Thanks! I just can't keep up with my ammo needs no matter how much time I spend making bullets. I made 450 rounds this past weekend on my turret press, and now it is Wednesday, and I am already down to 200 left, and plan on shooting again tomorrow. They will be gone before the weekend comes for sure.
I need to be making 1,000 or more each weekend so I can start getting a stockpile setup.
I went to a steel match a couple of weeks ago, and realized I was short on ammo and had to crank out 100 rounds the morning of the match right before I left. Got sloppy and had a sideways primer (only the second one ever), but since I did not have time to inspect my rounds before leaving, it ended up in my gun and ruined a string right in the middle that had to be cleared.
The new press should be here on Friday (XL650), and hopefully I can spend some time this weekend getting things unpacked and setup a bit.
Congrats.
My first press was a 550, close to 25 years ago. I have never regretted it. Thousands upon thousands of rounds loaded in pistol and rifle. I dump my spent primers in empty boxes that 500 .45 ACP bullets came in. I just about have the 4th box full.
Dillon's customer service is second to none, too.
Thanks everyone. Yes, I added the case feeder, and a few Inline Fabrication goodies (ergo handle, skylight, plus the quick change adapter for my Ultra Mount).
I have put through almost 3,000 9mm rounds through my Lee Classic Turret press since late last year, and while I love the LCT, it just can't keep up with my shooting volume, and I find myself shooting some factory ammo to keep up.
I will certainly keep the LCT press and use it to develop and load my rifle loads and then develop my .45 ACP loads. It is a great press, and it forced me to focus on each step in the process.
I kind of figured right from the get-go that I would need to upgrade someday, and when you consider the press itself is only just north of $100, it was a worthwhile investment, nothing lost.
I got an updated shipping notice saying it will arrive today instead of tomorrow, so that is a good thing.
I realize that this is going to be a whole new world, but I have no worries that I can tackle it.
you'll be fine. progressive presses aren't the scary/complicated boogiemen many make them out to be. die setup is the same, and most of the other operations are either set by the factory or not too hard to fine tune. I started on a 550 w/ no regrets.
Just remember to LOOK IN EVERY CASE to confirm the powder level looks right, and any time you interrupt the sequence, eg to refill components or fix an issue, be very sure you know where you are and confirm the powder load in the round getting a bullet put on top.
Congrats on the 650! I've been wanting one, a buddy of mine got one all decked out and I'm pretty envious. I also started with a 550b like many here. I wanted a 650, but a 550 "fell in my lap" and I couldn't pass it up...
Well, the Dillon package showed up today, but I am still waiting for the Inline Fabrication Quick Change bracket before I can mount it on my Ultra Mount, but as it turns out, it hasn't even shipped yet. Dang... Oh well, I can spend the time reading up and preparing for the installation I guess.
Here are the boxes sitting on my bench just waiting to be loved!