Need a little help. I load 9mm on a 650 now. Wanna buy a 550 to load 223/556. I wet tumble now and already have brass dryer. What all do I need to take range brass and load 223

[Bamaboy]

Recommendations on tools needed with 550 to properly prepare brass. Powder bullets. Treet me like a noob but be nice please. I load 9 major on a 650 with case feeder and Mr bullet. I consider myself more than proficient with that. But with rifle for competition/range no experience

[andrewst359]

Case trimmer is nice, I use the lyman ezee trimmer. Brass prep tools, the lyman prep center works well. Headspace gages are nice. Some brass lube, Brass Juice works well and vet owned. I've always been fond of Varget or imr8202xbr for powder. 

[George16]

Swager, dedicated tool head for depriming brass prior to tumbling/cleaning/polishing so you can clean the primer pockets.

 

I had been using H335 with 55 Gr Hornady FMJ BT for 3 gun and plinking. I tried Varget but it fills up the case really good but otherwise a very good powder to use.

[Joe4d]

Take ur brass, and sell it or trade it in,,,  then go to ammo seak and stock up on 5.56 now while it is dirt cheap and really not worth the trouble or cost of reloading and spend the money you arnt spending on a 550, primers, powder, jacketed bullets,, etc...

[AHI]

What volume are we talking about .   IE how many rounds?

and do you have a dry type case cleaner?

With a 550 you are going to need 3 tool heads. it can be done with 2.

I brass prep on a 1050 and load on a 550. 

            550 set up 

#1    toolhead        station 1 universal decapping die 

                                   get the Mighty its wear you will end up i have tried them all

clean brass might as well remove the primer crimp at this time  pick your method 

a sweding tool( Dillon) or a cutting tool (Hornady)

#2 toolhead       station 1   sizing die set at 80% ( to clean up the neck)

                            station 2 empty

                            station 3  Dillon trimmer (RT1500) this sizes the case 100% and trims

                            station 4 empty

           deflash / deber     cleen cases again          to remove case lube( Dillon)

#3 toolhead      station 1 sinclair neck expander /lyman m die etc

                                         2 powder

                                         3 bullet seat

                                        4   crimp

 

[RiggerJJ]

Don't "need" a 550, you can more easily do 223 on your 650. Get a couple of heads (one to process brass, one to load), a Dillon trimmer, super swager and dies and go...

Edited January 30, 2019 by RiggerJJ

[Bamaboy]

21 minutes ago, RiggerJJ said:

Don't "need" a 550, you can more easily do 223 on your 650. Get a couple of heads (one to process brass, one to load), a Dillon trimmer, super swager and dies and go...

Ok this sounds interesting. But what about my case feeder and mr bullet. Also what pre prep would the case need

[andrewst359]

OAL, chamber inside/out, resize 

[AHI]

31 minutes ago, Bamaboy said:

 

Maybe you should spend a little time in the Dillon reloading section.

an example 

 

 

[AHI]

39 minutes ago, Bamaboy said:

 Ok this sounds interesting. But what about my case feeder and mr bullet. Also what pre prep would the case need

small rifle plate for case feeder and don't use the bullet feeder unless you feel the need.

and yes you don't need a 550 to load 223.they just seam to produce more consistent ammo,

smaller shell plate has something to do with it.

Edited January 30, 2019 by AHI

[RiggerJJ]

12 hours ago, Bamaboy said:

Ok this sounds interesting. But what about my case feeder and mr bullet. Also what pre prep would the case need

Case feeder just needs a small rifle plate. Bullet feeder I'm not sure about, don't use one...

case prep is the same as pistol brass, clean it, lube it, and run it.

[DesertTortoise]

Here is my setup...

Step 1


Step 2



Step 3



Step 4 pew

[MJinPA]

The dillon trimmer would definitely makes the job easier. But if you want to save a few pennies, the drill mounted trimmers that index off case neck are pretty nice. I’ve had the little crow WFT and now use the giraud tri-way. For $15-20 more (around $100 I think) I think it’s far superior. Trims, chamfers and deburs in on step.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[TheArmoredShop]

On 1/29/2019 at 8:04 AM, Bamaboy said:

Recommendations on tools needed with 550 to properly prepare brass. Powder bullets. Treet me like a noob but be nice please. I load 9 major on a 650 with case feeder and Mr bullet. I consider myself more than proficient with that. But with rifle for competition/range no experience

 

Why not purchased a spare tool head for the 650 for 223/556? I also have a tool head with sizing die and the RT1500  Dillon trimmerand can process 600 pcs of brass an hour. I wet tumble too. Love the consistency with the Dillon RT1500  

[Bamaboy]

38 minutes ago, TheArmoredShop said:

 

Why not purchased a spare tool head for the 650 for 223/556? I also have a tool head with sizing die and the RT1500  Dillon trimmerand can process 600 pcs of brass an hour. I wet tumble too. Love the consistency with the Dillon RT1500  

Because I have a case feeder and mr bullet. 

 

But that seems much more affordable. So can you give me tips on how to change everything over.  I already load small rifle primers so that is fine. I can easily get a new powder drop and micrometer bar for it. What about prepping the brass. 

[TheArmoredShop]

19 minutes ago, Bamaboy said:

Because I have a case feeder and mr bullet. 

 

But that seems much more affordable. So can you give me tips on how to change everything over.  I already load small rifle primers so that is fine. I can easily get a new powder drop and micrometer bar for it. What about prepping the brass. 

 

 

Just get the changeover kit for 223/556.

 

much cheaper than buying another press. 

 

I buy bulk range brass. Wet tumble, dry in oven at 200 degrees for 20 minutes.

 

then I size and decap and trim. Wash again and then start  reloading 

[RiggerJJ]

20 hours ago, Bamaboy said:

Because I have a case feeder and mr bullet. 

 

But that seems much more affordable. So can you give me tips on how to change everything over.  I already load small rifle primers so that is fine. I can easily get a new powder drop and micrometer bar for it. What about prepping the brass. 

Why would having a case feeder and bullet feeder make a caliber change complicated? You get the feed plates for the new caliber, install and adjust, and run the new caliber. For 223 you will need 2 heads; one for processing the brass (size, decap, trim) and the other for loading (primer powder, bullet). Get the Dillon on press 1500 trimmer and put it on the processing head.

 

In between processing and loading you will need to tumble to remove the lube and Swage the primer pockets. I recommend the Dillon 600 super swager, fastest and most reliable.

jj

[dauntedfuture]

I've got a 550, 650 and 1050.  I used to load 9 and .223 on a 550 for 20+ years.  After I got the 650, I did not look back at the 550.  I still load my .308 case head/ .45 on a 550 and that's about it.  I am debating parting w. the 650 for just the 1050 but that's another story.  The 650 gets you a nice case feeder and a priming mechanism I like better as well as auto index.  

 

Just load on the 650 and get a case prep tool head w. lube/decap die and size die and another tool head w. all dies - size.  You could use the Dillon trimmer on the 1st tool head if you wanted and that's what I would do; take the money I was going to use to buy a 550 and just buy a 1500. 

[Sigguy552]

I've just started loading 223 on a 650 and it's really all about brass prep.

 

I have a toolhead with only a Lee FL/deprime die and run all my brass through on that with a Dillon casefeeder.

 

I then go through and and swage the primer pockets using a Dillon super swage followed by trim/chamfer/debur using a giraud triway. 

 

My other toolhead has empty station 1, powder, powder check, seater and crimp. 

[hurley326]

I agree with these other guys on getting 2 tool heads for your 650. A case prep tool head and a loading tool head. OR you can do what I do and I buy fully processed brass. Yes its a little more expensive but well worth the cost compared to how I value my time. This way I only need to swap out my 9mm tool head and shell plate for my 223 loading tool head and shell plate then change a plate on my case feeder and plate on my bullet feeder. The same bullet feeder spring can be used which is great. It takes about 10 minutes and you will load wayyyyy faster than on a 550. I don’t think I have met anyone who loads 223 who has ever wanted to get a 550 to do so when they already own a 650. 

 

My vote goes to buying processed brass and saving hours of your time and then loading on the 650. If you don’t mind brass prep then get 2 toolheads for your current 650. 

[m700]

I would get 2 tool heads for the 650

1 will have Resize/deprime die in station 1 and a case trimmer in station 3 or 4

the other will have powder die in 2, powder check in 3 seat die in 4 crimp in 5.

 

In between

  -clean a second time to get the lube off from running though the first tool head.

 - case prep station(rcbs or other) chamfer, primer pocket clean, flash hole debur if you wanna go crazy.

 - if the brass is crimped you will have to swage or cut the pocket.

 

It s nice having 2 presses set up but for 223 I would stay on the 650. I like the 550 for stuff you load 100 rds at a time on.

 

[CSEMARTIN]

This may not answer all your questions, but it should help a little.