Bjordenshoots Posted August 29 Share Posted August 29 Looking to start reloading and have heard pros and cons from both Dillon and mark 7. Not sure which to go with. Looking for any help or advise. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nate89 Posted August 29 Share Posted August 29 I suppose others will have better advice who have experience with both. I have owned a SDB before, and currently own a 650 (bought about 15 years ago) and a 1050 (bought about 7 years ago). I also have some accessories from MK7 (including their trimmer with the three cutting dies they offered at the time-223, 300 BLK, and 308). The trimmer is excellent, and I have also heard a lot of good about the Mk7 stuff, but without any personal experience I'll leave that to others. I think the best equipment is really going to depend on your expected loading volume, how important speed is to you, how many calibers you want to load, your budget, etc. If you can include those in a post, I think that will help you get the best advice possible. For example, someone loading a few thousand rounds a year in a variety of different calibers will want different equipment than the person loading 25k a year of a single caliber who simply wants to make ammo as fast as possible. I remember reading the guide to Dillon presses from Brian Enos, which led me to the 650, and I have been incredibly happy with it. In all honesty, the 550 would have served me just as well at the time. But, I really like the 1050 now for processing brass, and would not go back now that I have one (single pass rifle prep is amazing!). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SnipTheDog Posted August 29 Share Posted August 29 Mark 7 has 10 stations. Dillon has 4 > 550 6 > 650/750 8 > 1050, 1100, CP2000 It really comes down to how much you shoot. For the Dillon, the rounds per hour is listed in their part name. I have two 1050's and would highly recommend them. Haven't used a Mark7 reloader yet although I do have a Mark 7 drive on my 1050. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kal092 Posted August 29 Share Posted August 29 No opinion from me about the Mark 7 reloaders. I haven't seen them or used them at all. I went with Dillon. For me it's a quick trip across town to get parts when needed. When they have them in stock. I got 2 1100s, 1 is sitting on a Mark 7 pro auto drive with a bullet feeder. The other is still handle operated, but has a bullet feeder as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zzt Posted August 29 Share Posted August 29 If I were buying a reloading machine right now it would be Mark 7. Better powder measure and priming systems and ten instead of 8 stations. I could limp by with 8, but I'd really like a separate decapping die for those crimped primers. That's 9 stations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shred Posted August 29 Share Posted August 29 If you've never reloaded before, an 1100 or Mark 7 is going to be pretty daunting. You might want to start with a simpler press and learn the basics there, then sell it on (or keep it around-- many here have more than one). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nkresho Posted August 30 Share Posted August 30 (edited) How about some details? How much do you plan to load in the upcoming 12 months? What caliber (or how many different calibers?) Do you have previous loading experience? (for me, i'm destined to load 20-30k rounds of 9mm between October 2024 and April 2025 when next year's season starts back up) Some load more some here load less... Do you intend to automate it? How do you rate your mechanical abilities? Like a 1-10 scale. Budget-wise, for me, i'm still loading on a LNL AP with mr bulletfeeder and case feeder. I'd prefer to spend the money on next year's components rather than $6k on a machine that does it all for me. I've got two seasons on that machine and no signs of slowing for 2025. Edited August 30 by nkresho Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOGRIDER Posted August 30 Share Posted August 30 30 plus years of XL650s and an RL1100. After 2 years with the RL1100 and realizing the benefits of what 10 Stations would provide, I bought an Apex 10! Finest press I've had in my possession! Ran it for a year, then went fully automated with sensors. So, if your a good learner with good skills, I would definitely say buy the Apex 10. Run it for a year manual, or however long it takes to master the machine's likes and dislikes, then go automated! The latest version Apex 10 has the new billet Priming System that has fully addressed some previous weaknesses! And I can honestly say that the Mark 7 Technical Customer Service is second to none! Also, if automation interests you, watch a couple of videos of the Dillon chain drive automation system; then watch a couple of the Mark 7 Digital automation system. The results will speak for themselves. I basically do single pass loading with fully pre-processed, roll sized 9mm brass! Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nkresho Posted August 30 Share Posted August 30 ha, hogrider is now selling me on the benefits of automation. Not that i needed to be "sold" but now i'm gonna hop back in to put a shopping cart together (again) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sigarmsp226 Posted August 30 Share Posted August 30 2 hours ago, shred said: If you've never reloaded before, an 1100 or Mark 7 is going to be pretty daunting. You might want to start with a simpler press and learn the basics there, then sell it on (or keep it around-- many here have more than one). Great advice - I started with a Dillon 550, then went to a 650 (still have it as well as a second one NIB) and three years ago graduated to the Dillon RL1100. This is as far as I will go based on how much I shoot. I also have a NIB Dillon DA3000 that I will hook up to the RL1100 sometime in the next two years (as time allows - we are moving). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ysrracer Posted August 30 Share Posted August 30 On 8/28/2024 at 7:20 PM, Bjordenshoots said: Looking to start reloading and have heard pros and cons from both Dillon and mark 7. Not sure which to go with. Looking for any help or advise. Thanks I'm thinking of learning to fly. Should I start on a 747 or an F14 Tomcat? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zzt Posted August 30 Share Posted August 30 I don't buy the too much to handle bit. Every single reloading press I have owned has had its own idiosyncrasies. You learn to deal with them. I would advise NOT going automated until you thoroughly understand the workings of your press. Load 10k manually. Then you'll know it inside and out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
truespode Posted August 30 Share Posted August 30 42 minutes ago, zzt said: I don't buy the too much to handle bit. Every single reloading press I have owned has had its own idiosyncrasies. You learn to deal with them. I would advise NOT going automated until you thoroughly understand the workings of your press. Load 10k manually. Then you'll know it inside and out. I'm a slow learner. Took me 20k with my Dillon 750XL and really not until the primer system had issues and I took it all apart and replaced parts. This time I knew enough that as I put it back together I understood what I was trying to do with each die, spring, plate, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
18111811 Posted August 30 Share Posted August 30 (edited) My single stage sits unloved. I concur with the above and would go straight to a progressive, but wouldnt automate until its dialed in and you understand its quirks. Edited August 30 by 18111811 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ysrracer Posted August 30 Share Posted August 30 (edited) On 8/30/2024 at 7:09 AM, 18111811 said: Buy a fully automated press, you can't go wrong. Edited September 1 by ysrracer What Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOGRIDER Posted August 30 Share Posted August 30 (edited) 17 hours ago, nkresho said: ha, hogrider is now selling me on the benefits of automation. Not that i needed to be "sold" but now i'm gonna hop back in to put a shopping cart together (again) @nkresho I hear there's a lot of sales going on at Mark 7! You'll love that automation! PS: if you go automated, remember case retaining spring tension set correctly is very important; especially with 9mm, etc. Edited August 30 by HOGRIDER update Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IVC Posted August 30 Share Posted August 30 Progressive press isn't a problem for learning if you understand that you're setting up a system that will produce ammo at every handle pull, so every station must be set up and debugged before you can run it correctly. To set up the press, you have to set up each station the same way you would set it up on a single stage - put a round at the correct processing stage underneath and adjust everything at the station. In a way, there is no shortcut with either single stage of progressive. Automation, on the other hand, is something that requires not only setting up the press, but also understanding limitations of the specific press design. Case feeder can jam, decapping pin can break, primers can jam, multiple bullets can get dropped (or no bullet at all), bullets can fall off between drop and seating (depending on belling), etc. If you automate a process that isn't reliable, you'll have the machine monkey the press handle and churn out a mess. That's where different sensors and all sorts of additional gizmos kick in. It's also why you need extra stations - virtually all of them are used for detection of malfunctions, not for brass processing or loading. In short, get a good press and learn the process. If you're leaning towards automation in the future, I would go with Mark 7. Otherwise I would go with Dillon. If unsure, let your budget decide. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeyScuba Posted August 30 Share Posted August 30 I have a single stage that is only used for making dummy rounds for my dryfire moons with an insane crimp. I used a 650 for a few years until I had enough of pulling the handle for 2 shooters. I skipped the 1050 and went straight for an automated Evo pro or is it a Evo revo? Just a belt drive vs direct. just more to go wrong and it simply takes time to figure out the quirks of the machine. such as recalibration AFTER one adjusts bullet sense. too much plate tension messes with the primer sensor and that one is still a little mysterious with a mind of its own. you can still create a squib if you aren’t careful on the first go round when starting a run. turning the digital powder measure on at the wrong time will dump powder all over the press (a mess with 9.gr of 3n38 ugh) and just like my 650 once I got comfortable the screws become loose. It is a much bigger issue on the Evo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shred Posted August 31 Share Posted August 31 If you're a bit mechanically-inclined, starting with a progressive press isn't that big a deal, but if you aren't.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boomstick303 Posted August 31 Share Posted August 31 1 minute ago, shred said: If you're a bit mechanically-inclined, starting with a progressive press isn't that big a deal, but if you aren't.... Exactly. If you have no interest in working on things, i.e. you are looking for someone to fix stuff for you rather than figuring it our yourself, reloading is not for you. If you are irritated by stuff not always working when you want it to, reloading is not for you. If you have a hard time with attention to detail, reloading is not for you. If you are averse to any of these things, automated reloading is definitely not for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ReconNav Posted August 31 Share Posted August 31 On 8/28/2024 at 11:41 PM, SnipTheDog said: Mark 7 has 10 stations. Dillon has 4 > 550 6 > 650/750 8 > 1050, 1100, CP2000 6? No, the 650/750 is 5 stations. https://www.dillonprecision.com/s000021 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOGRIDER Posted August 31 Share Posted August 31 (edited) 25 minutes ago, ReconNav said: 6? No, the 650/750 is 5 stations. https://www.dillonprecision.com/s000021 Have no idea why Dillon and others count the Tool Head's die stations only in the XL750 and smaller; but count the case feed station as one (8) in the Commercial machines. https://www.dillonprecision.com/reloader-buying-guide.html Mark 7 also considers the case feed station as one of "10". Could very well be whether the tool head is stationary or it moves with the ram/handle...... A .pdf of Dillons Stations and recommended Configuration: RL1100 Stations.pdf Edited August 31 by HOGRIDER sp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AKJD Posted August 31 Share Posted August 31 I bought a 1100 last year after 20 years with a 550 or 650. It crunched primers at about a 15% rate and I had to purchase an aftermarket priming system to get it to work. I purchased the Dillon because I could get it locally plus having anything shipped was going to be very expensive. After the frustration and cost of getting it working if I could do it over again I’d get a Mark 7 regardless of shipping costs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOGRIDER Posted August 31 Share Posted August 31 Just now, AKJD said: I bought a 1100 last year after 20 years with a 550 or 650. It crunched primers at about a 15% rate and I had to purchase an aftermarket priming system to get it to work. I purchased the Dillon because I could get it locally plus having anything shipped was going to be very expensive. After the frustration and cost of getting it working if I could do it over again I’d get a Mark 7 regardless of shipping costs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SnipTheDog Posted August 31 Share Posted August 31 29 minutes ago, ReconNav said: 6? No, the 650/750 is 5 stations. https://www.dillonprecision.com/s000021 Off by one. OK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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