Basic Dillon Question

[Kevin]

Just a simple question for the 750. I believe it's the same answer as the 650 too.

So if you buy the press, then you also have to buy a caliber conversion kit before you can use the press. Is that correct?

And then of course a different caliber conversion kit for each new caliber you want to reload. That I understand.

And then as far as dies are concerned, you don't have to use Dillon brand dies do you? I have a set of 9mm dies, and they are the same size of course, but different otherwise. Shorter.

Are the Dillon dies any better?

 

[carvertim]

Yes, you have to buy the conversion kit, which includes the shellplate, marker pins, and powder funnel. As to the dies, the Dillon dies do have a few nice features, but any set of dies will work equally well. I have loaded on a 450, 550, and 650, all used standard dies, so I generally used lee or RCBS. The square deal uses proprietary Dillon dies, and you have no option there, but that is the only press to require nonstandard dies. Not sure on the 1050, too rich for my blood.

 

[loaded round]

FYI, it is my understanding that the Dillon 650 is discontinued and replaced by the 750. The 650 is no longer shown in the Dillon ''Blue Press'' catalog/magazine.

 

[Kevin]

Thanks! I'm wanting the Dillon press. 3 years ago I wanted one and bought the Hornady progressive instead. Well live and learn. I'll probably keep both, so I want this one for 38/357. I saw the Dillon dies are on backorder from their website, but I found some on Amazon. They cost more, but I don't have to wait. I do have to wait on the press a couple more weeks. Just to let the credit card cool off some.

FYI, it is my understanding that the Dillon 650 is discontinued and replaced by the 750. The 650 is no longer shown in the Dillon ''Blue Press'' catalog/magazine.

Yes, you are correct, I asked about the 650 figuring most people probably have that model, since the 750 has only been out a couple years now. But I guess that's actually a pretty long time, so there are certainly enough people with the 750 by now.

 

[contender]

If you buy a press from Dillon it comes with (1) complete caliber conversion of your choice. After that,, yes,, you buy a caliber conversion set for the next caliber. Dillon dies are good,, but NOT necessary. I use a fair number of RCBS dies on my 650's.
One of the differences in the Dillon dies is the slight taper cut in the bottom to allow a bit of leeway clearance during use.
But a NICE feature of Dillon dies is how they come apart for any maintenance you might need to do.
I found the special Dillon wrench (1" bench wrench) is a good accessory too.

 

[Ka6otm]

If you buy a press from Dillon it comes with (1) complete caliber conversion of your choice. After that,, yes,, you buy a caliber conversion set for the next caliber. Dillon dies are good,, but NOT necessary. I use a fair number of RCBS dies on my 650's.
One of the differences in the Dillon dies is the slight taper cut in the bottom to allow a bit of leeway clearance during use.
But a NICE feature of Dillon dies is how they come apart for any maintenance you might need to do.
I found the special Dillon wrench (1" bench wrench) is a good accessory too.

Nope. I just checked and you can buy the Dillon with or without dies. It costs extra to get it with dies.

 

[contender]

I didn't say it came with dies,, I said it came with a CALIBER CONVERSION!!!!!!

Dies are separate.

 

[RSIno1]

If you are looking for max output you'll want to use carbide dies with the Dillon. You can order the Dillon with as many or no options as you want. The 750 is the highest that carries the lifetime warranty. The 1000 is considered a commercial machine and does not have the lifetime warranty.
The XL750 comes with a lifetime warranty against manufacturing defects and normal wear and tear.
Dies, Caliber Conversions & Accessories are ordered separately during configuration.

XL750

The Dillon XL750 is a high-speed progressive reloading machine designed to load common rifle and handgun cartridges from .17 Hornet though the common belted magnum cartridges in rifle and .32 ACP through .500 S&W in handgun. The XL750 comes with a lifetime warranty against manufacturing...

www.dillonprecision.com

 

[contender]

Current Dillon catalog;
XL750
$859.00
2 page ad, states;
"Comes with one caliber conversion." (Along with listing the other features.)

Under the price listing in small print it says; "Reloading dies sold separately."

A bit bolder & easy to see die to a different color ink;
"**Pictured with optional accessories."

Now yes,, you can call them and order a machine set up as you wish. With or without some features. But the basic offering does include one caliber conversion.

 

[Bob Wright]

I clicked on this by mistake. Thought you were talking about Matt.

Bob Wright

 

[Wyandot Jim]

I clicked on this by mistake. Thought you were talking about Matt.

Bob Wright

Bob,
I watched this Duke movie and it had that Matt Guy you speak of. He was not listed and probably spoke 20 words

The Sea Chase - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Wyandot Jim]

As far as the Dillon press. I have had a 650 for almost 20 years and have loaded 1000s and 1000s of rounds of different calibers with great success. I have broke and worn out many parts. All have been replaced by Dillon no questions asked. The 650 is advertised to load 800 per hour I load around 500-600 per hour since I'm old and SLOW. Simple go cheap you loose, go Dillon you win.
I use the RCBS for 45-70 Govt. 30-30, & 30-06 and the Lee for Black Powder 44WCF.
The 650 for all the rest of 32H&R, 38 Special, 357 Mag., 45ACP, & 45 Colt

 

[Kevin]

Bob, I'm not sure who Matt is.

There is a local gun store here that is a Dillon distributor. They usually have presses and accessories in stock. I wouldn't have to pay shipping, but then I would have to pay tax.

Jim, I was going to say that's a pretty small table you have for reloading, but I see it's weighted down sufficiently!

 

[Mobuck]

I'm not too speedy and take more time to be what I'd call methodical. My old SDB consumes components and crunches out ammo as fast as I feel comfortable.

 

[Ka6otm]

I didn't say it came with dies,, I said it came with a CALIBER CONVERSION!!!!!!

Dies are separate.

You're correct.

By the way, the slight taper in the bottom of the sizing die is to compensate for the poor indexing of the press itself which can cause problems. Unfortunately I've had a few friends who ran into problems caused by the slight taper in the die.

In STI guns with match chambers you can have chambering problems as the taper doesn't allow the die to size all the way down. I know 4 different people who have experienced this personally. In each case they solved their problems by replacing the dillon sizing die with a Lee sizing die.

They fixed their indexing problems with aftermarket parts made to fix the Dillon problem.

 

[RSIno1]

Current Dillon catalog;
XL750
$859.00
2 page ad, states;
"Comes with one caliber conversion." (Along with listing the other features.)

Under the price listing in small print it says; "Reloading dies sold separately."

A bit bolder & easy to see die to a different color ink;
"**Pictured with optional accessories."

Now yes,, you can call them and order a machine set up as you wish. With or without some features. But the basic offering does include one caliber conversion.

Current Dillon website shows you can spend $739 and order it without any options. A friend did this when he bought some complete conversions kits from a guy getting out of the reload biz. The buyer of that guys set-up didn't want several of the calibers the guy had so he sold them seperate.

 

[Kevin]

I'm not too speedy and take more time to be what I'd call methodical. My old SDB consumes components and crunches out ammo as fast as I feel comfortable.

I agree. I too like to go slow methodical. I de-prime off the press with a handheld deprimer. It just keeps the press cleaner. Plus I can clean the cases and the primer pockets get clean this way too. It just takes more time. I'll never get rid of my RCBS turret press. That design is just about perfect.

But I'm also curious about the different reloading presses. The Hornady is nice, but honestly after 3 years, some parts are loose that shouldn't be. I'm talking about the primer mechanism. It's got this little spring, that is held in with a pin. As the cases rotate in the shell holder, it whole press vibrates slightly and this pin and spring tend to come loose after a while. So it's just something to keep an eye on. The design isn't very good really.

And there are a couple other things I don't care about. So I figure it's time to try something else. It's that itch about being curious about the other brands. Plus the whole science of reloading is interesting to me. I'm sure a lot of ya'll can understand that.

 

[contender]

Ka6otm,
I too have heard of folks with Match chambers preferring a different sizer in the Dillon presses. (I run USPSA matches, and RO many.) STI are super good guns,, but can be a little "finicky" depending upon who built them.

RSIno1,, you are also correct. Going to the website,, you CAN customize your options when buying. But I pulled my current catalog down, and used that as the reference guide to the OP's question. He was discussing getting his first Dillon, and as such, would benefit from buying it with one caliber conversion already installed.

Kevin. Depriming & then cleaning the brass off a Dillon press is done by many. No problem. But in general,, a progressive is a way to turn out a larger volume of ammo in a shorter timeframe. It's excellent for the folks who shoot a lot, or don't have a lot of spare time to go a bit slower. And, I can say that world class shooters often just clean their brass, then put it in the case feed assy & load it all at one time. The primer pockets not getting cleaned in the small area not occupied by the primer hasn't been an issue. Top level competitors trust it to load their ammo, and their jobs depend upon them performing well at matches. The Dillon will turn out match grade ammo easily.
I've been loading match ammo on a 650 since 1999. Tens of thousands of rounds have been loaded, w/o primer pocket cleaning. And that's in the following calibers; .45 ACP, .9mm, .40 S&W, & .10mm.
I have a pair of 650's & one is set up for small primers & the other, large primers. That makes a caliber change very easy.

 

[Kevin]

Everyone: Thanks for all this good information. It's all very helpful.

Contender: So with the caliber conversions, I don't need a new kit to switch from 38 to 357, is that correct?

It would be easier to get the quick change setup I see on their website. Along with another set of dies. So the dies don't need reset and the powder drop adjusted. Right?

 

[NikA]

I can speak to the SDB, which I believe is similar. Conversion kit includes shell plate, guide buttons, and proprietary dies. For the larger presses, dies are not included but I believe the powder funnel still is.

I would bet on having to adjust the powder drop in terms of activation height between 38 and 357. You could keep the same powder charge or adjust it, this is a separate adjustment on the Dillon products I own.