Dillon 550 vs Lee Classic Turret Press

[thumbs]

I have a Lee Classic Turret Press and really like the thing. How much better is the Dillon 550B than the Lee? I guess the question is how much faster. The Lee is a great little press. Can you really put out that much more per hour than the Lee? Those of you that started with the Lee would you buy a 550B again?

thanks

 

[Rick Courtright]

Hi,

Hearsay only (I'm a confirmed single stager!) from this and other forums over the years: the Dillon is probably twice as fast on average as the Lee for most users familiar w/ both. Some can up the Dillon's production rate a bit more...

So, if you could turn out 150/hr on the Lee, 300/hr should be reasonable on the Dillon and so on. Those rather high figures we see on the mfr's websites usually involve some careful planning, and operators who aren't as klutzy as I can be!

We've got lots of "Big Blue" fans here--I'm sure at least a couple of 'em have also tried the Lee in the past and can give definitive numbers?

Rick C

 

[mattsbox99]

I believe the Dillon 550 is rated at 400-600 RPH. I have a SDB in .40 S&W and its rated for 300-500, I can do 400 with a little break.

Pistol cartridges are faster than rifle, because you don't have to lube the pistol cases. Also if you weigh every charge you won't be very fast with it.

Ball powders meter very well and don't need to be weighed each time, stick powders are much more finicky. The dillon powder measure is different than the RCBS Uniflow and Lee designs, so I don't know how they do with stick powders, ball powders are extremely consistent.


Its definitely faster than the Lee, because the Lee only works on one cartridge at a time, priming is done manually, & powder drops are a seperate operation.

Dillon does have a new machine called the BL550 that is perfect for old guys like Rick that want to do things manually but increase their speed. I'm replacing my RCBS Turret press with one.

 

[contender]

I've never tried a Lee, but I do have 3 Dillons. From the dinner table discussions with MANY gun club members, all of us felt the Dillon was vastly superior in turning out quality ammo. Faster, easier, and a lot less frustrations. I have 2 SDB's, and a 650 with the casefeed. My 650 can produce ammo faster than the advertised rate if I keep it fed & do not slow down at all. However, I comfortably, and easily run 700-800 an hour on my 650. I've never bothered to time my SDB's. Time is lost when you have to deal with minor malfunctions, or do more steps to achieve finished ammo.

 

[thumbs]

Like I said I really have no complaints with my Lee Classic turret press. It runs without flaw. That being said I would like a bit faster production and less pullin on the handle. In my case I just have to justify the increased cost in buying a new press.

 

[Cholo]

I guess I'm also an old guy who still loads everything on a single stage press. With that in mind, I'd buy a Dillon something to speed things up a bit simply because I've never heard of one person who had one that wished they'd have gotten something else.

One problem, my shack is so small that I'd have make room for it. I don't think my daughter would care for that...

 

[mattsbox99]

Gary, you're like me, I have no specific problem doing everything single stage. Less pulls on the handle mean less wear and tear on my already sore shoulder, and less time at the press means more time at the range.

In the grand scheme of things, the Dillons really aren't that expensive. Its not like they wear out and if you decide to sell it, you pretty much get your money back.

 

[Rick Courtright]

Dillon does have a new machine called the BL550 that is perfect for old guys like Rick that want to do things manually but increase their speed. I'm replacing my RCBS Turret press with one.

Hi,



"There is more to life than simply increasing its speed."

--Mahatma Gandhi

Folks have been trying to convert me for YEARS! But so far I'm still happy the way I do it.

Don't give up on me, though! My '69 RCBS Jr IS getting a little loose, then I've got a like new Pacific Hornady almost identical to the one Bucks has been trying to wear out for a while. Once those are worn out, there's a like new Rock Chucker to work on. After that, maybe I'll be ready for a Dillon!

Might need the speed by then, too, cuz I'll be running out of time myself!

Rick C

 

[mattsbox99]

Aww, don't tell me you don't want more time at the range!

Matt: Hey Rick, you wanna go shoot?

Rick: I can't, after I do the dishes and vacuum I gotta spend 18 hours reloading....

 

[Rick Courtright]

Aww, don't tell me you don't want more time at the range!

Matt: Hey Rick, you wanna go shoot?

Rick: I can't, after I do the dishes and vacuum I gotta spend 18 hours reloading....

Hi,

We've got this new thing in town, Matt... I think they call it ee-lactricitee or somethin' like that. Everybody's gettin' it!

Anyway, after it gets dark, there's this little thang on the wall you push, and it gets all light again! Makes it so's you can load after ya get home from the range, cuz'n they shut down our range when the sun goes down.

Kinda cool--got about 5000 rounds ahead right now, which is somewhere between six months' and a year's worth these days. All made after dark!

Wonder what they'll think about next? Maybe a magic box that tells stories and shows pictures while I sit and reprime brass? Ya just never know!

Only problem w/ this ee-latctricitee stuff is ya gotta pay some guy to stuff it inside this little wire that comes to your house. It must be kinda hard to get it into that wire, cuz ya gotta pay him a lot to do it. So ya gotta go to work to make some money when ya coulda been out ta the range. Rats.

What's this "do the dishes and vacuum" stuff? That's NEVER been a good reason NOT to go to the range. (And they ask me why I'm single...)

Rick C

 

[HardBall]

Those of you that started with the Lee would you buy a 550B again?

I've had two of Lee's original 3-hole Turret presses. I've also had two Lee-1000 presses and a slew of single stage presses. Yes I would buy a 550b again without question. Currently the only presses I own are a 550b and a Redding Boss single stage press. If I could only have one press it would be the 550b.

With the 550b you can sill load rounds "Turret style" as you do with your Lee or feed it a case between cranks of the handle and you'll spit out a round each time. What I like most about the 550b is the do-it-all versatility and the manual indexing.

 

[contender]

Another note.
I too have used single stage presses for most of the reloading in these last 35 years or so. However, when I decided to get into USPSA competition, I found that I had a better justification to increase the speed of reloading. Less time at the bench to be able to spend more time doing other things. I shoot a LOT more now, and the Dillons have helped keep me from spending a lot of time reloading. (Read that as; Time away from Miss Penny.)

 

[thumbs]

Ok I have been reading the thread about the 550b. I do have a couple of questions though.

Does the 550b have a deprime step. In other words doe it deprime and prime at the first stage? Or do you have to deprime before you start?

Is there an option that will drop cases or is it more trouble than it is worth?

 

[HardBall]

Does the 550b have a deprime step. In other words doe it deprime and prime at the first stage? Or do you have to deprime before you start?

Yes, cases are deprimed while they're resized at station 1, just like your turret press.

Is there an option that will drop cases or is it more trouble than it is worth?

If you mean a case feeder? Yes, Dillon offers a case feeder for the 550b. I don't have one as I don't see the need for my purposes.

If you mean; does it eject cases as you manually index the shell plate? Yes, it kicks the finished round out from station 4 into a blue box that's provided with your 550b.

 

[thumbs]

Thanks

 

[mattsbox99]

Aww, don't tell me you don't want more time at the range!

Matt: Hey Rick, you wanna go shoot?

Rick: I can't, after I do the dishes and vacuum I gotta spend 18 hours reloading....

Hi,

We've got this new thing in town, Matt... I think they call it ee-lactricitee or somethin' like that. Everybody's gettin' it!

Anyway, after it gets dark, there's this little thang on the wall you push, and it gets all light again! Makes it so's you can load after ya get home from the range, cuz'n they shut down our range when the sun goes down.

Kinda cool--got about 5000 rounds ahead right now, which is somewhere between six months' and a year's worth these days. All made after dark!

Wonder what they'll think about next? Maybe a magic box that tells stories and shows pictures while I sit and reprime brass? Ya just never know!

Only problem w/ this ee-latctricitee stuff is ya gotta pay some guy to stuff it inside this little wire that comes to your house. It must be kinda hard to get it into that wire, cuz ya gotta pay him a lot to do it. So ya gotta go to work to make some money when ya coulda been out ta the range. Rats.

What's this "do the dishes and vacuum" stuff? That's NEVER been a good reason NOT to go to the range. (And they ask me why I'm single...)

Rick C

They keep talking about that stuff here...

I try to save the bulk of my reloading for winter time, because ice fishing is not my idea of a good time.

 

[Hammerdown77]

I have both. I had a Lee Turret for a year and a half, then bought a Dillon 550.

The Dillon is MUCH faster. And, I'm "fiddling" with it less than I did with the Lee. That was my biggest complaint with the Lee, it always seemed like something needed to be tweaked just a bit to get it to run smoothly. Then, once I got it running smoothly, the next time I loaded on it something else needed tweaking.

In my opinion, the thing that keeps the Dillon 550 from being faster than it is is having to take your hand off the handle to load a case. I've refined my movements so they are the most efficient possible, but you still have to take a hand off the handle. A case feeder would dramatically increase the rounds per hour, in my opinion. Is the cost of the case feeder justified? Don't know, haven't tried one.

I would definitely recommend buying a Dillon 550. The higher cost will quickly be forgotten as you see a full plastic bin of ammo after only a half hour of loading. It will be one of the best reloading purchases you make.

 

[contender]

The answers are above. However, the great part about Dillon machines is that with each pull of the handle, several operations get done at one time. You start with empty brass on one side, and loaded ammo gets kicked out the other side. Depending upon the model, some machines auto index, (the 550 doesn't). Then there is the casefeed, available for some but not for others, (the SDB doesn't have one.) All dies are mounted on the toolhead, and all operations get done at the same time.
To step back into time, I'll relate my experiences.
I was a hard & fast dedicated longtime single-stage press reloader. Yet, I was intrigued by Dillon. I studied, and studied, but while I felt they were good machines, I was a bit intimidated by them. (Sceptical of quality ammo.) Well, it finally took my need for less time getting enough ammo to shoot as much as I wanted to make me get serious. I studied hard again, and for my purposes, I chose the 650 with the casefeed assy. After I got it, I was very careful & watched my loading closely. I soon found out I had been a hardhead, in that I should have bought my Dillon YEARS before I actually did. I now own 2 SDB's to go along with my 650. (Both of those came to me cheaply, and made me VERY happy. While the SDB isn't the same as the 650, I do love their work as well.
You just can not go wrong with a Dillon.

 

[Tellico]

Aww, don't tell me you don't want more time at the range!

Matt: Hey Rick, you wanna go shoot?

Rick: I can't, after I do the dishes and vacuum I gotta spend 18 hours reloading....

Hi,

We've got this new thing in town, Matt... I think they call it ee-lactricitee or somethin' like that. Everybody's gettin' it!

Anyway, after it gets dark, there's this little thang on the wall you push, and it gets all light again! Makes it so's you can load after ya get home from the range, cuz'n they shut down our range when the sun goes down.

Kinda cool--got about 5000 rounds ahead right now, which is somewhere between six months' and a year's worth these days. All made after dark!

Wonder what they'll think about next? Maybe a magic box that tells stories and shows pictures while I sit and reprime brass? Ya just never know!

Only problem w/ this ee-latctricitee stuff is ya gotta pay some guy to stuff it inside this little wire that comes to your house. It must be kinda hard to get it into that wire, cuz ya gotta pay him a lot to do it. So ya gotta go to work to make some money when ya coulda been out ta the range. Rats.

What's this "do the dishes and vacuum" stuff? That's NEVER been a good reason NOT to go to the range. (And they ask me why I'm single...)

Rick C

They keep talking about that stuff here...

I try to save the bulk of my reloading for winter time, because ice fishing is not my idea of a good time.

Yall fancy folks probably gonna want your water delivered inside you house next huh? I still use my Rock Chucker but then I am only 3000 rds ahead.

 

[Rick Courtright]

Yall fancy folks probably gonna want your water delivered inside you house next huh?

Hi,

Wow... they can do that?

Be sure to turn the clocks back tonight, too!

I'm off ta the hardware store for more kerosene for my lanterns. That ee-lactricitee stuff's great when it works, but it rained yesterday, so it's probably gonna go out again soon. I guess them wires must leak it out when they're wet.

Don't want to have to quit loading just cuz it's dark... gotta be careful to keep those lanterns a little ways from your powder, though. If'n ya don't, it gets right excitin', and quick, too!

(Mandatory disclaimer: kids, don't try this at home!)

Rick C

 

[mattsbox99]

Yall fancy folks probably gonna want your water delivered inside you house next huh? I still use my Rock Chucker but then I am only 3000 rds ahead.

You mean for the 'in'house? I heard about them, but they gotta get to stinkin'.


---

 

[Rick Courtright]

You mean for the 'in'house? I heard about them, but they gotta get to stinkin'.

Hi,

Eeewwww, Matt! You're not gonna try'n tell me folks do THAT inside their houses?

Rick C

 

[mattsbox99]

Well Rick, I'm not sure how cold it gets in Redlands, but it was -42 (that would be negative 42 degrees Fahrenheit) for a solid week here last winter. I'll let you draw the mental picture!

 

[clintsfolly]

Any one that get there first progressive press. please go slow for the first 1000 or 2000 rounds to get your safety steps well ingrained!!! like looking in EVERY case for powder. Rig a small light to be able to see if you have too!!! This was a very hard learned tip. Cost me a slide on a nice 1911 and pulling 800rd apart (and yes i found one more double charge) to be able to give you this!!!Clint

 

[Rick Courtright]

Well Rick, I'm not sure how cold it gets in Redlands, but it was -42 (that would be negative 42 degrees Fahrenheit) for a solid week here last winter. I'll let you draw the mental picture!

Hi,

Well, we've had the same numbers this week, Matt, but w/ a "+" sign instead of a "-" one... and, being a self-admitted SoCal wimp about cold weather, even that balmy temp's enough for me to consider digging out the parka (you can always tell "winter" around here: folks put on parkas, w/ their shorts!)

My parents were from Kansas. Although they were both "city kids," my mother's family included a few farmers, and she spent some time "out on the farm" now and then as a kid. She blames "indoor conveniences" for a fair amount of obesity.

"When it starts getting colder, you get a lot faster covering the distance between the back door and that one w/ the half moon carved in it. Burns off some calories!" This was during the Depression, and I guess her Grandma's chamber pot got broken and wasn't replaced for a while?

I've gotta erase a couple of mental pictures...

Rick C

 

[Rick Courtright]

Any one that get there first progressive press. please go slow for the first 1000 or 2000 rounds to get your safety steps well ingrained!!! like looking in EVERY case for powder. Rig a small light to be able to see if you have too!!! This was a very hard learned tip. Cost me a slide on a nice 1911 and pulling 800rd apart (and yes i found one more double charge) to be able to give you this!!!Clint

Hi,

Clint's story is a good one to reinforce the idea why starting w/ a single stage "approach," using either a dedicated single stage press, or a turret/progressive in "single stage mode," is such a good idea for a beginner!

And, when making the switch to progressive loading, it's not a bad idea even for an experienced loader until he understands the machine completely...

Rick C

 

[clintsfolly]

, it's not a bad idea even for an experienced loader until he understands the machine completely... Yes this was after 37yrs as a reloader/handloader and not having a sure safe system worked out!! Having a 45acp 1911 come apart in your hands will get your attention right KNOW and makes it real hard to shoot the next time!! Please use your head and get your safety system down before trying to race through making piles of ammo. This is the first time i have been able to talk of this happening and not get shaky and it was 3yrs ago Clint

 

[Lost Sheep]

Its definitely faster than the Lee, because the Lee only works on one cartridge at a time, priming is done manually, & powder drops are a seperate operation.
(edited for brevity)

It will definitely be faster than the Lee, for the reason stated, but the powder drops are not a separate operation if using the Lee Auto-Disk powder measure (or the Pro-Autodisk). The powder drop is performed atop the case-mouth belling die and is completely automatic. (Except for keeping the hopper filled)

 

[WESHOOT2]

I needed another 100 rds so I started at exactly 8:00pm.

-I got a 100-ct of CCI500 primers off the shelf;
-I dumped them in my brass Dillon flip tray and flipped 'em;
-I filled a tube and dumped 'em;
-I dropped some more clean R-P 9x19 cases in the feeder;
-I lot-numbered the load and recorded the data and components;
-I placed a Blue Bin of 125g LRN Penn Bullets in front of me;
-I sat down and started pumping;
-I measured and gauged some as they were made;
-I placed the finished rds in MTM 50-ct flip-top boxes.

It was 8:31pm.


I love my Dillon XL650

Yeah.

 

[Lost Sheep]

I needed another 100 rds so I started at exactly 8:00pm.

-I got a 100-ct of CCI500 primers off the shelf;
-I dumped them in my brass Dillon flip tray and flipped 'em;
-I filled a tube and dumped 'em;
-I dropped some more clean R-P 9x19 cases in the feeder;
-I lot-numbered the load and recorded the data and components;
-I placed a Blue Bin of 125g LRN Penn Bullets in front of me;
-I sat down and started pumping;
-I measured and gauged some as they were made;
-I placed the finished rds in MTM 50-ct flip-top boxes.

It was 8:31pm.


I love my Dillon XL650

Thanks, Weshoot2,

That sort of precise reporting is just what we need to compare apples with apples. Thanks for the detail.

I walked up to my Lee Classic Turret with a bowl of 100 .357 cases, a box of cast 158 grain SWC and a box of 100 primers (don't remember the brand). The Turret was already set up with a set of four dies and a filled Auto-disk powder measure already set to the correct powder drop weight and tested.

I started the clock as I put the box of bullets on the floor next to two empty boxes for the finished rounds.

I opened the primers and dumped them in the Lee "Pez dispenser" device, flipped the primers upright and put it on the press and started loading. When I ran out of primers, I took the turret out of the press and dumped the remaining powder back into the original container and reinstalled the turret, picked up the two (50 each) boxes of finished bullets from the floor, closed the lids and stopped the clock at 47 minutes.

I did not measure the rounds (as the dies were already set up) nor annotate the load data on the boxes (as my standard plinking load is the default value) as is my habit with these low-power loads.

I hope others using different techniques (but with comparable "Continuous Processing" parameters) will post their time benchmarks with such detail.