. . . and would love to be able to do 300. I only shoot and load .38 special for competition and would keep my Lee for my smaller volume stuff including rifle. Would love a 650 but need the ability to remove the press and store between sessions and space is limited. Due to the way the SDB has to be operated , i.e.; letting go of the handle, I am having doubts about the speed.. . . If I buy a progressive, it will be auto-advance. Help!
Several things to address. The major disadvantages of the SDB are its a 4-hole press with very little working room, it requires proprietary Dillon dies, and cannot do rifle at all. It isn't slow, and you can do 300 an hour (1 every 12 seconds . . . count 12 out).
For very little more you can get the 550 whose sole disadvantages are it's a manual index, 4-hole press. You would think the manual index is a disadvantage, but if you watch how its operated, your left hand is where it needs to be to index the press after placing a bullet. It uses any dies, and can be used for rifle so it can fit into any future you choose.
The 650 is a 5-hole, auto-index press so you get still higher cycle rates, can separate crimping (closing) from seating, add a bullet feeder die, add a powder check die, or any two of those three operations. A case feeder is a natural add-on as well as a bullet feeder, and each gives significantly higher cycle rates. And comfort. But increases changeover time
One thing to note - if you use a progressive and do multiple calibers, your changeover time can significantly increase the TOTAL time required to do small batches. You can minimize it by spending money on redundant parts, but its still an often overlooked issue with small batches.
Regarding portability, check out Inline Fabrication's Quick Mount system. You can easily store your press anywhere, and mount it rock-solid in less than a minute.
I use it to swap between a single stage, and Hornady LNL AP with case and bullet feeders, and I long ago lost most of my strength lol. It will EASILY handle a 650, as well as many other tools that need to be bench mounted (eg vise, bench primer, case prep machines, and more).
Any of those presses can meet your modest goals . . . some provide still higher production rates and more room for future growth at somewhat higher costs. Goals, futures, and budget are the issue here, not portability.
