someone asked my opinion of the Hornady vs the 650

[silvercorvette]

I will give an update in the future but I haven't set up the machine yet because I don't have all the parts yet. I do have one .223 / 5.56 plate but I just have loaded ammo and no empty brass in that caliber.

I have had the press since a few days before Christmas but the parts I need to make ammo are on back order from Midway. I am getting emails from Midway letting me know that some of the shell plates are arriving but I have everything being held till it can be shipped together to save on shipping costs. The last time I checked the bullet feeder will arrive on 2/10/11, and the case feeder 1/20/11.

I guess I could have them send out the case plates that are in stock and feed the cases and bullets by hand but I would rather wait till I can set up the machine with both feeders, I am really anxious to set up the machine but even if I had it running the weather has been too cold to shoot outside and I woke up today to find a few inches of snow on the ground. This does not happen in SC, I moved from NY to get away from this white stuff, I guess you can't escape global warming.

Hornady makes an optional micrometer adjustable powder measure, is it worth buying, I was thinking about adding it to my list of parts on back order

[AlamoShooter]

I like the Honady powder measure, with the Mic adjustment. = it works good on a 650 and a works OK on 1050 , its just a pit tall for the 1050 but still works.

the Hornady measure -Cuts- long rifle powder like Varget better than the Dillon

[CocoBolo]

I would buy 3 regular powder inserts for what the Micrometer insert costs. The Micrometer works but it adds a element of risk as well, I have had the screw that holds it together come lose, this makes for incosistent powder drops. The concept is that it is repeatable, well with 3 insterts I got 3 absolute repeatables, just pop the one in for the load your doing. I have one for each caliber and 2 for 9 mm minor/major etc, I paint them differnt colors so they don't get mixed up.

Edited January 10, 2011 by CocoBolo

[silvercorvette]

The 650 got expensive to add calibers, I had a tool holder with a different caliber conversion kit with powder system for each caliber. The lack of support for the FN 5.7 and the cost of adding calibers is what made be get the Hornady.

I was thinking that the Micrometer dispenser would make it easy to dial in a new powder weight but I like your suggestion of buying extra inserts

[98sr20ve]

I like my Micrometer a lot. Not used it enough to knoiw if its going to be a problem with the screw coming out. I may just lock tite it in place now to avoid any problems. I used a Micrometer on my 550 (Uniquetek) and I loved it. But it came loose from the assembly process. I jbwelded it in place before I sold the press. Should have done that from the start. Anyway. I really like Micrometers, I really like the Hornady Powder measure, I like the quick change inserts. Some things about the press I don't like as much and some things I really like a lot more then the Dillon. It will take me a year to make up my mind completely.

[flyjets]

I like the Micrometer Powder dispenser. I keep notes on the setting for various powders and calibers and it's just a turn to being spot on.

Yes you could by 3 different inserts as Coco Bola suggest. I have seen a small amount of powder spill while changing them.

I really enjoy owning the Hornady I find it a pain to change over the case feeder to small calibers however.

Ian

Edited January 12, 2011 by flyjets

[silvercorvette]

There seems to be good arguments for both. The reason why I am getting the Hornady is to lower the cost of caliber conversions. Every time I added a new caliber to the 650 it cost over $100 with the cost of the tool stand, caliber conversion kit and powder dispenser. For a while I was avoiding guying guns that I liked because it would mean buying another caliber conversion. As a matter of fact it wasn't too long ago that I took a pass on a nice 1911 because it was .38 super and it would mean buying another caliber conversion.

Some people seem to get good results with the micrometer so I am going to by one micrometer insert and write down settings for each caliber set up then see how well it works. If things don't work well I can try the other method of using the cheaper insert and buying one insert for each caliber setup.

[98sr20ve]

It will work fine. You will like it. Especially if you use the same powder in several calibers.

[ben b.]

Some people seem to get good results with the micrometer so I am going to by one micrometer insert and write down settings for each caliber set up then see how well it works...

Good luck. I find the Hornady Powder measure with micrometer to be very consistent with excellent throw reliability, but I did not find that recording the setting info was any help in resetting after a change of 1 grain or more. I can't explain it, either.

I hav 2 micrometer stems now, one is set at ~4.8 gr and the other at ~3.4 gr for my most common charge weights. THAT seems pretty close to repeatable.

[BallisticianX]

I prefer the LNL. Cheaper conversions, simpler overall design than 650, powder measure is more consitant than dillon, quicker to convert priming system, less parts to break, easily self adjusted priming and indexing system, and an easier more effective lubrication arrangement. The LNL has proven to be a great and reliable performer. I also like the consistancy of my loaded rounds when I use Hornady's dies....love the cases extreme polish with the sizer and concentricity of the floating seater. The great thing about there powder measure is the quick change inserts. Very cheap to buy and set them for unbelievable repeatability when you toss the rubber bushing and go metal to metal. (I see no need for a micrometer insert when you keep individual ones set for specific charges.) I love mine and the 650 is not a bad press but Ill take a LNL over it anyday!!!!!!

[Shadowrider]

silvercorvette,

I hope you have better luck than I did. The press itself only has one real flaw in that the primer seater on mine refused to seat large primers all the way. I would seat them flush but took 2 or 3 pushes on the ram to get them that far. Hornady customer service was great and they tried, but I wasn't willing to run all my .45 loaded rounds through my Lee hand priming tool to drive them the last few thousanths home. Not to mention that it's not really a good idea to do that! The rest of the press was actually quite nice, especially if you change calibers often. I miss those LNL bushings badly.

The case feeder unit itself was a joke for what it cost, it dropped almost as much brass on my head as it did in the tube, and if it did make it into the tube without clogging at the top, they as often as not would be upside down. The case insertion linkage worked pretty good though. The LNL powder measure is clearly superior to the Dillon. I would do just what cocabolo said and buy the regular units for each caliber. The micrometer unit works fine, but it liked to rust quickly and the graduations didn't contrast very much on the one I had. If they machine those things in lots of a thousand or more, it would probably only cost them about $2 to flash chrome them. That would totally take care of the rusting and help with being able to see the lines and numbers and just be a much better looking unit overall.

After about 10K rounds, I sold my LNL setup and went with a Dillon 650 except for all of my Hornady dies. I kept those because I love them and they work fabulously on the Dillon. When I start loading .223 on the 650 it will be getting a LNL powder measure put on it after I duracoat some of the pieces to keep the rust at bay.