I just had my 45 ACP setup on the Dillon completed and have purchased a 6.5 grendel conversion kit and dies. I’ve heard that the single stage (thinking of the Forster co ax) is the way to go for rifle rounds. Should I drop the $$ on the single stage knowing I’ll probably need a separate charging system as well? I would probably still do the priming on the Dillon as it’s automated.
Dillon 650 AND single stage?
- Thread starter Mindreader1
- Start date
I load most rifle on a single stage even though I have the conv's to load them on a 650. Other than 223, the only time I use the 650 for rifle is sizing once fired 7.62 mil brass in bulk. I couldn't imagine not having at least one single stage or turret press. FWIW, I like the feel of hand priming more than priming on the 650.
Primal Rights CPS Bench Primer or if you cant swing the cost a 21st Century Hand Primer. Both will last you a lifetime
Dillon 650 ( all pistol, 223 and 6 fat rat)
hornady single stage (all initial load development and precision rifle)
rcbs bench primer (A+ product) for precision bolt action rounds
hornady single stage (all initial load development and precision rifle)
rcbs bench primer (A+ product) for precision bolt action rounds
Yes, just prime the brass on your dillon. Also if you take off the auto index on you 650 and just index yourself you can use it like a single press. I use my 550 like a single press and can do 3 things at once. Prime the brass at stage 1, weight and dump powder in stage 2 without the power dumper,and stage 3 seat bullet. Save your money and give it a try first.
A progressive will produce ammo just as accurate as any single stage. Many of us here have been loading this way for years. Also, many of us have multiple single stage presses, that pretty much just gather dust anymore. There are some very nice and expensive priming systems out there, and I own a few, but a properly adjusted Dillon is faster and just as accurate, IME. I'd free-float the dies (rifle calibers) with Whidden toolheads, or just make your own for a couple dollars in supplies.
FWIW, I won't spend the money to set-up a progressive for calibers I don't shoot much, ie 270, 30-06, 243, etc. and other hunting calibers, those still get loaded on a single stage.
I would invest into a scale
https://ce-products.myshopify.com/products/a-d-fx-120i-scale-autotrickler-v2-autothrow-combo
I would get this,to get accurate loads and SAVE time which is costly in itself.
https://ce-products.myshopify.com/products/a-d-fx-120i-scale-autotrickler-v2-autothrow-combo
I would get this,to get accurate loads and SAVE time which is costly in itself.
Lol I wish I have $900 to spend on a scale 
that rcbs priming tool requires different shell holders tho which can add up. I’m thinking of the Lee auto primer as an alternative?
that rcbs priming tool requires different shell holders tho which can add up. I’m thinking of the Lee auto primer as an alternative?
This article is definitely worth reading
http://forum.accurateshooter.com/threads/loading-for-f-class-with-a-dillon-550-prometheus-2.3901176/
http://forum.accurateshooter.com/threads/loading-for-f-class-with-a-dillon-550-prometheus-2.3901176/
I started with a 550 and added a rock chucker for 308 and grendel Its time consuming using single stage and at my level of shooting I dont really gain anything out of it. I just recently bought conversions for the 550 for these 2 rds and for the time being Im going to size and trim with the 1200 on my 550. I don't mind hand priming, dropping powder with a rcbs chargemaster and seating with the rock chucker on these calibers. I'd probably do a lot less shooting if I had to load 9, 45, and 223 on a single stage
I️ load 9mm and .223 in bulk on a 650. I️ load my 6.5 CM on a Forster CO-AX. I️ just use the CO-AX to prime the cases but have been looking for a faster way lately.
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I started out with an RCBS single stage kit and I later bought the digital scale and dispenser. It's a bit slow, but accurate. It did a good job when I loaded a hundred here and there, maybe a long run with a thousand. The hand trimmer was shit and I hooked up a DeWalt (without the kit, I just chucked it on there).
Now I have a Dillon 650 and DAMN that's nice! I use two heads per round plus another block with nothing but a decapper on it. One block has the auto trim die setup and size die, the other has the powder dispenser, load check alarm, seating die and separate crimping die. I no longer use the POS trimmer, the Dillon trimmer is uniformly SPOT ON per the Wilson gauges. With good dies, the Dillon press can load ammo as good or better than the single stage. When setup right, it's solid and the die operated powder dispensers are amazingly accurate (generally +/- .1grain). I was really surprised here, I haven't had good luck with powder dispensers being accurate, save for the Hornady .50 dispenser I have. For working up loads and for accuracy loads, I still use the powder dispenser and digital scale, it's faster than adjusting the Dillon powder dispenser for a handful of rounds. You can setup a funnel where the powder dispenser goes if you like for this, and I've seen setups where a guy was running 2 or 3 of the dispenser/scale combos in order to speed things up. I have one and just pull it off the press at the seating die and charge it and put it back. Once I have load data, I set it up and crank it out, testing random loads for uniformity, which is amazingly tight. 650 is also fairly easy to work on and they make all the parts available for it.
I also use the Dillon .50 press. That's a solid piece and excellent (really the only option) for loading for an M2HB. But it's also just as good for bolt guns. It's more die dependent too, like I say. I use CH4D for the .50, but there are others. It does most everything, including auto trimming. But it doesn't do everything, I can't decrimp despite it having a priming die that could double as one if they made the part.
Reason I bring that one up is that with the 650 and .50 press, I still use the single stage RCBS, but not for loading much, I use it mostly now for decrimping .50 brass (the bushing can be removed for larger dies) pulling bullets with a collet puller, and if I need to run a bunch of rounds through one die, say a crimping die or something, I may do it using that since loaded ammo won't feed into the 650. It gets used enough to be installed right between the two Dillons.
I don't like the priming setup for the 650 that much either, but it works. I'd have liked the 1050, it's a different animal, but if you load any quantities of more than just 5.56 or 7.62 military brass (it has a built in decrimper) it's just not worth it IMO, too expensive for caliber changes. 650 isn't too bad, even if you get 2 heads, the stand, alarm, powder dump and accessories, even if extras (since 5.56 and .300BLK use a lot of the same small parts, it's nice to have spares for those). I'll get setups for all but .50Beowulf --I simply don't load enough of that to warrant a setup, I'll do that one single stage. So having at least one, even if basic, is nice to have.
If you load small amounts of ammo, a good single stage is all you need --unless you expand. If you have the 650, I wouldn't waste the money on it, especially if you already have a single stage. If you don't and want to drop the coin on a Forster, it's nice, but I think a used RCBS at a gunshow or online for cheap would be as good, especially if you take full advantage of the 650. I feel one or two of those digital scale/dispenser combos is, however, well worth it. Although you could just as easily get away with the powder dump included in the RCBS kit and a trickler, that works well too. If starting out, the Forster or RCBS Ammomaster would be best for single stage, then you'll have a great single stage when you upgrade to 650. But it's not necessary.
Speaking of, if you get a single stage press first, why not get the RCBS Ammomaster? Even a used one would be awesome at the right price. It accommodates regular size brass with bushings and with that ram it's gotta be easy to use. If I needed a single stage, I'd get that, but I'm .50 biased too. Still, I think it's a solid press and would be great for an adjunct single stage. Large rams and long handles really make working brass easier.
What I have and how I do it is based on years and on the quantities I load. I typically run 2000+ per, way more if I have the brass and bullets. I have 8000 pieces of .50 I have to work... So Dillon has become my friend and I was skeptical of how accurate ammo loaded on those machines could be until I started using one. Keep 'em tuned, do random checks, and it'll work great.
Good luck, the 650 is the best press unless you decrimp a lot of LC brass. The Dillon decripming tool is really nice, but not when you have thousands of pieces to do! A 1050 would almost be worth it in addition to the 650 if you have enough 1 fired LC brass to work.
Now I have a Dillon 650 and DAMN that's nice! I use two heads per round plus another block with nothing but a decapper on it. One block has the auto trim die setup and size die, the other has the powder dispenser, load check alarm, seating die and separate crimping die. I no longer use the POS trimmer, the Dillon trimmer is uniformly SPOT ON per the Wilson gauges. With good dies, the Dillon press can load ammo as good or better than the single stage. When setup right, it's solid and the die operated powder dispensers are amazingly accurate (generally +/- .1grain). I was really surprised here, I haven't had good luck with powder dispensers being accurate, save for the Hornady .50 dispenser I have. For working up loads and for accuracy loads, I still use the powder dispenser and digital scale, it's faster than adjusting the Dillon powder dispenser for a handful of rounds. You can setup a funnel where the powder dispenser goes if you like for this, and I've seen setups where a guy was running 2 or 3 of the dispenser/scale combos in order to speed things up. I have one and just pull it off the press at the seating die and charge it and put it back. Once I have load data, I set it up and crank it out, testing random loads for uniformity, which is amazingly tight. 650 is also fairly easy to work on and they make all the parts available for it.
I also use the Dillon .50 press. That's a solid piece and excellent (really the only option) for loading for an M2HB. But it's also just as good for bolt guns. It's more die dependent too, like I say. I use CH4D for the .50, but there are others. It does most everything, including auto trimming. But it doesn't do everything, I can't decrimp despite it having a priming die that could double as one if they made the part.
Reason I bring that one up is that with the 650 and .50 press, I still use the single stage RCBS, but not for loading much, I use it mostly now for decrimping .50 brass (the bushing can be removed for larger dies) pulling bullets with a collet puller, and if I need to run a bunch of rounds through one die, say a crimping die or something, I may do it using that since loaded ammo won't feed into the 650. It gets used enough to be installed right between the two Dillons.
I don't like the priming setup for the 650 that much either, but it works. I'd have liked the 1050, it's a different animal, but if you load any quantities of more than just 5.56 or 7.62 military brass (it has a built in decrimper) it's just not worth it IMO, too expensive for caliber changes. 650 isn't too bad, even if you get 2 heads, the stand, alarm, powder dump and accessories, even if extras (since 5.56 and .300BLK use a lot of the same small parts, it's nice to have spares for those). I'll get setups for all but .50Beowulf --I simply don't load enough of that to warrant a setup, I'll do that one single stage. So having at least one, even if basic, is nice to have.
If you load small amounts of ammo, a good single stage is all you need --unless you expand. If you have the 650, I wouldn't waste the money on it, especially if you already have a single stage. If you don't and want to drop the coin on a Forster, it's nice, but I think a used RCBS at a gunshow or online for cheap would be as good, especially if you take full advantage of the 650. I feel one or two of those digital scale/dispenser combos is, however, well worth it. Although you could just as easily get away with the powder dump included in the RCBS kit and a trickler, that works well too. If starting out, the Forster or RCBS Ammomaster would be best for single stage, then you'll have a great single stage when you upgrade to 650. But it's not necessary.
Speaking of, if you get a single stage press first, why not get the RCBS Ammomaster? Even a used one would be awesome at the right price. It accommodates regular size brass with bushings and with that ram it's gotta be easy to use. If I needed a single stage, I'd get that, but I'm .50 biased too. Still, I think it's a solid press and would be great for an adjunct single stage. Large rams and long handles really make working brass easier.
What I have and how I do it is based on years and on the quantities I load. I typically run 2000+ per, way more if I have the brass and bullets. I have 8000 pieces of .50 I have to work... So Dillon has become my friend and I was skeptical of how accurate ammo loaded on those machines could be until I started using one. Keep 'em tuned, do random checks, and it'll work great.
Good luck, the 650 is the best press unless you decrimp a lot of LC brass. The Dillon decripming tool is really nice, but not when you have thousands of pieces to do! A 1050 would almost be worth it in addition to the 650 if you have enough 1 fired LC brass to work.
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