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Dillon Square Deal or 550B

B

bornhunter04

Online Training Member
Full Member
Minuteman
Aug 27, 2011
331
39
38
STL, MO
So I foresee a progressive in my near future, and I'm torn between a Square Deal B or a 550B.

I will be loading 9mm and .38's for certain. I do all my rifle on a single stage.

I go through about 2-3k in 9mm/year....will probably increase once I have a loader.

Which machine should I get? Which one is easier to switch calibers between?

I'm not so much concerned about the rate of loads/hour.

One thing that bothers me about the square deal is the proprietary dies, is this a big deal?

So the main thing is should I pony up the extra $100 for the 550B or save some money for components and get the square deal?
 
get the 550 B. It is worth the extra cost and future upgrades. I only load pistol on a 550, but I have buddies who load rifle on a 550B. I never thought I would, but bulk 5.56 is easy on his 550B.
 
Only benefit to the SD over the 550b is that the SD auto progresses the shell plate so there is a less likely chance of double powder charges.
 
The SD is great if you only do ONE pistol caliber. If you're going to do more, and possibly rifle at a future date, definitely the 550b.
 
I went with the 550b and LOVE it. The SD just isn't as easily converted from what I know.
 
Square deal is great if you just set it up for one given cartridge and leave it that way. If you're simply not interested in loading rifle cartridges on a progressive, I'd buy the SD and call it good. Should you decide to upgrade to another machine in the future, it won't be difficult to sell a SD setup/outfitted to load 9mm....

That said, Dillon can keep the 550 as far as I'm concerned. The 650 outclasses it in every way. I'll never own another NON-autoindex progressive. It's like being able to fuck a supermodel, but not being allowed to get off.
 
I just got a 550 and love it. I did a lot of research on it and the 650 and was torn on the two with the 650 having a small edge. In the end I was able to find a 550 for a good price so I bought it. All the other machine I could find were at greatly inflated prices. No regrets. But then again I have never used the 650, if I had maybe I would regret it.
 
550b here. Why limit yourself to pistol only carts and proprietary dies?

Once you get the 550b, you'll probably start using it for rifle rounds in a semi-progressive fashion and it will still be faster than a SS press. Plus, if you want to crank out the practice ammo, it's even faster.

Chris
 
I have a square deal, 550B, and XL650. Of the two machine you list, in my opinion when only reloading pistol, I'd buy a square deal. I like the auto index and the priming systems seems better. However, it does not have the quick change tool head like on the 550 or 650. The 550 is not bad but it gives you more opportunity to double charge. The 550 does give you the ability to reload almost every cartridge in the world but, no auto index and the priming system is not perfect....
 
I'm still torn. While I would like to have auto indexing, the proprietary dies kind of bothers me. So the square deal and the 550b both have their pluses and minus'. Those of you who own the square deal, how hard is it to convert between calibers? Meaning is it a complete PITA and not worth it or can it be done with a bit of patience. It's not like I'd be doing it all the time to just load 50 or 100, I'd probably only switch calibers to do larger batches, 500+.

I know I don't plan on loading rifle on a progressive but plans do have a way of changing. Now I'm almost thinking I should just save up and get a 650 and be done with it.
 
MisterHall said:
Are people buying from dillon direct for best pricing and availability?
Click to expand...

As far as pricing goes, you'll pay the exact same amount ANYWHERE you buy. Dillon *strictly* enforces MAP and a dealer will get their pee-pee slapped down if they sell under that price.
 
SDB is not a problem to change calibers, a little more work than the 550. I started out with a SDB and loaded 10s of 1000s of 5 different calibers on one machine. When I wanted to load rifle too I sold the SDB to get the 550. If money wasn't an issue back then I'd still have the SDB and the 550.
 
For you guys loading up your rifle and match rounds, are you using your dillons in a progressive state, single state, or an entirely different press? I'm trying to figure out the best idea for precision 6.5cm, 9mm, .45 acp, .460s&w, .223, etc. Basically multiple calibers ranging from plinking to precision to pistol. Buy once cry once.
 
bornhunter04 said:
I'm still torn. While I would like to have auto indexing, the proprietary dies kind of bothers me. So the square deal and the 550b both have their pluses and minus'. Those of you who own the square deal, how hard is it to convert between calibers? Meaning is it a complete PITA and not worth it or can it be done with a bit of patience. It's not like I'd be doing it all the time to just load 50 or 100, I'd probably only switch calibers to do larger batches, 500+.

I know I don't plan on loading rifle on a progressive but plans do have a way of changing. Now I'm almost thinking I should just save up and get a 650 and be done with it.
Click to expand...

A single stage(or turret) and a 550 or 650 Dillon is the best combination. A 550 will do allot and takes the monotony out of pistol or 1000+ round reloading sessions.

A 650 only setup is not as handy for load development and small runs of rifle ammo. I would not have the 650 as my only press.
 
Phil1 said:
A 650 only setup is not as handy for load development and small runs of rifle ammo. I would not have the 650 as my only press.
Click to expand...

I use mine for small runs all the time. I have a bunch of powder bars and leave them set for each load. Swapping takes only a few moments. On small batches of .308 I just hand prime prepped cases and leave the primer system empty. In fact I don't even change it from "small". The only ammo I load in huge batches is .223 and 9mm and that's when I fill the primer magazine.
 
MisterHall,
For the match rifle I load single stage on the 550. All .223 is loaded progressive. All other rifle is case by case basis depending on if I have powder funnels or not and how much case prep I do after deprime/size. All pistol, match, sd, or plinker is loaded progressive.
 
I highly recommend any of the Dillon machines. Have 2 550B machines and one SDB. I personally prefer the 550 for the versatility and load many pistol and alot of 223/204 loads with it. The auto indexes have the safety factor But I prefer the manual index of the 550b because you can use it as a single stage. And their warranty is superb. NO BS, as they say
 
Like others noted, if you're loading for one pistol cal the SDB is great. I have one I bought used and set up to do only 45 ACP. I have no idea how old the thing is but I bought it 12 years ago and it was old then. Proprietary dies aren't an issue if they are good and I have yet to see any issues with them. If you're not changing cals often than why worry about a non issue? On the other hand, if I had been actively looking for a progressive press when I bought the SDB I would have bought a 650. I bought the SDB because it was there and it was cheap. It was a target of opportunity rather than a quest. Buy what you really want, not what you think you can get along with. You may be using the press for 50 years and will regret not having the one you wanted in the first place.

Frank
 
I say 550 or 1050. You can’t beat the 1050! Don’t care what any body has to say, having a 650 is like having a hot blond the 1050 is like having hot red head twins! But the 550 is a great press for your first progressive. I’ll keep mine forever even though I have a 1050. As far as the double charge, it is very little concern. I have loaded 10,000’s of rounds on my 550 and have had zero double charges. If you are careful and always pay attention (as you should) it is a non issue.
 
turbo54 said:
Square deal is great if you just set it up for one given cartridge and leave it that way. If you're simply not interested in loading rifle cartridges on a progressive, I'd buy the SD and call it good. Should you decide to upgrade to another machine in the future, it won't be difficult to sell a SD setup/outfitted to load 9mm....

That said, Dillon can keep the 550 as far as I'm concerned. The 650 outclasses it in every way. I'll never own another NON-autoindex progressive. It's like being able to fuck a supermodel, but not being allowed to get off.
Click to expand...


That's a big +1
 
I'll hang with the original question, I have both (the 550 and an SDB) and it seems like a simple one for me. If you want to change very seldom, buy the SDB, and load like a bandit on it.

My SDB was purchased with a set of 45 dies, and a swap kit for 9mm, and I do 45 on my 550, so I set it up only for 9MM, and the whole process, set up, change out etc to get it running was about an hour I'd say. It's damn near fail safe, and you can load a hundred in twenty minutes or so, which makes putting cans of ammo on the shelf easy. And assuming you can keep components in stock, you will shoot more, I damn near guarantee it.

I can swap calibers on my 550 in about fifteen minutes, and from 45 to 308 is about a 30 second deal, (same shellplate, primer feed) so some of that comes into play. And the 550 conversions are (relatively) cheap, about 65 bucks or so.

I have a 650 also that I call a dedicated machine, I set it up and run 40 on it only, But that's me, I have finally bought the stuff to move all my 45 gear into a 650 conversion, but that runs about 140 per caliber (no dies), assuming no casefeeder plate change.

I've never double charged anything on a 550, I've had one no powder just primer load, and that's what sent me to the 650 for my 40. But I wasn't new when I got my first Dillon, and once I figured it out I was golden, I can nearly run neck and neck with someone else running a 650 and me on a 550, but they are both my machines, so I have an advantage.

So my recap is this, figure basic machine is x dollars, conversion and dies x dollars, and dies, (should you go the 550 route), run that side by side for both machines and see if you can swing it.

sean
 
I have an SBD for .45 and a 650 for 9mm and .223. Your answer, in part, depends on your budget and the quantity you intend to load. For the quantity you listed I would recommend an SBD and a quick change toolhead with powder measure. If your budget is not limited, you have space, and do not intend to load rifle on a progressive, then an SBD and in each caliber would eliminate caliber changes. If you think you will load rifle on a progressive in the near future then go with one of the other presses right from the start.
 
Since you have a single stage and do your rifle rounds using that, get a 650.

I run a 650 and single stage. Single stage for .308 and precision. 650 for everything else.
 
Look at it this way, if you had a 550B, would you ever want to replace it with a Square deal? I wouldn't.

My 550B was once shared with a shooting club, and got replaced with a 650 when I bought the other shares back. Quite a few of the guys (yes, they shoot rifle more) miss the 550B, they feel it was more flexible to use out of progressive mode.

I still have the 550B, it's the only press I've ever had/used and it gets used in single, progressive, and hybrid mode interchangeably. IMHO, it's best feature isn't its operating speed, it's the ability to set up a toolhead for a specific rifle and leave it undisturbed.

Greg
 
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Greg Langelius * said:
I still have the 550B, it's the only press I've ever had/used and it gets used in single, progressive, and hybrid mode interchangeably. IMHO, it's best feature isn't its operating speed, it's the ability to set up a toolhead for a specific rifle and leave it undisturbed.

Greg
Click to expand...


And you can't do that with a 650? That's exactly what I do with all 5 of my toolheads. Three even have their own pre-set powder measures and two are just set up as "weigh and pour" powder stations.
 
Many people say to get into a 550 if you are new to progressive. I just ordered a 650 and now for the wait. The 650 might be too much for someone that hasn't had experience on a progressive.
 
cjherrman said:
Many people say to get into a 550 if you are new to progressive. I just ordered a 650 and now for the wait.{b] The 650 might be too much for someone that hasn't had experience on a progressive.[/b]
Click to expand...

That's like saying you can't buy a Porsche until you've had enough driving experience in a Miata :)

The 650 is a very easy press to learn on, believe it or not. There are videos and a pretty well put together instruction manual.
 
So I think I've decided to go with a 550b. The more I shoot 3 gun the more i'm going to need to load rifle ammo, therefor the ability to swap over to load rifle will be good to have. I think the 650 is just a bit out of my price range and I really don't need the extra speed.
 
Get a 550 and a 650. i use the 650 for bulk processing but usually don't change the 9mm configuration out.

I have toolheads setup for the 650 for 380 auto, 9mm, .40 S&W, 45 auto, .223, and 308.
I use the 550 for 308, 300WM, and 338 Lapua Mag Precision loads.
 
MisterHall said:
For you guys loading up your rifle and match rounds, are you using your dillons in a progressive state, single state, or an entirely different press? I'm trying to figure out the best idea for precision 6.5cm, 9mm, .45 acp, .460s&w, .223, etc. Basically multiple calibers ranging from plinking to precision to pistol. Buy once cry once.
Click to expand...

I am using my 550B in a modified progressive mode, i.e. I do not rely on the Dillon powder drop for my precision rifle. I weigh every charge on a Sartorius GD503. I have also modified my 550B with several excellent parts from UniqueTek.com https://www.storesonline.com/site/696296/product/T1389 and https://www.storesonline.com/site/696296/product/T1281 and minor but useful improvements with The Bin-Dam and Light-Load™ Shellplate Illuminator and BobChute™ . Some of you are probably scratching your head when you see precision rifle and Dillon 550B in the same sentence. A friend of my son has shot my LaRue 5.56 OBR with ammo made on my 550B and for his first five shots got a group of five in a .72" group at 200 yd. If that isn't enough for you, according to Glen Zediker, David Tubb (11 time Camp Perry National Champ) has two 550B presses. NOW, talk about highly modified. He has found a way to permanently mount a Prometheus scale over one of his 550Bs. But, if it's good enough for David Tubb, who am I to argue?
 
Ended up getting a rock chucker for now. Gotta learn the fundamentals first. Then i'll pick up a 650 down the road.
 
bornhunter04 said:
I know I don't plan on loading rifle on a progressive but plans do have a way of changing. Now I'm almost thinking I should just save up and get a 650 and be done with it.
Click to expand...

turbo54 said:
Smartest thing I've seen in this thread, by far.

Don't forget the casefeeder.
Click to expand...

I learned a long time ago to look to the future. If you plan on shooting any kind of volume then go with the XL-650 and Casefeeder. I did that several years ago and haven't shed a single tear.

If all you shoot is two calibers you could even consider 2 SDB's. A lot to be said for setting a press up ONCE and not having to diddle with it for anything else but cleaning and maintenance.

As for caliber changes on my 650, having extra tool heads makes it a piece of cake. Also keep extra powder bars and pwder dies, one for each caliber/cartridge. Leave it adjusted for you load and when changing calibers just swap the bar in the powder measure. This speeds the changeover as all you have to do is move the powder measure to the preset powder die, swap powder bar, and check load rather than spending the next half hour adjusting and checking.
 
Been awhile since I looked back on here. But I ended up getting a 550B and am very pleased with it. I'd say I got the press in late June. Had a little trouble with primers feeding but it was due to a bad tip on the primer rod, once I got all that sorted out it's been easy going. I've already loaded a couple thousand rounds on it between 9mm and .38. I'll probably be adding .45acp and a .223 conversion in the future.

Also, I did the bearing upgrade and i'm sure glad i did. Makes, it nice for full 9mm loads. Will definitely look at the light posted above, need more illumination there for sure. The stand is a little low, and after about 300 rounds i can start to feel it.

For now it's mounted to a bench grinder stand. Works pretty well with a little added weight to the bottom shelf.

 
I've had a 550 from maybe a year after they were first introduced, even had to get the "B" conversion parts when they did that upgrade. Few years later snagged a 2nd 550B for $175, used. So I have one set for SMALL primers, the other for LARGE. I've never felt the urge to get a 650. Can't imagine the number of rds loaded with both presses.

Several years back I started using 9mm in greater quantities and had the chance to buy an older 1050. WHAT a great press! Truly commercial quality too. I have that one set up for 9mm. Talk about bullet proof and smooth!

I'd say the 550B was a very good choice. Especially for 2-3K of nines annually.



Wheres the guy spouting off about his LNL or LEE progressive?? ALWAYS one of those guys when the Dillons get discussed.
 
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