Reloading Dilema

[45junkie]

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.

[Albert]

I'm in the same situation and I was planning just to add a 650 rather than sell one of the SDBs.

[rtr]

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.

[45junkie]

I read in another thread that the 550 case feeder was pistol caliber only? Is the 650 more difflcult to change calibers?

[R/T Performance]

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

[45junkie]

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.

[rtr]

Changing primer sizes on a 550 takes 5 mins if you're going slow.

[blue edge]

Best place to buy 223 bullets? and how much?

reload cost compaired to factory? and Wolf?

Thanks Kevin

[toowide]

Be very careful going from a self indexing loader to a manual indexing loader. Double charges are NOT fun.

[dajarrel]

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

[hopalong]

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

[bomadera]

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.

[TBF]

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.

[R/T Performance]

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

[LPatterson]

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.

[R/T Performance]

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

[Mick]

Sell it all and buy a 1050. I did about 20 years ago and wouldn't change.

[sargenv]

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