Just got myself a Dillon RL-550B at Shooter's Outpost today.

timbo

timbo

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...and can't wait to set it up. Unfortunately, it probably won't be for a few days at least. I picked it up with a .223 caliber setup.

I couldn't make up my mind if I was going to go with 223 or 45acp first. I decided I shoot 223 more than 45 right now. I'll grab the 45 setup in a few weeks.

I've been loading on an RCBS Jr press for about 25 years...I will still keep that as it's always good to keep a single stage around for low volume stuff and it's still as reliable as the day I bought it.

I have a Lee press I bought a few years ago at a yard sale that I will be pawning off...I mean giving to a friend of mine that wants to get into reloading.
 
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I've been looking at them for several years but could never come up with the spare cash. I just started repairing guitar amps again for friends and a music store so now I have a bit of extra money.

I used to do the repair stuff full time up until 4 or 5 years ago but decided I liked a nice steady 9-5 job so I do this repair stuff at night and on weekends. It does cut into my other spare time stuff (like reloading) but once I get back into the swing of things again, I'll be able to devote some time getting this Dillon set up.
 
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Nice, I'm going to go progressive at some point. I don't have the time I used to to load everything on the single stage.
 
That (in .45 and 9mm) is probably my next purchase. Can I ask what it cost with the kit? I'm inclined to go to Shooters as well rather than online
 
you're going to love that 550.
it doesn't shine as much with rifle brass IMHO. I feel that way because the rifle brass prep breaks up the operations that normally make any progressive fast. Wait till you load some 45 ACP on that thing. You'll be in love with it.
I try to buy tools heads for all of my normal use die sets (mostly pistol) For stuff like .308 and .223 that I hardly shoot I'll just switch the dies around in a random tool head. I do like having a powder die for every tool head when possible.
Though when I splurge for a new die set and caliber conversion I tend to wait on the tool head and powder die for a couple weeks. I always have that one tool head that I switch around for rifle so I steal that for the time being.

did you get any other accessories like the strong mount or roller handle etc?
 
Congratulations! I think the 550 is the best reloader for the money; an easy 400 rounds per hour with pistol ammo, a little slower with rifle due to the case prep. I have had a couple of 550s (one for pistol and one for 223) for over 20 years and have no complaints. Dillon offers a case feeder for this machine for about $300. Don't buy it! I have one and never could get it to work.

PS The Strong Mount is a good idea.
 
I've had mine for a while now. Wife and I love it. Paid for itself easily within the first year loading 9mm. You can really pump out the rounds when doing pistol. I'm going to be purchasing a quick change setup for it soon so I can load .223/5.56.
 
Thanks all for the information...I kinda wish now I'd gone with the 45acp but I would've ended up getting the 223/556 soon after anyway. I think I will buy the quick change for the 45acp when I do get it...it's about $150 all totaled but worth it, I think. With that, I will be set up for most of the shooting I do. Eventually I'll get a set up for 38/357 but not for a while. I reload 380 and 9x18 Mak as well but not enough to justify a setup on the Dillon, at least not yet.

It was mentioned above to get a strong mount and roller handle...They are on my Father's day list [grin].

99105 asked the price at Shooter's...it was a couple dollars under $425. That was out the door with the .223/5.56 setup. The Square Deal and the 650 come with one caliber setup already. The 550 does not. You need to decide what caliber you want to start off with, tough decision in my case. I wish I could've afforded both but that $425 was the max I could drop at the time.
 
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Smokewagon said:
I've had mine for a while now. Wife and I love it. Paid for itself easily within the first year loading 9mm. You can really pump out the rounds when doing pistol. I'm going to be purchasing a quick change setup for it soon so I can load .223/5.56.
Click to expand...

If I'm not mistaken, you can use the 223 shell plate and use the 9mm dies. Simple change over.
 
I strongly recommend the strong mount and bullet tray.

If I remember right, the only thing the 550 can't do that the 650 can do is auto feed rifle length cartridges.

As someone who has used a 550 extensively and owns two 650s, I can tell you the 550 is the all around best machine if you are only going to have one machine. The 650 is more of a hassle to change over.

Don

p.s. I love my dillons but have since grown to appreciate the Lee Classic Cast turret press for my low volume stuff, including .308 precision rifle loads. Its faster than a single stage (About 100 rounds / hr) and caliber changes cost about $15+ dies rather than $140+dies , on the dillon.
 
JackO said:
Gammon, 223 shell plate and #3 pins work for 380 ACP, not 9 mm.

Sent from my XT1080 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

#3 pins do work, but not the shellplate. I know this because the only dillon conversion kits I have for my 550 are 9mm and .223 and they both come with #3 pins.


The 9mm shellplate is a #5 and I believe the 223 is a #3.
 
dcmdon said:
I strongly recommend the strong mount and bullet tray.
Click to expand...

I made a flying trip after work down to Shooter's Outpost and picked up the strong mount, roller handle and primer flip tray last night. Hopefully I will get them installed tonight.

I got home last night all ready to install them (we all know what it's like...something new, gotta play with it) and my wife decided to stay home last night instead of going out with her girlfriends like she has done almost every Wednesday for the past ten years. "Let's do something together tonight", she says as I waltz into the house ready to play with my new Dillon. [sad2]

So, needless to say, my new stuff languished in my shop last night as we did "something together"...no it wasn't "that" [grin]
 
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99105 said:
Is nothing sacred?
Click to expand...

Here??? Nope...

Actually we went out and took a walk in the woods, de-ticked ourselves when we got back to the house ([thinking]) and then watched Patriot Games, a movie, for some reason, I have never watched...not a bad flick.
 
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timbo said:
I made a flying trip after work down to Shooter's Outpost and picked up the strong mount, roller handle and primer flip tray last night. Hopefully I will get them installed tonight.

I got home last night all ready to install them (we all know what it's like...something new, gotta play with it) and my wife decided to stay home last night instead of going out with her girlfriends like she has done almost every Wednesday for the past ten years. "Let's do something together tonight", she says as I waltz into the house ready to play with my new Dillon. [sad2]
Click to expand...

Someone is messing with you.

So, needless to say, my new stuff languished in my shop last night as we did "something together"...no it wasn't "that" [grin]
Click to expand...

Now it's just plain meanness.
 
tysdad115 said:
So is this where someone asks "Is she hot?" Sarcasm.
My wife calls my press area the bullet cave , I tend to disappear down there for a few hours a week reloading. The dillon 550 is my first press and I'm very happy I got it.
Click to expand...

haha...well, she's 53 so...I will say she knocked my socks off the first time I laid eyes on her though, she was 18 at the time. Mama-Mia! Still a great looking woman. The years have been good to her, even after raising five kids. I think I'll keep her. [wink]
 
99105 said:
Sooooo....did you get to set it up, or does the oppression continue?
Click to expand...

Walaaaaaa

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