Which progressive for sizing brass and maybe loading practice ammo

[Dthomas3523]

Looking for a progressive with case feeder (possibly bullet feed too). And I’m not too educated on progressives yet.

Will be using it to size brass and load practice ammo.

Can be hand crank or electric. Looking to be as quick/efficient as possible.

What models should I be looking at?

 

[A&8's]

I prep on a 650, except for priming which is done by hand primer. Charge and seat done on a single stage.

 

[MtnCreek]

My (possibly outdated) suggestion would be a dillon 650. I use mine to load pistol and 223 and have used it for trimming and sizing bulk once-fired 308 brass. The case feeder and tube will get nasty with lube when running lubed cases through it. You may need a different die to get proper sizing without putting too much pressure on the shellplate.

 

[High Desert duck]

I use a dillon 550, for brass prep, and priming. I use a rock chucker single stage after powder for seating. I also do not think lubed cases will not do well in a feeder. I can size about 500 an hour on the 550.

 

[Huskydriver]

I do everything including match ammo in two passes on a Dillon 650 basically just like @padom set up

 

[Mike_in_FL]

Unless you're doing a lot of pistol or a really high volume of rifle ammo I find it hard to justify more than a Dillon 550C. A lot of people resize and trim with one tool head and then dump powder and seat with another. It would also help to know what caliber. If we're talking .223 and 55 FMJBT with H335 you can bang out all you want with one tool head. Or heavies with 8208xbr. Spherical or flake powders feed fine and accurately through a Dillon powder measure. When you go to an extruded you need something that trickles for accuracy, not one dump.

I don't see the point in paying for a case feeder unless we're talking pistol. I don't know of anything electric unless you're talking about a lot of $ and adding automation to a 1050.

 

[Huskydriver]

Unless you're doing a lot of pistol or a really high volume of rifle ammo I find it hard to justify more than a Dillon 550C. A lot of people resize and trim with one tool head and then dump powder and seat with another. It would also help to know what caliber. If we're talking .223 and 55 FMJBT with H335 you can bang out all you want with one tool head. Or heavies with 8208xbr. Spherical or flake powders feed fine and accurately through a Dillon powder measure. When you go to an extruded you need something that trickles for accuracy, not one dump.

I don't see the point in paying for a case feeder unless we're talking pistol. I don't know of anything electric unless you're talking about a lot of $ and adding automation to a 1050.

I like using a case feeder even with rifle cases it's way faster. I throw powder with either a single or pair of chargemasters using an area 419 funnel with the Dillon adapter.

 

[mercracing]

I just picked up a Dillon 650 with case feeder for this same scenario. So far I’m loving it!

 

[_Windrider_]

Hornady lock and load. Get the big one.

 

[Gustav7]

Another plus for the 650....although for alot of reasons I would get the new 750. The priming system is like the one on the 550's and a lot better. I get very good consistency priming my 6.5 and .223 cases using that priming system on my 550.

The auto index is better on the 750 as well.

Theres a lot of guys making good match ammo on 550's and 650/750's so it definitely can be done.

I really think the 750 fits what you're asking for with case feed and auto index being the biggest additions that are going to save you time. Bullet feeders are a nice upgrade, but IMHO do not significantly increase efficiency. In the time it takes your arm to work the handle, you can have a bullet ready to go in your other hand, throw it on the case and not even miss a beat, As you have to prime anyways.

With match ammo, you're going to want to slow your whole process down anyways, and get good consistent pulls and primings, so you're going to have plenty of time.

Once you get your setup, I challenge you to take a load you know will shoot well, make 25-50rds like you normally would, and then make 25-50rds on the Dillon and see if accuracy or long range performance suffers.

 

[Cascade Hemi]

Mark 7

 

[_Windrider_]

Mark 7

Well yeah but I don’t think he’s gonna drop 5k just to get started.

 

[Cascade Hemi]

Well yeah but I don’t think he’s gonna drop 5k just to get started.

He spent $1800 on a neck turning station and $700 on a case trimmer, spending less than $5k on a progressive press seems appropriate.

 

[_Windrider_]

He spent $1800 on a neck turning station and $700 on a case trimmer, spending less than $5k on a progressive press seems appropriate.

Well there is that.

 

[1moaoff]

For progressives Dillon is hard to beat. I run a 550 and 650. I use the case feeder on the 650, it's so much faster and easier. I also pull the case feeder and when it's time to annealing put it on my AMP auto feeder.

Progressive even when broken into 2 or 3 steps shines when loading more than 250 rounds. Step up to 500 rounds at a time and its phenomenal.

The only step I still like to do by hand at times is priming cases if I am starting to worry about primer pockets.

I do NOT trim every time.

 

[Sixfivesavage]

Practice ammo....why is that any different than non practice ammo? Anyway, I do everything on a 650 and dualing chargemasters. Not sure how much better I need.

 

[Gustav7]

Practice ammo....why is that any different than non practice ammo? Anyway, I do everything on a 650 and dualing chargemasters. Not sure how much better I need.

Isn’t there a bluegrass song about Dueling Chargemasters? .....oh, no... that was banjos lol

 

[Dthomas3523]

Practice ammo....why is that any different than non practice ammo? Anyway, I do everything on a 650 and dualing chargemasters. Not sure how much better I need. View attachment 7325330View attachment 7325332

Same reason 100yd benchrest use powder throws and not a fx120 or Prometheus. It doesn’t matter at that distance. My practice is 100-400 yds. I don’t care if I have a 50 ES or what my runout is.

 

[Sixfivesavage]

Same reason 100yd benchrest use powder throws and not a fx120 or Prometheus. It doesn’t matter at that distance. My practice is 100-400 yds. I don’t care if I have a 50 ES or what my runout is.

Relax, I know what it is. I get it. I may not place as high a dollar value on my time as some people but I'm always of the mind that if something is worth doing, it's worth doing right. I'm just trying to make the point that everyone talks about progressives like it has to be some sort of compromise or can only load second rate practice ammo, when clearly that isn't the case. You can get great numbers and a great load with a powder drop and do everything in one pass if you do it right for what most people practice with. Runout isn't an issue and a powder drop can be suprisiny accurate when you use a powder suited for it and work the dropper over to give the best results. If you don't care how shitty your practice ammo is, unless it's some off the wall caliber with no factory support like a dasher or something then why not just buy junk ammo and save the time and effort of buying a press, components and the time invested in loading. I know what practice ammo is, the concept is just stupid to me.

 

[jetsurgeon]

Dillon 650 or 750