Dillon VS Hornady

[Sako]

I use a Dillon 650 for my short range .223 loads and was contemplating buying another progressive to load 30-06 on. Have any of you used BOTH machines and could give me a recommendation on weather to stay with another 650 or look into a Hornady progressive?
Thanks
Steven

[Twinson]

With the changeable toolheads and shell plates of the 550b. Why would you need two presses? It takes me 2 minutes to swap out calibers on the 550b. Just get the extra powder measurer for the 550b and off you go.

[Sako]

I have plenty of room a I like the idea of having a loader deadicated to one task.

[Litt'le Lee]

how could you go wrong with a Dillon set up for small primers and another set up with large primers

[da gimp]

2 members of our club have earned their CMP/Distinguished Rifleman awards with ammo being loaded on Dillon 550B's......... After talking with them years ago, we began loading nearly all .30-06, 7.62NATO & .223 Rem ammo on ours, as well as all pistol ammo except for .22LR & .32ACP.

If we come up with an ideal load of powder/bullet combo for a particular rifle.......... after that, it is loaded on our Dillon 550B.

[jimb]

I have two Dillons. One set up for large primers and the other for small.....

[joem]

IMHO I'd stay with Dillon. Parts interchange and familarity with one machine will pay off in the future.

[Former Cav]

I've had a hornady and I went to the dillon 550 RB.
I have never looked back.
I've loaded maybe 100K rounds through it since about 1997 or so.
I took it to dillon and told them I had a few worn parts.
they called me in about 8 days and said come and get it (I live 3 miles from them)
I went over and they gave me a NEW press with maybe 3 of my old parts on it.
You can't beat that.
I'd stay with the Dillon.

[joem]

Be really nice to live close to Dillon. I've been using my 650 since about 1993 and have worn out several parts which were replaced N/C from Dillon. So far I worn out a Dillon tumbler, a RCBS tumbler, the toggle mechanism on a Hornady Loc & load, the motor on my cases feeder and various springs and other small parts. I have no idea how many rounds I've loaded.

[Col. Colt]

I would advise the Dillion 650 - for the extra station that takes a powder check die. I started with a 550 and an IPSC partner, who built us a loading room in his house. Problem is, some nights he would load until he was a bit tired, distracted, whatever - and fail to refill the powder measure! I once pulled 250 .45ACP bullets the night before a match to guard against a squib load! We sold the 550 to someone else in the club and ordered a new 650 that same week. With the 650 and the powder check, if the level in the case is dangerously low (or high) it buzzes at you - saving a wrecked gun and possible personal injury. Go with the 650! My guns, and my health, is worth the extra. CC

[joem]

I found out early that the low powder sensor and safety powder check was needed. you can go through a lot of powder in a very short time.

[Dan Shapiro]

+Dillon.

[Litt'le Lee]

My bub brought by a Hornady progressive last week--I looked at the DVD and looked at the written manual and boxed it back up and said--you put it together !!
My 550B will stay on my bench !!!

[Jim in Salt Lake]

When I bought my Dillon, I started thinking that the press was the cheapest part. If you want to take advantage of quick caliber changes, you need to buy a bunch of tool heads and powder dies, or in Hornady's case, those thingies (that's a technical term, honest!) that you screw on your dies so they plug into the press quickly. If you have presses from two different manufacturers, then you're buying double tool heads. If it was me, I'd stick with Dillon since that's what you have already. You'll only have to get parts and accessories for one type of tool. And reading Litt'le Lee's post, you'll only have one press to learn, and you already know your Dillon.

[BlitzKrieg]

I got a Dillon 550 and a Dillon 650 but in all honesty, I don't see why a Hornady LNL progressive won't do the job just fine.
That 5th die station on 650 is what swayed me with the auto powder check buzzer.

[joem]

"the auto powder check buzzer and low powder sensor are a must. After loading many .30-06 with no powder I ordered both sensors. Tear down was real time consuming.

[BlitzKrieg]

I would advise the Dillion 650 - for the extra station that takes a powder check die. I started with a 550 and an IPSC partner, who built us a loading room in his house. Problem is, some nights he would load until he was a bit tired, distracted, whatever - and fail to refill the powder measure! I once pulled 250 .45ACP bullets the night before a match to guard against a squib load! We sold the 550 to someone else in the club and ordered a new 650 that same week. With the 650 and the powder check, if the level in the case is dangerously low (or high) it buzzes at you - saving a wrecked gun and possible personal injury. Go with the 650! My guns, and my health, is worth the extra. CC

Gents, I have the 550 and 650. I went to the 650 as I wanted the powder check die station feature for reasons stated above which is nice to have. I would submit, although its a back up safety check, I pause at the bullet seating station and look into the case (have a light rigged to shine directly into the case, sold by inlinefabrications.com ) and do the M1 Eyeball check for powder. My primary is the eye ball, and that powder check buzzer / gauge on the 650 is just a nice back up just in case. Suggest any 650 or 550 owner do the M1 Eyeball check.

Since I have drank all the Dillon Blue cool aid, I am going to say: the Hornady LNL press will suffice for anything either Dillon press will do at a far lesser cost and far lesser caliber change over costs and with a far better powder measure system (accuracy of charges thrown). Hate to rain on the Dillon parade but facts are : LNL is also a superb press.

[Former Cav]

I can't imagine how you can load 200 plus rounds with NO powder in them! You must be very distracted or something.
Only time I had to pull bullets was when I had a .243's chamber re-cut and the barrel "set back". I said "screw that" and bought another .243 where the bullets FIT. I sold the other one to a guy who wanted to make it a .308.

[joem]

Once I had a obstruction in the powder die as in no powder dropped. The cause was a dead bug in the powder reservoir when I left to cover off after dumping the powder. The safety powder check saved me a bunch of time.

[DRAGONFLYDF]

Hornady LnL, with bullet and case feeder. I use it for both smokeless and black powder cartridges, never a issue and I load for a lot of different calibers .223, 7.7 jap, 7.5 swiss, 8mm Mauser, 30 carbine, 30 30 Winchester, 30 40 Krag, 30 06, 7.62 x 54R Russian, 45 70 Govt, 9mm, 38 357, 45 ACP, 45 Colt,
Each caliber has the dies preset in the LnL bushings, and I have a preset measuring insert for the powder measure. I also keep a note as to which shuttle to use for the case feeder.
I bought my press when they had the rebate for 1000 bullets, so the press was almost free.
I live in Phx, but I gotten better service from Hornady than I have from Dillon.