I just drank the blue kool aid

[bkoenig]

Fedex guy dropped off a Dillon RL550B this morning.  This is going to be quite a step up from a Lee turret press.

Any other Dillon owners out there have any tips?  I haven't bought any caliber conversion kits yet.  I plan to start with 9mm.  Once I get it up and running I'll probably put the turret press up for sale.

[Bigtony]

Can't wait to try blue kool aid for metallic.  I have the big  dillon sl900 shotshell but green kool aid is my flavor for metallic.  That sl900 is probably more than I need.

[OnTheFly]

Yeah...get the XL650.   

Fly

[Lorimor]

Unless you have a single stage press, I wouldn't get rid of the turret press.  I use my single stage to do miscellaneous work.  If I have some crimped brass that I need to deprime and remove the crimp, it's off to the single and the Lee universal depriming die.

[bkoenig]

I have a Lee Classic Cast single stage that I use for precision stuff.  That thing is a beast.  I'll keep that but I really don't have room for three presses on my bench. 

Actually, I also have a Lee hand press so technically I own four now.  The hand press just gets used as a depriming tool with a universal depriming die, though. 

Yeah...get the XL650.

I really thought about it.

[Mudnrox]

Get one of these http://inlinefabrication.com/products/skylighttm-led-lighting-kit-for-the-dillon-550 to light up everything

[bkoenig]

Get one of these http://inlinefabrication.com/products/skylighttm-led-lighting-kit-for-the-dillon-550 to light up everything

Ok, that's pretty cool. 

[OnTheFly]

Get one of these http://inlinefabrication.com/products/skylighttm-led-lighting-kit-for-the-dillon-550 to light up everything

+1000  These are VERY nice as you get older and the vision in low light starts to go.

Fly

[Lorimor]

+1000  These are VERY nice as you get older and the vision in low light starts to go.

Fly

I hope I never get that old.   

Only a 75,000 hour life span.  I don't know if that meets my needs. 

[bkoenig]

Just ran my first rounds through the Dillon.  Man, that is a slick machine.  Definitely not for beginners, though.  There's a lot going on.

I really need one of those light kits.  The light isn't very good in my reloading room.

Now, hopefully I can find more pistol powder....

[Gary]

I admire folks that have the mindset to reload.  Someday, I may venture into it. 

[OnTheFly]

Definitely not for beginners, though.

I would disagree.  It just depends on your level of technical knowledge and abilities.  I doubt, considering the projects you have tackled, that a younger bkoenig with no reloading experience would have had any problems handling a 550 or XL650.  I started on a 550, though I had problems due to press malfunctions.  I went to a 650XL shortly after reloading a few hundred.

Fly

[JTH]

Just ran my first rounds through the Dillon.  Man, that is a slick machine.  Definitely not for beginners, though.  There's a lot going on.

I really need one of those light kits.  The light isn't very good in my reloading room.

Instead of buying a light kit, go buy a BBQ grill light.    Costs about $15, and with some AA batteries works just fine.    True, true, you'll have to change out the batteries every once in awhile....

I think beginners could work it just fine, IF they are the type of person who actually reads directions.  If not....yeah, that'll be bad.

I had a single stage for awhile, bought myself a 550 and wished I had STARTED with it instead.  Of course, now I have a Super 1050, and I am planning on putting in a bullet feeder and a motor so I can just sit there and watch it work for me....I love this thing.

[bkoenig]

I think a 550 COULD work well for a beginner, with one exception.  Not having auto index opens up the possibility of forgetting to advance to the next stage and ending up with a double charge.  Of course if you are smart you'll be using powder that fills the case enough that you can't double charge it.

[OnTheFly]

I think a 550 COULD work well for a beginner, with one exception.  Not having auto index opens up the possibility of forgetting to advance to the next stage and ending up with a double charge.  Of course if you are smart you'll be using powder that fills the case enough that you can't double charge it.

My problem was the opposite.  Four squib loads.  Two for me and two for my friend who was foolish enough to let a newb do some reloading for him.  I would agree that having to manually index the shell plate seems trivial, but adds just enough complexity that another distraction like what I had will quickly get you off track.

Fly

[bkoenig]

My problem was the opposite.  Four squib loads.  Two for me and two for my friend who was foolish enough to let a newb do some reloading for him.  I would agree that having to manually index the shell plate seems trivial, but adds just enough complexity that another distraction like what I had will quickly get you off track.

Fly

That's definitely a potential problem, too.  One thing I did like about the old Lee turret press was the auto index.  It made it harder to skip a step.  I have found that once I got going with the Dillon it's very easy, though.  I think the trick is to establish a set of steps for each pull of the handle, and if you get distracted for any reason or anything gets messed up  it's a good idea to stop and review each station to make sure you know what's going on.

Now I need a .223 caliber conversion...

[Lorimor]

I think everyone should start on a single stage press.  Or better yet, a Lee kit.   That way you REALLY appreciate a progressive press.  If you're a good mechanic and detail oriented, you can start with a progressive IMHO, but a single stage really helps you learn the process. 

I won't say how long I've been reloading, but I started on a single stage 'cause that's all there was.  And we lubed the cases with pterodactyl grease. 

I still find a single stage press comes in very handy though and would never be without one.

[bkoenig]

I would never get rid of my single stage press, if for no other reason than it's just not economically feasible to buy a new tool head and conversion kit for some of the calibers that I don't load a lot of.  I'll probably just use the Dillon for .223 and 9mm since that's about 90% of my shooting.

Oh yeah, and I found a problem with the Dillon.  I'm now able to load faster than I can clean brass.  Now I need a new tumbler.

[abbafandr]

[/quote]

I think everyone should start on a single stage press.  Or better yet, a Lee kit.   That way you REALLY appreciate a progressive press.  If you're a good mechanic and detail oriented, you can start with a progressive IMHO, but a single stage really helps you learn the process. 

I won't say how long I've been reloading, but I started on a single stage 'cause that's all there was.  And we lubed the cases with pterodactyl grease. 

I still find a single stage press comes in very handy though and would never be without one.

I started with a Lee turret press ( still using it).  I used it as a single stage at first, just to get a better feel on what was going on.

[abbafandr]

I'm now able to load faster than I can clean brass.

Even a minor problem with Mr Lee