I have finally achieved greatness

[TxWelder35]

And if we're bitching about setup; whoever designed the whole powder measuring system needs to be punched in the dick repetitively. Adjust a hex screw clockwise/counter clockwise with absolutely no gauge on adjustment. Then create a system that relies on the atomic weight of the protons in the kernals of powder in the hopper to create enough down force to actually spit out the same amount of powder each time and further complicate that system by needing 5, 10, 15, 20 throws per adjustment to see what its actually set up to throw. Maybe. This whole 'black magic' of making this work reliably has gotten to the point of people literally attaching small vibrating dildos to the side of the hopper via rubber band in hopes of making the powder settle more uniformly. Literally...people are so fucking annoyed with this entire thing they've gone to attaching dildos to the side of it in hopes of getting it to actually fucking work.

My Forster benchrest powder thrower is worse. Thumb screw and adjusted by manually moving the slide. It is next to impossible to move it the fraction of cunt hairs necessary to adjust it .1 up or down so you essentially just move it until you get lucky and hit the charge you want. Literally take 30 minutes to get it set to throw the correct weight. Accurate once it’s there, but you pretty much need to own a dozen of them with each set up for a certain powder/weight then never fucking touch it again.

 

[6.5SH]

The reasoning for the powder bar bolt was that once it was set it wouldn't easily or accidentally be moved, that was direct from Mike Dillon (R.I.P.).
If loading on a progressive you usually end up with a favorite load and stick with it so that makes sense.

The unstated reason was to make it a bit of a pain so you would buy a measure for each toolhead or at minimum one for each powder bar size.

The aftermarket did pick up the challenge on this and there are multiple add on knobs (Armanov), replacement bolts to reduce backlash (photoescapeinc.com) and even a micrometer based one that has instructions on how to graph different powders so you can return to the same charge.

Micrometer Powder Bar Kit

Micrometer Powder Bar Kit for Dillon presses.

www.uniquetek.com

 

[MediumSpeed]

I have 2 650s - one for small primers and one for large. (Living behind communist lines I have to load all my own ammo) There are lots of cool add ons like the UFO lights and twist knobs that attach to the powder measure that make it easier to use. The Dillon primer dohicky works great for small primers but not as well for me for large primers. (for that I use the Hornady gun loader) The best thing for me loading 9 was to use the Lee Factory Crimp die for the crimp. I check everything when I am done in a Evo chamber checker block. The Mr Bullet is awesome when set up for everything but 55g Hdy 223...

Cheers!

 

[Halfnutz]

Another use for gage pins is documenting the size for each powder and charge when setting the powder measure. I have not gotten near as far as I thought with this data collection practice.

 

[Grant77]

We’ll done!
But trying to locate and pick up all my 9mm brass at an outdoor range… I’d rather do my own dentistry

 

[lewmed]

I have a 25 year old xl650 set up for 45 auto and 2 year old xl750 set up for 9mm and have never had issues with them. My machines are both bolted to 5/16" X 16"X 20" steel plates that are bolted to a very solid oak bench. When the machines are mounted solid you eliminate 95% of your primer issues and powder spills. My only upgrades are bearings on the shell plates, UFO lights and Mr. Bullet feeders. I have made 10 small and 10 large primer tubes that I pre fill so I can run 1,000 round batches. My last 12 or 15 thousand of 9mm rounds have been loaded using Sport Pistol powder that runs through the powder measure like water. I've been reloading for over 40 years and had a 06 FFL for about 20 years of those. My first progressive was an old C&H Auto champ and then a Star in the 90's I switched to Dillon and have never looked back. The only parts that I've had to replace on the Dillon machines were 2 broken indexers on the xl650 and a few small parts that I lost over the years. I have no idea how many rounds I have reloaded but I have records going back to 1992 showing I've bought over a million pistol and rifle primers and God only knows how many pounds of smokeless powder.

 

[TheGerman]

Hopefully @TheGerman doesn't disappear in a shower of shit, when firing his reloads.

Nope, they all worked well.

I survived!

 

[liminalState]

Managed to run 500 9mm through the Dillon 650 with a MrBulletFeeder and auto case feeder without a single snag, hiccup, part flying off, upside down fucking something, stuck fucking primer in some space that it is impossible for a primer to even get into, or any other event that made me stop and have to literally tear half the machine apart and/or re-calibrate its angle with the axis of the earth while Jupiter is in phase.

I'm sure theres some of you that have managed this feat 10000 times. You also all probably have high blood pressure and have had to buy things like replacement reloading stools and have learned to patch holes in drywall.

I'm actually horrified to go and check if all of the dies are still fully screwed into the toolhead.

I finally became that knowitall smug looking motherfucker in the Dillon videos. I can check this off the list now.

This will be the last thing I read tonight, there is nothing more entertaining in the ether than this post. Thank you. Good night.

 

[Woollymonster]

Managed to run 500 9mm through the Dillon 650 with a MrBulletFeeder and auto case feeder without a single snag, hiccup, part flying off, upside down fucking something, stuck fucking primer in some space that it is impossible for a primer to even get into, or any other event that made me stop and have to literally tear half the machine apart and/or re-calibrate its angle with the axis of the earth while Jupiter is in phase.

I'm sure theres some of you that have managed this feat 10000 times. You also all probably have high blood pressure and have had to buy things like replacement reloading stools and have learned to patch holes in drywall.

I'm actually horrified to go and check if all of the dies are still fully screwed into the toolhead.

I finally became that knowitall smug looking motherfucker in the Dillon videos. I can check this off the list now.

I can’t shoot all the ammo that I make with my Dillon RL550B. I have had it for over 10 years now. Tens of thousands of rounds loaded for IDPA, practice and, self defense. If l needed faster production, I might look to something that was fully progressive.

I got the 550 because of recommendations from the old timers in my league. They were right.

My experience is that a crash in a fully progressive press (which happen a lot) will wipe out any time savings over something that is manually indexed. I have been reloading since 1987.

 

[Rambo1945]

You just like to burn powder or trying to stay in some power factor range? I load 124g ball with 3.8g or Titegroup.

I load 124 ball and hollow point (RMR) at 4.0gr on my 650 w/case feeder only. Works great about 1000 fps in my G19 and 1300-1400 fps in my AR-15 w/ 10 in barrel.

 

[roostercogburn98]

I load 124 ball and hollow point (RMR) at 4.0gr on my 650 w/case feeder only. Works great about 1000 fps in my G19 and 1300-1400 fps in my AR-15 w/ 10 in barrel.

I’m not sure what speed I am getting. It has been probably a decade since I came up with this load for my G17 to shoot steel challenges in Ohio. It cycles my 17 and the brass just flips out of the action and to the ground beside me. The ar9 with a 4.5 inch barrel cycles equally as well. They are silly quiet in the ar9 and the mp5 as well.

 

[Snuby642]

It's no wonder people own more than one dillon. Once you get it running perfect you want to leave it alone.

The sideways / hung up primers on 223 used to get me. I started swaging reaming and uniforming pockets . No more problems.

I have smoothed out my stroke on the handle, slower and more deliberate. My powder is pretty consistent wirh previously haging primers being the main culprate for bad throws .

 

[Huskydriver]

Gotta have 1 Dillon 6/750 set up for small primer and 1 set up for large.

Case feeder shut off, primer shut off, and ballbearing indexer are super nice upgrades

 

[lewmed]

I have four retired buddies we have all been friends for years and are avid shooters. When the cost of ammo and reloading components started to go up we decided to work together as a team and reload. I've been reloading on my progressive equipment for many years and had everything we needed. That is everything except the cash needed to stockpile all the needed components. We put our money together and with a few orders to Powder Valley and RMR we had every thing we needed. Now next came the cluster fu_k I thought us four retired educated guys could all take turns running my progressive equipment but I was wrong. Out of a fighter pilot, a pharmacist, a surgeon, a helicopter mechanic. and me a car salesman only two of us were mechanically inclined the smartest three the doctor, pilot and pharmacist were left with the job of cleaning brass, filling primer tubes and QC. The point I'm trying to make is not everybody could or should be in the same room with a fully progressive loading machine we figured it out and have a good system and good friends with plenty of ammo for a couple years. Know your limits and never stop learning and most of all keep enjoying the shooting sports.

 

[Snuby642]

So on a team a good leader needs to delegate to the individuals strengths.

A progressive may not be your best friend. Maybe prime by hand, saves the upstroke another guy can qc on a granit chunk.

I deprime on a single stage, then work pockets.

Maybe resize on a single stage and cut that out of the progressive.
One guy could lube the other one size.
You could pull the sizing die and put in a mandrell first stage. Your groups will shrink.

The progressive will run without effort and smooth, no primers to hang or remember to upstroke and powder throws are more consistant.

Would be easier for a noob to run like that.

I hand prime a lot while watching tv, saves that upstroke on the dillon.

A couple of strait cordless drills for pocket tools and debur tools.

A progressive is a cool tool but a couple of tasks done off press makes for short work on it.

 

[Slab74]

I mean when I first got a Dillon years ago, people were always going on about how hard caliber conversions were. Then I'm just shaking my head telling them that they just had to switch the caliber conversion parts in/out, put on another tool head and go.

After finding out just how many insanely retarded adjustments needed to be made to get this Rube Goldberg contraption to do fucking anything other than drive me insane for any amount of time, now I understand why no one wants to fucking touch or change anything on it.

Like you, there were periods of time where I just did not use it for months to a year straight because I just didn't want to fuck with it for 5 hours to make 17 rounds.

This is why I use a single stage press for everything. I prefer slow and correct over fast and fucked up.

 

[Snuby642]

I load for 5 ar shooters and the grandchildren are growing fast.

I need the dillon rocking for powder seat and crimp and moving the mandrell over as well.

 

[lewmed]

We are only loading pistol cartridges on the xl650 and xl750 9mm, 38 Super, 40 S&W and 45 Auto. All brass is deprimed before wet tumbling and all 9mm mixed head stamp brass have the primer pockets swaged before loading. This eliminates 99% of the stoppages but we still get a occasional stray 380 case or a 9mm hiding in a 40 or 45. A caliber conversion is as simple as changing a shell plate, tool head pre set with dies and powder measure it's not that big of a deal. And Dillon equipment doesn't have to cost you an arm and a leg the last gun show I attended I found two tool heads with dies and powder measures for a $100 each.
Oh yes one more thing lube your brass I use Hornady one shot when loading 9mm not much just a little blast goes a long way and it doesn't need to be cleaned off the finished ammo.

 

[babyguppy]

@TheGerman - congrats, I ended up hand priming all my loads for everything. It makes the whole process easier.

 

[nn8734]

It took me a few go-rounds (and some frustration) with my 750 before everything came together. At first i was thinking i blew a bunch of money but after some time on it, i now consider it the best reloading purchase ive made in years (maybe ever).

5.56 ammo is churned out by the hundreds per day vs ~100 rounds over two-three days on single stage presses. Decapping and swaging is a breeze and i look forward to that task vs dreading it before.

next up for me is loading both 308 and 9mm on it.

 

[babyguppy]

UniqueTek, Inc has some cool features for the Dillions btw. I love the LEDs

 

[babyguppy]

It took me a few go-rounds (and some frustration) with my 750 before everything came together. At first i was thinking i blew a bunch of money but after some time on it, i now consider it the best reloading purchase ive made in years (maybe ever).

5.56 ammo is churned out by the hundreds per day vs ~100 rounds over two-three days on single stage presses. Decapping and swaging is a breeze and i look forward to that task vs dreading it before.

next up for me is loading both 308 and 9mm on it.

the trouble with the 5.56 was the 'spillage' from the powder as the 650 rotated. The spring thing really helps for a smoother operation.

 

[nn8734]

the trouble with the 5.56 was the 'spillage' from the powder as the 650 rotated. The spring thing really helps for a smoother operation.

The 650 did have those issues - did you upgrade to the Armanov index cam roller bearing block?

I have spilled plenty of powder, mostly due to me being green with progressive presses (this 750 being my first).

mods I’ve done include upgrading the shell holder detent ball and spring to a torlon ball, roller pin on the case cam and deleting the fail-safe arm on the powder measure, using the dual return spring set up in its place.

I’m looking into the Whidden and Armanov free floating tool heads to try some precision loading and see how it goes. I’ve read of mixed results using the 750 for precision stuff, many preferring the 550. But if ammo made on the 750 can maintain 1-1.25 MOA in my SR25 I’ll use it going forward. Bolt gun stuff will always be loaded on my single stages.

 

[babyguppy]

The 650 did have those issues - did you upgrade to the Armanov index cam roller bearing block?

I have spilled plenty of powder, mostly due to me being green with progressive presses (this 750 being my first).

mods I’ve done include upgrading the shell holder detent ball and spring to a torlon ball, roller pin on the case cam and deleting the fail-safe arm on the powder measure, using the dual return spring set up in its place.

I’m looking into the Whidden and Armanov free floating tool heads to try some precision loading and see how it goes. I’ve read of mixed results using the 750 for precision stuff, many preferring the 550. But if ammo made on the 750 can maintain 1-1.25 MOA in my SR25 I’ll use it going forward. Bolt gun stuff will always be loaded on my single stages.

I have the 650 (had those issues) with 556. I bought a 750, I haven't tried 556 on in yet. When I reload 556, I don't start unless I have at least 4k pieces of brass. when the 5 gallon bucket is full, I get motivated.
Yes, bolt gun single stage. MY favorite, is the resizing of brass with the auto trimmer. Damn I love that thing. 308, 300 blk, 556.. I hate adjusting for each caliber.. HUGE pain...... almost easier to just buy a trimmer for each caliber lol
nn8734 - to answer your question - no I didn't upgrade my 650. My buddy upgraded his 650 (not sure what he used) and it made for a smoother operation..

 

[TheGerman]

I can’t shoot all the ammo that I make with my Dillon RL550B. I have had it for over 10 years now. Tens of thousands of rounds loaded for IDPA, practice and, self defense. If l needed faster production, I might look to something that was fully progressive.

I got the 550 because of recommendations from the old timers in my league. They were right.

My experience is that a crash in a fully progressive press (which happen a lot) will wipe out any time savings over something that is manually indexed. I have been reloading since 1987.

For me, the auto index isn't really an issue. I mean, all it really does it turn the shellplate. But I do agree the 550 is easier on a malfunction as you dont have the damn thing trying to spin itself around ontop of whatever just happened.

My gripe with the 550 was that everytime you loaded a round, you had to put the case in, put the bullet on, press the handle and then rotate it. If you forgot one of those it turned into a confusing mess.

I'm not sure if you can put the auto case feeder and MrBulletFeeder on a 550 now, but those would have fixed alot of that.

 

[LR1845]

For me, the auto index isn't really an issue. I mean, all it really does it turn the shellplate. But I do agree the 550 is easier on a malfunction as you dont have the damn thing trying to spin itself around ontop of whatever just happened.

My gripe with the 550 was that everytime you loaded a round, you had to put the case in, put the bullet on, press the handle and then rotate it. If you forgot one of those it turned into a confusing mess.

I'm not sure if you can put the auto case feeder and MrBulletFeeder on a 550 now, but those would have fixed alot of that.

yes you can....i had a 550 and sold it to buy a 750 for the vary reasons you mention.

 

[Bubs]

Glad I've owned multiple 550 for 30+ years-1 has been rebuilt twice-10yrs loading for a beltfed .308,NO bulletfeeder or brass feeder..Auto index sucks...Wonderful machine-if you can't successfully reload with a Dillon550....sorry about that.

 

[BullGear]

The only problem I've ever had with the 550 was the lack of time to load what I'd like. Now that I have the time, I don't shoot very much any more.

 

[pmclaine]

Okay @TheGerman I feel the motivation you have passed on and see your challenge...

Full coffee....

Need to fill primer tubes, never bought a small primer conversion for the rapid fill...

Press dies still need to be set up....

Plenty o brass...

Pre 1980 Country music on the radio with your granfathers and great granfathers head gear standing by...

 

[Halfnutz]

@pmclaine, the Double Alpha Primafill from Primal Rights makes short work of those primer tubes and the price is under $100. Love mine.

 

[pmclaine]

@pmclaine, the Double Alpha Primafill from Primal Rights makes short work of those primer tubes and the price is under $100. Love mine.

I load a lot more large primer than small so it's never really bothered me to fill tubes.

I have the machine loaded and 5 tubes on standby.

That would be a good day's work.

Still setting up dies. Pain in the ass but once the toolhead is set it will never be touched again.

Had to break to make pancakes for the kids....

 

[Snuby642]

Swapping the powder measure block between rifle and pistol, then setting actual powder drop is what I hate.

Maybe I pry the wallet open and get a second powder drop.

My concern then is I will want one for each seprate tool head like the big kids.

Like taxes it will never cease.

 

[Huskydriver]

Swapping the powder measure block between rifle and pistol, then setting actual powder drop is what I hate.

Maybe I pry the wallet open and get a second powder drop.

My concern then is I will want one for each seprate tool head like the big kids.

Like taxes it will never cease.

Lol yea....I got like 6-8 powder drops f that noise

 

[pmclaine]

Pretty meager production for the day......

But now the tool head is set forever, never to be fucked with.

4.3 of W231 was falling exact after doing the retarded ten drop average 4-5 times and measuring 43 grains on the old O'Haus.

Rounds are typical Dillon wasp waisted because all their dies are cut so tight...

Taking the bell out of the case mouth was a bitch but now all drop nice in my barrel...

Primer feed may have a glitch but I'm bout ready for mass production.

Just gots to shoot this batch first to function check.

 

[babyguppy]

Pretty meager production for the day......

View attachment 7697582

But now the tool head is set forever, never to be fucked with.

4.3 of W231 was falling exact after doing the retarded ten drop average 4-5 times and measuring 43 grains on the old O'Haus.

View attachment 7697585

Rounds are typical Dillon wasp waisted because all their dies are cut so tight...

View attachment 7697586

Taking the bell out of the case mouth was a bitch but now all drop nice in my barrel...

View attachment 7697587

Primer feed may have a glitch but I'm bout ready for mass production.

Just gots to shoot this batch first to function check.

setting the machine up, is 3/4 of the battle.
Great job, now, feed that thing bullets, powder and primers...

 

[pmclaine]

setting the machine up, is 3/4 of the battle.
Great job, now, feed that thing bullets, powder and primers...

Setting each die is a matter of tweaking by degrees.

I back off the sizing die from the Dillon directions because I think their philosophy is everyone shoots full auto and the rounds must feed. They oversize in both rifle and pistol so you end up with something resembling a Vienna sausage thrown into the grand canyon.

I think the Sig 115 ammo I was measuring off of was 1.143 COAL so that was my aim with the 124s. I ended with 1.1433

Fit nice in my magazines.

Squeezing the belling back to just under .380 was taking the time. In order to drop into the Sig P320 barrel I actually had to squeeze them down into the .377 range.

I got rid of the crap Dillon lock rings as there is no way to minimally adjust a die with them. I use Sinclair lock rings with a tensioning screw. Only way to loosen the die yet not lose present reference so you can make that "half a flat" adjustment. Its time consuming loosening the lock ring, than adjusting the die, than retightening the lock ring yada, yada, yada.

Primer feed has a glitch, not sure if its up top where the shuttle arm pivots or something is catching below the shell plate and cocking up the system. Every once in awhile the little tit that runs the shuttle back and forth gets under the ratchet arm and locks the machine up. Probably needs a slight tweak somewhere may need to twist the little rubber hose on the shuttle to a fresh spot or replace. I should buy one of the new high-speed shuttles with the roller on it.

After the 9mm gets loaded up. Can probably do it in three of four sessions at the machine, I will be prepping up some .223.

 

[ICU22250]

So I just wanted to resurrect this thread since I've had my Dillon RL1100 for a little bit now. This press is night and day better than the XL750 I had, I know that yes it should be because of the price tag, but it's soooo much smoother and I don't have the annoying primer issues that the 750 had.. every once in a while I'll have a bullet log jam in the Mr. Bullet feeder in the down spout which I'm sure is easily fixed if I would take the time to identify what's causing it... Overall I'm very pleased with this press the way its set up, it took some time to get it all set up though. Now to be fair, I haven't went through the pain of a caliber change just yet, I've got it running 9mm right now and haven't had the need to swap just yet.. Just thought I'd give some props to dillon for this press, at least for now, till it pisses me off and gives me fits like the 650 has done to @TheGerman .

 

[Yondering]

Rounds are typical Dillon wasp waisted because all their dies are cut so tight...



Taking the bell out of the case mouth was a bitch but now all drop nice in my barrel...

The wasp waist is a good thing; it prevents bullet setback. Not something to complain about if you understand what's what.

Adjusting the crimp to remove the case mouth bell shouldn't be that hard. If it's really "a bitch" then reloading might not be for you. As with many things in reloading, that adjustment requires a bit of finesse, but not as much as adjusting a rifle die for correct headspace, for example.

 

[pmclaine]

The wasp waist is a good thing; it prevents bullet setback. Not something to complain about if you understand what's what.

Adjusting the crimp to remove the case mouth bell shouldn't be that hard. If it's really "a bitch" then reloading might not be for you. As with many things in reloading, that adjustment requires a bit of finesse, but not as much as adjusting a rifle die for correct headspace, for example.

Doing fine...

 

[mtrmn]

I was glad to see this resurrected. I still think the OP did the best job ever at capturing the true challenges of reloading on a progressive press.

 

[Choid]

How do you like the Mr. Bulletfeeder ? Takes a while to get it dialed in, but once that happens, seems to run pretty well. I’ve actually got a 650 set up for 9 and an identical setup for 45. I learned early on that “quick change” from one cal to the other was anything but quick, particularly with the additional headaches of having to re-setup the bulletfeeder.

For anybody who has trouble with the Mr. Bulletfeeder the easy button is to buy the optimization kit from Double Alpha. It has pretty much every bullet dialed in, and changeovers take like twenty seconds.

 

[MadDuner]

I set my Dillon up about 5 or 6 years ago..... and I'm afraid to screw with it in the slightest.

 

[ICU22250]

For anybody who has trouble with the Mr. Bulletfeeder the easy button is to buy the optimization kit from Double Alpha. It has pretty much every bullet dialed in, and changeovers take like twenty seconds.

I have the double spring whatever it's called on the dropper, it works fantastic and has solved the double drops I was getting when I started.. Like I said, other than an occasional log jam as the bullets are leaving the bowl, I have no other issues with the bullet feeder. I am going to look into that soon and fix it..

 

[Choid]

I have the double spring whatever it's called on the dropper, it works fantastic and has solved the double drops I was getting when I started.. Like I said, other than an occasional log jam as the bullets are leaving the bowl, I have no other issues with the bullet feeder. I am going to look into that soon and fix it..

The kit is basically just a template so that the hang angle on the bulletfeeder is perfect, a few spacers so that you don't have to monkey around with setting the ledge, an improved rifle and pistol ramp, and most importantly, a manual that tells you, for weight, shape and make of bullet, which spacer, which ramp and which shims to use. I can run 2000 77 gn matchkings, and then switch over to 200 gr swc, and there isn't an adjustment period at all.

 

[ICU22250]

The kit is basically just a template so that the hang angle on the bulletfeeder is perfect, a few spacers so that you don't have to monkey around with setting the ledge, an improved rifle and pistol ramp, and most importantly, a manual that tells you, for weight, shape and make of bullet, which spacer, which ramp and which shims to use. I can run 2000 77 gn matchkings, and then switch over to 200 gr swc, and there isn't an adjustment period at all.

That's awesome, I'm gonna look into that.. Thanks.

 

[Yondering]

It's funny how many people will insist the 650 is a better choice than the 550 (mostly because that's what they bought, combined with egos and whatnot), but the same guys will complain about how hard it is to get the 650 running right.

It's true, the 650 is more tricky to get set up right, especially if you're using a bullet feeder. I had to make a number of "improvements" to my 650 that the 550 never needed. It's finally running right now, after more than a few $$ thrown at it in upgrades.

The 550, on the other hand, is like the little engine that could. It doesn't load ammo as fast as the 650, but it's operation is much simpler and it just chugs right along. The primer system isn't perfect, but it's worlds better than the 650 rotary system, and there's no issues with powder spilling or bullets falling out.

 

[c999]

I can load 40SW all day on a 650 without a single stoppage. 9mm is the antichrist if it is mixed brass that I haven't loaded before.

This!

I load on an LnL and 40 is so damn easy compared to 9mm.

Especially when you get some f’ing 380 like 1 out of a hundred. Gets all the way to the priming station and decides to not quite fit the shellholder and get a primer stuck in half way and locks the whole press up… Bain of my freaking life.

That and primer pull back on decapping. I’m tempted to spend a fortune on a mighty armory size die with a primer flicker. If only most reviews didn’t complain about no neck tension I’d probably do it.

 

[Choid]

The 550 is a great machine. The only upgrade it needs is the Uniquetek longer, NP3 coated primer support. The 1050s are really good too. I just had to put to rest my first, an RL1050, that had finally started to take more time to keep running than I got to spend making ammo. The 650 was kind of a weird in between, but I understand the 750 fixes some of its shortcomings.

It's funny how many people will insist the 650 is a better choice than the 550 (mostly because that's what they bought, combined with egos and whatnot), but the same guys will complain about how hard it is to get the 650 running right.

It's true, the 650 is more tricky to get set up right, especially if you're using a bullet feeder. I had to make a number of "improvements" to my 650 that the 550 never needed. It's finally running right now, after more than a few $$ thrown at it in upgrades.

The 550, on the other hand, is like the little engine that could. It doesn't load ammo as fast as the 650, but it's operation is much simpler and it just chugs right along. The primer system isn't perfect, but it's worlds better than the 650 rotary system, and there's no issues with powder spilling or bullets falling out.

 

[ICU22250]

The 550 is a great machine. The only upgrade it needs is the Uniquetek longer, NP3 coated primer support. The 1050s are really good too. I just had to put to rest my first, an RL1050, that had finally started to take more time to keep running than I got to spend making ammo. The 650 was kind of a weird in between, but I understand the 750 fixes some of its shortcomings.

So how many rounds if you had to guess did you produce through that 1050 before you had to put it to rest? What problems were you having with it? I read somewhere that Dillon will rebuild them after they are finally worn out for like 150 bucks or something like that, im not sure on that price so don't hold me to it.

 

[fancygunz]

I have 2 RCBS Rockchuckers on the bench. Zero problems with either over literally 12+ years. In the same time I've been through 2 Dillons that I've made probably less than 5k rounds on between the two before this 500 round miracle due to just the never ending amount of adjustment bullshit.

The only mishap I ever had on the RCBS single stages was self induced as I one day forgot how to do math apparently, and vastly miscalculated the diameter of bushing needed in the die and turned a bunch of Lapua 308WIN brass into some weird 22 cal wildcat.

I now also see why there are people who have 4 of them; 1 for each caliber. Because if you're lucky enough to actually make it work reliably, don't fucking ever adjust anything on it ever again.

Initially I thought I'd produce ammo faster. Which, technically, its true. When its actually making ammo. But then add in 3-4 hours of me taking half the fucking thing about because every 3rd round did something different for no fucking reason, and I could have just been using a single stage.

And if we're bitching about setup; whoever designed the whole powder measuring system needs to be punched in the dick repetitively. Adjust a hex screw clockwise/counter clockwise with absolutely no gauge on adjustment. Then create a system that relies on the atomic weight of the protons in the kernals of powder in the hopper to create enough down force to actually spit out the same amount of powder each time and further complicate that system by needing 5, 10, 15, 20 throws per adjustment to see what its actually set up to throw. Maybe. This whole 'black magic' of making this work reliably has gotten to the point of people literally attaching small vibrating dildos to the side of the hopper via rubber band in hopes of making the powder settle more uniformly. Literally...people are so fucking annoyed with this entire thing they've gone to attaching dildos to the side of it in hopes of getting it to actually fucking work.

This is the funniest post I have read in a while and actually made me laugh out loud. I have had pretty much the same experience with the LNL and have come very close, many times, to chucking the whole thing and getting a Dillon. The Dillon fans are very persuasive online, good to know they're full of it.

Different press, same problems!

P. S. An electric toothbrush works pretty well too. Gives you a stronger/harsher vibration if you need it, less dampening due to the hard plastic.