amlevin

Go with the 650 and Case Feeder. You won't always be a beginner.

As long as we use lead in the bullet and copper in the jacket the bullet prices will be going up until emerging market countries like China stop sucking up all the metals they can. These new manufacturing economies are buying huge quantities of manufacturing materials thus the increasing price. Same for oil. It will get a lot worse before it gets better. Copper is so valuable today that thieves are even stealing wire from live power vaults. Here in WA State, someone disquised themselves as a highway construction worker and was stealing wire as quick as the real workers could install it for street lights. Got somewhere around a mile or so of wire before he was caught.

I used to have this same problem but mine was cured after I bought a gas cylinder brush and cleaned the cylinder regularly. Also, double check the assembly of the rings. Improper order can do the same.

I don't have any static issues while reloading, except for the static I get from the wife while doing so. Unless you are in a real dry climate where you get zapped whenever you touch something metal I wouldn't worry about it.

A mossberg 500 ATP8 with folding stock/pistol grip. 8 in the tube, 6 on the side and another 18 rounds in a bandolier that hangs right next to the Mossy. Supermarket selection of rounds with Slug, 00, #4, and BB in the bandolier. Thats the ONE I go get, the other one is with me all the time (Sig P-229). Wife and I have to stay in communication too 'cause she's armed too. Best come as a friend to our house

Same here.

The ones I got sure looked the same and based on a simple "scratch test" they seem to be of the same material.

I just loaded 2,000 MG .223 55gr and found them to shoot very well. I have an old Pre-Ban CAR-15 11.5" bbl with 4.5" flash supressor that I shot them with. Groups were as good or better than the Hornady FMJ-BT's I used to load. Weights were very consistent. Considering that the trigger group is stock GI, and the barrel short, I was real happy with !/2" groups at 25 Yards (indoor range).

I "Volunteer" to sort it for them at the range where I shoot. To keep the manager happy I give him a bag of clean/polished brass in his favorite caliber.

My experience has been that 10 year olds grow into teenagers and then you can't get them to anything.

I recently received my XL-650 and am now starting to catch up on my reloading. When I started loading .223, I started having about one case in 10-15 fall into the tube upside down. When I watched the cases arrive in the casefeeder disc those that arrived neck first were falling upside down. It appeared that the metal piece on the left (as you look at it from where you operate the press) was not catching the neck long enough to let the base travel over the funnel and then fall base down. I took a screwdriver and moved the metal clip so it caught the neck of the case earlier. Only needed about 1/8-3/16" to solve the problem. The next 400-500 rounds fell base down without fail. I don't know if anyone else has had this problem but I thought I would share.

Brasso??? Aren't you afraid of the "Ammonia Police"? I personnaly don't care for the mineral spirits as the film can cause all kinds of things to stick to the case. I tumble with walnut shell if real filthy and corncob after. Only "additive" I ever use is Dillon Polish and only when I want some really sparkling rounds. Otherwise just clean works fine.

If you feel it is "too much machine for you" I have a LEE 1000 that I would like to trade with you That way I could set up the second 650 for my "other caliber" and not have to take time to change over. Maybe it is too much fun I just got my 650 and am having so much fun with it my wife now has to come out to my Shop to see me during the day. Definitely not too much machine.

Prices on components have been creeping up over the last year. Shortage = Price Increase. Pressure is on the metal prices and there is speculation, based on notices passed around by distributors, that there will be longer lead times (bigger delays in shipment time) on some calibers of ammo. Stocking up now on your favorite ammo or components will more likely than not pay off both in availability and price. Saving 15% on something you definitely will buy sure beats the 4%-5% that that CD pays.

I'm a newcomer to Dillon Equipment but experiences like this are exactly what made me stop wasting time and money on the cheaper stuff. About the only thing more they could have done would be to get your waist size and send you a fresh set of skivies Quality like this doesn't cost a penny more in the long run.

I nailed one of these once on a golf course with a 3 Wood shot. My partner asked me if that meant I got a "birdie" on that hole.

I guess I'm lucky. When I drop a round on the floor, my Shih Tsu just gets up, walks over to where the round is lying, and sits like a bird dog. All I have to do is look for the pup and there the errant round is. No more crawling under the bench when the round just rolled under my chair. Of course the "passed rounds" do offer a unique opportunity for an excuse. If someone accuses you of shooting like crap you can respond "actually, I am shooting crap, sort of"

This appears to be part of a spat between Richard Lee and Federal. Did anyone read his comments regarding the use of tubular primer magazines like the Dillon uses? If you read the Lee manual, you CAN use Federal, they just recommend that you only have 50 max in the tray. I have loaded Feds, Rem, Win, and CCI's using both my Auto Prime and Progressive press with no explosions for 30 years now. The LEE Press and Auto Prime work no differently than any other system when it comes to inserting a primer. Why would it be different in a LEE, unless the owner of the company has an axe to grind with Federal?

+1 on the RCBS Swaging tool. I used to use a Lyman Primer Pocket reamer but found two issues. One, it created a large chamfer in the pocket that left too much of the primer unsupported. The primers would then give false High Pressure signs. Second, even after using the reamer the pockets were often too tight causing primers to hang up. I now use a swaging tool on all military crimped primer pockets.

I am new both to Dillon and this Forum but I am far from new to Customer Service. For 42 years before retiring I have been employed in fields where Customer Service is central to the company's success. For Dillon, I chose to use a middleman that came highly recommended across the net, Brian Enos. He made my Dillon purchase very pleasant. Also very helpful in avoiding the type of issues that often trigger calls to Customer Service. All to often, one unfairly judges a Company's Customer service because of their attitude at the time. If a problem exists it is easy to become loud, demanding, and sometimes rude. It is then often met by short replies and an end to the call. It isn't necessarily the desired result but in the heat of the moment it happens. I wouldn't give up on Dillon Customer Service on the basis of one call. It is possible that both parties had a bad day. Their reputation wasn't earned in a day nor will it die based on one call/experience.

UPDATE- I received an e-mail from Brian yesterday and Dillon has stopped shipping the adapter with the casefeeder. It is no longer needed, possibly due to some refinement of design. Thanks for the responses.

I received my XL-650 today, set it up, and loaded my first hundred rounds of 9mm with it. While reading the instructions, they made reference to an adapter that needed to be used in the case feeder funnel when feeding 9mm rounds. I didn't receive it even though I ordered the 650 set up for 9mm (without dies) and including the case feeder. Has Dillon made a change and this "adapter" is not needed for 9mm? I had absolutely NO problems feeding cases. Can anyone out there offer some insight or advice? Thanks, BTW-----This press is sure a far cry from my old "Model T" progressive (Lee 1000).

+! on Brian being the best. I just ordered my 650 and expect it today or Monday. Based on my experience with other companies and phone ordering, I am just sorry I can't call Brian for ALL the items I order by phone. He will get all my business for Dillon products.

I've tumbled finished rounds for over 30 years with no adverse effects. For the first 25 years I never heard anyone say I shouldn't but for some reason it is a big issue now. I remember cases of ammo that made their journey in 'deuce and a half's to the helipad, flew miles into the firebase, LZ or were dropped from varying altitudes, and still fired very reliably. Not too many tumblers today that can match the vibration of a UH-1D or C-130. Rounds I expect to store for any length of time get some silicone car wax added to prevent any surface corrosion (it gets wet here in the pac nw).