I just might pry some cash loose and go for a progressive press. I'm wondering the good and the bad about them and which you guys would buy and why.

I know some are easier than others to change over from small to large primers and caliber conversion can be difficult with some but not others. At the very least I will be loading .45 ACP, 45 Colt, 9mm, 38/357 and maybe more...

Please let me know what you all think and which you would/did buy...
Thank You

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Freedom is never free!!
SWCA #3437

I voted for the Dillon 650. Dillon makes a very good press. They also have excellent customer support. The 550 is also nice!

I have well over 200k through the LnL. Had a warranty issue at 85k and 100% satisfied.

AA,

Since you have all of those dies already, any one that takes them is a good choice except the Lee line.

I have nothing bad to say about Lee as a company but, their progressives have the reputation of being something you have to "tinker" with constantly to get them to work.

I have never owned one though BUT, had a friend that has/had one. It was a good thing he was a tool and die maker. He was always building something to make his better. The other major brands, there is no need for that stuff.

Dillons are good although, I haven't used a Hornady LNL AP either.

I like my XL650s, I have 2, and I would not be without them, period. I also have the predecessor to the RL550B, the RL450B and to be honest, that is where I think I would start.

Here is why: It is cheaper than the XL650. It can have a case feeder added to it for future higher volume runs. The priming apparatus is much easier to change over and it leaves unused primers in the holder rather than dumping them on a ramp and after a few of them there, they end up on the floor. It can be used for rifle reloading too.

The RL550B has one issue that would make me cringe a bit if you were a new loader though, the hand advance feature. Folks that use Titegroup have no business using an RL550B. If you forget to move the cases forward it would be super easy to end up with a double charge, no problem.

A simple rule to progressive reloading is, always go forward, never back up. With the RL550B, you can violate that rule very easily. That is my only hangup with one though.

Hope this helps.

Best to you!

Moved from a Lee Turret to a Hornady LNL late 2011 and couldn't be happier. Lee turret was turning out fine ammo for me in 45ACP and 9mm, and the Hornady is doing the same, but much faster. Caliber changes are quick and easy with the LNL, although not as simple as with the Lee. The only thing you'll need are enough LNL fittings for all your dies, and they're relatively inexpensive. IIRC you have a Lee turret now. Good news is your Lee pro auto (or auto) measure(s) will fit on the Hornady and work just like they did on the Lee. That will make caliber changes even easier for you. Don't know if the same is true for mounting on a Dillon. I can also say that the LNL powder dispenser is just as good and consistent as my Lee pro auto dispenser with the powders I'm using. (Unique isn't one of them)

I 'could' have afforded a Dillon, but chose the Hornady and used the left over money to do some motorcycle upgrades. I'm sure you've seen and read the information from the gentlman that did a very complete comparison of the Lee Loadmaster, Hornady LNL and Dillon. It's a very informative and complete comparison, worth your time.

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S&W15-22 RIA 1911
CZ75B SR9

On this forum? The answer is pretty much predictable

Something Old, something New, something Borrowed, something ....

Having no experience with any of them but have a friend that has the Hornady, if I was buying one it would be that. Dillon is just to darn expensive for caliber changes.

From this thread.

Any reason NOT to get the Dillon XL 650?

http://www.comrace.ca/cmfiles/dillon...Comparison.pdf

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Still Running Against the Wind

I didn't vote for any. Really is should be just your "gut choice" probably between Dillon and Hornady. You won't go wrong with either, and both companies will take care of any issues you may have. RCBS doesn't seem to get much mention when it comes to progressives, as well as the Lee Loadmaster.

My wife gave me a Dillon 550 twenty years ago as a Christmas present (she actuall called the factory and had them talk her through the deal). Back then I was a subgun shooter and went through 45 and 9's by the thousands. Never had a problem. I called Dillon recently for a part I had lost. Dillon had it in the mail the same day at no charge. I can't tell you they are the easiest caliber change setup unless you have multiple tool heads. but you gotta love their warranty and customer service!! Plus, I'm still very happily married...

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Randy
Provenance nerd

Been researching this and have decided on the Hornady based on the ease (and cost) of caliber changes.
Reading that long comparison report referenced here recently cemented my decision.

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-jwk-
US Army '72-'95

I voted for the Dillon 550 since that is what I have on my bench. I do not have any experience with the other brands. I started out with RCBS dies(38,357,45acp) and one powder measure. Over the years,as funds permitted, I have added 44spl,44mag,45colt and 3 more powder measures.
Also all my dies are now Dillon dies.

As others will tell you caliber changes are quick and simple. I pretty much have just one load for each caliber,so I load lets say all the 45colt first then switch to the 44's then the 45acp. After they are done I load up all the empty 38's and 357's. That way I spend less time changing out the primer feed.

I even use Unique powder 66% of the time and I am happy with that through the Dillon powder measure

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U.S.A.F---E-7--Retired

I voted for the XL650 because that is what I own and cannot find one thing I do not like about it. Like the above poster says, it even meters Unique well!
Not knocking your other choices at all. All good candidates from what I hear.

I tried the Dillon 550 and didn't care for it. The loser cost of the LNL AP and the so so of the 550 made me pass on the 650. I love the quarter turn bushings in the LNL AP for the dies change and how easy it makes the powder measure to clear out. I also love the half index on the up and then half on the down stroke as it makes for very smooth rotation. Come to think of it, there isn't anything I don't like about it yet. I guess it took a minute to figure out the spring for the ezject gadget. That's as bad as I can think of for it. I really like it.

I voted Hornady. To my thinking, a manual index press is not a real progressive, that eliminates the blue 550. The 650 is comparable to the L-N-L, & costs hundreds more, as does the RCBS. Full disclosure, I own two progressives, Hornady, I believe it can be set to manual index, although I don't know why you would, but the Dillon 550 can not be auto indexed, & RCBS (older-Piggyback), & a Lee turret. The Hornady is fantastic, the RCBS works better now that I added a Hornady powder system, although the priming system is still plagued with problems. BTW, the Lee turret is great when you only need to load a couple o' hundred rounds. Just my opinion only, everyone else is entitled to their's as well.

I just found that there is a PTX die for the Hornady. If you buy one of those for every caliber you load, then the cost of a caliber change goes up a bit, around $10 for each caliber. That means that a caliber conversion is much more comparable.

Something to think about.

Although I've heard very good things about the Hornady LNL I bought a Dillon 550 on the recommendation of a relative who has loaded MANY thousands of rounds on a Dillon (not a 550 though). I bought he the 550 over the 650 for the ease in changing calibers and primer sizes. I now have two 550's (one set up for large and one for small primers) and am very happy with them. I used an RCBS single stage rockchucker for years (and still do) so I would assume that the RCBS would also be a decent machine. Probably can't go wrong with any of them.

I actually don't like the PTX insert that Hornady sells for each caliber, they did not work well for me. I found a universal PTX insert through a company called Powderfunnels, and it works great, and you only have to buy it once... I forget the price, maybe around $30/$40 IIRC. I have an adjusted lower die for each caliber, and just pop the Powderfunnels PTX insert in when changing over calibers, couldn't be any easier.

To the OP, I went through the same decision making process a few years ago when I was considering what progressive press to get. I ended up going with the Hornady LnL AP, and have been very satisfied. I honestly don't think you can beat the value, and features of the LnL AP. Even though its less expensive, it is not a "trade off" decision when comparing to Dillon, as the quality, and service is there, the only thing missing is the extra price.

That being said, I know Dillon makes a very good machine, so I'm definitely not against the idea of a Dillon. If you've got plenty of cash to spend, and like the features/operation of the Dillon, I'm sure you'd be well served by the machine. I really never see anyone with a Dillon, or the latest version of the Hornady LnL AP complain about their equipment.

Things I really like about the Hornady machine, besides the value, is:

* The overall quality of the press, it is a nice machine.
* I like that its auto-indexing, and that it is a five station press.
* The half index rotation does make for a smooth operation.
* Its very easy to take a case in and out of the shell plate if you mess something up, or need to check a powder charge.
* The priming system is a very good design, and very easy to change from large to small (truly no need for a second machine, just for the convenience of primer change overs; talk about extra expense!).
* The LnL bushings are a great design, and really do make for simple, and inexpensive, caliber conversions.
* The powder measure is top notch.
* The powder measure inserts make for an excellent, inexpensive, and easy way to keep specific loads calibrated. I have a pistol caliber insert for each caliber that I load, once you have it dialed in, you can just plug the insert in, or out of the measure, and keep your settings. These also adjust very easily if you want to make changes.
* I forget the exact pricing comparisons, but if I remember correctly, apples to apples the Hornady was much cheaper than the XL650 for caliber conversions.

I got the optional case feeder for the LnL last year. Overall, it works pretty well, but does have a couple of quirks that can make things annoying. It tends to sometimes tip the case as it goes into the shell plate, requiring you to adjust the case with your finger to bring it fully into the shell plate (it just needs a little nudge, if it happens it's a quick thing..). I've found that this can usually be resolved by tinkering with the adjustment so that the feeder arm is adjusted 'just right,' but getting 'just right' has been frustrating, at times. Again, overall, it works pretty good, I just wish it was more consistent, or had a different mechanism that ensured more of a controlled feed of the case into the shell plate. Still faster than hand feeding each case, and was not a very expensive option for the amount of speed it gives you.

Despite this being a pretty hot potato topic, most people will tell you, you can't go wrong deciding between the Dillon and Hornady. I think more people have Dillons, so you will get more people advocating for them. Dillon's service is excellent, and from everything I've read so is Hornady's. I have not had any parts issues, so I've never called them for that, but my understanding from reading about this, is that they also stand behind their equipment.

At the end of the day, I could have afforded either the XL650, or the LnL AP, and opted to go for the Hornady (since then I lost my job, so I guess I feel even better about saving the $400/$500...). I just liked a couple of the features of the LnL better, and even though I had the money, I did not want to pay extra for no perceived advantage with the Dillon. If I had determined that the Dillon was clearly the 'better' machine, I would have paid the extra money and been done, but that was not my experience.

I'd make the same decision again today. But, that being said, if I do ever buy another machine, I might give the 650 a try, just to see for myself how they work side-by-side, and over time... Plus, then I could just tell everyone they should buy a Dillon! :0

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NRA Life Member

First, you don't really need a progressive unless you need more than 200rds/week. That is easily done on a turret or even SS press. If your volume is around that, then a 650 w/ case feeder is way over kill. IF you want one, reason enough. The LNL is a good setup, but many complain about the priming system & PTX. I personaly don;t care for the LNL bushings, they tend to come loose & are slower to swap out than an entire tool head.
If you don't want a case feeder, then a 550B is more press than most need. At 450-500rds/ per hour, plenty of ammo & quick caliber swaps. The LNL is about the same speed, just auto indexes & has an add'l. stn for powder check die. It works ok w/ a case feeder, but if you really want/need a case feeder, the Dillon 650 is a much better machine. Almost perfect priming system, far better case feeder & pretty smooth running. Set up the same, about $125 more, not a big deal in the big scheme of 25-30yrs of reloading. With a case feeder, the 650 is a 700-800rds/hr machine easy. Very, very few need such a rig & I keep mine setup just for 45acp as it is what I shoot the most, about 600rds/m. It takes a wahopping 1hr to do that if I am really sloooooow. I have both the 550B & 650, all my other pistols stuff & 223 gets done on the more simple to swap 550B.

I just bought a Dillon RL550B last month. Not sure how I ever lived without it!

Bflobill69

Well, sometimes you don't know what you are going to "need" in the way of ammo and being able to make it fast is a good thing.

Two cases in point:
You are a new parent and have been rather busy with that task, and rightly so. You have an hour here and no more than an hour there. In the first hour, you can build 500 - 800 rounds of quality ammo, more than most folks shoot in the following hour at the range!

Remember that, sometimes you just get one to save time, period.


Second case: I got a call this morning that son #2 was going to qualify for his department and wanted to go shooting afterwards. I had been light on plated bullets, because that is what we both shoot in our Glock 21SFs. He is also allowed to shoot reloads in his duty gun which is a 40S&W M&P! Those arrived this morning after the call that he wanted to shoot! Well, about 30 minutes in the Man Cave and I had more ammo that you could shake a stick at! We did shoot up all of the heavy 45ACP stuff and a lot of the 40S&W before we got cold and quit.

If we had to wait to justify all of our purchases by the "need" for the item, there are a lot of things that we would be doing without.

My suggestion, get one but get one now. Any of them will work as advertised and you can get your money back for most if they are still in good shape.

In all honesty, you cannot go wrong with any of them. Hey, buy a red one and a blue one and paint the bench white! Now THAT would be cool!

I have 2 Hornady L-N-L APs. I liked the first one so much that when I had the opportunity, I got another one.

The easiest of cartridge changes (yes, I know you can just change the whole head on the Blue Brand Ecchhs, but compare the expense to a few bushings), easy as pie change from small to large primers, very user friendly, and their service warranty is as good as the no-questions-asked type.

That having been said, I think the Brand Ecchhs are excellent presses too. You get virtually the same features with a comparable model, just more expensive.

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" I said, good DAY! "

Skip, I agree with your 'need' assessment. I fall into your case #1 category. I've got two little ones, which means I don't have much time to reload these days. My progressive has given me the ability to crank out quality ammo quickly, and get back to hanging with the family. It's really a time management thing. How much is your time worth?

Love being able to make a bunch of ammo fast. Today was a great example, I spent about 40 minutes and ended up with around 350/400 rounds of 9mm. This finished me up with 9mm for now (got about 1k made up...), so I'll switch over to .45 tomorrow, and spend an hour/hour and a half, and probably have 600+ rounds done. And, this is not "rushing" things, either, I'm very careful as I go. Works for me...

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NRA Life Member

Well, I thought my turret press would be enough but now that 2 of my sons are actively shooting and I'm loading for a lot of rifle calibers now my reloading time is now extending more than I want it to.

I can safely load 180-200 rounds of handgun ammo per hour on my turret press but now that I need ~800 rounds a week it's getting hard to keep up. I'm also having a hard time keeping up with my .223 ammo which also takes hours a week. Add the 30-06, 30-30, 45-70 and a few more, well you get the idea...

I'm a little surprised the RCBS Pro2000 has gotten only 4 votes. I was taking a hard look at that press. It looks more solid that any of the others and it's easy to change everything on it! The die plate changes in seconds and the primer change is a snap. Watch the youtube video and let me know if it changes anyone's mind... RCBS Pro 2000 Auto Index Progressive Press - YouTube

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Freedom is never free!!
SWCA #3437

I have two 550B's one in large primer for 45acp & 44 Spl the other small primer for 38Spl. When I load it's not a race & if I think I screw something up just stop & pull pins take out charged case & dump powder and start over.


Sent from my iPhone 4s using Tapatalk

My opinion. If you load many different calibers, and typically crank out couple hundred of each (or even as little as 50), then change out to another caliber, you should buy the 550B

If you are one who wants to sit and crank out 2000 rounds of one caliber in a session, before changing over to something else, buy a 650 or a LNL.

IF you buy a 650 or LNL, you should buy the case feeder. There's no point in having a fully auto indexing progressive without a case feeder. Otherwise, you should just buy the 550B

I've said this before, but the real speed difference to me between the 550B and 650 is not having to index the shell plate manually on the 550B; rather, it's having to take your hand off the handle and insert a case, which you'd have to do on both if you didn't have a case feeder. Previously the 650 was the only one between the two that could use a case feeder, and that's really where you picked up the extra rounds/minute. Now, you can get a case feeder for the 550B, so the speed gap between the two is drastically reduced.