I have been reloading on a Dillon 550 for 5 years. Multiple calibers - 9mm, 45ACP, 380A, 38S, 357, 223. Total rounds about 45000 over that period. Question should I upgrade to a 750 with case feeder for these rounds. Is there significantly more effort to change calibers on the 750. Would appreciate input.
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Kevin Rohrer
Member
1. That is up to you, not someone else to determine for you.
2. Yes.
2. Yes.
sevt_chevelle
Member
If one can't change calibers not withstanding primer size in less than 3 minutes on a 650/750 you got issues.
whughett
Member
Are the additional rounds, per loading sessions, worth the extra coins. I’m assuming speed is your motive. I’ve had a 550 since “82”. It’s quick enough for my purpose. 
rfwobbly
Member
I currently load on both a 550 and a 650 with case feeder. Here's my view....
- There is no real advantage of the 650/750 over the 550 in quality of product or speed of production.... unless you load in quantities greater than (roughly) 250 rounds per session. At about that point the case feeder kicks in and your comparative production rates take a sharp increase. What happens is that you operate the 650/750 with your right arm and you place bullets with your left. The cases are placed for you. Together, single hand operation and placed cases make it go about twice as fast.... But again, it's better to have the volumes if you want to really appreciate the press.
- If you are the type reloader that loads 100 or this and 100 of that in a single loading session, then the 550 is much better at those volume levels and you'll really be sorry you "traded up". (223 might actually be the same speed on either.)
- Remember that the cost of "trading up" also includes the price of new Tool Heads and Caliber Conversion Kits. So add in $110 for every caliber plus the price of the new press. So remember you also have an additional $700 in tooling !!! A $700 press may have looked like a "deal", while $1400 may not look so glamorous. Also take into account that Dillon has backorders on some CCKs and you might not be able to acquire all the CCKs you need for several weeks or months.
- The downside to the case feeder is that you must inspect all cases prior to loading. On the 550 you can easily save that to the very last and inspect each case during placement. On the 650/750 you spend a lot more time with the brass in the middle of your process. If you "wet tumble", then some of that inspection is already accomplished during tumbling and drying... so it's a good fit.
- The physical labor of the caliber change-over is in-line with the volumes. By that I mean if you're loading (say) 400 9mm, then you'll be at it about 90 minutes and the change-over will take about 10 minutes. Whereas 100 rounds on the 550 may require only a 5 minute change-over, but it's a much higher percentage of your press operation time. Also, the same shortcuts apply... you change only the dies to swap from 9mm to 38Super, or 38Special to 357Mag.
- The largest pain on the 650 is conversion from Small to Large Pistol Primer, which is neatly dealt with on the 750. Primer conversion is one of the major selling points of the 750.... unless you adhere to 45ACP with SPP... which makes the entire issue moot.
- Say that you do load multiple calibers at 400+ rounds per caliber in a single session. Here's one area that's very often overlooked... You'll be making a LOT of ammo, but you'll also be making a LOT of trash in the form of spent primers. It's best to go ahead and buy a $10 Spent Primer Chute and then allow yourself to focus on the usable product and not the trash pile being created on your bench.
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Things to think about.....
That many caliber conversion would cost Over $500 extra. Yes it adds up fast!
I think twice about buying new caliber conversions because of the price.
When I had a 550 I could load 250 or so rounds in a half hour. So by just loading 30 minutes a day with the 550 you could be making 1750 rounds a week. How much do you shoot? My math says you shoot about 750 round a month. Soo three half hour sessions a month. A 750 would cut that down to 2.sessions.
One of the things that I found out when I upgraded to the 650 was that I missed my reloading time. I found it relaxing. The math didn't add up for me either but I still upgraded.
Don't get me wrong the 650 is a beast and I enjoy it.
But if I knew then what I know now would I upgrade? No. But that is my situation not yours.
That many caliber conversion would cost Over $500 extra. Yes it adds up fast!
I think twice about buying new caliber conversions because of the price.
When I had a 550 I could load 250 or so rounds in a half hour. So by just loading 30 minutes a day with the 550 you could be making 1750 rounds a week. How much do you shoot? My math says you shoot about 750 round a month. Soo three half hour sessions a month. A 750 would cut that down to 2.sessions.
One of the things that I found out when I upgraded to the 650 was that I missed my reloading time. I found it relaxing. The math didn't add up for me either but I still upgraded.
Don't get me wrong the 650 is a beast and I enjoy it.
But if I knew then what I know now would I upgrade? No. But that is my situation not yours.
garandsrus
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I have a 550 and 650. I have 550 caliber conversions for everything and only have 650 conversions for the higher volume calibers I load for. The 550 is much quicker to convert between calibers. As was mentioned, switching between small and large primers takes the majority of the time in the conversion. If I could only have one press, I would stick with the 550. Caliber conversions are cheaper also.
The case feeder on the 650 comes in very handy when resizing bottleneck rounds. I dump cases in the feeder and never touch them again during the sizing step. It is very quick to size a bunch of cases. I also like the powder checker die on the 650.
The case feeder on the 650 comes in very handy when resizing bottleneck rounds. I dump cases in the feeder and never touch them again during the sizing step. It is very quick to size a bunch of cases. I also like the powder checker die on the 650.
SnowBlaZeR2
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I don't think the time spent on a caliber change is something I'd be worried about. It's around 5 minutes total for me to swap from 9mm to 45 ACP, and any time under that for the 550 is quickly made up when you start loading.
If you're loading any kind of volume, the 750 is worth the upgrade.
If you're loading any kind of volume, the 750 is worth the upgrade.
lordpaxman
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I don’t own either so I have no basis on the time for the conversion, but I’d be more concerned with the number of stations. Seems like 5 vs 10 minutes for a conversion isn’t a game changer. SP vs LP always adds time, so I don’t factor that as well. I won’t consider a progressive with less than 5 stations, I run a lock out die, and I do like a case feeder. I don’t factor rounds per hour on my progressives, they’re all faster than a single stage and so much easier, that’s my story and I’m sticking to it.
Since you asked
, heck yes, get a 750!!! Good luck and let us know what you decide.
BCR#1
member
I bought a second 550 so no primer swapping for me.
Bill
Bill
Beancounter81
Member
I have a 550 and added a 750 shortly after they were introduced. I load my high-volume calibers on the 750 but still use the 550 for low volume stuff. It takes only slightly longer to change calibers on the 750 - maybe an extra minute? I really like the 750 and would do it again.
rfwobbly
Member
That's exactly where I am.
- I sold the 550 and purchased a 650, plus $800 in Tool Heads and Cal Conversion Kits.
- Beloved reloading sessions that used to take 2.5 hours were complete in 45 min.
- One year later I was buying another 550 for special calibers.
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RBRK
Member
I have 2 550’s and one 750. The 750 for 9mm with a bullet feeder and powder check is fast. Less than 5 minutes for 100 rounds. That’s what I use mine for. I have one 550 large and one small primer. 550 is great and simple. The 750 cranks it out fast. Without a bullet feeder, maybe not so much.
GE-Mini-Gun
Member
Maybe it’s me…I loaded on a 550 for years and finally said to heck with it and got a 650…WHAT IN THE HELL TOOK ME SO LONG!!! I don’t “tinker” with loads…I find one that works and stick with it…if I were that type of loader the 650 IS NOT THE press to have. I shoot and reloading is a necessary evil and I want to be finished as quickly as possible…the 650 answers that question in spades. Last year I ran 3k worth of 9mm in just under 3 hrs, 45 is a little faster. So you want volume…650, not so much volume 550 or both. My money is in the 650, it can do everything the 550 can do and faster…
The spent primer chute also keeps primer detritus contained and the press stays much cleaner. Huge improvement over the 550, in my opinion, and I ran an aftermarket primer chute on it, as well.
jmorris
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There is simply less stuff to contend with on the 550 though.
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I don’t have a 750 but one might be able to swap the primer anvils in the same way one can on an SD and 550.
Is there more effort? Absolutely. Does that make them any better or worse? Maybe.
If I am loading more of something than I want to load on a single stage but not enough I feel like converting a case fed progressive over, I use the 550.
If I am loading larger quantities, I use a faster machine.
It’s a tortoise and the hare kind of argument. It doesn’t matter if you can load 100 rounds in under 5 minutes if you only want to load 100 rounds, of 5 different calibers, as you will be spending more time converting the machine than actually loading.
EricBu
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Don't think of it as an upgrade to the 550, think of it as an upgrade to your loading room. I have a 750, but I still use my 550 just as much as I did before. The 750 is for cranking out lots of the ammo I shoot a lot of. 9mm, 300 BLK, 5.56, 45acp....the 550 is the other 30 calibers I shoot. Plus, it's a lot easier to do loads that I don't want to use the powder measure on, like my hunting rounds or my long distance stuff. Lot easier to measure powder and use a funnel through the 550 than the 750.
I've wanted to do that, but what parts do you need to make it happen?
EricBu
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I use the Area 419 Powder Funnel and Area 419 Adapter for the Dillon Powder Die, and then the appropriate dillon powder funnel. For things that don't use the standard dillon powder die, like 338 LM, I use the appropriate funnel head adapter from 419, and just set it on the brass at full stroke.
I’ve been loading on an RCBS 2000 almost since they came out. I haven’t used it since this COVID stuff started because at my age I decided to stay home and not go to the indoor ranges in my area. But now I’m back at it. One thing I’ve never liked about the RCBS is that I can’t use a lockout die and still crimp in a separate step. As long as I’m just getting started again I wanted to take care of that. I’m pretty sure that the Dillion 750 will let me do that but am not clear if the 550 will. I load 38/357 and 44 spcl/44 and would get separate heads and powder measures for each one. I don’t load more than 300-500 at a time but would get the 750 if that was the only way to have the separate steps I’m after. Can the 550 do what I’m after or will it take the 750? If it makes any difference, cost is not a factor. Thanks.
armabill
Member
I don't reload for speed, a production rate or for the cost. I just enjoy the process, I have two 550B presses and one Lee single stage press.
SnowBlaZeR2
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I find the 750 very enjoyable. And if you want to go slower, you can.
The 550 NO! The 650 and 750 Yes
To elaborate, the 550 only has 4 stations, so #1 resize/deprime and prime on the downstroke, #2 expand/powder, #3 seat, #4 crimp. Like you, I prefer to size and crimp in two steps instead of one and, on those taller cartridges, it is hard to see the powder.
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