Sit down or stand up

[ksmirk]

Ok so my room is almost ready for a new bench, I've had my loading stuff set up in the garage and well it's time to be climate controlled :-) here's the trick though I'd like to be able to kick back in a chair and load but don't know if running the 550 would be all that easy sitting.

If you fella's have a set up with a 550 or other Dillon sitting down please post a pic so I can get some ideas, i'm guessing for sitting a bench height of 28"-30" the length and width I've narrowed down to 24" x 60" so I have room for my single stage also.

Let me hear your opinions and ideas and if you have pics post them please. Later,

Kirk

[The_Vigilante]

Personally I like a position that puts me above the 550 so I can look down on the dies-especially into the case with powder. YMMV

[03k64]

I like to stand so I can look into the cases. It also limits me to the amount of time I spend reloading. If I reload for too long I start to lose focus and that's usually when mistakes happen.

[Corey]

I stand in front of my 550 for pistol loading and I sit in front of my RockChucker for rifle loading.

[Sarge]

Standing is best for me. I also like being above it all so I can see into the cases.

There is a pretty big thread on this somewhere too. Search it out.

[bkeeler]

I sit on a shop stool with a back on it. Puts me high enough to see into the cases. The stool sits about bench top high.

[a.roberts]

Standing for me. Tried sitting on a stool once and I just about tipped it over.

Plus, I like being able to see into the cases.

[BMartens]

I have my presses mounted directly to the bench top, no strong mounts, and the bench is 39". At that height I can stand or sit, whatever I feel like at the time. I have a nice heavy bar stool for sitting with a foot rest. I can see directly into the cases standing or sitting. Works for 650's, SDB, Rock Chucker, Lee Turret, etc.

[ksmirk]

Kinda my thoughts as well, leaning toward the standing as I had 1 squib when I first started and have been leary ever since. Might have to build me a 2 tier loading bench as I still do a mess of loading on the single stage, stand up to load pistol and soon 223.

Thanks for the input just wanting to solidify my thinking. Later,

Kirk

[Dan Hefta]

I sit, 20 years being a crane operator and the last 6 in the office has made me a professional sitter.

[lcs]

I must be able to see in the case before I set a bullet. So, whatever enables me to "see". Having said that, my bench allows me to stand or sit and "see", but I stand 99.9% of the time.

[UTraab]

As others have said, I stand in order to see into the cases.

[hvsmith]

I use this stool by Kobalt, set it on the highest position so I can look into the powder case - I pull the stool real close to the bench so I can actually lean back against the back rest & it keeps me from standing on my aching knees.

[BMartens]

Different stool but, same plan. Pull up close and you can see and support the back.

[jake617]

I sat loading on my 550 for 20+ years, and sit loading on my 650 these past 10+ years. I can see in the cases just fine.

Chair height is standard office typing chair or and old soda-shop swivel base stool.

No strong mount needed. Old monster bench was larger, but 24x60 is PLENTY big enough for stability etc.

[h2osport]

Standing for reloading and peeing!

Randy

[LPatterson]

I spent enough time standing on parade grounds so now I sit. Rule from an old NCO "Never stand if you can sit and don't sit if you can lay down."

[Gabe Athouse]

I like to sit on a stool. I got a bar stool similar to that Kobalt with no back. I like the strong mounts bullet tray and bins so I had to take alot of height off my bench to be able to sit and still look down at dies with the strong mount. I built 2'x4' bench of 2x6 w plywood top and a shelf on the bottom to use as a foot rest. Keeping 10 or 15k bullets on the shelf helps alot too to keep it solid with being bolted to the wall. Im not there to be able to measure bench height right now. Its kind of a goofy looking setup but I find it to be fairly comfortable and its easy to keep an eye on everything. It also lets me keep tools laid out down in front of me real accesible like calipers, feed tubes, scale.

[Scoobb]

I always sit, never really understood the standing thing.

I try to be nice and relaxed while reloading, and I don't mean not paying attention or falling asleep.

[98sr20ve]

Standing. 47".

550 and 650. It's all about the height of the handle. You can see in the case easily like that.

[tralagar]

I always stand up so I can see into the cases.

[ksmirk]

Thanks for the picture 98sr20ve! I have an idea of a 2 tier bench for in the house just need to sit down and draw the thing out and get to making sawdust. Since it's cooling down probably about time to spend some time cutting wood other than shooting. Thanks fella's I appreciate the suggestions and opinions. Later,

Kirk

[Norther]

I like to sit for single-stage rifle loading and stand at my 650. The Dillon is currently mounted to a 30" high bench (30"X50" top) with a strong mount (I like the bullet tray), and it's too low. My new bench in the works will be 24" X 96", bolted to the wall and around 36" high. No two tier bench for me; just get an adjustable height stool with a back as previous posters have done.

[Foxbat]

I see a lot of confusion here - people talk about the need to look in the cases - which has NOTHING to do with whether you are sitting down or standing up. It simply means the relative position of the person to the machine.

I define my position differently - first, I MUST sit down, there is no argument over that... then I figure out where the press has to be located relative to me, for most comfortable arm operation - not too low, not too high... kind of like the bicyclist determines his seat height. I really don't care to look inside the cases, but the way I sit, I can always see it, it is a by-product of comfortable position.

As result, my 650's are mounted directly to the 32" bench top, and the 1050 is mounted to the platform that sits about 6" below that surface, or put differently - to the surface 26" from the floor. That gives me very similar arc motion for both models, when sitting on a chair slightly higher than normal office one. And from there I can perfectly see the powder inside the cases.

Edited November 8, 2011 by Foxbat

[98sr20ve]

I used to sit. I find standing is easier for me. I don't really need to push to prime. I just kinda lean forward a little on the balls of my feet. If I did a lot of Single Stage stuff I would sit. But even my Lee Classic Turret is set at the same height as my 650. My Lyman Turret is set about 40", LCT and Dillons at 47"

Edited November 8, 2011 by 98sr20ve