cases for other rifle calibers).
3. how one measures oal of case if case is zooming through production press.
With the rock chucker I clean whatever die I am using every 50 to 100 rounds.
With all the stages I go through, I retumble the lubed brass when necessary.
Once I have deprimed and sized the brass, I measure them with calipers and trim any which need trimming. Thank you for any enlightenment. bronsht
1. how one cleans the dies.
2. how one gets lube off of cases (right, with 45acp and carbide dies this is n/a but what about other cases for other rifle calibers).
3. how one measures oal of case if case is zooming through production press.
With the rock chucker I clean whatever die I am using every 50 to 100 rounds.
With all the stages I go through, I retumble the lubed brass when necessary.
Once I have deprimed and sized the brass, I measure them with calipers and trim any which need trimming. Thank you for any enlightenment. bronsht
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I have a single stage press and have been using it for years. I think is time to move on to a progressive press.
was looking into the dillon's 550 or the hornady.
Any comments/suggestions?0 -
You would have to work very hard to find someone unhappy with Dillon products, much less their customer service. Sure wouldn't be me. I have the 650; in retrospect, I think I would have been happier with the 550 - less involved in changing set-ups. I've come to the conclusion the 650 is best used for very large runs of pistol calibers, say 5K or so. I know some folks who have multiple presses, each set up for a single cartridge - but they shoot a few thousand rounds every week.
"There is nothing lower than the human race - except the french." (Mark Twain)0 -
Thanks
is the Dillon worth the extra money though?
and I have the redding and rcbs dies, will they fit in the Dillon?0 -
Hi,
I have used the Dillon 550 for years. I reload all my 45ACP with this rig because I shoot more 45ACP than any other caliber. Never a problem. A part broke on the reloader one time several years and I called Dillon customer service to buy a new piece. They sent a replacement part absolutely for free and no questions! Now that is standing behind your product.
You may find you want to keep your single stage press around to increase reloading flexability. I have two other reloaders that are setup in my garage for reloading other calibers like 357 and 44 Magnums. I use the Lee Turret Press to reload most of my 357s. I can get a good product at a relatively high rate and don't have to convert the Dillon back and forth. I also have a single stage press that is used to make up trial lots or small lots of new loadings for various calibers.
Can't go wrong with the Dillon.
Regards,
Heavyiron
"If I don't see you nomore on this world, I'll meet you on the next one, and don't be late!" - Jimi Hendrix0 -
Hi,
Sorry, your second post didn't appear until after I posted.
Yes, in my opinion the Dillon is worth the extra money if any extra money is required. If you look at some of the other progressives from the other companies the Dillon is really not so costly by comparison. Couple that with the outstanding quality and trouble free performance it is almost impossible to better for the money.
Yes, all standard reloading dies (9-14 I think) will work in the Dillon. I use a Lee four die set in mine.
Regards,
Heavyiron
"If I don't see you nomore on this world, I'll meet you on the next one, and don't be late!" - Jimi Hendrix0 -
Thanks
will call Dillon and see what packages do they have0 -
the Dillon 550B is the cats meow, once you have one you will wonder how you got along without it
basic package cost around $350 which includes
press
1 caliber conversion
interchangeable toolhead
automatic powder measure
automatic primer feed system
lifetime No B.S warranty
you can call 1-800-223-4570 or go online at www.bluepress.com for pricing0 -
If you are loading only pistol cartridges the Dillon Square Deal might be all you need; the RL550 will load pistol & rifle. Standard RCBS dies work fine in the RL550. 0 -
I have been using a Dillon 550 for years now. I can't say anything but good things about it. It is fast, accurate, and easy to use. Strong as a bull. In over 20 years of use I have only had one thing go wrong and that was the priming system, which Dillon promptly repaired. They have great customer service and answer questions with solid knowledgeable information. 0 -
quote:is the Dillon worth the extra money though?
Well you can't really look at it that way, it is not that the Dillon line is expensive, it is the others are just cheap, while I am sure there is some mark up in the name {your paying extra for the name}, but not much, I would never own another press, and the only people I have ever heard say anything negative are those that own cheaper presses, and I am shooting while they are still reloading
http://dillonprecision.com/default.cfm?0 -
I have 2
I got my first my 550 12+ years ago, I liked so well that after 5 years, loading a mix of .223, .308 and 45ACP (at least 30,000 rounds) ... I got the 550B (#2 was actually a Christmas gift from my wife, but I "suggested" it)
To date, over the last 12 or so years I've loaded in the neighborhood of 65,000+ rounds on these two machines and haven't had to replace a single part yet. (not including de-capping pins).
Member Since 8/29/19990 -
I would like all you Dillon fans to explain what it is about the Dillon that is so much better than the Hornady. I have had Hornady progressive presses since they first came out and have been more than satisfied with them and Hornady's service. Dillon makes a great product but I just don't like blue.:D] Other than that, I would suggest you ask around your locality and see what people there are using and why. This can go a long way in helping you get set up and answer any questions you may have in the process. Yeah, I know you can call Dillon or Hornady and get all the help you need but it is nice to have someone nearby to guide you along. I have loaded at least 20,000 44 Mag. and untold 1000s of 9mm and 38 Spec. with my presses and have had NO problems,(press related) with any of them. In the overall scheme of things the price of the press is of no consequence. Amortized over 10s of 1000s of rounds it should not even be factored into the choice equation. Buy what you like and are comfortable with and load away.
"What you do ultimately means nothing, and you could be replaced tomorrow by the first passing cretin." Corinne Maier0 -
396.00 for a hornady lock n load vs.349.00 for the rl55Dillon
dillon has a proven beyond expectation customer service , their dies are not like any other, others I have seen do not offer interchangeable bullet seating capability, two pins I can swap out not only my dies but the entire powder measure with it, place a different one in with a completely different powder ready to go0b dillon0
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