Which Dillon for a complete noob?

[Peally]

Correct. 650 has more bells and whistles. Personally I would never use a 550 myself, but I have a low tolerance for spending time reloading. Others have used them to great effect.

[GuanoLoco]

The 650 differs from the 550 in that it will take the case and bullet feeders, as well as auto-advance with each stroke of the handle? Did I get that right?

Money isn't a significant limiting factor. I've sold most everything I had that wasn't a 9mm to plough back into shooting expenses, so I do have some funds to spare. I would prefer to just "cry once" and get the most service I can out of the machine.

Apart from the press and the dies, I'm told I need a case tumbler, scale, caliper, case lube, primer tubes and a filling machine if I can afford it. Is there anything else that should be on the list?

Loading manuals were also recommended as must-haves. As well as a sturdy workbench.

I'd get a Mr. Bullet Feeder before a Primer Filling machine, although the latter is handy.

Decide on wet vs. dry processing for brass. That Franklin rotary wet tumbler is a sweet deal + no dust. A dehydrator makes life a lot simpler.

Inexpensive analog calipers work great. Best scale you can afford and some check weights if you aren't the trusting sort. I like the GemPro 250. Dillon OneShot for pistol case lube.

On the 650 you will eventually dread crimped primer pockets and seating un the upstroke. When that day comes look at the 1050.

[JV_]

You're going to invest a lot of money now, to save money in the future, but it's going to cost you time and possibly some frustration. Just make sure the desire is really there, and will be there a year from now. If it's not, buying a pallet of ammo may be a better option.

[Luke]

650
Case feeder
Bullet feeder
Set of calipers
Small scale
Cheap bullet puller*
Vibra prime filler
1 primer tube
Dillon owners manual
Lots of consumables

Wet brass tumbler with SS media
Lemishine cleaner
Brass dryer
Sorting trays

* is you really don't have to have it but it is handy every once in a while.


Go buy all that and a lot of bullets and primers and prima V offline and get to work.

[Padwan]

Thanks for the tips. I'll work on this later in the year. I need to see which part of the house may be ideal for setting up a reloading station. Worst case is we build a shack in the back of the property so that we don't keep volatiles and combustibles inside the residence.

[Luke]

I would highly recommend a climate controlled location for loading. Nothing wrong with cleaning and processing brass outside but you wanna be indoors loading. A bunch of primers and gun powder shouldn't be an issue unless you have like a bazillion pounds

[Jim Watson]

The nice thing about learning to load on a Dillon progressive is that you can run one round through at a time until you understand what each stage is doing. It will not spill powder or throw primers around from unoccupied stations. All you will have to do when you feel capable of going full progressive is to readjust the powder measure to take into account the difference in settling of the powder with different vibration.

I have owned and used all the Dillons EXCEPT the 650. (Also the old CH Autochamp and a MEC 650 shotshell progressive.)
When I was ready to upgrade from SDB, I studied the field and bought a Super 1050 instead of a 650.
I calculated that it took me 6 years to amortize the cost, but I almost giggle every time a round falls in the hopper.
The primer pocket swage and primer seating to a positive stop are worth the money to me.

I later bought a 550 for calibers other than .45 ACP so I would not have to face the daunting task of caliber conversion on the 1050.
I shoot so much 9mm now that I am considering buying another 1050 instead of a new gun this year.

[NETim]

I loaded enough pistol caliber stuff on a single stage to know that I didn't want to do that anymore. Went to an SDB. Then to a 650.

There are times I think I shoulda went 1050, but the 650 suffices.

[BN]

My vote is for a 1050. Like Jim said, you can load one round at a time while learning.

I started with a single stage, then a turret type, then a 550 and finally a 1050. If all you are loading is 9mm, leave the 1050 set up and that 600 rounds a week practice ammo will take you about 30 or 40 minutes. Some days I will go in and load 200 rounds in 10 minutes. It's just so easy to load with the 1050. I admit, I've never used a 650, but that primer swage and adjustable primer seating on the down stroke is fantastic. I kept my 550 and use it for low quantity ammo.

[JV_]

If you choose to go progressive, I would recommend completely clearing out the stations if you have a jam or an issue. Thinking you can fix it, while keeping partially loaded rounds properly indexed, is how rounds get double charged.

You really need to know your press well to do that safely.