Newb loading / reloading questions

[Bimmer]

The set up process is no more intimidating than a 550...

Not sure what that means. Not ready for an XL650. Anyone can use an XL650. They are no harder to set up, and arguably easier to use, than a single stage press.

Trust me, I'm intimidated: I'm not worried about the set-up, I'm worried about un****ing it when I make a mess.

I like that I can/must manually index my 550, so when something goes wrong, I can back it up or skip forward and fix it.

[chadbag]

Trust me, I'm intimidated: I'm not worried about the set-up, I'm worried about un****ing it when I make a mess.

I like that I can/must manually index my 550, so when something goes wrong, I can back it up or skip forward and fix it.

OK, that I can understand. The fixing-a-screwup is a little but more involved on the XL650 compared to the RL550B/C since you basically take the "bad" station cases off and recycle if it is not something that you catch before the indexing takes place. (Or if after, there may be ways of resetting depending on the problem). But if you just think things through, I personally don't find it any harder -- just different.

I am currently (meaning in the last couple weeks) loading on an Rl550B and 2 XL650s. (I use one press of each type for each primer size, small and large since I have the presses, for various reasons -- long story). I was loading 338 Spectre (LR) on the RL550 and 300 BLK on a 650 and 6.9 SPC on the other 650. I had to take things slowly and think things through, since I had not loaded anything on any press in quite a while (my man cave is only large enough for one "hobby" at a time and was set up for wood working). Taking it slowly to start and thinking things through got me back in the swing of things, and the screw-ups as I was setting things up and getting back used to how they worked I was able to think through and fix

There is no reason to upgrade from an RL550 to an XL650 if you don't need the extra capability (if you want a case feed skip to an Xl650, or if you want a case feed with rifle, or the extra station). If the RL550 meets your needs, carry on. I use my RL550 a lot for the more weird stuff while I save the XL650 for high volume stuff (9mm, 223 trainnig, 300 BLK amd 6.8 plinking and mass rounds etc).

[Coal Dragger]

Trust me, I'm intimidated: I'm not worried about the set-up, I'm worried about un****ing it when I make a mess.

I like that I can/must manually index my 550, so when something goes wrong, I can back it up or skip forward and fix it.

The only routine issue with the XL650 is not the fault of the press but rather the case feeder and more often the brass.

Occasionally the case feeder puts a case in the tube upside down. If you’re occasionally looking at the tube and know it’s coming it’s not a huge deal. Obviously it won’t enter the guide to the shell plate, but you will have to manually remove the offending case once it shows up. If you don’t catch it before hand you will probably ruin the case by deforming the case mouth.

Then you have out of spec brass. CBC Magtec is a routine offender for me in this regard. The case will have an out of spec rim that is over sized either the rim being too thick, or the rebated portion too wide. In either instance the case will not enter the shell plate. I get rid of these pieces of brass when I discover them, although I’ve never had one cause a malfunction when being fired from the factory box.

CBC also insists on using some damnable adhesive on their primers and every now and then the spring loaded decap rod on the Dillon dies will not fully push the primer out and it will bind the shell plate from rotation.

I really really hate CBC brass.

[AndyLate]

My advice is to start with a single stage press in order to learn all of the steps. Then add a progressive press when you're confident that you understand the process. I use my progressive press for high volume cartridges (such as 9mm), but continue to use my single stage press for low volume cartridges (such as 7.7Jap).

I would recommend a turret press over a single stage for a first or only press. The price difference is not huge, but the ability to load a round without changing dies is.

I have a steel (iron?) Lee turret press and feel it was a good buy. The turret heads are inexpensive so I just leave the dies for commonly reloaded rounds installed and swap the turret heads. When I buy dies for a new caliber, I buy a turret head and only need to set the dies up once. I can also use one 4 hole turret for 2 different rifle caliber two-die sets.

I like to deprime and tumble pick-up brass before I resize. Using the 4 hole turret, I leave a universal decapping die in the 223/5.56 turret head and I never have to remove the die.

Lee stuff is not the best out there, but it works ok.

[chadbag]

In the big picture, there really is no difference between starting with a single stage, a turret, or a progressive as a "first press". The fundamentals of reloading are the same. Progressive presses are really no different in difficulty of using than a single stage. In some cases they are easier as you are not having to reset dies as often. The same care and attention needs to be given to single stage as to progressive reloading.

Unless your main interest is low volume high precision stuff, I would recommend a turret or progressive press to start off. Much less frustrating in the long run so you will more likely continue reloading. If your goal is to load practice 9mm (or 45 or whatever), and you find it takes you forever to load a reasonable volume, you will give up. I've seen it many times (in my life as a Dillon dealer). A turret or progressive will help you keep interest as you will soon be making more rounds volume wise in a given amount of time, even if you start off using it more single stage/turret like to get the hang of it. I almost gave up as a new reloader with a rock chucker as it was much faster to shoot the ammo than to make it (40, 223, etc). Then I got a progressive upgrade to the rock chucker. I saw the potential, though the upgrade itself sucked -- most of the time it was out of whack. But when it worked I saw the potential and went and researched and ended up with an RL550B. The rest is history.

An RL550 press is a great press to start with since you can run it like a turret press. You just stick the cases on one at a time and run each one through to the end before putting a second case on. You can learn and take things slowly. Once you feel comfortable, you can start using it progressively. If money is tight, the BL550 is an RL550 without the progressive parts -- a single "all purpose" shell plate, no powder measure, etc. It is basically a Dillon turret press. That you can easily upgrade to a full RL550B by getting caliber conversion kits and powder measure.

Now, if your interest is in low volume high precision rifle rounds (or you are one of the three people out there shooting 357 revolvers like they were precision rifles ), a single stage makes some sense (but even then, using an RL550 as a turret press or something like that also makes sense), as does a "real" turret press. The Area419 ZERO looks really interesting... But I have sold (even recently) XL 650/750 presses to guys loading for long range precision in strange 6.5mm and 6mm calibers. They set it up a little differently, use 3rd party adapters for fancy trickle powder chargers, locking toolheads, etc. But they produce ammo as good as the single stage guys but much faster.

Anyway, enough pontificating. My opinions are my own from my own reloading experience as well as selling presses and talking with a ton of guys who reload, some much better than me (not hard to be that), and some newbies, and your opinions may and probably are different (and just as valid).

[Ron3]

I'm pretty mechanically inclined.

So I will definitely consider the Dillon 550 before I purchase.

They arent available right now, anyway, and I have no bullets, primers, or powder.

[chadbag]

The last update I got from Dillon a week or so ago had RL550 presses at about 6 weeks and XL750 presses at 10-14 weeks. Carbide dies are longer. Stuff has been coming in faster than their estimates (but I've not needed tons of stuff)

[markm]

Unless your main interest is low volume high precision stuff, I would recommend a turret or progressive press to start off. Much less frustrating in the long run so you will more likely continue reloading.

Totally agree. That's how I started many years ago. If you love to load, you'll add a single stage or two later on to enhance/expand your loading options.

[AndyLate]

Chadbag, your entire post is a great read for someone thinking about reloading and for folks like me who have been reloading at a low volume for years and are a little disillusioned after trying to reload fast enough to keep up with our AR shooting habits.

Andy

[Travelingchild]

Trust me, I'm intimidated:
I like that I can/must manually index my 550, so when something goes wrong, I can back it up or skip forward and fix it.

You can actually, remove the indexer return spring and the indexer block, and manually turn the shell plate