Researching the LNL and 650

[DaFadda]

Originally Posted by pitor

Thank you guys, and thank you Padre for trying to steer me into a cost-saving direction . But I know that I'll want efficiency over control of the process. Understanding reloading is not as complicated nowadays. You can watch a couple of YouTube videos and have a pretty good idea of everything involved and the steps. I want to be able to spend an hour reloading and have all my reloads done for the month. So a progressive reloading system is what I need. Hence I'll be saving my money and waiting for when the time is right for a Dillon Progressive. Is Dillon the only brand that makes Progressive reloading presses?

No, Hornady, Lee, and RCBS also make progressive presses. Attached is a very well written article that outlines the pros and cons of Hornady, Lee and Dillon. Might help in your final selection.

http://www.comrace.ca/cmfiles/dillon...Comparison.pdf

[pitor]

Originally Posted by DaFadda

No, Hornady, Lee, and RCBS also make progressive presses. Attached is a very well written article that outlines the pros and cons of Hornady, Lee and Dillon. Might help in your final selection.

http://www.comrace.ca/cmfiles/dillon...Comparison.pdf

Padre, I'm dead set on a Lee turret press. It fits my reloading needs perfectly.

[TLE2]

My only 1 cent is that unless you shoot A LOT! (5-10,000?) rounds a month, it doesn't make sense (to me). You are relying on your attention for detail.

I tried it, froze, and never finished one round, sold the whole lot.

I have an Ammo Can full of commercial ammo. I'm fine.

[sdmc530]

Originally Posted by TLE2

My only 1 cent is that unless you shoot A LOT! (5-10,000?) rounds a month, it doesn't make sense (to me). You are relying on your attention for detail.

I tried it, froze, and never finished one round, sold the whole lot.

I have an Ammo Can full of commercial ammo. I'm fine.

Yep, I get that^^^and there is nothing with buying all your ammo, nothing wrong at all but saying its not worth it isn't completely true.

I shoot about 5-6K of .45 per year give or take. If you do the math on that alone you save enough to make it worth it.

Buying 45 230gr at a local store you pay someplace in the .40 cents range give or take a few cents. When I reload it costs me in the range of .18 cents assuming I didn't buy any new brass ( I never do ). So you save .22 cents(ish) per round fired. Now take that 5,000*$0.22=$1,100. I don't think I save quite this much but you get the idea. It is defiantly worth it. (to me) Now time, I can load about 2,000 rounds a session per day without getting really bored but in a wintery weekend I will do the 5K rounds I shoot in a year and be set. Now when you factor in the 10MM I also load and some other odd stuff for my FIL and stuff for myself its so worth the investment (to me).

I have a Dillon press, the higher end priced press. If you go a bit more conservative and nothing wrong with that at all and spend 30-40% less for your reloading set up you can make your saving pay off in one year. A press lasts decades so the savings is there.

I will say this, I never used to shoot thousands of rounds a year either, I simply couldn't afford it, reloading I can not afford it. I was shooting 1/5 of what I do now before a press, now I can shoot when ever how much I want and not worry so much about the ammo budget.

sorry this got long but reloading is worth the effort and investment.....

carry on

[sdmc530]

Originally Posted by pitor

Padre, I'm dead set on a Lee turret press. It fits my reloading needs perfectly.

and it will serve you very well. I started on a Lee single stage and it was great. Just my needs made it difficult to use a single stage. I think Lee stuff is very nice. If I had gotten a Lee turret press to start with I might have kept it and not gone blue.....maybe...

[DaFadda]

To paraphrase 's comments.... reloading doesn't save you money, it only allows you to shoot more with the money you have.

Da

[pitor]

Thank you guys. I plan to reload only for 45 ACP, and possibly 9 millimeter. My only rifle is a Ruger 10/22 Takedown so no reloading there.

[Riverpigusmc]

Originally Posted by pitor

Thank you guys. I plan to reload only for 45 ACP, and possibly 9 millimeter. My only rifle is a Ruger 10/22 Takedown so no reloading there.

Then look at the Dillon Square Deal. Perfect for pistol. Only downside is you have to use the special dies

[sdmc530]

Originally Posted by Riverpigusmc

Then look at the Dillon Square Deal. Perfect for pistol. Only downside is you have to use the special dies

Yep, the only downside. This was the last factor on me passing on this one and going up to the 650. Dillon dies are really nice too,but the SD dies are not usable in anything else, but all other dies work in most every press out there with the 7/8"set.

[Horse'nround]

OOoo, Oooo! I've got 2 cents!

So here goes... I have an RCBS Rock Chucker and a Dillon RL550B and love them both. I retired my old Pacific Precision a few years back due to enough post wear to cause repeated decapping pin breakage. Oh yeah and a MEC 650 for shotgun 12GA.

The RCBS does the long stuff and high accuracy rounds. The 550 does all the handgun (9mm, 38/357, 45acp) and 556. Has it been flawless no, but dillon service ABSOLUTELY. I bought it used and had some issues with it. I called Dillon service and they talked through troubleshooting. I ended up needing a couple of small parts totaling maybe $20-$25 bucks. A shoe cup, spring arm pin little crap and yes the nasty little plastic primer boot. While troubleshooting I broke the primer catch cup. In my parts shipment was a new catch cup and 2 sets of primer boots and a complete tune up kit for free.
The tech said Dillon feels that they make the finest reloading systems on the market. That being said, they are mechanical devices. If your service and customer support doesn't match your product then what good are you. Something to think about.
I've been eyeing the 650 for a while now, I ran into these guys in Reno a few years back. Haven't been able to beat their prices yet.

http://www.scheels.com/shop/scheels-...ze:&pageTop:0&


To be honest I have heard good and bad about all of them, in the end ya gotta find what works for you.