Oh wow….I never dealt with him or had any interaction with him unfortunately. ( I wasn’t aware that he passed )
Even though I didn’t know him, it is still a downer to hear of one of our group passing.
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Total Noob Questions about first reloading setup
- Thread starter BHPSteel
- Start date
Even though I didn’t know him, it is still a downer to hear of one of our group passing.
I started on a Dillon xl 750 but it was to busy for me in the to start out I almost gave up on reloading So I got a Dillon 550c once I got the hang of that press I moved back to the 750 It really depends on how much loading you want to do If your looking for volume go with a something like the 750 or bigger IF you are going for accuracy and precision I would do something smaller like a 550 or single stage press I do both Once I get the right right load on my 550 I start cranking them out on the 750
I started with a RCBS Rock Chucker in 1990. I learned by trial and error and error...the finer points of reloading. In 1992 I bought a Dillon RL550B for the outrageous sum of $295. I will be running off some 9mm later today on that same machine. In that time, I've had one powder measure return spring break ( there are 2 on this older design, so it kept running) which Dillon replaced for free...and that is it. I like the manual index of the 550, so if there is a problem with anything, you don't have to clear the whole machine to address it. I never "upgraded". I can produce 400 rounds an hour at a relaxed pace.
You say you have an engineering background? Mike Dillon designed aircraft and liked to shoot...His design on the 550 is superlative, and I can only imagine the 750, 1050, et al., are the same with higher production rates.
My 550 is the best designed, engineered, and built piece of equipment I own. 31 years and still going strong.
Trust this old fart on this: Dillon ain't cheap, but cheap has a flavor all it's own. If you like to fiddle-fart around, you are looking for something to occupy your time, then explore other avenues. If you are looking to spend smart money on a setup that is going to run like a sewing machine and produce CONSISTENT ammo without taking endless hours, Dillon is it.
You say you have an engineering background? Mike Dillon designed aircraft and liked to shoot...His design on the 550 is superlative, and I can only imagine the 750, 1050, et al., are the same with higher production rates.
My 550 is the best designed, engineered, and built piece of equipment I own. 31 years and still going strong.
Trust this old fart on this: Dillon ain't cheap, but cheap has a flavor all it's own. If you like to fiddle-fart around, you are looking for something to occupy your time, then explore other avenues. If you are looking to spend smart money on a setup that is going to run like a sewing machine and produce CONSISTENT ammo without taking endless hours, Dillon is it.
The Dillon 550 is a great machine, you just HAVE to make sure you index it every time!!! For this reason I rather have an auto progressive press. So far EVERY person that I have talked to that has a double charge, was using a Dillion 550. It’s not the presses fault at all, it’s the nut behind the pull handle. On the 550 you have to pay very close attention to what you are doing with no distraction, or it can get very ugly real quick.
If you don’t already have a reloading manual then go ahead and get one and start reading it. Then buy several more from different companies. You’ll appreciate having the references and start noticing differences between manufacturer’s recommended loads and that’ll give you a better idea where to start when working up. Just when you think you’ve got something figured out, you’ll come across a situation that will make you doubt yourself so don’t hesitate to pause and look it up or ask others on here. There are a lot of guys with a ton of experience and have probably already made a number of mistakes they learned from so may save you some headaches by just asking.
Having a single stage press on the table is always nice, whether you get it just to start out on or you advance to progressives and just like to run a few specialty loads on it now and again.
Control for Smilers
i loaded my first few rounds with plt dinger a few years back. He was kind enough to show me some things when I was first getting into the reloading world. The rabbit hole has since gotten pretty deep haha
Having a single stage press on the table is always nice, whether you get it just to start out on or you advance to progressives and just like to run a few specialty loads on it now and again.
Control for Smilers
i loaded my first few rounds with plt dinger a few years back. He was kind enough to show me some things when I was first getting into the reloading world. The rabbit hole has since gotten pretty deep haha
Been reloading since 84, originally on a Lyman tmag turret. Over the years I've also run a rockchucker (couple different models), RCBS turret, RCBS Ammomaster, and a Dillon 750. I have two quick change stations countersunk in my bench top and currently run a newer Lyman tmag in one and the 750 in the other with an RC-IV and a MEC loader on the shelf for as needed. Gotta admit, of im looking for high volume pistol rounds I use the 750. Also used the 750 for bulk brass prep. I find that most of my time I spend on the trusty Lyman turret though. For me it's fast enough, produces good results and is relaxing.
Been said couple of times already get a reloading book or two and read up while you’re deciding on Equiptment. Most that load bulk pistol and rifle use a Dillon. I still have a single stage on the bench for full length resizing rifle brass and seat bullets with Wilson inline die on an arbor press. The first thing to start with after books would be a single stage press “kit”. It’s overwhelming at first but gets easier the more you do it eventually it turns into another chore you have to get done before you go shoot.
Yeah, I need an Ultrasonic cleaner anyway, and i'd decided that if I wasn't satisfied with that for case prep, stainless steel pins would be my fallback. Brass processed with SS is incredible.
You don't really even need SS pins. I wet tumble without pins and the brass looks brand new. I don't care about spotless primer pockets. For what I do, it doesn't matter.
Pins are a pain to deal with...my humble opinion.
