XL750 or RL1100?

[xrayfk05]

Probably because the 650/750 is "missing" a swage station, whether or not this is important depends entirely on the brass used and the reloader operating the machine.
I never missed a swager on my LnL AP which I use for .223. (or rather, everything other than 9mm )

 

[Boomstick303]

7 hours ago, shuter said:

Sorry to resurrect an old thread, but the comment, "The 750's sweet spot is only one or two calibers (neither being 223)" obviously has me wondering what's wrong with running .223 on a 750? I have an old 550B and was considering the 750 for a .223/9mm combo press. Any comments much appreciated!

 

It all comes back to the swaging station on the 1050/1100 versus the 650/750.  If you intend to process/load a lot of .223 buy the 1100.  You will be glad you made the investment.  If you do not intend to process a lot of 223 brass then the 750 is probably the better route to go.  I will say I have ran into swaging issues with 9mm when using mixed brass, so if your brass prep is not on point or wish to only wet tumble/dry tumble 9mm brass and then load in one pass versus loading in 2 passes (for better brass and sort out issues with the brass during processing versus loading) the 1100 makes life a little easier in my book.  

 

Its not that you cannot process .223 on the 750, its just a bit more involved from my understanding.  

 

The caliber conversions are expensive with the 1100, but once you made the investment, the press is amazing.  Processing 223 brass on my 1050 with the case trimer is a dream.  

 

Just a couple of things to keep in mind.  

[shuter]

46 minutes ago, travail said:

That I am aware of, nothing. I have a 750 and while I still have rookie numbers for my round count on this press, no issues with either 9mm (10,000ish) or 223 (4,500). Definitely need the case feeder to run well, but not sure why the knock on 223 as mine runs this great. 

Thanks. Yes, I would definitely want the casefeeder for the 750; should've mentioned that.

[shuter]

38 minutes ago, Boomstick303 said:

 

It all comes back to the swaging station on the 1050/1100 versus the 650/750.  If you intend to process/load a lot of .223 buy the 1100.  You will be glad you made the investment.  If you do not intend to process a lot of 223 brass then the 750 is probably the better route to go.  I will say I have ran into swaging issues with 9mm when using mixed brass, so if your brass prep is not on point or wish to only wet tumble/dry tumble 9mm brass and then load in one pass versus loading in 2 passes (for better brass and sort out issues with the brass during processing versus loading) the 1100 makes life a little easier in my book.  

 

Its not that you cannot process .223 on the 750, its just a bit more involved from my understanding.  

 

The caliber conversions are expensive with the 1100, but once you made the investment, the press is amazing.  Processing 223 brass on my 1050 with the case trimer is a dream.  

 

Just a couple of things to keep in mind.  

Good info...I have the Dillon RT1500 trimmer set up on one of my 550 toolheads now, and use the 600 Super Swage on and Inline Fab adapter as well. Sounds like the 1100 can be set up to size, trim, swage and load complete rounds without having to change anything out or do anything separately?

[belus]

8 hours ago, shuter said:

Sorry to resurrect an old thread, but the comment, "The 750's sweet spot is only one or two calibers (neither being 223)" obviously has me wondering what's wrong with running .223 on a 750? I have an old 550B and was considering the 750 for a .223/9mm combo press. Any comments much appreciated!

 

It's really the lack of swaging and cost benefit. The 750 once kitted out with ergonomic upgrades is very close to the 1100 in price that you should really make the full leap for the swage station and eventual automation capability. Also, cheap high volume 223 is rarely worth the price of components to reload; even the precision rounds aren't really a savings opportunity but more an option to tune your load to your gun.

 

This thread is four pages now and my reloading set-up has evolved since I initially commented. I've sold my 650 and now have a 550 for loading rifle (223,308,358win) and some pistol (40sw, 38spl). I have an automated 1050 dedicated to 9mm, and a second automated 1050 dedicated to brass processing that I found cheap.

 

I still think of the 550 as the best value work horse. It's the last press that will be on my bench. I've actually bought it, sold it, and bought it again because I like loading on it more than the 650. With auto indexing I'd produce a squib every 3k rounds or so because I'd be fiddling with something and advance the shell plate without powder and not notice. I don't have that worry on the 550 because everything happens under your control and at your pace.  The 550 conversions are also much cheaper so if you pick up a new caliber it's pretty easy to outfit the press for it. The 5 station press only makes sense with a case feeder, which might require new plates, and the conversions are more expensive too.

 

The 5 station press operates in the awkward middle ground without full features but a quite higher price. You can get 90% of the way there with half the cost in a 550. If you find yourself outgrowing the 550, it's the 1100 you'll look to for an upgrade, but the smaller volume calibers will still be well served by the simple 4 station.

 

Finally, on a 550 you only need the powder die to convert between 223/9mm. You can use the same shell plate and buttons and just switch tool heads. Switching between the two calibers on the auto indexer requires a new shell plate, case feed plate, and case feed components.

[shuter]

29 minutes ago, belus said:

 

It's really the lack of swaging and cost benefit. The 750 once kitted out with ergonomic upgrades is very close to the 1100 in price that you should really make the full leap for the swage station and eventual automation capability. Also, cheap high volume 223 is rarely worth the price of components to reload; even the precision rounds aren't really a savings opportunity but more an option to tune your load to your gun.

 

This thread is four pages now and my reloading set-up has evolved since I initially commented. I've sold my 650 and now have a 550 for loading rifle (223,308,358win) and some pistol (40sw, 38spl). I have an automated 1050 dedicated to 9mm, and a second automated 1050 dedicated to brass processing that I found cheap.

 

I still think of the 550 as the best value work horse. It's the last press that will be on my bench. I've actually bought it, sold it, and bought it again because I like loading on it more than the 650. With auto indexing I'd produce a squib every 3k rounds or so because I'd be fiddling with something and advance the shell plate without powder and not notice. I don't have that worry on the 550 because everything happens under your control and at your pace.  The 550 conversions are also much cheaper so if you pick up a new caliber it's pretty easy to outfit the press for it. The 5 station press only makes sense with a case feeder, which might require new plates, and the conversions are more expensive too.

 

The 5 station press operates in the awkward middle ground without full features but a quite higher price. You can get 90% of the way there with half the cost in a 550. If you find yourself outgrowing the 550, it's the 1100 you'll look to for an upgrade, but the smaller volume calibers will still be well served by the simple 4 station.

 

Finally, on a 550 you only need the powder die to convert between 223/9mm. You can use the same shell plate and buttons and just switch tool heads. Switching between the two calibers on the auto indexer requires a new shell plate, case feed plate, and case feed components.

Great info; thank you!

[xrayfk05]

1 hour ago, belus said:

 

It's really the lack of swaging and cost benefit. The 750 once kitted out with ergonomic upgrades is very close to the 1100 in price that you should really make the full leap for the swage station and eventual automation capability.

Define very close? The 750 in 9mm with case feeder is 1100,- whereas the 1100 is 2250,-

I don't think there are even enough upgrades to get the price close enough to just skip over the 750.

I run my 650 near stock and I don't see any need for ergonomic upgrades.

For most reloaders the 1100 does nothing the 750 doesn't do, and the 750 get's the Dillon warranty instead of a 2-year limited.

 

I can see skipping the 550 in favor of the 650, and that is exactly what I would do. The horror of indexing yourself, no thanks

[Boomstick303]

1 hour ago, shuter said:

Sounds like the 1100 can be set up to size, trim, swage and load complete rounds without having to change anything out or do anything separately?

 

No, I process in one pass, then will load with a second pass.  Not sure if its possible to process with the RT1500 on the tool head and load in one pass.  The RT1500 takes up a ton of real-estate.  Maybe someone has been able to do that but I have not ran into them or discussed processing and loading 223 in one pass.

 

I do not have any squibs since I changed my loading process in if there is a hiccup in the press that verify what is going on in the powder drop station.  For awhile there I would clear the shell plate completely and deal with each shell independently at the end of the load session and start over if there was a hiccup to prevent squibs.  I have moved off that and pay attention to the by bullet drop station and powder drop station to ensure there is powder in the shell and to verify I have not created a double charge.   If you are engaged, and know what you are doing its easy to prevent squibs/double charges.  Its not good to load distracted or not being fully engaged when reloading.  That's when you get squibs/double charges.

 

Again, it is always going to come down what is in your budget, what your time is worth to obtain ROI with any press.  If you are loading a ton of ammo, the investment in the 1100 will pay for itself in your time.  If you are loading small to medium amounts of ammo, you probably should go the 750 route. 

 

As far as advancing a shell plate manually, if that was the only option I would only shoot factory ammo and not pay any attention to reloading.

Edited November 16, 2021 by Boomstick303

[belus]

2 minutes ago, xrayfk05 said:

Define very close? The 750 in 9mm with case feeder is 1100,- whereas the 1100 is 2250,-

I don't think there are even enough upgrades to get the price close enough to just skip over the 750.

I run my 650 near stock and I don't see any need for ergonomic upgrades.

For most reloaders the 1100 does nothing the 750 doesn't do, and the 750 get's the Dillon warranty instead of a 2-year limited.

 

I can see skipping the 550 in favor of the 650, and that is exactly what I would do. The horror of indexing yourself, no thanks

When I bought the 650 that I've since sold I think I was only 3-400 difference in price between the fully upgraded five station and the seven station. The 1050 was coming with dies and a casefeeder included at the time, I'm not sure if it still does.

[Intheshaw1]

50 minutes ago, belus said:

When I bought the 650 that I've since sold I think I was only 3-400 difference in price between the fully upgraded five station and the seven station. The 1050 was coming with dies and a casefeeder included at the time, I'm not sure if it still does.

The price used to be a lot closer but has grown a bit in the last 2 years or so. I think it's more in the 800 or so range.

 

I'm someone who also runs a 550 and a 1050 and it's perfect for me. I'm finding a lot more crimped 9mm and 223 so it's easy to not have to worry about it. At some point I'll look to add an automated press for processing.

[jejb]

19 hours ago, belus said:

I still think of the 550 as the best value work horse. It's the last press that will be on my bench. I've actually bought it, sold it, and bought it again because I like loading on it more than the 650. With auto indexing I'd produce a squib every 3k rounds or so because I'd be fiddling with something and advance the shell plate without powder and not notice.

That can be avoided. Even if you use an MBF, you can free up a station on the 650/750 by using a seat/crimp in one die (RCBS). That extra station allows you to use an RCBS "lock out" die after the powder drop. That's the setup I used on my 650, and now my 1100. Never had a squib in many 1000's of rounds. 

 

I went from a 650 to the 1100 mostly for the built in swaging station. I thought it might be faster too, but it's really not, at least with all non-crimped brass. But my brass is mixed, so the 1100 saves me time there for sure. 

 

Depending on how much you shoot, it does not take long to pay for a press right now. My 9mm reloads at current pricing are 18 cents a piece. Store bought is running 35-40 cents a round for the cheap stuff. Which I don't consider my tuned reloads to be. I equate them to the higher end range ammo. But even compared to the cheap stuff, it would take about 12K rounds to pay for an 1100 (no dies). A lot of rounds for some, not so many for others of us. Only take about 4K rounds to pay for stripped down 750. 

[belus]

2 hours ago, jejb said:

That can be avoided. Even if you use an MBF, you can free up a station on the 650/750 by using a seat/crimp in one die (RCBS). That extra station allows you to use an RCBS "lock out" die after the powder drop. That's the setup I used on my 650, and now my 1100. Never had a squib in many 1000's of rounds.

I had a MBF and was seating and crimping in separate dies. While the occasional squib was a pain it was mostly that I had to stop and fiddle with things too frequently. The pace of loading is slightly slower on a 550 but its interrupted less often.

 

If you don't have to worry about crimps I don't think the 1100 is any faster than the 750 for pistol cartridges; maybe it indexes smoother and spills less if you're loading 9 major? I'm just speculating. I mostly shoot 9minor and wanted the seven station for swaging.

 

I'm very happy with a 1050/550 combo and don't miss the 650 at all.  Dillon is about to announce their automation package from their acquisition of Ammobot which might sway people towards the 1100 over a 750 too.

[xrayfk05]

18 minutes ago, belus said:

 The pace of loading is slightly slower on a 550 but its interrupted less often.

 

I get it,  you are a fan of the 550. But slightly slower than a 650/750? I don't see that happening no matter what scenario.

Without a case feeder but with bullet feeder I can do 1100 rounds/hour easily on my LnL AP and 1200 to 1300 on the 650 which has both. I don't see the 550 coming even close to that.

 

And you are worried about squibs on the 650 but not about double charges on the 550? Fiddling and forgetting to index a 550 would scare me a lot more.

 

If you have to fiddle that much with your 650 fix it or get it checked, no press will run perfect but even on my LnL AP I can load without fiddling too much. (Expecting the occasional split case or crimper primer pocket)

 

Yes I have a 550 (for now) because the price was too good to pass up on, tried it an the manual indexing just is a deal breaker for me. As soon as I find somewhen who needs it, it's gone.

[AHI]

Don't know about now. But when I purchased my last 1050.When you compared the 650 the way it should be. With case feeder, bullet tray, mounting bracket and handle. The 1050 was only $300. more. And it came with dies.

What I am saying price the 750 as it should be. Not the base unit.

Still have a 550. It is Dillons work horse. Arguably their best press over all. Once you develop a rhythm. You will not have issues. I keep my 550 for load work ups and odd calibers. Still load all my .233 ammo on it. I feel more it controle.

Edited November 17, 2021 by AHI

[Boomstick303]

I am glad I purchased my 1050 (which was at the time you could actually start ordering and receiving the 1100) it was reasonable in price in comparison to the 750.  There has been a bit of a steep price increase of almost $400 today for an 1100.  I can understand where the 750 is a more reasonable purchase for certain.  The current price of the 750, is about the same price I paid for my 1050 new which was $1812.  You have to love supply and demand.  

[clw42]

For those that have or have had both, is there a noticeable difference in ammo consistency and quality when using the 1100 over the 750?  Just thinking that maybe the tool head coming down might be better than the shell plate going up.  Not sure...

[belus]

1 hour ago, clw42 said:

For those that have or have had both, is there a noticeable difference in ammo consistency and quality when using the 1100 over the 750?  Just thinking that maybe the tool head coming down might be better than the shell plate going up.  Not sure...

People seem to like the primer seating on the 1100 better than the 750. Swaging is a great feature if you're loading a caliber that needs it. But the ammo quality (case gauge pass %) is more a function of dies than of the press.

 

If you want precision rifle rounds then there are good hacks for the 550 that usually involve individually weighed powder charges.

[HesedTech]

1 hour ago, clw42 said:

1100 over the 750

1050 over the 650?  No difference in quality of ammo produced.

 

As many will write, if you have the budget get the 1100. 

[clw42]

2 minutes ago, HesedTech said:

1050 over the 650?  No difference in quality of ammo produced.

 

As many will write, if you have the budget get the 1100. 

 

 

I have a 650 currently.  Probably load about 50K/year 9mm and maybe 10k/year .223

 

I'm trying to talk myself into/out of buying an 1100.  I won't likely ever automate, reloading gives me something to do in the winter months and I don't mind pulling the handle.  The only real reason I could come up with would be improved ammo quality...as it stands, anything that doesn't pass the hundo typically passes the dillon case gauge and gets tossed into the practice bin...maybe 2 or three out of 100.

 

I love the idea of the 1100, but there isn't a whole lot for me to gain I don't think.  If I were starting from scratch, then 1100 all the way.

[Lightj75]

I have a 750 mainly for loading 9mm and it works great for me and I got a deal on it used. If I was buying new and loaded any amount of .223 I think I would get the 1100 it gives you alot more options. 

[clw42]

I caved and bought an 1100

 

Now I can struggle with the thought that maybe I should have just bought the Apex 10.

Edited January 26, 2022 by clw42

[AHI]

[ddc]

4 hours ago, clw42 said:

I caved and bought an 1100

 

Now I can struggle with the thought that maybe I should have just bought the Apex 10.

 

If you were happy with the 650 then I'm pretty sure you will be happy with the 1100.

 

And at 50k/year now you have an opportunity to automate. I know you said you didn't see that happening but for me 50k/year is way past the point where I decided to automate. 

[clw42]

14 hours ago, ddc said:

 

If you were happy with the 650 then I'm pretty sure you will be happy with the 1100.

 

And at 50k/year now you have an opportunity to automate. I know you said you didn't see that happening but for me 50k/year is way past the point where I decided to automate. 

 

Like I mentioned, it gives me something to do over the winter months, and I actually enjoy reloading, at least for now.  Maybe a few more years down the road, I may decide that pulling the handle is beating up my shoulder too much.  I work from home and use reloading as a break from sitting on my butt in front of a computer screen.

[ddc]

1 hour ago, clw42 said:

 

Like I mentioned, it gives me something to do over the winter months, and I actually enjoy reloading, at least for now.  Maybe a few more years down the road, I may decide that pulling the handle is beating up my shoulder too much.  I work from home and use reloading as a break from sitting on my butt in front of a computer screen.

 

Gotcha. I got to the point where it was more of a chore than a joy. 

I'm glad I automated but it does add another layer of complexity and is not without its frustrations for sure.