Replacing Square Deal B

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LopezEL

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So I'm pretty heavily invested in 2 Dillon Square Deal Bs but after checking out a friend's 550b I've decided that I'll be selling the square deals and getting either a 550b or something else. The 550B is just much more comfortable to load on.

My biggest complaint about the square deal is 1- cant reload rifle cartridges with it. 2- it's a pretty compact press and it's hard to look in the cases to make sure the powder is dropping. 3- it uses proprietary dies.

I know that Dillon's no BS warranty is very good, I've used it on a few occasions and they always ship parts out quickly when I've needed them. However, I've never used any of the other big name presses. I'd like to hear your opinions on what press I should replace these two square deals with?

I do have an RCBS rockchucker that I use occasionally. It's what I started loading with several years ago until I bought my first square deal for higher volume 9mm loading.
 
I have at least one of all the Dillon's myself, as well as have or have had other brands of progressives too.

If you like and have had good experiences with Dillon so far but just want a larger press that uses standard dies and can load rifle, the 550, 650 and 1050 can all fit that bill.
 
I love my 650. I don't do pistol on it but do load a lot of .223, .308 and some .30-06
 
How many different calibers do you load?
550 has fewer pieces to change out, 650 is faster when up and running.

Me? I would likely keep a SDB for 9mm and get a 550 for the other stuff.
 
Franky I reload 45acp and 9mm the most. I do some 223 and 308 as well. Currently doing those on the rockchucker.
 
Keep both SDB presses, leave one set for 9mm and one for .45; buy a 550 and use it for .223 and .308 . Since you don't do much .30-'06, continue on the Rockchucker. However, since you've got the dies for the '06, it uses the same shellplate and powder funnel as .308 so you'd only need an extra toolhead and powder die (and perhaps powder measure) to move it to the RL550. Other rifle calibers can be added at will, as can handgun calibers.

I use two toolheads on my 550 to load .223; first pass is resize/decap, followed by wet tumble, trim, inside/outside chamfer, primer pocket swege (as needed), and then sort by headstamp. Clean, prepped brass then goes back through the press for prime, charge, seat, and crimp. Most .223 I just use the Dillon measure but for my space gun I hand trickle to closest +- .01 grain.
 
Just thinking out loud....

OK.

Why not sell both SDBs, and purchase 1 Lee Classic Turret Press and about a dozen extra Lee turrets, a dozen Lee auto-drum powder measures and half a dozen Lee Safety Primes? This will give you high speed handloading in only one press that handles every caliber on the planet. As a bonus the whole kit-n-kaboodle is little less expensive.

:D
 
The LCT is a good bargain but using it in the same sentence as "high speed" is not something I would do.
 
LopezEL said:
My biggest complaint about the square deal is ...2- it's a pretty compact press and it's hard to look in the cases to make sure the powder is dropping.
Click to expand...

I agree with you there for taller cases like 38 Special. I've decided to move my 38 Special loading back to my Hornady L-N-L becasue I cannot see in the case.

But, for short cases like 45 ACP, 9x19 and 380 ACP, the SDB is great.

The change over between cartridges doesn't ring my bell either so I leave my SDBs set up for only once cartridge each.

I'd keep the SDB and dedicate it to one cartridge and get different press to satisfy your other needs.
 
thomas15 said:
Just thinking out loud....

OK.

Why not sell both SDBs, and purchase 1 Lee Classic Turret Press and about a dozen extra Lee turrets, a dozen Lee auto-drum powder measures and half a dozen Lee Safety Primes? This will give you high speed handloading in only one press that handles every caliber on the planet. As a bonus the whole kit-n-kaboodle is little less expensive.

:D
Click to expand...
Thinking out loud isn't one of your strong points.
 
Someone who sells their Dillon's and replaces them with another brand, especially Lee, should have their Mancard revoked.
 
I agree with the several previous posts against replacing Dillon with Lee. I love some (many actually) Lee products, but I got into Dillon by LEAVING a Lee "progressive" and would never recommend anyone leave Dillon for Lee.
 
:D :D :D

Just thinking out loud again.

as an aside, if I'm known for any one thing on this and several other like minded forums it's my attitude towards the attitude of the fans of Lee Precision and the absurd claims they make about said products.
 
There not all absurd even if they sound like it. I have a load master that has loaded 100 rounds in under 4 min.
 
TJx said:
Someone who sells their Dillon's and replaces them with another brand, especially Lee, should have their Mancard revoked.
Click to expand...

Definitely not selling and going to Lee. I have some Lee dies and some casting equipment. They work fine but I was really looking for opinions on the other big three: RCBS, Hornady, and Lyman. I've never used any of their progressive presses and although they don't have a no BS warranty, I've heard that they also take care of their customers.

I'd say the weak point on the Dillon is the priming system. I'm constantly having to adjust something on it in order for it to prime consistently. Whats everyone's experience with the other machines out there?
 
I'd say the weak point on the Dillon is the priming system. I'm constantly having to adjust something on it in order for it to prime consistently. Whats everyone's experience with the other machines out there?
Click to expand...

I think he best priming system is the Dillon 650 (if no chance of a swaged or tight pocket), the most often complaint is that they always have a primer ready to seat.

The Achilles heal of the SD, 550 and 1050 is the plastic primer tube tip but if you swap them out at the first sign of problems, your good to go. They will also send you them for free, forever.
 
If you want a progressive that flat out works w/ no issues then stick to Dillon. Just a matter of if you want manual or auto advance. I have a 550B because I load for a lot of different cartridges and I'm constantly changing them out. On a 650 there is more to change out. I don't need that type of production and the cost is to high.

If I were in the same situation I would keep both SDBs and pick up a 550B. The SDBs are great for pistol reloading. Keep them for each primer size. And then pick up two 550Bs so you don't have to change primer assemblies ;) The priming system isn't hard to change out on the 550B. But it does add time. That's why you buy two of them :laugh:

I've had no priming issue on the 550B. It seats a primer every time just like it's supposed to.
 
I have (2) Dillon SDB progressives. One set up for 45ACP and the other 9mm-Luger. The (2) SDB progressives were acquired after the Dillon 550. The main reason for acquiring the Dillon 550 was to be able to reload rifle and pistol.

I was never satisfied with the Dillon 550 for loading rifle. I acquired the adapter from Dillon to mount a Redding powder measure (manually operated) as opposed to the standard OEM Dillon Measure.

After awhile I decided to go back to a single stage press for rifle reloading acquiring a Redding press.

The Dillon 550 is relegated to reloading match reloads 45ACP 200Gr SWC and the SDB reloads ball equivalent 230Gr ball loads which is most of what I shoot.
 
Maybe keep the Dillons for 9mm and .45 and buy a Lee LCT for the .223/.308 and anything else?
Caliber changes on the Lee are quick and inexpensive, I think the turrets are running around $14 or so.
While not as fast as a 550 quite a bit less money but much faster than a SS.
 
I have loaded on the Square Deal B (45acp,40 SW & 38Spl/357) for 20+ years & really like Dillon customer service & support. Since I'm not a high volume user, I don't have 2 SQ Deal machines but have often considered adding a 550 for ease of switching calibers & leaving the Sq Deal set up for 45acp. I load mostly 45acp so another machine to switch to a small primer caliber makes sense. Still on the fence though because I really like the Square Deal.
 
I have two 650s one is set up for .38 Special and the other
for .45 Auto. I use standard presses for rifle.

Zeke
 
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