jd500 Posted April 28, 2008 Share Posted April 28, 2008 I have decided to get a Dillon 650, and was wondering what else I will need. I know I will need dies, and was also looking at the "as it should be" upgrade. What do you guys think? Thanks in advance for the advise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
walter hornby Posted April 28, 2008 Share Posted April 28, 2008 case feeder, KISS bullet feeder, RF100 primer filler, roller handle, strong mounts if you have the verticle room. you will also need a tumbler and a shifter to seperate the brass from your media. i would also suggest getting some case lube. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kgunz11 Posted April 28, 2008 Share Posted April 28, 2008 TAG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek45 Posted April 28, 2008 Share Posted April 28, 2008 (edited) must have: Casefeeder roller handle Nice to have: strong mount bullet tray powder check Edited April 28, 2008 by Derek45 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
00bullitt Posted April 28, 2008 Share Posted April 28, 2008 The "as it should be" upgrade is well worth getting. Also get the casefeeder at least within 2 weeks after getting the press. You'll see why. Start the search for a used vibra prime. I found two on GlockTalk. Buy a pack of 4 primer tubes every time you place an order until you have about 12-15 of the size you use most. Its much nicer reloading when you don't have to stop and fill primer tubes. The RF100 is sweet but pricey. For now.....at least get a primer flip tray and start stabbing away at those little pesky things. One of the most important items is your scale. I highly recommend getting the Dillon D-Terminator. I bought 3 other scales before finally listening to everyone and getting the Dillon. I wasted a fair amount of money there. Buy once cry once. The Dillon is far and above many others out there and extremely easy to use. Definitely get the spare parts kit for your press. It will keep you loading until you get a replacement piece from Dillon. Dillon case gauges are real nice. Get one for every caliber you are going to load. Dillon dies are great. My choice of Dies is to get the Lee deluxe kit and not use the Lee sizer. I buy the Dillon sizing die seperately. I like the Lee bullet seater and factory crimp die. It comes out to be a few dollars cheaper than the Dillon set. I do use the Dillon 1" lock rings on all my dies so that the Dillon bench wrench will adjust them all. Oh yeah......you need a bench wrench. The powder check system is kinda cool but unnecessary if you keep a close eye on your loads. It only alarms for gross differences of 1 grain more or less.A good light shining down into the cases is a worthy investment to aid visual inspection. Case lube is necessary. I used to like Hornady One Shot......but now I only use the Dillon case lube. Once I learned the proper amount of DCL to use it became awesome. First couple times I over lubricated way too much. And for rifle......Dillon is the only way to go unless you want to be screwing with stuck cases. I recommend obtaining a large pizza box if possible to spred cases in and spray lube across them and then lightly agitate the box and let dry for a couple minutes before dumping into the casefeeder(that you will want and need ) I'm sure next you'll be looking into caliber conversions next. Oh yeah......try to buy from Brian every chance you get. The only time I call Dillon is for replacement parts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jd500 Posted April 28, 2008 Author Share Posted April 28, 2008 OK, to get the 650 functioning efficiently, I will also need... Case Feeder Strong Mount Roller Handle Bullet Tray Powder Check RF100 Primer Filler Kiss Bullet feeder Dies What do you guys think of also getting... Spare Parts Kit - to keep the machine up and running while your waiting for Dillon to ship the warranted replacement. Caliber Conversions, Extra Toolheads/Shell Holders, Primer Feeder. Will I need a case trimmer for straight necked pistol cartridges? Pick-up tubes? Caliper? Scale? Case Gauge? If I get the Lyman case tumbler with the built in sifter, could I skip having to buy a sifter? What would you guys suggest? Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
00bullitt Posted April 28, 2008 Share Posted April 28, 2008 (edited) You definitely need a good caliper to set overall length and adjust crimp. As far as what you need to run efficiently.....you can skip the $550 KISS bullet feeder and you don't need the $250 RF100 primer filler. those are things you can add later. Read my post above yours. We must have been typing at the same time. As for caliber conversions. Get what you need to load one caliber and learn the press and how it functions. Then get your conversions. Thats what i recommend based on my experience. I've never used the Lyman tumbler with built in sifter. I think I'd still prefer the seperate sifter. I like the one RCBS has with the lid and the bucket. With that being said....I have the large Dillon seperator. It works great.......but that media sure does start to migrate all around it on the floor. You do not need a case trimmer for straight walled pistol cases. You really don't need one for rifle either as long as you have a good case gauge. But it is one of those things you'll eventually want to get if you load alot of rifle. Edited April 28, 2008 by 00bullitt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XD Niner Posted April 28, 2008 Share Posted April 28, 2008 (edited) Here are my thoughts: Spare Parts Kit - Absolutely. This is a must have. Dillon is great about shipping replacement parts but it still takes about a week to get them Caliber Conversions, Extra Toolheads/Shell Holders, Primer Feeder. - Get one each for the calibers you'll be loading. Will I need a case trimmer for straight necked pistol cartridges? - No, not needed. Pick-up tubes? - Yes, buy some extras Caliper? - Indispensable. The inexpensive digital one from Midway is great. Scale? - Again, indispensable. I have a Durascale 50 that is only $60. It is accurate, consistent and less than half the cost of the Dillon. Case Gauge? - One from Dillon for each caliber If I get the Lyman case tumbler with the built in sifter, could I skip having to buy a sifter? - Yes, that is what you want. Midway, Lyman and RCBS all have similar units and any will do the job. I've attached the shopping list I used when I bought my 650 from Brian a couple of years ago. Good luck! Reloading_Shopping_List_V3.doc Edited April 28, 2008 by XD Niner Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jd500 Posted April 28, 2008 Author Share Posted April 28, 2008 Thanks for all your help guys, I think I'm about ready to start putting items in my basket! And yes, I will more than likely be buying from Brian! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Post Posted April 29, 2008 Share Posted April 29, 2008 If it's not too late forget about the Lyman case tumbler with the built in sifter. My Lyman case tumbler works great, but the built in sifter part does not work that well and becomes really loud waiting for the last half of the media to sift out. It takes forever to drain out. I spent the extra $30 for seperate sifter and get cleaner brass in way less time. George Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
astephenson Posted April 29, 2008 Share Posted April 29, 2008 You don't need the case feeder or the bullet feeder. You'll need the press, dies, a scale, a caliper, and extra primer pickup tubes. I use one of those "slim-line" CD cases as a primer flip tray and it works very well for that. The strong mount is nice if you have room. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jd500 Posted April 29, 2008 Author Share Posted April 29, 2008 Thanks for the info guys, keep it coming!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benos Posted April 29, 2008 Share Posted April 29, 2008 When I see these threads and these links in my site weren't mentioned: http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=38081 ... well, as you guessed, I can't resist. And don't hesitate to call with any questions. Thank you, be toll-free: (877) 219-5598 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now