Reloading question about Dillion or turret

Dragline

Dragline

New member
Would it be a fair statement from what I have read here that most people use a progressive to load there pistol ammo and use either a single stage or a turret for there rifle ammo, and if this is the case is it because we are wanting to maintain consistency in the rifle loads? I have a friend who is strongly urging me to go with a Dillion 1050 but I am wanting to maintain consistency with my rifle loads, which are loaded now by a older gentlmen for me on a single stage but I need to get onto this reloading thing before I cant learn from him. His suggestion has always been one at a time on a very old CH that puts out some nice loads, which I understand has all to do with the guy pulling the handle.
Thanks
 
I bought a Dillon RL550 when I first started handloading for pdog shooting, thinking I'd need the "speed" of a progressive.

After about 2 years, I switched to an RCBS Rockchucker and haven't looked back. By all the standards I can measure, (physical, over a chrono, and on target) the rounds I'm loading on the RCBS are greatly superior to those I was able to squeeze out of the Dillon.

As to the speed........with the cases already primed, I can load 200 rounds an hour with the Rockchucker and the Redding 3BR Powder measure. If you throw in the occasional "glitch" (hung primer in the primer feed tube, or constantly checking the charge weights of the Dillon charging system), encountered with the Dillon, I've not really lost that much production "speed".

Mike
 
I have two presses on my bench now, a single stage and a three hole turret that's used for handgun and rifle ammo. The turret actually gets used as a single stage, I just like the way the dies are all set up in the turrets for different calibers. I bought a progressive years ago, but just like the single stage better.
 
I load everything on 2 Dillon 550's

As linefinder mentioned above the dillon powder measure can be a pain, but is really good with the finer cut or ball powders. There is one thing to remember about the 550 press, you can always load in single mode like a turret press, then when loading for pistol go progressive.

I wouldnt spend the money on a 1050. Conversion kits cost to much. If your a weekend shooter, hunter etc, there is no reason a 550 wouldnt work for you. I can get 400 rounds per hour in 45acp by myself, and thats stopping to reload primer tubes, soda runs and pee breaks. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
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Furhunter nailed it. I have a 1050 a 650 and a 550, and the 550 would be the last to go.

The conversion cost for a 1050 is VERY expensive, where the cost for the same on a 550 is quite low.

I still have a couple of single-stage press, but there is no way that I can come close to the output that I get with a 550 with the singe-stage press.

I'm sure you can get better accuracy on many loads with a single-stage press, but the ammo that I turn out on my 550 or 650 is VERY accurate. There are plenty of rifle teams using progressive presses like the Dillon with good results.
 
Amen to Mike and Furhunter!!!

If you can't have a Rockchucker and a RL550, then just get the Dillon. You can make some fine loads in single stage mode that are equal to any. You would never get pistol rounds anywhere near as quick with a single stage. The Dillon 1050 is a wonder but hard to justify, unless your loading high volume for a club or competition.
 


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