550 or Square deal

[randy01]

Hi, I'm looking in to buying my first progressive, I will be loading for .45 a,d 9mm.

The thing is should I buy a 550 and a quick conversion or should I just buy 2 Square del B's so I can set it up and just leave them as they are. What are your thoughts?

Randy

[SiG Lady]

Square Deals!!!

(think "auto-indexing"...!)

[warpspeed]

Have you already looked at This ?

I like the flexibility a 550 gives you - the caliber / primer changes are not that big of a deal.

[tyro]

Randy,

In my opinion, the question would be the 550 or the 650. If funds are an issue I would lean toward the 550. With the 550, you can still crank out a reasonable amount of ammo at a reasonable investment of the press.

If you think you will be shooting a LOT of ammo, you could go with the basic 650 and add to it as funds will allow.

I use a 550 and I am very happy with it. At the time, it fit my pocketbook and it fit my ammo needs just fine.

Check with our host on the Dillon Presses. I'm sure he will guide you in the right direction....

[George]

I second, the 550 approach because of how easy it is to change calibers. It will also allow you to move into rifle loading if you want. It will stay useful over the long haul and is relatively cheap to start with. I started with a 550 back in 1989 and I am still using the same one today as my primary system for 5 different setups.

Definitely read the Dillon info at the link Warpspeed posted and don’t hesitate to call Brian Enos directly if you still aren’t sure of anything.

No matter what you get, make it Dillon and get it from Brian and you will be very happy, Guaranteed!

--

Regards,

[kimel]

If you are only going to load for pistol and never, ever load for anything else then the the Square Deal isn't a bad way to go. I have one that has loaded around 20K rounds in the last 18 months and really hasn't missed a beat. I use it for .40 mostly but also load .45 on it.

When I got it I had no interest in rifles and aside from a .22 rimfire I didn't own a rifle. Things change. Now I have a need to load for rifle but am stuck on a single-stage for that until I get 550 or 650 (which will happen soon...after spending 2+ hours generating 200 rounds...blech!).

Whatever you buy, the resale value on it will hold pretty darn well. I have seen well used Dillon presses on eBay for not much less than theys old for new.

Don't be lured away by the siren song of some of the more inexpensive (read non-Dillon) presses. You will be sorry eventually. Go Blue!

[Loves2Shoot]

I prefer the squre deal to the 550, mostly because the auto index, if you are just going to reload pistol ammo. I'm a fan of leaving them set up, like you suggested.

[TBF]

I never used a 550 or 650 ( gasp ! ),

So I cannot make a comparison, but the SDB is a square deal.

Turns out quality ammo fairly quickly and has the Dillon warranty.

( They really do back this up, even for those of us who bought our press used .)

Auto index is a plus. case, bullet, down , up. damn near impossible to double charge, even if you grew up in the 70's.

Travis F.

[Duane Thomas]

I'm not much a fan of the 550. The lack of auto indexing makes it FAR more likely you'll double charge a case, or put together a round without powder. I like the two Square Deals approach myself. But then again, that's exactly what I did, lo these many years ago: bought two Square Deals, one in .45, one in 9mm. They've served me well. The 9mm has been switched over to .44 Magnum, .45 Colt, .40 S&W, .38 Special and recently back to 9mm. The .45 ACP has, with the exception of a brief period of time it was a .45 Colt, stayed a .45 ACP.

[old john]

I called our host Brian over a year ago when I wanted to start loading. He advised the 550B and I now load 9"s , 40's, 38 super, 223 & 38's. I crank out over 500 40's per hour and the 9's are faster. I would not trade my 550b for a 650 even money. Call Brian. Old john

[stryfox]

I have been loading on my SDB for the past 8 years.

I recently got my 650 from brian.

I had no idea what I was missing!!!

I set up my sdb for .45 so I don't have to mess with changeing the pimer system and load .40 on my 650.

I don't think you can go wrong, but if if you have the cash and are allready a dedicated shooter I would but the 650 or 550.

I still use my sdb so if you get one of them and decided to go with the 550 or 650 later you will still have a use for the sbd.

The 650 is way faster than the sdb, no comparison...

Good luck.

[Kingman]

I use a sdb for my supers. It is the only caliber that I load on it so its always set up. It has been running strong for over 15 years now.

I have a 550B for a bunch of other stuff. Each one has its own toolhead and powder measurer so changing is a breaze.

But now I am buying a 650 for loading 9mm.

[texasag93]

550B over the SDB. I have two and love them. One for small primer and one large. Caliber changes are a breeze. Die options are much better for the 550B as well. Can't go wrong with the 550B for the $$$. TXAG

[jkmccoy]

I've been using an SDB for over 3 years now and I have (almost) nothing bad to say about it. It is a very functional little reloader. Dillon's estimates of loading rates are VERY conservative. Once I sit down with brass, bullets, and primers at hand I can load well over 500 rounds per hour. I've had almost no malfunctions and I'm sure I have exceeded Dillon's lifetime expectations for this little press (nearly 100,000 rounds so far). Changing calibers is very easy except if you need to change primer sizes. Changing between large/small primers will slow you down a little (15-20 minutes total for the change). If you have two set up it would work great!

The only serious drawback to the SDB is its inability to load rifle ammo. I've started shooting 3-gun and I'd really like to be able to load .223 on my progressive press. Can't do it with the SDB.

Cheers,

Kelly McCoy

[benos]

Without a casefeeder, I think the advantage of auto-indexing is more of an illusion than a reality, as I'm sure anyone who's spent some time on a 550 will tell you. It doesn't increase speed, because in the time it takes your right hand to grab a new case and put in the shellplate, your left hand grabbed a new bullet, then indexed the shellplate, and set the bullet on the next case. (Provided your bullets are "ergonomically correct.") Theoritically, it may decrease the chances of a double charge or "no-charge," but after you load some rounds on the 550 you'll realize that's actually very hard to do; you won't "feel right" and the press won't "look right."

For example, say you just loaded a round and your about to load a double charge... If you either advanced, did not advance, or advanced and then returned the shellplate back to it's previous station, there won't be any place to put the bullet that you will be holding in your left hand. (Because there is a loaded round in the bullet seating station instead of an empty case.)

And to load a no-charge, you probably advanced the shellplate twice while loading a single round. That's usually a big red (visual) flag because now there's probably not a case under the powder station or a round in the crimp station.

That might be hard to understand by thinking about it, which is why I said "if you've ever spent any time on a 550."

But yes, after reading The FAQ and Which Dillon, if you're still not sure, give me a ring and we'll talk it over.

be

[EricW]

One huge reason to buy a 550:

The Redding Competition Seater Die doesn't fit in the SDB. Once you use one, you'll never want to load without it again.

[Garfield]

Brian I know what you mean, your story makes perfect sense.

I have two 450 JR's at the moment. With my 450's I have to put the primer on myself, push the powder button, move the index plate and put on a new bullet everytime. After the first 10 rounds you develop a rhythm for doing things. And when you forget to do one of those things, it won't feel right. It's no a solid guarantee, but it works for me. With those oldies I currently manage up to 300 rounds per hour, but that's really pushing it and having no problems.

I am currently looking to buy a 550 or a 650, because parts for my 450's are no longer available and I need to start reloading .30M1 Carbine.

But since funds are a bit problematic, it will probably be a 550.

[Duane Thomas]

The only serious drawback to the SDB is its inability to load rifle ammo. I've started shooting 3-gun and I'd really like to be able to load .223 on my progressive press. Can't do it with the SDB.

That surprises me. I've never loaded rifle ammo on my Square Deals, but I seem to have this dim memory of Dillon telling me, when I bought my presses, that while the Square Deal couldn't handle large rifle cartridges, it could handle anything up to .223. (I could stand to be corrected on that.)

[chp5]

Another vote for the 550 - uses regualar dies (e.g., the Lee factory crimp die for full length resizing if you shoot .40 and use .40 brass fired out of a Glock) and you can load rifle cases.

I actually like the manual indexing better than the auto on the SDB - especially if you switch between large and small primers (you don't have to mess with the indexing timing).

YMMV

[Carmoney]

I vote Square Deal, and truly believe the fact that it auto-indexes is a major safety feature. If you need something more, I'd jump up to a 650.

I have loaded LOTS of ammo, in various calibers, on my trusty Square Deal B over my years of competitive shooting. It's the only press I've ever owned.

Although I must admit I keep staring at the pictures of the 1050 in the Blue Press...

(along with a few other pictures, perhaps...) ;-)

[kevin c]

I'm very happy with my SDB, having loaded 80 to 90K rounds on it.With primer tubes set up, I can load 650+ rounds per hour. Then, I only load pistol, and change calibers only once or twice a year.

The main drawback I see is the one already mentioned above - the SDB toolheads will only take dies specifically designed for it. No U or FCD sizers, no fancy seating stems (personally, though, I haven't needed any of that so far). And then there is the rifle caliber issue.

If you aren't a mega consumer of ammo (on the order of several thousand rounds per month), don't load rifle, don't have chambering problems because of overblown brass, a SDB is a reasonable choice (and auto-indexes).

[DogmaDog]

I think if you were going to work up one Load To End All Loads for each caliber, and just shoot that more or less forever, then a pair of square deals would be the way to go (especially if space is not an issue).

If you are more inclined to tinker, and will be messing around with all the adjustments of the dies and whatnot anyway, then a 550 would be better.

DogmaDog

[JFD]

Square Deal for sure.

The 550 has a lot of advantages, but manually indexing the thing is not something I want to do. Would buy the Hornady first. Every squib/double charge problem I've ever seen has been with ammo loaded on a 550. Don't even try to tell me auto-indexing isn't an advantage. Even Lee can manage auto-indexing. While manual indexing may be good enough for folks with experience, this press keeps getting recommended to new loaders who may not find it quite so "automatic".

My load rate for .45s on my SDB is 400/hr at my most relaxed speed. That can be increased by 200/hr just by picking up the pace. If I was to upgrade, it would be to a 650 or Hornady LnL (the jury is still out on this thing).

[oddjob]

My vote is for the 550. I don't have a SDB, but the variety of calibers available with the 550 is why it gets my vote. I was thinking of getting another till I ordered my Harley.