Dillon 550 or 750

[Chubbs103]

I have been reloading everything on a single stage press for many years. My family's volume of ammo consumption has taken all of the joy out of reloading for me.

I'm regularly reloading for .38/.357, 9mm, .41 mag, .45 Auto. I also reload for a few rifle calibers.

I've researched Dillon's products off and on for years, and I'm still having trouble deciding. All of the guidelines for choosing points me towards the 550. This is based on number or rounds fired (about 400-500 per month) , and my semi-frequent swapping of calibers.

That said, I like the idea of auto index and the extra station.

So thoughts on switching calibers on the 750 regularly? I would say my volume of shooting would increase, but I've apparently got to survive on whatever components I have in my stash for the foreseeable future.

Yeah, I know the question has been asked a hundred times.

 

[growr]

Can't go wrong with either.....I use a 550 and am thrilled with it, auto indexing is over rated to me.
Then again some will suggest you get both...one small primer and one large primer!

Randy

 

[rockquarry]

I'm not trying to talk you out of a progressive machine, but I've had four in the last thirty years and sold them all. I didn't need any of them. I shoot well more than four or five hundred rounds a month (more handgun than rifle) and get by fine with a '60s Texan turret press for handgun ammo and a Co-Ax for rifle cartridges.

A Dillon or other progressive machine may serve you well. If I was doing a great deal of shooting, I'd probably get one myself. As for auto indexing, I've seen little need for the feature, but some like it.

 

[kennethg]

I got a Dillon 450 when they came out and upgraded some of the functions as they became available. Years later I got a 550. Main reason was that the shell plates from the 450 worked for the 550. I have not been disappointed with the 550. As stated above, you would not be disappointed with either the 550 or the 750. Get the one that suits your needs best.

 

[SLT223]

Get the 750. I got the 650 a few years back and never regretted it. Not even for a second. I love the machine. Makes piles of ammo quickly.

 

[Baltimoreed11754]

Get two or three 550s, sounds like as many calibers you are doing and the amount of components you are going through you can afford it. I run a 550 and 2 Lyman T2s just because I don’t want the rigmarole of swapping dies and measures any more than I have to. My 550 is either .45acp-.45AR or .45CS, just swap the shellplate. The lymans can be set up for anything. I have another 550 that will be set up for 300blkout eventually. Sounds like it’s becoming too much like work. You need to train an apprentice.
Btw, had an auto index 12 ga pacific/hornady machine and hated it.

 

[tlawler]

I have a 550 and love it. I got a great deal on a used one and have been finding tool heads and components on ebay pretty cheap. Just be aware that tool heads are proprietary to the 450/550 and the 650/750. If I had the money I would have gone straight for the 650, but I load mainly for myself now that most of the kids are out of the house and the 550 keeps up nicely with my shooting volume.

 

[teletech]

Take those "rounds per hour" numbers from Dillon with a grain of salt, I find with the other overhead it's perhaps half that.
I've owned a Square Deal B, 450,550,650 and I sold all but the 650.
I love my 650s, yes two because it is a minor pain to change primer size.
There are aftermarket upgrades that will make life a lot nicer, the primer cut-off stopped me from intending to upgrade my 650s to 750s for instance. I did hold onto the "B" for a while since I just left it set up in one caliber, but eventually realized that in 100 rounds it would have been quicker to caliber swap a 650.
The swap can be just a few minutes if you are keeping the COL, primer size, and charge, otherwise you have to twiddle with setting dies and dispenser.
If you really do swap calibers a lot, have many of them, and use both large and small primers, I'd consider two 550s better than one 750. If you are going to crank more than 200-300 rounds at a time then I think the 650/750 is a much easier machine to run volume on. Load up some primer tubes, set the casefeeder to low and you are pretty much in cruise control.
I suspect the base machine is about 1/3 of what it's going to cost you by the time you are done buying accessories, toolheads, shellplates, and powder dies, it's not cheap but you can work into it over time.
Caliber conversion parts are more money for the 650/750, but not vastly more.

 

[Chubbs103]

Well I walked into my LGS and they had a new 550 on a strongmount and aluminum roller handle sitting on the counter. It also had the low powder warning system. I said I didn't need the low powder warning, but they said it was a package deal. They cut me a very good deal.

When I got home, I realized there was an extra caliber conversion in the packaging (in a caliber I needed). Because I'm not a jerk, I took it back in to them. The owner told me to keep it and consider it a birthday present.

 

[tlawler]

Well I walked into my LGS and they had a new 550 on a strongmount and aluminum roller handle sitting on the counter. It also had the low powder warning system. I said I didn't need the low powder warning, but they said it was a package deal. They cut me a very good deal.

When I got home, I realized there was an extra caliber conversion in the packaging (in a caliber I needed). Because I'm not a jerk, I took it back in to them. The owner told me to keep it and consider it a birthday present.

It sounds like you got a good deal. You’re going to enjoy it.

 

[Nightowl]

I think you can't go wrong with the 550! I've had one for around 30 years and have no trouble doing 300 rounds in an hour. But, its not the loader now days that needs to rest, it's me!!

 

[Imissedagain]

We bought a 550 primarily because we did not want the auto index.
There might be a way to disable it on a 650 but the 550 and the singles we have are fine.

I'd get a 1050 if the grandkids need one but will they drop ship orders from the Pearly Gates?

 

[ken158]

I have also had progressives and sold them all - auto indexing is not a plus or a big deal to me. Consider buying 2 550’s and set one up for small primers and one for large primers and then you can just switch dies for caliber changes.

 

[BB57]

I’m also a 550 fan. It’s the most flexible.

You cam operate it as a single stage press, as a turret press or as a progressive press.

You can load just about any rifle round on it as well as nearly all pistol rounds.

You can run it with the auto powder measure or run it with a manual measure of your choice.

Caliber conversion kits are comparatively inexpensive and third part after market options abound.

I prefer the manual index feature as it is much easier to stop and correct anything that might go wrong on the shell plate.

Speed wise it will do an honest 500 rounds per hour with pistol rounds, and about 110 rounds per hour for rifle rounds with manual powder measure and weight verification.

Operations wise, for pistol rounds I:

1) pick up a bullet with my left hand while I operate the press handle with my right hand;

2) After the handle stroke, with the bullet between my thumb and forefinger, I index the shell plate with the tip of my thumb, and then position the bullet on the case at the seating station.

3) While that is going on, my right hand picks up a case and places it on the shell plate.

4) my right hand then pulls the handle again with about 500 repetitions per hour without any heroic level effort or frantic pace.

The pace for precision rifle rounds is a lot slower if you are using a long grain extruded powder that won’t measure to within .1 grain. For powders like IMR4064, 4895, etc I use a BR-3 measure with the 3/4” adapter:

1) pull the handle with your right hand;

2) index the shell plate to the next station;

3) pour the powder on the scale;

4) put a new case on the shell plate at the priming station;

5) at this point the scale is stable so trickle the charge up approx .1 grain to the desired weight;

6) put a funnel over the case and pour the powder back in the case;

7) put the case back on the plate at the seating station and put a bullet on top of it;

8) pull the handle, rinse and repeat about 110 times per hour.


Using a Widden floating tool head and clamp kit and standard dies my runout is around .001”.


For .223 rounds where I use ball powders like BLC-2 or H335 the auto measure does a great job within .1 grain accuracy so I run it just like I do for pistol rounds. Production rate is slower at around 300 rounds per hour as I run the cases over a lube pad 20 or so at a time.

But still, 300 rounds per hour isn’t bad at all.

 

[M29since14]

Nothing against the 650/750 machines, but I’ve been perfectly happy with the 550. I think you will be, too. At your level of usage, or a bit more, the 550 should save you a lot of time and, for handgun ammo, you will give up very little precision over single-stage loading. Keep your single-stage press mounted to the bench. I rarely use my 550 to load rifle cartridges, though I have done it a few times. My rifle reloading is normally focused on precision and a lot of tinkering is usual for me. I don’t need volume production very often. Anyway, congrats on your new 550.

 

[Chubbs103]

There is definitely a learning curve.

I loaded 200 9mm this morning. Took a break, and did a painful 90x .357.

I wound up finding another range pick-up 9mm Win cases with a crimped primer. That trashed a primer and caused my first real train wreck. I segregated all of the Win brass and processed them separate. Unfortunately, over half of my 9mm brass is Win so it can be hard to find these problem children that got mixed in.

.357 posed a bigger problem. I am using my RCBS dies from probably the late 1970s. The size die and the seating die require too precise an entry into the die for progressive use. I can rotate a single round through the stations without a problem, but if the shell plate is fully loaded I start crushing case mouths.

I already resorted to a paper clip for the spent primer chute. It started hanging up and spent primers knew exactly where to go to jam up priming.

 

[Dfish1247]

I use a lee classic turret 4 hole press for pistol stuff. Only thing holding me back while loading is waiting on the scale to weigh powder. I can do roughly 150/hr, powder drop would be well over 200/hr, but I’m slow going.

Just another option since you have dies and shell holders already vs buying conversion kits.

 

[Paul in Nevada]

There is definitely a learning curve.

I loaded 200 9mm this morning. Took a break, and did a painful 90x .357.

I wound up finding another range pick-up 9mm Win cases with a crimped primer. That trashed a primer and caused my first real train wreck. I segregated all of the Win brass and processed them separate. Unfortunately, over half of my 9mm brass is Win so it can be hard to find these problem children that got mixed in.

.357 posed a bigger problem. I am using my RCBS dies from probably the late 1970s. The size die and the seating die require too precise an entry into the die for progressive use. I can rotate a single round through the stations without a problem, but if the shell plate is fully loaded I start crushing case mouths.

I already resorted to a paper clip for the spent primer chute. It started hanging up and spent primers knew exactly where to go to jam up priming.

Some of these problems can be addressed by decapping before loading. I decap on a single stage. When I feel a stiff primer I ream out the pocket with a handheld tool. Just takes a second. Not only does this catch the crimped primers, it keeps a lot of mess and trouble away from progressive press.

 

[4barrel]

I bought a 550 when they first came out and another one a little later.

 

[dave1918a2]

I started with a 450. Then another. Upgraded both to a 550. That was 25+ years ago. Still use both. Don't want auto indexing or priming. So much easier to back up. Up graded other things also. Never had a need for more.