I have narrowed down to a few presses that I am interested in; the Dillon 650, Dillon 550B and the RCBS Pro 2000. I am really leaning to the one of the Dillon presses but wanted to hear/read what you guys might have to share.  I like the 550B due to that fact that I would have to be more involved with the process (i.e. manual indexing) I would primarily be loading 9mm and .223/5.56 for now.

Thanks in advance

The Dillon 650 has auto indexing and 5 stations while the new RCBS 2000 can be auto-indexed and is 5 station as well.
The 550B is a four station press with no option to auto index. In my opinion auto indexing is great for pistol but it adds another layer of complexity in set-up. Dillons have a reputation for reliability and awesome customer service with that in mind they also have a great resale value - which was the deciding factor for me in picking up another Dillon 550B. I shoot mostly rifle and a bit of pistol, both shooting for bullseye comps. with no compromise in accuracy.

The Dillon powder measure works well with short stick powders like RL15 but longer kernels like Varget is it not as accurate as others. The Dillon will cost more in caliber changes if you want a separate powder measure for each toolhead versus the RCBS 2000 where the powder measure sits on the frame rather than the toolhead. The RCBS is made out of iron and the Dillons are made out of an alloy. WGS has a 650 and RCBS 2000 on display.

Another consideration is the priming system where the Dillon uses a vertical tube to feed primers to the shellplate and the RCBS 2000 uses APS strips. To load each one is different. I use a Frankford Arsenal filler which works well for $40. Not sure how APS strips are filled.

I agree with your conclusion that the 550B is a bit more involved in the reloading process, it's is a good thing as it forces me to watch powder levels and priming ops.

you live on Kauai...
Dillon was set up from day-1 to be a mail order/online company.
RCBS is not.

This is a big factor on the outer islands.

you live on Kauai...
Dillon was set up from day-1 to be a mail order/online company.
RCBS is not.

This is a big factor on the outer islands.

Yes, oldfart, you have a good memory. That is a very important factor to consider. It has been sometime but I am finally ready to go forward with the press and reloading.

You cant go wrong with the Dillon 550b had mind for 3 years and like it very much. Only loaded pistol so far 9, 45 and 357. And if you have any problems with the machine,  Dillons tech will help you figure it out while on the phone. and if there's a defective or broken part they will send the part to you free and I love FREE...

I started reloading a few years ago with a Dillon 550B (get the stand, too). I use mine  only for .223 Rem. As ren said, Varget doesn't work so hot in the 550's powder measure.  Added a Unique Tek micrometer powder bar after after a while because I could no longer read the marks I was making on the hex screw. Didn't improve stick powder consistency. .

Bought a Lee Classic single-stage press to deprime and resize cases. Eventually wound up with a Lee Perfect Powder Measure to drop stick powders like Varget, Reloder. The Dillon powder measure works much better with ball powder -- e.g.,  H335, CFE.  (Also bought the powder-drain bar from Unique Tek. Be careful. One wrong move and you can make a real mess. Speakin' from experience.) I hand-prime my cases with a Sinclair tool, so actually don't ever use all four stations on the 550B. But I'm about to start reloading some other rifle calibers, so am looking for ways to get more out of my investment in the Dillon. It was pricey to begin with, and  none of the stuff I added  came free.

You can start reloading for less money.  But Dillon's service is as good as they say, and once you get your rhythym, the 550B can produce consistent rounds fairly quickly. Finally, the way ammo costs are going up, spending money on the Dillon doesn't seem so bad these days.   Main thing, start making boollits, write everything down  and learn from your mistakes. You'll be amazed how far you progress in the next year or two.  And next time there's a shortage, try not to grin too much at the poor souls standing in line to buy junk .223 ammo for a buck or more per round.



 

Awesome guys! I am gonna get a Dillon 550B next week when my wife goes over to Honolulu. What about Winchester 231 in the Dillon, will that throw reliable powder charges?

Awesome guys! I am gonna get a Dillon 550B next week when my wife goes over to Honolulu. What about Winchester 231 in the Dillon, will that throw reliable powder charges?

I have not had a problem with W231 with my Dillon 550B.  Used it for 9mm & 38 spl, although I use VVN320 now for 9mm.  Keep in mind you will need all the "extras" for reloading.  Lists are in another thread in this section.  I also recommend getting the Dillon video for set up as it is a good reference,youtube videos are okay but lack the details.

+1 on the stand.  Also, get the handle as pulling the ball after a couple of hours gets old.

Loaded 10k+ of 223 & 15k+ pistol (9mm, 38spl, and 357 mag) with no major problems.

Awesome guys! I am gonna get a Dillon 550B next week when my wife goes over to Honolulu. What about Winchester 231 in the Dillon, will that throw reliable powder charges?

Who did you find that had a 550b in stock on Oahu?

 Also, get the handle as pulling the ball after a couple of hours gets old.

+1. Wirecounter's right. The handle option is another reason to go w/the Dillon. The other makers don't have that, as far as I know

Who did you find that had a 550b in stock on Oahu?

A friend moved up to the XL650 so I get sloppy seconds. No complaint here by any means...rather stoked about it actually.

Another noob question for you guys. Do I gotta use only Dillon dies or are Lee dies Ok to use or some other brand for that matter? Is one better than the other?

A friend moved up to the XL650 so I get sloppy seconds. No complaint here by any means...rather stoked about it actually.

Another noob question for you guys. Do I gotta use only Dillon dies or are Lee dies Ok to use or some other brand for that matter? Is one better than the other?

No you do not have to use only dillon dies. As far as dies I have used lee,rcbs and hornady the rcbs and hornady dies are good and come with lock rings the lees don't have the lock ring and I had some issues with my lee 300blk die being out of spec. I needed to remove metal so I could bump the headspace back more to get it into spec. Forsters are also good dies but are a little more expensive I guess that saying u get what u pay for comes in to play because the lees were the cheapest dies I have and I needed to do some work with them but were the only 300blk dies I could find so I had to work with what I had.

Regarding dies do I need specific ones for luger, SWC, cone etc., or just one size fits all?

You will need dies for each caliber example. 9mm Luger,45 acp. Certain dies will come with different seating stems round for round nose, flat for swc,hollow point etc.. The manufactors will also make custom seating stems if your loading certain type bullets like the a-max and other rifle bullets.

You will need dies for each caliber example. 9mm Luger,45 acp. Certain dies will come with different seating stems round for round nose, flat for swc,hollow point etc.. The manufactors will also make custom seating stems if your loading certain type bullets like the a-max and other rifle bullets.

Thanks my friend. 

Would the Dillon and/or the Lee dies have the alternate seating stems in their package or must I get those later. I am familiar with those two types of dies, I have been reading and studying like crazy to get as much information as possible.

Thanks my friend. 

Would the Dillon and/or the Lee dies have the alternate seating stems in their package or must I get those later. I am familiar with those two types of dies, I have been reading and studying like crazy to get as much information as possible.

The lees don't and I don't own any dillons so i can't say  if your getting the 550 you will also need the caliber conversion kit for it

Thanks my friend. 

Would the Dillon and/or the Lee dies have the alternate seating stems in their package or must I get those later. I am familiar with those two types of dies, I have been reading and studying like crazy to get as much information as possible.

The Dillon seating dies that I have came with a seating stem that fits RN or SWC/FP type bullets.  Super easy to change, does not require removing the entire die from the tool head so no need to mess with seating depth adjustment once it's set.  Makes cleaning the die easy also.  Don't know about the Lee seating dies though. 

The base price of the Dillon 550B is $439.95 while the Dillon XL 650 is $566.95.

I am curious... is there any reason why one should not get the XL650 instead?

A friend moved up to the XL650 so I get sloppy seconds. No complaint here by any means...rather stoked about it actually.

Another noob question for you guys. Do I gotta use only Dillon dies or are Lee dies Ok to use or some other brand for that matter? Is one better than the other?

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wow...I wish I had friends like that.
I presume your friend is keeping all the dies and such for his 650, right?
If you are getting a bare-naked 550 then you will need a complete caliber conversion kit. Might as well get Dillon dies too unless you already have something else.

Once you get the press you will need to take inventory of what your friend gave you and call up Dillon to find out exactly what other parts you will need to accomplish your goal.
Or if you are lucky, he will give you the press all setup for one caliber.

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wow...I wish I had friends like that.
I presume your friend is keeping all the dies and such for his 650, right?
If you are getting a bare-naked 550 then you will need a complete caliber conversion kit. Might as well get Dillon dies too unless you already have something else.

Once you get the press you will need to take inventory of what your friend gave you and call up Dillon to find out exactly what other parts you will need to accomplish your goal.
Or if you are lucky, he will give you the press all setup for one caliber.

Haha, gave was not part of the equation. I wish, I have friends but not like that LOL.

By the way for those interested I did talk to Dillon this morning about accessories and what not, all items are ready for purchase and shipping, including presses. The only back log they have are in rifle dies right now. Might change from day to day I would think but as of this morning you want it go buy it pretty much.