Dillon 550 or 650...how do you choose?

[DialTone301]

I have decided to start reloading and need to get a press. I have pretty much decided on a Dillon but can't decide between the 550 and 650.

I will be reloading somewhere between 1000-1500 9mm per month and want to also be able to load small batches (100-200)of .556 as needed. I will also probably add at least 1 more pistol caliber in the future.

I like some of the features of the 650 (auto indexing, 5th station, case feeder) but wonder if it isn't overkill for my needs. I have the time to spend reloading so I don't need blazing speed. I am most concerned with turning out quality ammo.

What do you all recommend and why?

 

[kwatters]

Tough decision for sure, I balanced cost vs. speed and went with the 550. My first press beyond the single stage and I liked the control I felt.
I am happy with my decision, but I know many swear by the 650, especially with a higher volume.

 

[beardedbrodel]

I'd definately go 650 since it is self indexing. It reduces the chance of being able to double charge your powder load accidentally. Dillon hands down makes the best reloaders and their customer service is top notch.

 

[whiskeytangofoxtrot]

Indexing differences, and caliber change. If you only plan on loading one or two different calibers, go 650. If you plan on more than 3 or 4 go 550. The changeovers in caliber are costly the high you go up.

 

[kwatters]

I'd definately go 650 since it is self indexing. It reduces the chance of being able to double charge your powder load accidentally. Dillon hands down makes the best reloaders and their customer service is top notch.

I only load 9mm and .223 at this point, I personally wouldn't use the double charge argument since you will have powder all over if you do.

 

[BurninBrass]

If you can afford the price difference, get the 650. Otherwise you will be secondguessing yourself and eventually get one anyway.

Have you reloaded before? If not, progressive can be overwelming and cause problems in a hurry if you're not careful. Single stage or turrets can be alot easier to start on and you will always have a use for it once you move onto progressive.

 

[rvb]

it comes down to your personal ballancing of your priorities... how much you want to load, how much time you want to spend loading, and cost. I went 550 and it was adequate even back when I was shooting 20k+ per year. The modest improvement in loading rate didn't justify the cost difference to me. I can load 500 in an hr w/out feeling I'm hurrying, 600 if I do hurry it (w.o case feeder). Would I like a 650? yup. To me however, the rate increase in the 650 wasn't worth the cost when you figure you only save a little time in the over-all process (still have to do brass prep, fill primer tubes, etc etc).

As mentioned above, the toolheads, caliber conversions, etc are all cheaper on the 550, too.

-rvb

ps. my 550B was my first press.

 

[Water63]

it comes down to your personal ballancing of your priorities... how much you want to load, how much time you want to spend loading, and cost. I went 550 and it was adequate even back when I was shooting 20k+ per year. The modest improvement in loading rate didn't justify the cost difference to me. I can load 500 in an hr w/ feeling I'm hurrying, 600 if I do hurry it (w.o case feeder). Would I like a 650? yup. To me however, the rate increase in the 650 wasn't worth the cost when you figure you only save a little time in the over-all process (still have to do brass prep, fill primer tubes, etc etc).

As mentioned above, the toolheads, caliber conversions, etc are all cheaper on the 550, too.

-rvb

ps. my 550B was my first press.

+1 I have had my 550 since the late 1980's it has served me well. I personally like having to manually index The 5 station might be nice but I have never needed it. I run several cals on mine. The 550 is cheaper to get cal conversions. My suggestion is go see the guys at Profife Arms and play with both. Andrew and staff will steer you in the right direction.

 

[rockhopper46038]

I think the 650 is overkill for the loading you describe, but if the extra money isn't an issue there is no reason NOT to get the 650. It's faster, but 1000 rounds a month is less than 3 hours on a 550 even if you take your sweet time. Each caliber conversion is roughly twice the price on the 650 over the 550, and each changeover takes substantially longer. Not a big deal with two calibers (9mm and .223), but as you add more the difference in price between the 550 and the 650 continues to widen. So, the 550 would be more than adequate, based on what you have described as your loading requirements; the 650 will do it faster, at more expense.

 

[DialTone301]

I should have mentioned that I have taken a class from Andrew.

 

[CB45]

Dillon 550. Buy more bullets, primers, and powder. Shoot more.

 

[bwframe]

Easy, pick the bigger number. You'll be glad you did.

 

[88E30M50]

A couple of years ago, I was faced with the same decision and ended up going with the 550. I load .380, 9mm, 10mm, .45acp and .223 with mine. Back when I was making the decision, I was told that the 650 works better if you load more than 1000 rounds a month of one caliber, but that the 550 is the better choice for smaller numbers of multiple calibers. I've been extremely happy with my 550 and have run thousands and thousands of rounds through it. I just ran a batch of 10mm target ammo through last night and am going to run 500 rounds of 147g 9mm this weekend. I'll probably do a batch of .45 after that, and then another batch of 9mm 124g plated rounds for practice in a Glock.

 

[DialTone301]

I really think the 650 is overkill for what I need. I am leaning toward the 550 and using the money I save to buy more reloading supplies.

 

[N8RV]

I am facing the same connundrum. I value everyone's opinion, and the initial price difference between the two models is insignificant. However, when you add in extra caliber changeovers, the gap widens.

Unfortunately, just when I had convinced myself that a 550 would be the way to do, a friend who had hand-loaded for years tells me that I really need to get a single-stage. Oy!

Guess I need to continue my research ...

 

[rockhopper46038]

N8RV, you'll never regret having a single stage around, but I don't think I'd generalize that you HAVE to have one. They are right handy for load development, and I think it's fair to say that almost all precision rifle shooters have one, but saying you MUST get a single stage before you get a progressive is a bit much. I think I saw a Rockchucker in the classifieds for $100, which is certainly reasonable, although you can pick up used Lee and other single stage presses that will look like no one even took them out of the box for $40-$50 if you spend some time looking.

 

[DialTone301]

Couldn't the 550 technically be used as a single stage too? Since it doesn't advance automatically couldn't you just do 1 thing at a time if needed?

 

[CB45]

Couldn't the 550 technically be used as a single stage too? Since it doesn't advance automatically couldn't you just do 1 thing at a time if needed?

Yes, but the 650 can too. The 550 is a versatile platform, perfect for the average reloading needs. I view the 650 as a good option for high volume noncommercial reloader.

I loaded approximately 13,000 rounds last year on my 550. Never felt like I spent all my time reloading. A 650 would be cool to have, but I just cant justify the added expense.

I just think the 550 is about perfect for the average shooter/reloader.

 

[rockhopper46038]

Yeah, it could, sort of. I almost posted that but didn't want to possible confuse the issue. One if the best things for me about a true single stage is the potential for better repeatibility, because the variation between the ram stroke and the die is less than on a progressive, just because of the slop, albeit minor, that a rotating shellplate has to have to operate. And if you look closely there is a little slop where the tool head slots in, as well as slightly unbalanced forces across the shellplate between the different operations (which would be exaggerated when using a 550 as a single stage). Honestly, my reloads probably aren't precise enough for this to make a whit of difference, but empirically I know that a good single stage ought to be capable of more repeatable ammunition than a progressive, and just about any single stage ought to be mechanically more repeatable than a progressive. I've heard of some people drilling and tapping thru the sides of the Dillon 550 into the tool head to lock it in place to try and minimize any potential movement, no matter how small it might be, but as I say, my reloads just aren't that precise for me to be concerned with it. By the way, all of this is just my opinion, so others with more reloading experience than me might have better informed views.

 

[rvb]

I loaded approximately 13,000 rounds last year on my 550. Never felt like I spent all my time reloading. A 650 would be cool to have, but I just cant justify the added expense.

Ditto. I loaded 5k 9mm over just the last 2 months on my 550... usually spending about 30 minutes at a time at the press (confirming powder, loading primer tubes, then loading 2-300 rounds). I would have spent a little less time each session if I had a 650, but not a lot.

If I had the $, I would like to get a 650 for my higher-volume small primer work (9mm/.223) and keep my 550 for large primer stuff I don't shoot as much (.45/.308). But I "make due" with my single 550 just fine.

Yeah, it could, sort of. I almost posted that but didn't want to possible confuse the issue. One if the best things for me about a true single stage is the potential for better repeatibility, because the variation between the ram stroke and the die is less than on a progressive, just because of the slop, albeit minor, that a rotating shellplate has to have to operate. And if you look closely there is a little slop where the tool head slots in, as well as slightly unbalanced forces across the shellplate between the different operations (which would be exaggerated when using a 550 as a single stage). Honestly, my reloads probably aren't precise enough for this to make a whit of difference, but empirically I know that a good single stage ought to be capable of more repeatable ammunition than a progressive, and just about any single stage ought to be mechanically more repeatable than a progressive. I've heard of some people drilling and tapping thru the sides of the Dillon 550 into the tool head to lock it in place to try and minimize any potential movement, no matter how small it might be, but as I say, my reloads just aren't that precise for me to be concerned with it. By the way, all of this is just my opinion, so others with more reloading experience than me might have better informed views.

Many of those issues are overhyped, IMO. The rotating shellplate is used to pull the rounds out, not press them in, so there's really no play there. And when the ram pushes up on the dies/toolhead, it pushes them up to the same stop each time. So I agree that you might get a little more consistency out of a single stage, but IMO it's only worth it if you are purely a bench shooter trying to squeeze that last little minutia out. My .223 rounds loaded on my 550 are <moa from my AR, and that's w/ bulk 55s and no experimentation or real load development.

As for unballanced forces on the ram, when I setup/adjust my dies I like to do it with all the stations populated. That seems to prevent the issue of having one measurement when doing setup, and being off a couple thou on the final product. I wouldn't think this wouldn't be an issue at all if using it like a single stage? maybe since it's off center from the ram... dunno, never tried to do something so silly as use it like a single stage.

-rvb