45junkie Posted April 6, 2007 Share Posted April 6, 2007 Ok guys I need some help with a decision. I own 2 SDB's one for each primer size and load really good ammo with them, I have no complaints with these presses. I load 45ACP, 10mm, 40S&W and 9mm. In January I started shooting .223. As I am sure you know .223 ammo is sky high right now. I was thinking I would sell one of the SDB's get a 650 and start loading .223. Do you think there will be enough cost savings to justify what I am thinking about. I would like to hear your opinions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Albert Posted April 6, 2007 Share Posted April 6, 2007 I'm in the same situation and I was planning just to add a 650 rather than sell one of the SDBs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rtr Posted April 6, 2007 Share Posted April 6, 2007 It may be more cost effective to sell one or both SDBs and get a 550 (perhaps with casefeeder). I load 9, .40, and .223 on my 550 it works great and changing calibers is easy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
45junkie Posted April 6, 2007 Author Share Posted April 6, 2007 I read in another thread that the 550 case feeder was pistol caliber only? Is the 650 more difflcult to change calibers? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R/T Performance Posted April 7, 2007 Share Posted April 7, 2007 550 case feeder is pistol only .but with all the extra processing in .223 brass not sure where the saving in time would be. 550 conversion are way cheaper than a 650 and I like the 550 a ton better than the SDB I was satisfied with until I used a 550. .223 reloading process Tumble brass sort by head stamp lube deprime/resize trim chamffer remove crimp(Swage)anything other than remington finally prime powder seat crimp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
45junkie Posted April 7, 2007 Author Share Posted April 7, 2007 OK... I am leaning toward the 550. Can you tell me how long it takes to change from small primers to large? Maybe I will sell both of my SDB's and get the 550 with all the other cals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rtr Posted April 7, 2007 Share Posted April 7, 2007 Changing primer sizes on a 550 takes 5 mins if you're going slow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blue edge Posted April 7, 2007 Share Posted April 7, 2007 Best place to buy 223 bullets? and how much? reload cost compaired to factory? and Wolf? Thanks Kevin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toowide Posted April 7, 2007 Share Posted April 7, 2007 Be very careful going from a self indexing loader to a manual indexing loader. Double charges are NOT fun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dajarrel Posted April 7, 2007 Share Posted April 7, 2007 Changing primer sizes on a 550 takes 5 mins if you're going slow. It usually takes me longer to dig up the pieces to make the change than it does to make it. when you have the parts on the bench with you, as rtr says, 5 minites.. tops. Now a 650 takes a little longer. With parts laying there you are probably talking about 10 minutes....15 if you have trouble with the seating punch (which is probably the most time consuming job) So... on a 550, the caliber conversion will take about 30 minutes all together (take about 10 minutes off if you don't change primer sizes) counting time putting up brass, primers and powders from the old caliber and getting all the new components out and set up. These are my guesses and YMMV. If the moon is full, it will always take twice as long because you have to watch out for Murphy and his cohorts. Very efficient design, IMHO dj OBTW, if you don't have a spare parts kit from Dillon, you really nead to get one. Dillon will always replace any broken or lost ports, but you may save yourself a few days by having that part on hand. (like about a month ago when I broke the shellplate advancing ring on my 650 two days before the state match when I didn't have my ammo loaded I got the bag down and looked and there it was. I replaced it in about an hour and was off and running again)) I'm through prattling now. dj Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hopalong Posted April 7, 2007 Share Posted April 7, 2007 Having used both the 550 and the 650, I would buy another 650. 4 years and only 3 broken plastic parts (all in the repair kit too) and getting close to half a million rounds loaded through it. Make sure to get the case feeder and the roller handle though. Hopalong Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bomadera Posted April 7, 2007 Share Posted April 7, 2007 If I were you, I'd keep the SDB and load large primer 45 only, buy a 650 for everything else. Even with the 650, changing primer systems was a pain. So much so, I bought another 650. Now all I do is change toolheads to load .40, 9mm, 38sup, and .223. With the price of new .223 ammo getting higher, it's certainly worth reloading. Ok guys I need some help with a decision. I own 2 SDB's one for each primer size and load really good ammo with them, I have no complaints with these presses. I load 45ACP, 10mm, 40S&W and 9mm. In January I started shooting .223. As I am sure you know .223 ammo is sky high right now. I was thinking I would sell one of the SDB's get a 650 and start loading .223. Do you think there will be enough cost savings to justify what I am thinking about. I would like to hear your opinions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TBF Posted April 7, 2007 Share Posted April 7, 2007 If you get the XL650 , be sure to get the " quick change primer feed kit " , that way you can just swap out the whole assembly when changing sizes , much faster and less cussing too. Auto index is not just for ease of operation , it also makes a double charge pretty difficult ( though not impossible if you short stroke the handle while clearing a jam ). Just .020 from some guy Travis F. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R/T Performance Posted April 8, 2007 Share Posted April 8, 2007 Buying brass /1000 it is about the same as wolf.(if you by a 1000 at a gun show) After you get a stock pile you will save some money but Wolf is even getting hard to find around here. I have a borrowed computer right now but there a places that sells pulled 55 gr bt cheap.The speer from midway are pretty reasonable if you buy 6,000 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LPatterson Posted April 9, 2007 Share Posted April 9, 2007 I think the cost savings for a .223 is going to take a long time to see unless your shooting it pretty often. I am happy doing .223 on a 550B because I do all the preloading steps that R/T Performance listed on a RCBS Rockchucker JR. If I didn't have 10000 pieces of LakeCity from a police range I would buy a case of cheap stuff at a gun show. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R/T Performance Posted April 9, 2007 Share Posted April 9, 2007 Here is the bargian I mentioned earlier http://www.iidbs.com/hitech.zkb?root&G...mp;object-menu6 If I hadn't bought 3000 speers from a buddy I be buying these Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mick Posted April 9, 2007 Share Posted April 9, 2007 Sell it all and buy a 1050. I did about 20 years ago and wouldn't change. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sargenv Posted April 9, 2007 Share Posted April 9, 2007 Make sure to get the case feeder and the roller handle though I agree with the parts kit but I don't agree so much with the roller handle. I've used both and prefer the ball handle over the roller handle. It just feels better than the other but then I do my loading seated as opposed to many who do it standing up. I'd see if I could try both before getting one or the other. Vince Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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