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Thread: What is better than a XL650? Two of them!

  1. #11
    Member
    Join Date
    Sep 2015
    Location
    Southern AZ
    With mine one is set up for 45 and the other I use for 9/40...(one for large & one for small primers). I really liked my 550 and think it’s easier to use when you’re starting out but there is no comparison to a kitted out 650 for cranking out ammo. I loaded yesterday and after a couple hours I had 1k 45, a couple hundred 9, refilled 20 primer tubes, restocked my bench and cleaned up.

  2. #12
    Quote Originally Posted by Mirolynmonbro View Post
    Why the change from 550 to 650? I'm still figuring out what press to get (using a Lee classic turret right now) and it looks like the 650 would be an obvious choice because it auto indexes. I'm wondering why a 550 would be picked over a 650
    Quote Originally Posted by TCB View Post
    I really liked my 550 and think it’s easier to use when you’re starting out but there is no comparison to a kitted out 650 for cranking out ammo.
    For a long time I was rationalizing to myself that the 650 would not be all that much faster, and I had two of them and I had setups for 380, 9mm, 38, separate 357 toolhead, 40, 44, and 223 and didn't want to start over duplicating setups, especially considering the 650 conversions cost more. Then I bought a SL900 for 20g and it sorta showed me the light, since it is built on the 650 and I started getting used to the idea of a case feeder and indexing. I also decided that I would mainly use the 650 for 9mm. Once I got it I liked it so much that I got the conversion for 45. And then for 223. And now I will have a conversion for 38/357. And I still have a 550, so I can use it for things like 357 and 44.

    If somebody is just starting to reload the 550 would be almost as simple as a single stage. You could run one shell at a time because of how the primer feed works on the 550. They are also cheaper, and can be bought without a conversion so I initially added a second 550. But I also like the way the priming works on the 650.

    If a fella has any experience I would jump into the 650.
    Last edited by mmc45414; 06-27-2019 at 06:50 PM.

  3. #13
    Quote Originally Posted by mmc45414 View Post
    If a fella has any experience I would jump into the 650.
    I should add that if you can't decide it seems like 550s sell on eBay for damn near what they cost new.

  4. #14
    Member
    Join Date
    Dec 2013
    Location
    The Sticks
    I have two 650's myself..The second was bought after a phone call from a friend, who was going through a nasty divorce..He needed cash, I really did'nt plan on buying the press, just some of the componets..We worked out a deal, and for $1600 I got his press, complete with strong mount, casefeeder, bullet tray. Plus, 32lbs of powder, 20,800 primers, 1200 once fired L.C. 5.56 brass all of which he had already trimmed, sized, and the crimp removed, half of these were already primed, the press itself was about 9 months old, basically new, all in all I feel I did good.

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