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Dillon vs. Hornady Progressive?!
Navybat
Member Posts: 6,849 ✭✭✭
Ok,
I know if you're into the Blue Press, you love it. If you're into the Red Press, you love it. They're BOTH great. [:D]
I want to know (since I'm about to buy one), which is the best value? If you have a Dillon, what do you need BESIDES the press to start loading, as far as the PRESS parts go, such as dies, conversion kit, widgets, gizmos, etc.? If you have a Hornady, you need dies, shell holders, shell plates, etc. I'm talking Dillon 550B or 650, and Hornady Lock N Load AP.
I don't mean the scales and tumblers, etc. common to every reloader. I'm only talking about the accessories required by the individual Dillon or Hornady machine.
How much do these things cost per caliber? I want to load .45 ACP, .380 Auto, 9mm Luger, .280 Remington, and .30-06 Springfield.
Can someone give me a cost breakdown without all the "mine is best"..."no it's not, mine is!" bit? [8)]
I know if you're into the Blue Press, you love it. If you're into the Red Press, you love it. They're BOTH great. [:D]
I want to know (since I'm about to buy one), which is the best value? If you have a Dillon, what do you need BESIDES the press to start loading, as far as the PRESS parts go, such as dies, conversion kit, widgets, gizmos, etc.? If you have a Hornady, you need dies, shell holders, shell plates, etc. I'm talking Dillon 550B or 650, and Hornady Lock N Load AP.
I don't mean the scales and tumblers, etc. common to every reloader. I'm only talking about the accessories required by the individual Dillon or Hornady machine.
How much do these things cost per caliber? I want to load .45 ACP, .380 Auto, 9mm Luger, .280 Remington, and .30-06 Springfield.
Can someone give me a cost breakdown without all the "mine is best"..."no it's not, mine is!" bit? [8)]
Comments
edited because my previous link to a commercial site may have violated policy here.
Dillon (550) is of course a top of the line press.
Dillon has great and I do mean unbelievable customer service. They are more than happy to help out with technical advice. Its nice when they help and don't talk to me like the idiot that just jacked up a nearly idiot proof press!!
My complaint with dillon is with their outdated powder measure, they dont work very good with stick, ball powder OK, flake OK, stick SUCKS.
If you can live with that, get a Dillon, and if you must use stick, get a adaptor to use some else's powder measure.
just my 2 cents
"If you have a Dillon, what do you need BESIDES the press to start loading, as far as the PRESS parts go, such as dies, conversion kit, widgets, gizmos, etc.? If you have a Hornady, you need dies, shell holders, shell plates, etc. I'm talking Dillon 550B or 650, and Hornady Lock N Load AP."
So I got one answer who says the Hornady only needs shell plates...I thought you needed shell holders too? No?
What do you need for the Dillons?
With the 550B all you need are dies. When you order the machine you tell them what caliber you are going to load.
For other calibers you order conversion kits for it.
Don't know what you need for the red one, never had one.
From readint the other posts at least you can order a Dillon and get it [:p][:)]
I to am also looking at the Hornady press. I am leaning towards it for longer production runs. The bullet feeder is supposed to be very good and it is supposed to be a smoother running press. The change over is bunch cheaper. Ten lock and load sleeves are 40 bucks and the plates are under 20 dollars each. The powder change bushing is cheap and looks like it would be quick to change. You're looking at under 40 bucks to change over a caliber.
Now that I've put the differences between the two in print, I think I'm going to buy the Hornady.
GREAT ANSWER, and thanks very much. [:D]
I see the parts required per caliber are a shell plate, dies, and bushings. Got it. It does, indeed, look cheaper to run 5 calibers (3 pistol and 2 rifle) through a Hornady Lock N Load than a Dillon 550b or 650.
Also looks like the Hornady LNL is more similar to the 650, but WAY cheaper. The 550b is manual index, and only 4 stations.
What's with the buttons on the Dillon? Holds the shell in place? It seems they could get lost--anyone had an issue with that? And the "tool head" for the 550b is extra, but seems to be a good value if you don't want to have to adjust dies all the time. But with the Hornady bushings you don't have to, either.
Guess I'm going to buy the Hornady. I don't mind waiting. Thanks everyone!
1. Dies, any std 7/8 thread will work, just need bushing(for Hornady as well).
2. Shellplate
Things that are very helpful.
1.Taper crimp for pistol, makes 5 stations full, gets rid of bell flare.
2 Pistol rotor for powder measure, makes it measure much better for under 10gr. I use both for my pistol. 40sw and 9mm.
I don't use a powder cop, but 2 loads of Powder pistol won't fit.
Also, you will need more bushings if you do more than one cartridge.
I use 4 bushings for pistol, 2 for rifle. The powder measure takes one, but it stays. A powder cop would also take one.
A tray for primers makes thing nice, flip all. Fill tube with 100, load in feeder, fill tube with another 100(takes 10 sec to put in primer feeder). 200 completed rounds go fast, just add bullets(although it sounds like you want the feeder) and keep powder full. I don't have shell feeder either.
So for pistol loading, how are your five stations set up as far as dies go (what does each die do, in order?) Difference for pistol vs. rifle?
I have heard the taper crimp is the way to go. What is the powder rotor? How does it work?
Obviously I'm new, so I appreciate your indulgence.
1st. Sizer/decapper.
2nd. Bell flare(that's what I call it) Only slightly, and priming happens at the 1.5 stroke or handle up between 1 and 2.
3rd. Powder, case activated. You can one run shell at a time if you want. Like when setting up.
4th. Seater
5th. Taper crimp.
The pistol rotor is just a smaller diameter plunger. Makes it much more accurate when metering 5-8 grains. Otherwise the normal(or rifle) plunger is barely an 1/8 of an inch from the top. Rifle works excellent at 22-25 grains.
Rifle setup.
1st. Sizer, decapping die.(Although most of the rifle has been once fired mil spec and went through single stage for sizing. Then trimmed and primer pocket treatment.
2nd. Open(Again primed at 1.5)
3rd. Powder
4th. Bullet Seater
5th. Open.
For rifle, I will go with a powder cop at 4 and move seater to 5. Both my boys will be going Prairie dog shooting this year. Ouch.
The only pitfall I've had has been with mil brass that I didn't clean up primer crimp enough. After 300-400 completed rounds the primer slide would occasionally bind or not slide. You can feel it in handle, and see the primer slide.(don't be a gorilla). It had lots of brass flakes there. Clean up and away you go. Now I clean up crimp more. Not a problem any more, although I still clean up slide area every couple hundred. I had probably loaded 5k rounds when that happened. 4k 40sw and a few small batches of 223.
This is included with the press. You get one for large volume and one for small. As for the bushings, they give you 4 or 5 with the press. You can remove your dies from them if you dont want to purchase more.
you're the MAN! Thanks very much for the guidance. Now I feel like I have a handle on this.
quote:Pistol rotor for powder measure, makes it measure much better for under 10gr.
This is included with the press. You get one for large volume and one for small. As for the bushings, they give you 4 or 5 with the press. You can remove your dies from them if you dont want to purchase more.
I had to buy mine, I bought a LnL AP that wasn't EZject, in the beginning they didn't come with the pistol rotor.
I am going on 10k 40s&wand the only * I have is, now I can't shoot'em up fast enough
http://forums.gunbroker.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=498276
no, like an idiot I did NOT look at that, but I certainly did now and it's a WEALTH of great info! Thanks very much.
I think it's a great hobby, practical, mechanical, skill enhancing, relaxing, and best of all, MANLY.
Thanks for all the help. [:)]