OP stated:

"but I do not want to go full out for a Dillon setup"

Some S-W forum members lack reading comprehension skills or are blinded by their own shallow thinking.

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NEVER GIVE UP YOUR GUN

I didn't think that reading the same material and comprehending it differently meant that it was a personal attack. I in no way meant to attack you personally. I just disagree with your conclusions.

Again not to continue to offend as I seem to be doing quite well. I don't actually need to re-read anything since my parents sent me to college and got her monies worth apparently. And actually the reason I think it worth considering something faster than a turret press is because I personally like to shoot a lot but I also have to fit into a busy schedule work and time on my modest fishing vessel, maintaining my 4 acres of yard and of course the nearest MB dealer is in Allentown but I bought mine in Reading and I live all the way up in the Poconos. So I'm not impressed by your car or your boat or your handloading press which is like a classic bore.

Other than that have a nice day.

Right but the OP also states "multi-stage" press this excludes any turret press but that doesn't seem to be an issue.

And the beat goes on...

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-jwk-
US Army '72-'95

I was thinking Blue Oyster (Dillion) Cult some classic rock to reload by

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Still Running Against the Wind

While everyone else falls into the normal Blue/Red pissing contest, Here is my take on what you need, and take that with a grain of salt. It sounds like you most pressing issue is time. That said, I would go with a Dillon 550C with two tool heads, one for 9mm, on for 357 to reduce set up time. Everything i have read about the Lee is you will spend more time tinkering with it to make it run than actually making ammo. Oh, and by the way, I have not one, but 2 Hornady LNL presses and love them.

Thanks for clearing that up. For a minute there, it looked like a handloading tool discussion had become a diatribe on infantile sarcasm and personal wealth.

That is in terms of the Lee progressives. The LCT is a decent press, but you are still pulling the handle 3x more per round.

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NRA Cert. Inst. IDPA CSO

Well there is Dillon then there is full out Dillon. A 550c is basically an improved, inverted turret, or at least can be used as such. Auto index with case feeder, "full out" Dillon product, 650. So it isn't a comprehension issue.

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NRA Cert. Inst. IDPA CSO

Now that we're all in agreement, allow me to suggest a solution that might be just what the OP is looking for: the Dillon BL 550. It uses the RL 550 toolheads, so the dies are always adjusted, and uses the rotating shell plates, so you get one round with one stroke. What it lacks are the automatic primer and powder feed of the RL 550, so so you pre-prime the cases and drop powder through a funnel on top of the powder die or attach your own manual powder measure. Dillon sells it for $259, which they claim is the same price as some turrets. The RL 550 costs $439.
I would like to hear from anyone who's used the BL 550. Looks like an interesting machine.

Fred you are of course completely correct but some of the brethren like acting the part of the deacon.

And best part, you can add the other stuff at anytime. Still, to save $200, buy the 550C, use it as an inverted turret. Go fast or slow, pull the handle as much as you like, it won't make you go blind. Then at some point one figures out all that handle pulling is just a huge waste of time. I can always find more or make more $$. The one thing we can not get or manufacture more of is time.

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NRA Cert. Inst. IDPA CSO

My JOHNSON is bigger than your JOHNSON....No my JOHNSON is bigger than your JOHNSON. Well the only way to prove it is to ...whip it out. Well I am ready to whip it out. I will put up my 100% Hornady up against any 100% Dillon. 550, 650, 1050, you pick which one you want to lose.

Here are the rules. You must live within 50 miles of Omaha.
1 your press must be 100% Dillon Little things like screws, nuts, knobs, ergo handle permitted.
2 500 rounds timed. For every second slower than the other loader cost you 1 point
3 I know you Dillon reloaders say you produce Quality round. So before we start the reloader will write down his COL and power drop.
After all rounds are ran primer depth will be measured. Must be .001 or .002 below the bottom of the case or you lose 1 point.
All COL will be measured + or - .002 will cost you 1 point.
50 rounds will be pulled at random and will have the power measured. If you said it was to be 4.6 and it is 4.4 or less or 4.8 or more you lose a point.
4 It will be the best 2 out of 3 and the first loader will be decided by the flip of the coin.

Why am I so cocky? Well I know that Dillon does not make a bullet feeder. And I know that You can not pull a handle and set a bullet as fast as I can pull a handle.
And this is what your against. Oh and they are perfectly timed, from the press to the case feeder to the bullet feeder.

I do expect to unbolt MY new press from YOUR bench on my second visit.

Sorry about the above rant but I finally got pissed.
Now I shoot with 7 other guys on a regular basis, and 6 of us reload. 2 of us reload on a Hornady, 2 on a Dillon, 1 on a rock chunker , and 1 on Lee.
The guy That reloads on Lee reloads on the Lee 1000. We call him Chief, he is 75 and a true mans, man a true alpha. He loads 8 different loads and has 9 presses on his bench. He has each one set up for each caliper he makes, and 1 for anyone that wants to try out a Lee progressive.
I have watch him many times and he is a smooth as silk. I ask him how long it takes him to load 100 rounds. And he snapped at me and said "How the hell do I know, I don't keep track of time. That is Gods job and when it's up he will let me know." Well I didn't want to get whacked with his cane so I shut up.

Now the next time I was over at his place we went down and he reloaded 200 rounds of .223, 200 rounds of 45 cal, and 300 rounds of 9mm. I secretly timed each set of 100 and on six sets it took him between 10 min 5 seconds to 10 min 15 seconds. the last set of 100 took him 14 min and 25 seconds, but he was trying to whack his cat on that set.
So if you take your time and get the thing adjusted perfectly it will run just fine.

I think I paid around $350 for a Dillon 550B somewhere around 1992. It has loaded many thousands of rounds since then. Factory ammo has probably tripled in price since then. It has paid for itself many times over. Even if your demand for ammo is at a certain level now, what will it be in 5, 10 or 20 years. You Dillon will be there pumping out a loaded round at each pull of the handle after your now newborn has graduated from college!

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Richard Gillespie
FBINA 102

Had two Lee auto progressive presses with ALL the extras. Many problems.
Gave them to a friend that is a repair/mechanical wizard.
He believes Lee is the best ever.
I now own a Dillon 650.

False test. You can add a bullet feeder to a 650, even a hornady feeder. Then let the test begin.
BTW, the reason your seasoned friend had 9 diff Lee1000, about the only way to get them to work is leave them setup. So about $1000 worth of Lee presses vs $1000 worth of 650 gear? Unless you have a huge bench, I know which way most would go.

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NRA Cert. Inst. IDPA CSO

How do those bullet feeders handle swaged lead bullets that have been lubed?

This is a test between Hornady and Dillon. Not Hornady between Mutt.
As for my friend he started out reloading for his service gun. And as he got new guns he got new presses.
and you are right once you get it perfect, don't mess with it. But if you want to tell him that the only way he can get them working is to leave them set up, Please stand at lest 6' away from him when you do. That cane of his has a long reach.

I want to make one thing perfectly clear. I don't think that Dillon has a bad press or case feeder. I want to know why they have not made a bullet feeder and keep up with the rest of the reloaders?????

Nope full metal or plated.

Not sure but any bullet feeder will fit the Dillon. Guys I know that feel the need use Mr. Bullet feeder, yes better than the RCBS or Hornady.

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NRA Cert. Inst. IDPA CSO

Well again the same ? are asked Ford vs Chevy and Dillon Vs Hornady. Pick your press and enjoy.

Dillydick an Hornaday clowns should try a real press someday, a STAR!

I'll take my Hornady with a Hornady case feeder and a Hornady bullet feeder. I will also take my Ford with Ford fenders. You all can have your Mutts and your Chevy. Aren't you all glad that Chevy comes with it's own fenders, and you don't have to figure out how to bolt Dodge fenders on it?

Ignore List.

Know it.
Use it.
Love it.

WHAT??????????

There are members here that seem like they would benefit from using the Ignore List feature here.

I use mine, and it's great.

Yep, but then you get this message:

This message is hidden because Hillbilly77 is on your ignore list.

And you can not help yourself and want to know what the person said so you remove them from the list to read it anyway

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Still Running Against the Wind

I must be doing something wrong - mine is empty

The nut goes on the bottom of the tool head. Works great.

Nope, not an issue here.


Besides..... You only assume I can see your posts.

Well when I said close to progressive speeds, I should have said compared to the single stage it seems so. I have never had a progressive press. I bought the Lee classic turret press, and so far I am very happy with it. Loading 150 pistol rounds does not take much time at all. I see all of the talk about "speed" seems to me reloading and "speed" is an oxymoron. Yes I pull the handle, I also check the round each time I do. I have yet to blow up a pistol or rifle. Some day I may go up to a progressive press, and if I do I would look at a Dillion. At the end of the day, it is the "nut" at the end of the handle.

Well, I am glad to say no one took me up on my bet. Because I would have taken their press.

Now I do want to point out that on post #38 it was pointed out the bullet feeder was just a lot of complication to a simple operation. Well, I figured it out and it helps a lot.

In post 42 and 45 It is said that the case feeder is a waste of time on the LNL. Well, once again mine works just great.

Now what really pissed me off was also in post 42 where it was said "It's a fact that Dillon is a better press than Lee or Hornady.

Now if the bullet feeder is to compicated and the case feeder is a waste of time on the Hornady, and the press is not as good as the Dillon. Why didn't anyone take the bet?

Now after I made my bet the only negitive post on the Hornady was post#68 and 72. Of course, it was the same person on all post.

Now if you want to say that your press is the greatest thing sience sliced bread, great but don't put down any other press because if you put down mine I will attack back.

As someone who loads many more lead bullets than plated or fmj, the bullet feeder wouldn't work for me. Whoever was bragging on their Star is correct. They are built like a tank and work extremely well. The big drawback is the limited calibers one can load and that they take proprietary dies that are expensive. If one loads only one pistol caliber, say .45 ACP, they are a marvel. Too bad that Dillon pretty much put them out of business when they came on the scene.

I loaded for a number of pistol rounds on a Lee Classic Turret for over 20 years. Then I decided I needed a progressive but couldn't afford a Dillon so went with the Lee Pro 1000.

It was a lot slower than the Turret press. Primer feed was terrible and out of 100 primers I was only getting around 70 loaded rounds. The bullet feeder was unreliable and needed topping up too often but the case feeder tubes with the feeder 'funnel' was a big improvement over hand feeding the cases in the Turret press.

Then I had a brainwave. I got hold of some additional turrets on which I mounted only the sizing dies for each calibre I load. I run all the cases through the press with just the sizing die in place the evening after being at the range. Then I spend an hour or so in front of the TV handpriming.

When I have enough cases (at least 400-500) to load I use a Turret where the powder charge die is in the first, not second, position. I also upgraded to the new Lee Auto Drum powder measure which is more accurate than the old auto disk.

Primed cases are fed through the feeding tubes. Powder is dropped and I place a projectile on top of the case on the second station where a bullet seating die is set. The last die is a factory crimp die set to accept a factory round.

All up I can turn 400 primed cases into loaded rounds in an hour.

As good as a Dillon? No. But it suits me so much that I now have three Pro 1000's (9 mm, 45 ACP and .38 S&W/.38 special/357 magnum) set up alongside my Turret press which I use for .32 Auto. When I want to load .44/40 I just pull the Turret off one of the other presses and swap it over.

OR you could have bought one 550C & called it good? 400rds in a true hour. You are getting 400rds AFTER sizing & priming, so more like 15rds per hour. Just sayin.

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NRA Cert. Inst. IDPA CSO

I need to make a correction here. I said that chief loads on 9 Lee Pro 1000 and he is as smooth as silk. Well, when I told him today that I bragged on him on how smooth he was on the Pro 1000 he whacked me with his cane.
He stated it's not a 1000 they are Loadmasters.
He then told me "You don't know **** from apple butter." That is when I told him that I would rather have apple butter on my toast then to have to load on his Lee, with full intentions of getting out of reach of his cane. I didn't make it he got me again.
It was worth it.