Jump to content
SASS Wire Forum

Progressive reloader question


Randingo

Recommended Posts

I am tired of using my single stage and looking at a Dillon.  The Square Deal B looks like a good option but never having one I was curious what those of you running them thought.   Other options???

 

Thanks!!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 70
  • Created
  • Last Reply

I drank the blue koolaid three years ago and bought a used 550B. I liked it so well I bought another. One for .45 Colt and the other for .357. I regret nothing.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Count me as another for the 550B (now C). I never have cared for the auto-advance feature of the Square Deal or the 650 (now 750). On the 550, I can easily make 600 per hour as long as I have preloaded primer tubes. Their no BS warrantee is just that, whatever breaks/wears out/goes bad...Dillon replaces it at no charge. This warrantee, evidently, no longer includes electronic items.

 

Can't go wrong with blue.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I own a Dillon 650 and a 550; I'm pleased with both.  Now that my wife also shoots, I need both to keep up with ammo for multiple shoots a month.

 

Dillons are great machines with the best warranty in the business.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The square deal b is a decent loader and will turn out some good ammo but it is limited to pistol cartridges only.  It also doesn't have a case feeder or bullet feeder so you have to place a case in the carrier and place a bullet.  It does auto index.  If you think you might move to loading .223, .300 blk, or something like that then I would look at a dillon 750.  I load on a used 650 and love it.  Only difference with a 750 is it has a different primer system than the 650. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I went from a square deal b to a xl750 when I won it at a raffle. If I hadn’t won the 750 I’d still be using my SDB. If you will only be loading one pistol caliber and shoot maybe one or two matches a month then the SDB will serve you well. If you load more than one caliber and/or more than 1 or 2 matches a month consider a 550 or even a Lee 4 hole progressive turret press… 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

39 minutes ago, Randingo said:

I am tired of using my single stage and looking at a Dillon.  The Square Deal B looks like a good option but never having one I was curious what those of you running them thought.   Other options???

 

Thanks!!!

Several years ago I picked up a Square Deal in 9 mm at an estate sale. Looked brand new. Was thinking of using it as a backup to my 550. Turns out I had such an investment in dies and tool heads for the 550 that the SD turned out to be redundant. A friend was shooting his one pistol (9mm S&W) so I sold it to him at cost, spent a weekend helping him learn to reload and he has been very happy ever since. In that process I found out the SD is a very impressive piece of equipment, easy to learn, easy to use and very consistent and reliable. Now my 550 is used for more exotic calibers and I load Wild Bunch (45 ACP and 45 Colt) on a used 650 (large primer) and Cowboy/IDPA (38 special and 9mm) on a new 750 (small primer).

Love my blue!

Regards

:FlagAm:  :FlagAm:  :FlagAm:

Gateway Kid

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have a 650 and a 750. And they are great especially if you plan on loading more then one caliber. Also any kind of volume. It's great not working about having to conserve ammo as I can just go home and punch out 500 - 750 more in about an hour. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 minutes ago, El Catorce said:

I went from a square deal b to a xl750 when I won it at a raffle. If I hadn’t won the 750 I’d still be using my SDB. If you will only be loading one pistol caliber and shoot maybe one or two matches a month then the SDB will serve you well. If you load more than one caliber and/or more than 1 or 2 matches a month consider a 550 or even a Lee 4 hole progressive turret press… 

Are you outfitting your CAS hobby with raffle prizes? Bullets, gun cart, and now a 750!
 

La Sombra

Link to comment
Share on other sites

13 minutes ago, CASiringo said:

If you are shooting .38, there is a square deal for sale on the classifieds page

 

45 LC for now and 38 down the road.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Another plug for the 550's      Although I did get a Square Deal for my son who only loads pistol.  He is very happy with the Square Deal    GW

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Save the hassle. Get a 550. The SDB uses proprietary dies. The 550 uses standard dies.

FYI, I have a 550 and two dedicated SDBs for 45ACP and 9mm. I also have a SL900. Yea, drank that Blue stuff.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I owned two SDB, grandson has one and my brother has the other. I load on a 550 and SG on a sl900. The 550 is my favorite by far because it is not auto-index. The others all are auto-indexing machines. With auto-index, if you have a problem on one station, you then have a problem on every station. With the 550 I can correct whatever the problem is and go on loading. With the auto-index progressives it aint so simple. The others are great presses and I am committed to Big Blue, just have a preference among them. I do like to be able to use any commercially available 7/8-14 dies in the 550. Unfortunately the SDB uses proprietary die sets and only pistol calibers.

My $.02

 

Imis

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have both a 550 and a 650 and like both.  I recommend you keep the single stage mounted on the reloading bench.  They are handy for small lot reloading like 45-70 rifle ammo for side matches.  If your progressive breaks and you have to order parts, the single stage will keep you in the game until parts arrive.  I like that the 550 is not auto-indexing.  I like that the 650 has a spare hole for a powder lockout die.  I bought a Lee progressive press once that worked OK except for the priming system that is quite inferior to Dillon's.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, Edward R S Canby, SASS#59971 said:

I have both a 550 and a 650 and like both.  I recommend you keep the single stage mounted on the reloading bench.  They are handy for small lot reloading like 45-70 rifle ammo for side matches.  If your progressive breaks and you have to order parts, the single stage will keep you in the game until parts arrive.  I like that the 550 is not auto-indexing.  I like that the 650 has a spare hole for a powder lockout die.  I bought a Lee progressive press once that worked OK except for the priming system that is quite inferior to Dillon's.

Bingo! I sold my single stage when I first got the 550 - ended up buying another - IMO you need both a SS and a Progressive.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The big Watch out if something goes wrong on a 550, is to fix it, examine every shell case on the plate to be certain you are where you think you are.  If you are ever in doubt, sideline the rounds and disassemble / recycle. An excellent device I've had for a long time.  I was having some issues after many years, sent it back to Dillon and it came back as new, free.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Randingo said:

I am tired of using my single stage and looking at a Dillon.  The Square Deal B looks like a good option but never having one I was curious what those of you running them thought.   Other options???

 

Thanks!!!

I love ours...we have 3...

I like the way it runs and it it easy for me to watch the 4 stages.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I started reloading with an RCBS single stage back in the early 90’s, then went to a Hornady Projector. When I started in Cowboy I bought a Lee Pro 1000, I was shooting .45 Colt. When I switched to .38 I got a Dillon 650, because I was used to an auto index. I like the fact that I can use the powder check die in the 650 (now 750). Last fall I bought a SDB because the price was right and I plan to use it if and when I want to load .45 Colt and possibly .45acp and get rid of the Lee and the Hornady.  I would definitely go with a Dillon and if you load slow enough to be able to check the powder level each throw (which I plan to do if I use the SDB) otherwise go wise go with one you can use the Powder Check or Lockout Die in.

 

Just my opinion.

 Randy 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I’ve had a couple of square deal Bs in the past, but settled on 550s in the end.

The SDB is great for a single caliber, but not nearly as easy to change calibers on as a 550.  As mentioned above, the SDB does not use standard dies, which can be a consideration.

I also prefer the manual indexing of the 550.  When things go wrong, and they will, nothing has advanced automatically so it is easier to sort out where you were when things acted up.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, La Sombra said:

Are you outfitting your CAS hobby with raffle prizes? Bullets, gun cart, and now a 750!
 

La Sombra

The prizes are actually getting expensive :( …. Spent 3x as much on upgrades like case feeder and powder check for the 750 than i did for my SDB…. since I could change out calibers easier with the 750 I started playing around with 45LC ‘58 conversions so then needed 45 revolvers and rifle… and since I already had the rifle I might as well get a 1911 and a 97 for wild bunch… plus’s the 45acp conversion ….  range gear gun cart got me into Plano storage boxes and ammo cans for different calibers … I liked the bullets from bear creek so much that I just ordered 4K RNFP from bear creek lol… it only sounds like it’s a good thing to win those prizes …my Miss A’Lil Letty hates it when I win something 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I went from the RCBS Jr. 2, I was gifted back in the early 1970's to a Dillon 550B in 1987... I finally wore it out a year or so ago, and Dillon replaced with a 550C under their no BS warranty.  In 2002 I bought a second 550 in order to have presses set up for both large & small primer.

 

I considered the SQD and at the time my 2 best friends had Dillons, a SQD and a 450.  Since I already had dies for 9mm, .38/.357, .44Mag & 45 Colt, I selected the 550 (450 being discontinued by then),  because it would allow me to use my existing dies.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I started with a rock chucker loading center fire rifle, then got a 550 for Cowboy and also used for the same rifles I was loading with the rock chucker.  But I still use the RC occasionally. Then got a hornady 366 for loading shotgun. As already stated by other the SDB takes proprietary dies and can only to pistol. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

i parted company with my progressive - hornaday 366 - and am looking for a single stage that will make me happy , i no longer load enough rounds to deal with the issues , if i can make three boxes in a sitting ill be happy , but i fully understand your motivation if you shoot enough to warrant it , i spent a week reloading recently and have reloaded everything i shot last year , maybe ill shoot more this year - no problem i have a large stock of what i need and can spend two or three weeks next winter catching back up gives me something to do that i like , 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

@watab kid maybe consider a turret press like the Lee. You can store the loaded turrets easily and caliber change is a breeze. And you can set it up to run like a single stage or self-indexing.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I started with a SDB and had zero complaints. As others have said, if your volume is low, you don’t mind the proprietary dies, and you’re only loading pistol caliber, it’s a great press.

 

When Sharyn caught the bug, and later Michael, it became difficult to keep up with our ammo needs on the SDB, so I upgraded to a 650. The 650 gets used, a lot!  I’ve broken springs, the auto indexing ring, decap pins, and had a nice primer chain fire, all parts replaced for free, no BS.

 

OTH, I’m not fond at all of my SL900, it’s sits in the closet with a couple of broken parts I haven’t bothered to replace because it’s a PIA to operate and I would rather cough up the bucks and buy factory 12 gauge.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

17 minutes ago, Captain Bill Burt said:

I started with a SDB and had zero complaints. As others have said, if your volume is low, you don’t mind the proprietary dies, and you’re only loading pistol caliber, it’s a great press.

 

When Sharyn caught the bug, and later Michael, it became difficult to keep up with our ammo needs on the SDB, so I upgraded to a 650. The 650 gets used, a lot!  I’ve broken springs, the auto indexing ring, decap pins, and had a nice primer chain fire, all parts replaced for free, no BS.

 

OTH, I’m not fond at all of my SL900, it’s sits in the closet with a couple of broken parts I haven’t bothered to replace because it’s a PIA to operate and I would rather cough up the bucks and buy factory 12 gauge.

What factory 12g loads are you running?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.


×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.