I am breaking down and finally gonna set up my reloading area so I don't need to bug buddies to reload at there place. I shoot a lot of 308 and have a .338 Norma magnum barrel from SAC that's never been used and gonna order a 7WSM next week for my DTA SRS. I know a single stage is the easiest but slowest way to go but like my rifles I like to get the best if the best so I really wanna get a upper end dillon. I have been looking into them for some time now but not really sure what fits my needs the most. I was leaning towards the 550 with the manual turret in the 4 stage or the 650 5 stage. The only thing is I will still go pretty slow so I can measure out each load and hand pour it in. Can this be done in the 650 or even the 1050? I just like the fact of keeping all the dies set up in each tool head and changing that out so please give me ideas or what to stay away from so I get what works the best. Thanks
- Thread starter Rowdyryno
- Start date
I cant speak for the Dillon but the hornady lock and load ap press is a nice setup if you want a progressive. I load all my pistol , ar , blasting ammo on the hornady and ALL my precision ammo gets done on the single stage. I been loading for about 15 years and for me loading the precision ammo is much easier on the single stage. For me doing it on a progressive is to much hassle , but thats just me.
Yeah I was gonna go with a single just cause that's what I have used in the past. I just thought the nicer high end models would be a little easier and just as accurate if I pour each load instead of letting the powder thrower do it that way I know each load is the same.
I use a Forster coax for precision rifle and the lock n load for ar15 and pistol ammo. I think it would be annoying to try and single load on a progressive press.
I have been doing a lot of reading on this topic - have you considered something like a T7 From Redding?
Kosmos I haven't really looked into them until now. That might fit my needs perfect cause I really just don't wanna move dies around a log that's y I wanted a dillon so bad. I was gonna do pretty much the same thing with the dillon 550.
After looking at the redding T7 it holds 7 dies so I could set up 2 cals on one head but to eliminate the chance of using the wrong die could I get a dillon 550 basic press? Use it as a single stage almost have the three dies set up and a funnel for dropping powder after measured out? That way I only have one head set up per caliber I shoot. I am trying to stay away from screwing and unscrewing my dies all the time is what I'm after. Speed and amount of ammo I put out an hour is no issue cause I only shoot persision.
If that is the case then the Forster coax is made for you. Set up the dies once, then snap in and out of the press in two seconds when changing calibers. If you aren't looking for speed then no reason to deal with a progressive which will struggle to make ammo as straight as a coax.
I labeled each hole of my T7. That way if I screw up, I can say that at least I warned myself prior!
You are catastrophizing a highly unlikely scenario. Check your die before you pull the handle. Plus, another caliber won't fit right in a wrong die, and you'll recognize it if it did some to that.
If you don't have any experience reloading, then one advantage of a single stage press is that it focuses your attention to only a single step; and really helps break down the subtleties of each stage in the process. It is a lot easier to observe variances in the little things. You can certainly learn on either type, and a progressive is unquestionably more efficient for bulk ammo production. If you're into precision you'll probably end up with a single stage anyway. I'd make the argument to start there, learn the basics, and then get yourself setup to produce the quantity stuff.
If you're going to clean brass after depriming, resizing, and case prep . . . and then hand weigh each charge . . . IMO there's not much point in using a progressive when a quality single stage will outperform it in consistency of ammo produced.
The 1050 is likely to produce "better" ammo (to whatever extent that matters) than the 650. It's also more sepensive, more difficult to do a caliber change, and would be outperformed by a single stage (to whatever extent that matters). While the Hornady AP is likely to produce ammo with better concentricity (given the right components), it too would be outperformed by a quality single stage.
If you are going to use the progressive "progressively", on high volume ammo production (300+ batch sizes) where good is good enough, then the 650/1050 makes sense.
YMMV.
The 1050 is likely to produce "better" ammo (to whatever extent that matters) than the 650. It's also more sepensive, more difficult to do a caliber change, and would be outperformed by a single stage (to whatever extent that matters). While the Hornady AP is likely to produce ammo with better concentricity (given the right components), it too would be outperformed by a quality single stage.
If you are going to use the progressive "progressively", on high volume ammo production (300+ batch sizes) where good is good enough, then the 650/1050 makes sense.
YMMV.
I would agree with others on here that you should start with a single stage press, even a turret press if you don't want to change dies. It is much easier to assemble precision ammunition when done in batches where you set up for each step. I would suggest an RCBS chargemaster to get your powder charges as it pretty much does it for you and is very accurate when set up correctly. If you want to assemble true precision cartridges you may want to also look into an arbor press and some Wilson dies in addition to a single stage press. I have several Dillon presses 650 and 1050 and I can tell you these are simply for bulk ammunition, they can build precision ammo but the set up is a nightmare especially on the 1050. And along the way like the rest of us you will gather unbelievable amounts of stuff to do lots of amazing things with and wonder where you got it all....lol.
I have a charge master already and have been loading on a single stage RCBS that a buddy of mine has set up but is now moving to KC to take over family business so I figured it is time to set up my own reloading area. I thought about getting a single and set up like he had. I do not shoot bulk ammo I just load for long range shooting. I was just trying to take it to the next level and get a better more efficient set up when I set mine up. Since I have only used a single and have zero time behind a turret press was just wanting some input. My main want for a turret press is being able to leave the dies in the head and change the heads out and still using it like a single stage just do one at a time.
