New & Overwhelmed

[Artemas2]

@Jay585 yep that thing! The pick up tubes are not bad to use once you get the hang of them, I have been able to fill them in under 90 seconds now( the first few times I used them they were pretty stiff)

I load 9mm, .40S&W, and some .45ACP I don't know any thing about the quirks of rifle or revolver stuff.

Dies - I started with a RCBS 3 die carbide set, but that has changed over time. My current line up: Lee U-resizing die, dillion powder die/funnel, RCBS seat/crimp die(adjusted so it doesn't crimp) and finally Lee factory crimp die.
If you want to keep thing simple, just get any 3 carbide die set from Dillion, Lee, RCBS. I really don't think there is a whole lot of difference other than brand specific gimmicks or niche requirements

Carbide dies are worth it. Smoother to use, less maintenance, my RCBS resize die had over 65,000 uses before I buggered it on a piece of some European range brass.

My case prep, is to wash everything in warm soapy water, to get the mud and small rocks out. Dry for at least over night, maybe a day or two depending on weather before putting it in a 5 gal pale.
I went years without ever using a tumbler until someone gave me a Lyman Turbo 1200. It makes them shiny, maybe helps with feeding and extraction, but I never had issues either way.

Prior to loading I do spray my brass with some "Hornady one shot", in theory carbide dies don't need lube, but it does make loading easier.

Pistol ammo doesn't need to be trimmed, unlike rifle's, the brass tends to get shorter if anything.

Is a scale necessary YES A Powder scale that measures in grains is a must for setting up you powder measure, and verifying it.

A set of calipers is also a good buy. A Lyman digital caliper or something like it runs around $50-$60

A case gauge does not need to be a early purchase, case gauges are a nice convenience compared to pulling your barrels to check rounds.
If you are planning on loading any kind of significant volume I would recommend getting the shok-bottle hundo from Benstoegerproshop
The single and and 4-7 hole type gauges are also good for ammo that you load less often.

[mmc45414]

All good stuff here. A few things I will pitch in (not in any order):

This is really pretty simple:
- The first station just squeezes the exterior of the case back to size, and punches out the spent primer, and seats the new primer on the downstroke
- The second station drops the powder, and the funnel flares out the case mouth to accept the new bullet
- The third station is where you place the bullet on the case, and that die seats it to depth
- The forth station is where the case gets crimped, basically closing the flare
A whole lotta nuance to each of these phases, but going in it seems more complicated than it really is.

Conversion kit
For the 550 these are cheap and simple, they only include a shell plate, powder funnel and three buttons.
Don't always need the whole kit, but since there is not much there it is not much cheaper to not buy the whole kit. And in the case of 223 and 9mm they will share the same #3 buttons, but they are the thing most likely to roll under the refrigerator (be careful with compressed air...) and it is handy to have the spares.

Lee Dies
Some people discount these because they are a bargain, other people think they are just fine, some people actually think they are better. I now have an RL1100 and I have never quit using them. They make a 3 die set and a 4 die set, the 4 die set comes with their Factory Crimp die that ensures function, but might negatively impact function with cast and coated bullets (it squeezes the exterior of the loaded round down to size, no matter what that might do to the bullet). I have switched to their
taper crimp die. They also have an undersize option, that I might be using. Their stuff is so inexpensive you can get the basics and build on it if you want. I would probably get the 3 die set and the taper crimp die. Midway seems to consistently have good prices on Lee stuff. You for sure want carbide for pistol, it is not mainstream for rifle (you have to lubricate rifle cases, no matter what die).

550 Doesn't Index
This is one potential seriously dangerous issue. There are actually very few things you might do that would be dangerous, but dropping two charges into one case is one of them. Since the 550 doesn't index there is nothing that prevents you from running the handle twice on the same case. In 9mm this will probably overflow or at least be obvious when you place the bullet (depends on what powder and what charge) in 223 it will spill powder all over the place, in 38 (originally a black powder cartridge) there will probably be plenty of room for two charges. Some people make reloading sound scarier than it is, but double charge is the one thing that is a BFD.

You can do one at a time
IMO this is a great advantage the 550 has for a beginner, you can just run one shell through the process at a time. Might be a good idea to do 5-10 and take them to the range, maybe finish your first hundred this way. You know your mechanical aptitude better than we do, just go slow and simple until you are comfortable. Don't get sucked in by what your hourly rate is supposed to be.

Bench needs to be standing and best tied to the wall
I loaded a butt load of ammo from a chair, and one day (I think I actually read the instructions, after a few decades) I tried it standing, and standing is better. And if you own your own home and can put a few (as little as two) hole in the wall, even a few deck screws tie things down a great deal.

Need a scale
You for sure need a scale, because the powder is metered by volume but you adjust that volume by weight. The electronic ones offer some advantages, but are more complicated. Don't worry about how accurate it is, it is just a safety item at this point, though when you start doing precision rifle you will want a good one. Maybe get a simple beam or electronic one now, when you start doing rifle you may want a dispenser instead of metering by volume.

Videos or Manuals?
I learn better from watching, some folks learn better from reading. Here are two good ones, Gary is Official Dillon, Gavin is probably more fun to listen to...



Case gage
Always handy, but your pistol barrel is the ultimate gage. Just field strip it and see if the rounds freely "plunk" into the barrel, and drop out.

Loading (Recipe) Manuals
Books are great, and I have poured over them, and still love my little shelf full of them, but you are really only going to need just a few numbers, and all of the powder manufacturers list that on line.

Hope my yammering is helpful...

[Jim Watson]

Some additional questions I have:
Dies - go high end or low end? From what I'm seeing it seems like Lee is cheapest and Redding is the most expensive.

I prefer Dillon dies on a Dillon press, with maybe an easier to adjust seating die. Most other brands work, although my OLD RCBS sizing die did not.

What's the difference between carbide dies and the normal steel ones?

The only carbide involved is an insert in the sizing die, you don't have to lube the brass, but it helps.

Do reloading wadcutter bullets require a special type of die?

Just a wadcutter seating plug.


Case cleaners - I think I got this from the book, ABC's of Reloading that ultrasonic is the way to go for cleaning brass? IIRC, it's the least abrasive method of cleaning brass and it'll last longer. Any brands to stay away from?
Case prep - I got those hand turning trimmers (one for primer pocket and case mouth) but the fella I got the press from had this big bench machine with several attachments sticking up. At what place in the list should I place this?
In line with case prep- if I only buy new brass (for now), can I save myself the expense of the case stuff or is it still necessary?

People now are doing a lot of brass prep and double handling. I use a vibratory tumbler and walnut hull media. My cases are clean but not shiny. So what?
You will need a trimmer for rifle ammo.

Is a scale necessary? What do I need to weigh, and how often? I'm assuming the powder charge in the brass has to be weighed when I'm setting it up. What's a good one to use? Or should I use my digital food scale (of which I have an NIB extra)?

Absolutely necessary to adjust the powder measure by and a convenience in several other uses... Is that a 115 or 125 grain bullet? Powder scales read to the tenth of a grain, few food scales go that low. I have one that I use for counting, so it is handy.

I became aware of needing a case gauge via the Dillion channel linked to. What else might I need that I don't know about?

A cartridge gauge is good for inspection, handier than taking the barrel out of the gun for Plunk Checks; a cheap dial or digital caliper is handy.

[358156hp]

Before you do anything with it, I'd recommend you perform the clean and lubrication service as outlined here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJuMsTIKsaU

The lower pivot crank (Dillons term) rarely seems to get proper lubrication, many people seem to try dripping oil on it and hoping for the best. Dillon wants you to remove the pivot pins and use grease here. This information wasn't given when I bought my RL550, long, long ago, so my lower pivot crank galled, and the linkage got really stiff. So I ordered a new crank, and now my golden oldie is greasable from the end of the pivot pin. This is a great improvement. The machines not difficult to work on at all, and Dillons videos are very well done and explicit.

Here is the link to Dillons product videos on the RL550: https://www.dillonprecision.com/rl55...ct-videos.html