Thinking About Reloading...

[E53X5]

Lately, I'm starting to realize that if I want to shoot as much as I'd like to and stay competitive, I have to start reloading. I've been putting this idea off for a while now, but the more I shoot, the more I think it's time to suck it up and do it. The two obstacles I see on the way are: I don't really have much free time, especially now that we have a baby around the house (and wife talking about another one). But I suppose I could find an hour or two a week to dedicate to reloading (not sure if it's enough though). The second obstacle, and the largest one, is that I'm not sure reloading is something I will enjoy doing, and if I don't enjoy doing something – I won't be good at it, which in turn means I'll be making mistakes; quite frankly, reloading is not the place for mistakes. I see people who enjoy doing it, and they are very good at it and never have problems. Then I see people (usually those new to reloading) that constantly battle inconsistent loads, squibs, ammo inflicted malfunctions, etc. Some loose confidence in their own reloads, throw in the towel and go back to factory ammo, or have someone else to load for them. That totally turns me off from even wanting to try it myself. Not sure if that stage is totally avoidable, or if it's something every new reloader must go through before becoming good and gaining confidence in himself.

I'd hate to invest considerable amount of effort and money into equipment just to realize it's not for me few months later. On the other hand, I don't mind spending more money up front to get the best equipment I can, especially if it mean avoiding that awkward stage of squibs, malfunctions, etc. Also, I've been doing some reading on the subject on various boards, and advise reloaders-to-be get usually varies from "get the most basic press out there and use it for a couple of years to get your basics down and learn every step of the process; then upgrade to a progressive press when you know what you're doing" to "get the most press you can afford and save yourself the hassle of upgrading later". Go figure. What did you start with? And knowing what you know now, would you have done it differently if you had to start over?

As far as equipment is concerned, I think I'm pretty much set on Dillon just because of all the good things I've heard about them. I have no idea which model yet though… I'm currently shooting 3 calibers - .45, .40 and 9mm. I'm planning on reloading at least two of them - .40 and .45. I may reload 9mm if I feel it's worth my time. I have no plans to reload rifle or shotgun ammo. The more fool-proof press I can get the better.

Please feel free to share your thoughts, comments or similar experiences. Any information is valuable at this point and will make my decisions easier.

Regards,

Alex.

[shred]

Lots of us don't particularly like reloading, but do it because we want tons of cheap ammo. If that's you, then a basic single-stage press will annoy the heck out of you. If you're a little mechanically inclined and can follow directions, you can start right off on a Dillon. Dillons typically have excellent resale value.

This topic comes up a fair bit, so there's bound to be some more threads on it.

[TBF]

Dillon's Square deal B is a basic pistol caliber only progressive machine that costs less than it should for the quality of ammo it puts out. ( Shhh.. Don't tell Dillon... )

Changeover between calibers seems like it would be a little more of a hassle than a 650.

Both the SDB and the XL650 have a feature I see as mandatory for my peace of mind , Auto index.

To unintentionally double charge a round on a SDB you gotta just about have a mental problem.

Travis F.

Travis F

[boo radley]

I started reloading late April, on a Dillon SDB press I bought here, in .45acp. I just finished, this morning, in fact, my fifth carton of primers, so that's 5k rounds I've loaded....

I couldn't imagine using a single-stage press for the volume of ammo 'practical,' or 'action', pistol shooting requires.

I don't find reloading particularly fun, but it's not terribly onerous, either, and there's a satisfaction in seeing a growing pile of ammo. I'll knock out 500 rounds, forget about the press for two weeks, then knock out another 500.

The loading, itself, is pretty quick on the SDB - a tad over 10 minutes per 100, though my attention span is such that I'll load a couple hundred, take a break, then finish the rest, rather than knock all 500 out in an hour.

Biggest hassle is brass; shagging it, getting under people's feet at matches, tumbling it... Are you sure you want to reload *both* 40 and 45? Awful easy to get those cases mixed up, accidentally.

[Gun Geek]

Alex:

You're in the right place.

If the up front investment is not that big of a problem, (i.e. $1,000 - $1,200 bucks by the time you get all the stuff) then a 650 is the thing. If you are on a tight budget, look at the SDB (my guess is about $600 - $800 for the whole schmeer). Those prices include the most of the cool stuff you'll want.

Got to X10 Travis' comment about the auto index feature. The stuff about starting with a basic (read single stage) press is crap, especially for pistol ammo. You will be BONKERS after about a week if you have a single stage, and you won't have much ammo either. I might buy that advice match grade rifle ammo, but that's really more of a volume discussion.

The 650 in general is a bigger intial investment ($$ and time), but will be much faster and flexible later on. 2 hours per week would net you 1500 rds no problem. Unless you are shooting that much, you should be ok. The SDB will never be able to load rifle ammo, so if you get into 3-gun, you won't be able to make ammo for your rifle. Also the cse feeder (not available on the SDB) saves lots of time.

Reloading will be worth it for 45, and maybe 40. It is marginally worth it for 9. If you are OK with cheap factory 9mm (115gn or 125gn at 140 pf) it won't be worth it. If you want to shoot a little more special load (i.e. light recoil or "major 9") you will come out ahead. My reloads cost between $3.75 and $4.50 per 50 depending on the choice of brass, bullets, etc, as well as the occasional well timed volume purchase or sale. That cost is about the same no matter what the caliber is. You can buy 9mm for this, but forget it on 40 & 45.

Order a 650 and trimmings from Brain and get started!

[E53X5]

Biggest hassle is brass; shagging it, getting under people's feet at matches, tumbling it...

I already pick up brass, so I already know what it's like. Tumbling it - well, that's just another piece of equipment I'm going to have to buy I guess.

Are you sure you want to reload *both* 40 and 45? Awful easy to get those cases mixed up, accidentally.

I'm pretty sure I do. I have quite a few 1911s to keep fed, so .45 is a must. My ESP "fat .40" also seems to be hungry all the time... If my reloading idea really takes off, I will probably drop 9mm all together and stick to .40 for both ESP and SSP (and whatever other "games" I get into in the future).

Another thing that makes the decision making hard is being new to terminology and not being able to understand what each feature really does. I've read specs on different presses I'm considering, but I can't tell which of the features are "a must", which ones are "nice to have", and which ones are just "bells and whistles". Could someone explain in plain English the difference between SDB, 550, 650 and 1050? So far I know that SDB is a little different and uses different components/dies that are not interchangeable with other presses. I also now know that auto indexing is very good to have (pretty much a must have), even though I don't really understand what it does. As far as volume goes - I don't shoot as much as I used to, but I'm planning on shooting more in the future. That 1500 in 2 hours number mentioned above would be plenty enough. 1050 seems like overkill for my needs since its biggest selling point is volume. Am I correct? Therefore, I will most likely be deciding between the other 3 models.

[Nik Habicht]

Start by reading The Dillon FAQ on Brian's website. Specifically click on the Which Dillon Link on the page. That page, and it's assorted links ought to get you started.......

[JD45]

It's really not such a big deal. You are already reading and doing research. That's a good sign.

Buy a good manual first. The Speer or Hodgdon should work great for starters.

There is nothing wrong with buying a progressive for your first press, and if you buy a Dillon, a simple phone call will help with any question not answered in the instructions. Plus, since you are on this forum, you've got another huge helpline.

If you mainly need ammo for one pistol caliber, you can't go wrong with the Dillon Square Deal B. You can probably sell it one day on Ebay for ten dollars more than a new one (Ebay is getting strange).

[.40AET]

Reloading is not very stimulating. I like to knock out 2-500 rounds just before bed a couple of times a week. It is relaxing. I can't reload while my 2 boys (5 & 2yrs) are awake. "I wanna pull the lever" and "Let me put the bullet on" lead to spilled powder and something getting f'd up. They do help me do other things reloading related and they love it. Planting the seeds for the future.

Everyone had to make the same decision that you are faced with. I started out 18 years ago with a Rock Chucker single stage press. I would never recomend that to anyone, looking back it just sucked. I have a 650 and couldn't be happier with my decision. The case feeder is a must in my book. I dump 400 cases in and start reloading. Auto-Indexing is also a must. Everytime you pull the handle to seat a bullet, the shell plate is rotated and a loaded round comes out. With a 650 all you need to do is add the bullet each time. The case feeder puts in the case, the case gets resised, then a primer gets put in, the next case gets powder and then the bullet gets seated. The auto-indexing turns the shell plate the entire time. It couldn't be easier.

[George]

Once you get the process sorted out and your load base settled, reloading is kind of a break from the rest of the day like working out, or running. Get into the rythym and it also has it's therapeutic value.

With new little ones around, it could be something to do when you aren't getting any sleep anyway ;-)

BTW, Dillon progressive presses all the way if you get into reloading. Nik nailed it with the suggestion to read Brians Dillon FAQ's.

--

Regards,

[Gulf690]

I sorta like reloading and it can be a relaxing past time. Have to agree with the other posts about the 650...it is absolutely the easiest thing you'll ever do and pretty well makes it foolproof (lucky for me). You can also get a tool head set up for each caliber and just change it over (though I think the 9mm is a different primer size ?)

Like Nike says, ...just do it..

gulf

[E53X5]

I'd like to thank everybody for their comments so far. I've learned a lot from this thread, and the link Nik posted has wealth of information. I spent most of last night and today reading every post on the subject I could find. I think I have my choices narrowed down to 550 and 650 at this point, but I can't decide which one. There seems to be as many fans of one as there are of another. Both are highly recommended, and both have their pluses and minuses. My gut tells me I want 650 - don't know why; probably because it's more fool-proof - while 550 sounds like a better fit for my skill level and my needs (volume). Some of the most notable downsides of 650 seem to be its cost, its "priming system", and its complexity. Both 550 and 650 are within my "comfort level" money-wise, so I'm not concerned with cost difference very much; besides, I'm buying a piece of mind with that extra money spent on 650, and that alone is worth it to me. I'm also not very concerned with complexity of the machine itself and its operation - I'm thinking my engineering degree should be enough to figure it out. Besides, I have a few local fellow shooters willing to help me out with the setup and getting me started. The third issue (priming system) has me worried a little however. How big of a deal is it really? I guess since so many people use 650 and recomend it, it could be that much of an issue, but still. Also, maybe a strange question, but how loud is it to "operate" a press? I'm still trying to decide where to get everything set up; I've been thinking about setting it up in the garage, but on the second thought, I can't spend 10 minutes in my garage during summer without starting to sweat like a pig, let alone sitting there for 2 hours racking the press handle repeteadly. There aren't many places I could do it inside the house (let me rephrase that - not many places my wife will let me do it inside the house ), especially if it makes a lot of noise.

Thanks,

Alex.

[scooterj]

The auto case-feeder on the 650, if you elect to purchase it (I highly recomend it), has an electric motor which makes a little noise. The empty brass tumlbling around in the case-feeder bowl, on the other hand, is quite noisy.

[E53X5]

The empty brass tumlbling around in the case-feeder bowl, on the other hand, is quite noisy.

That I'm OK with. It will definitely be done in the garage since it doesn't require my presence - just load it up, turn it on and get back inside.

[R/T Performance]

I would highly recommend sdb silent except for low primer buzzer and somebody here has one mounted in a closet

If you are going to load pistol only these are aw some fill some primer tubes set bullet case and pull easy.

I don't have the strong mount and it isn't necessary if you have a good mounting surface

Press 300

Tumbler 100

Separator 50

scale 50

500 and primer cases bullets

I bought brass cleaned on ebay 1500 rounds 40 cal under 20 shipped Before I bought a tumbler

[Kenpo Joe]

The empty brass tumlbling around in the case-feeder bowl, on the other hand, is quite noisy.

That I'm OK with. It will definitely be done in the garage since it doesn't require my presence - just load it up, turn it on and get back inside.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I think that you are confusing the case cleaner with the case feeder. The case feeder feeds the cases to the press while you are reloading.

"Back on mute"

[E53X5]

I think that you are confusing the case cleaner with the case feeder.  The case feeder feeds the cases to the press while you are reloading. 

"Back on mute" 

Doh! Just goes to show how well I've got the terminology down.

[GuildSF4]

I have a 650 without a case feeder (no overhead room, but I have a bunch of feed tubes), it is still faster than the SDB I had before, and can reload more calibers. That said, I don't believe you could go wrong with either one.

[Kevin Kline]

Depends on how much you're going to shoot and how much money you have to blow if you dont reload.

[E53X5]

One more question... What is the footprint of a 650 (and 550), and how much bench top space would I need for other accessories/tools within the immediate reloading area? It looks like the only place I could set up the press inside the house is in the corner of the laundry room. It's already pretty packed, so the most bench I could put in there would be something like 30"x12" max. I would probably have to build it myself to fit it in there. Would that be enough, or would I be wasting time trying to build my reloading bench there? My only other option is to have it all set up in the garage - still limited space, but I could fit a "full size" bench there (The Home Depot has very nice Husky heavy duty bench with 54"x23"x1" bench top for $180). TIA.

[Gulf690]

I've loaded well over 20,000 rounds with Federal primers on my 650 and never had a problem. The primer system is really quite simple and I've heard it said (somewhere) ...even if there were a problem, the primer disk is between you and the primers...

Not sure if I should feel good about that or not

As scooter mentioned, the cases tumbling in the case feeder are the loudest part.

If you get a 650, at a rate of 600-800 per hour, you'll only have it going for a short time each week anyway.

Just MHO

gulf

[Azone41]

I have two 550s one set up in 38 super and the other I load 40s. It is quite a bit smaller then the 650s my friends have. I have had one of them for 13 years and I can do 100 rounds in 8 min ( lots of practice). I have been thinking about getting a 650 or even a 1050 but keep changing my mind because I have no problem keeping up with my shooting habit. I also have used a 650 and it seems to mess up quite a bit (always stopping to fix,unstick,or clean something) now I belive that this 650 is in need of some repair but it s not mine and the owner seems to think its ok. I have never had ANY problems with my 550 so I have just stayed with it.

[Newguy]

I don't agree that auto-index is a "must-have" feature on a press. Auto-indexing complicates the operation of the press and is another place for problems. As Brian Enos points out, without a casefeeder there's little advantage in auto-indexing.

The 550 isn't dangerous if you pay attention, which you have to do regardless of the reloader. Reloading 50-75k rounds on a 550B I've never had a squib or double charge.

The advantages of a 550B over a 650 is its simplicity and dependability. The 550B is rugged and dependable. Problems are easy to sort out, which isn't true for the 650. In my opinion the 650 -- which I own -- is too complicated for a first reloader. The 550 is a better press to start out with, and by the time you get proficient with it, Dillon will have come out with a casefeeder.

[shred]

I'm still trying to decide where to get everything set up; I've been thinking about setting it up in the garage, but on the second thought, I can't spend 10 minutes in my garage during summer without starting to sweat like a pig, let alone sitting there for 2 hours racking the press handle repeteadly. There aren't many places I could do it inside the house (let me rephrase that - not many places my wife will let me do it inside the house ), especially if it makes a lot of noise.

Thanks,

Alex.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Clearly you need an AC in the garage I did that earlier this year and it's been an excellent investment, even though I took over a bedroom to reload in.

[E53X5]

Clearly you need an AC in the garage    I did that earlier this year and it's been an excellent investment, even though I took over a bedroom to reload in.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You know, that's something I've been thinking about, too. I do spend a lot of time in the garage, so it would definitely be a good thing to have. Unfortunately, it brings my "reloading start up" price up considerably. Did you go with a portable unit, or just a "line" off of the main unit?