Dillon VS Hornady

[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.