Change from Dillon 550 to 750

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DanK3Pos said:
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.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the explanation. Looks like it will have to be a 750 for me.
 
daverich4 said:
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.
Click to expand...
Yeah, exactly what I do on both my 550 and my 750. 550 has 4 stations. I run the sizing/decap in station 1, powder die in station 2, which is also where the case gets belled (note, if you are using a funnel instead of the dillon powder measure, you can't really bell the case here unless you rig up some kind of lock), station 3 is where the seating/crimping die goes. I back it out until it is NOT applying a crimp, then only use it to seat. Station 4 is where I put the crimping die. Either a lee FCD, or I buy a standalone seat/crimp die and remove the bullet seating guts, so it only crimps.
 
^ that doesn’t leave any room for what he is wanting to do.

The 4th sentence from the paragraph you quoted.

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.
Click to expand...

That means you need 3 stations after the powder charge, a powder check/lockout, seat, crimp. The 550, as you point out only has two. So, if a lock out was used it would need to be in #3 and seat/crimp would have to be combined at #4.

If he acquired a powder measure with a powder through expander and put in in station #2 of his pro 2000 he could put the lock out in #3 and seat then crimp in #4&5 without a new press, that has a measure with a powder through expander.
 
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I have the 550b and XL650

I use the 550 for smaller batches, like if I want to load up 100 44mag, or 6.8SPC

I use the 650/RT1200 for processing rifle brass and loading pistol in 500-2000 round batches.

The 650/750 can use the excellent POWDER CHECK system, which prevents squibs and double charges.

with the 550, if you get distracted, you can squib or double charge a round easily. ( it doesn't auto index )

My 650 has always been more reliable than my 550

the 650 is much faster

I LOVE MY 650
 
jmorris said:
^ that doesn’t leave any room for what he is wanting to do.

The 4th sentence from the paragraph you quoted.



That means you need 3 stations after the powder charge, a powder check/lockout, seat, crimp. The 550, as you point out only has two. So, if a lock out was used it would need to be in #3 and seat/crimp would have to be combined at #4.

If he acquired a powder measure with a powder through expander and put in in station #2 of his pro 2000 he could put the lock out in #3 and seat then crimp in #4&5 without a new press, that has a measure with a powder through expander.
Click to expand...

I missed the powder lockout die part. My bad......yeah, he can do what he wants with a 750, but not the 550. I do run dillons powder check on my 750, and do seating/crimping in seperate stations, so that would be a similar set up to what he's wanting to do.
 
The 550 is like the original Small Block Chevy. Great design and reliable.
The XL750 is like the 1993 forward roller cam reverse coolant flow mini ram intake SBC. Works effortlessly and makes gobs more power with minor head work.
These two Dillon presses are a lot like that. There is an entire cottage industry of really neat upgrades for both.
New CNC tool heads are $25 on ebay plus modified stuff from different sellers. Uniquetek makes a lot of great stuff too.
Conversion kits can get expensive but I simply went through all of the parts lists for each conversion kit and found that many of the same are used on different kits, so I ordered a bunch of blank CK empty boxes from Dillon and then with a label maker wrote on each which Station 1 ramp to use, which case bushing, which brass tube feed guide, index plates and pins, etc. The parts I didn't already have I ordered individually from Dillon to fill out my self made kits. The parts are always in stock whereas the entire Conversion Kit may not have been.
The money I saved allowed me to buy the different case feeder base plates for the auto case feeder.
Buy extra powder funnel dies, that allows you to move around the powder feed while leaving the base die on the tool head along with the sizing die and seating die.
I run a powder check for everything so a Mr. Bullet Feeder is not an option for me.
A lot of this stuff will carry over from your 550.
 
Once upon a time, I was shooting a lot of .45 ACP and the low leverage SDB just didn't suit. The 550 and 650 did not look like enough of an improvement, so I splurged on a 1050. I turned the SDB in on a 550 which I have used for other calibers.
Pre-covid, I had been using more 9mm and was considering an upgrade from 550 to 750 or 1050.
But panicdemic shortages vs personal supplies have put me back into .45, so I am back where I started.
Maybe if I can plant a small primer tree, I will again be interested in a faster 9mm machine.
 
Jim Watson said:
Once upon a time, I was shooting a lot of .45 ACP and the low leverage SDB just didn't suit. The 550 and 650 did not look like enough of an improvement, so I splurged on a 1050. I turned the SDB in on a 550 which I have used for other calibers.
Pre-covid, I had been using more 9mm and was considering an upgrade from 550 to 750 or 1050.
But panicdemic shortages vs personal supplies have put me back into .45, so I am back where I started.
Maybe if I can plant a small primer tree, I will again be interested in a faster 9mm machine.
Click to expand...
My small primer tree wasn't doing well......until the ruling against the California Assault Weapon ban........now it's being watered with the tears of progressives throughout the nation, and it's beginning to thrive.
 
jmorris said:
^ that doesn’t leave any room for what he is wanting to do.

The 4th sentence from the paragraph you quoted.



That means you need 3 stations after the powder charge, a powder check/lockout, seat, crimp. The 550, as you point out only has two. So, if a lock out was used it would need to be in #3 and seat/crimp would have to be combined at #4.

If he acquired a powder measure with a powder through expander and put in in station #2 of his pro 2000 he could put the lock out in #3 and seat then crimp in #4&5 without a new press, that has a measure with a powder through expander.
Click to expand...

Would you have a source for a powder measure with that capability that would work on my press? Google and I weren’t able to come up with anything.
 
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Klaatu Barada Nikto said:
I run a powder check for everything so a Mr. Bullet Feeder is not an option for me.
Click to expand...

It’s ashamed they didn’t abandon their less than ideal bullet collator because the design and execution of the GSI tool head/ bullet feeder was great.

If you find one of them, you can have bullet feed, seat then crimp in two different stations and keep #3 for powder check.

 
jmorris said:
It could be done with the Hornady measure and PTX.
https://press.hornady.com/assets/pc...-Measure-with-CAPD-Instructions1593003828.pdf

Better yet just get a powder through expander for the measure that came with your RCBS Pro 2000.

https://www.rcbs.com/progressive/pistol-powder-expanders-pro-2000/539.html

I think it’s a sign from above that you need one for 38/357 and another for 44/44mag bringing the total to $25.12 and they have free shipping on orders over $25...

View attachment 1002975
Click to expand...

Thanks for your help. In spite of all the years I’ve been using my press, for some reason I was unaware of that. Thanks again.
 
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