I purchased a Dillon XL650 directly from Dillon and finally hammered out some rounds on it, so I figured I would do a review of the unit.
Dillon XL650
Initial Setup & Parts
The Dillon is pretty straight forward, simply follow the instructions (which are good) and put everything together. You'll need a few things like wrenches (standard), allens (come with the unit), and a ratchet (very handy). An adjustable crescent wrench would be handy if you don't own some of the bigger 7/8"+ sockets or wrenches.
Sorting out the dies on the first go-around is probably the most time consuming aspect of the entire process. Dillon has a basic how-to on their instruction packet, but I would recommend looking at a few videos on YouTube. Fortunately I have already been through this process, and saved some time in doing so. What I was not used to was the busy interface you get with a turret press. Having to spin a piece of brass around, remove index buttons, etc. and removing dies you forgot to tighten down ... all in all you'll make some bonehead mistakes, but no harm done. It's alot busier than your basic RCBS single stage.
Loading Rounds
The biggest pain in the ass on the Dillon setup is priming. I swear I could hand prime the cases faster than it takes to load the damn tube setup. Evidently I am a retard when it comes to operating this part of the machine.
Besides the priming, the auto-indexing and smooth operation just makes hammering out ammo easy! I was using Titegroup and the powder throws were all within 0.1 grains with the vast majority of them being the 4.2 grains I was looking for.
I realize what people say about the progressives being too busy for a first time reloader, but I still maintain that this is hogwash. It IS busy, but you control the entire operation. Set a list in your head similar to this:
1) Primer In #2(Push Forward)
2) Load Case into #1
3) Check For Powder Charge in #4
4) Seat Bullet onto Bell in #4
5) Charge / Seat / Crimp (Pull Op Rod Down)
I have the 3rd die setup as the powder check station, but currently I am running it off. So you could omit #3 if you absolutely trust the powder check.
Basically if you can slow down, pay attention, and work methodically you can jump on a progressive and smoke out some rounds. If you can't do this ... expect alot of squibs, overcharges, and other mishaps.
Progressive over Single Stage
If you have a handgun ... get a progressive. The single stage is a dinosaur compared to this ammo factory. I can't wait until I get this baby rocking full tilt tomorrow.
If you load precision rifle, this press is not for you. I HIGHLY recommend the RCBS Rockchucker with good dies and a detailed process.
If you have the wanton desire to put the chrome lining in your AR15 down range ... get a progressive. Lubricating the brass is about the only real difference besides some longer die setup (shouldered cases). If you have military brass and really want to hammer out rounds, look into the Dillon 1050. It has a swaging setup on it and can be configured with an automatic case trimmer.
Caliber Switching
The first time you do this you'll be wanting another 650 setup for the other primer size. It's pretty straightforward, but depends on the switch.
Going from .45 ACP to 9mm you can expect to...
- Remove the .45 Shell Plate
- Remove the .45 Die Head
- Remove the Priming System
- Change the Priming Wheel
- Change the Primer Tube Feeder
- Change the Primer Pusher
- Reinstall Priming System
- Install 9mm Shell Plate
- Install 9mm Die Head
- Install 9mm Locater Pins
After you do it once, it shouldn't take more than 10 - 15 minutes to do this.
Extras
Casefeeder ... if it works, then it is worthwhile. The 650 is really configured for the casefeeder, so inputing cases by hand is a bit of a hassle. I don't have the $300 for the setup at the moment so it'll be on pause.
Strong Mount ... I have one for the press to raise it up. It also gives it a wider birth which gives a wee-bit more stability. Frankly, if you nail the sucker down on the bench, it's not going to make a huge difference.
Die Heads / Caliber Conversions ... GET A SEPARATE DIE HEAD FOR EACH CALIBER! This is the beauty of the Dillon system. You'll only have to setup the dies once so long as your load remains the same for the various calibers.
Powder Bars / Throwers ... GET A SEPARATE SETUP FOR MAJOR CALIBERS. I have one for 9mm and one for .45, this keeps the charge weights the same and makes for faster changing between calibers.
Dillon XL650
Initial Setup & Parts
The Dillon is pretty straight forward, simply follow the instructions (which are good) and put everything together. You'll need a few things like wrenches (standard), allens (come with the unit), and a ratchet (very handy). An adjustable crescent wrench would be handy if you don't own some of the bigger 7/8"+ sockets or wrenches.
Sorting out the dies on the first go-around is probably the most time consuming aspect of the entire process. Dillon has a basic how-to on their instruction packet, but I would recommend looking at a few videos on YouTube. Fortunately I have already been through this process, and saved some time in doing so. What I was not used to was the busy interface you get with a turret press. Having to spin a piece of brass around, remove index buttons, etc. and removing dies you forgot to tighten down ... all in all you'll make some bonehead mistakes, but no harm done. It's alot busier than your basic RCBS single stage.
Loading Rounds
The biggest pain in the ass on the Dillon setup is priming. I swear I could hand prime the cases faster than it takes to load the damn tube setup. Evidently I am a retard when it comes to operating this part of the machine.
Besides the priming, the auto-indexing and smooth operation just makes hammering out ammo easy! I was using Titegroup and the powder throws were all within 0.1 grains with the vast majority of them being the 4.2 grains I was looking for.
I realize what people say about the progressives being too busy for a first time reloader, but I still maintain that this is hogwash. It IS busy, but you control the entire operation. Set a list in your head similar to this:
1) Primer In #2(Push Forward)
2) Load Case into #1
3) Check For Powder Charge in #4
4) Seat Bullet onto Bell in #4
5) Charge / Seat / Crimp (Pull Op Rod Down)
I have the 3rd die setup as the powder check station, but currently I am running it off. So you could omit #3 if you absolutely trust the powder check.
Basically if you can slow down, pay attention, and work methodically you can jump on a progressive and smoke out some rounds. If you can't do this ... expect alot of squibs, overcharges, and other mishaps.
Progressive over Single Stage
If you have a handgun ... get a progressive. The single stage is a dinosaur compared to this ammo factory. I can't wait until I get this baby rocking full tilt tomorrow.
If you load precision rifle, this press is not for you. I HIGHLY recommend the RCBS Rockchucker with good dies and a detailed process.
If you have the wanton desire to put the chrome lining in your AR15 down range ... get a progressive. Lubricating the brass is about the only real difference besides some longer die setup (shouldered cases). If you have military brass and really want to hammer out rounds, look into the Dillon 1050. It has a swaging setup on it and can be configured with an automatic case trimmer.
Caliber Switching
The first time you do this you'll be wanting another 650 setup for the other primer size. It's pretty straightforward, but depends on the switch.
Going from .45 ACP to 9mm you can expect to...
- Remove the .45 Shell Plate
- Remove the .45 Die Head
- Remove the Priming System
- Change the Priming Wheel
- Change the Primer Tube Feeder
- Change the Primer Pusher
- Reinstall Priming System
- Install 9mm Shell Plate
- Install 9mm Die Head
- Install 9mm Locater Pins
After you do it once, it shouldn't take more than 10 - 15 minutes to do this.
Extras
Casefeeder ... if it works, then it is worthwhile. The 650 is really configured for the casefeeder, so inputing cases by hand is a bit of a hassle. I don't have the $300 for the setup at the moment so it'll be on pause.
Strong Mount ... I have one for the press to raise it up. It also gives it a wider birth which gives a wee-bit more stability. Frankly, if you nail the sucker down on the bench, it's not going to make a huge difference.
Die Heads / Caliber Conversions ... GET A SEPARATE DIE HEAD FOR EACH CALIBER! This is the beauty of the Dillon system. You'll only have to setup the dies once so long as your load remains the same for the various calibers.
Powder Bars / Throwers ... GET A SEPARATE SETUP FOR MAJOR CALIBERS. I have one for 9mm and one for .45, this keeps the charge weights the same and makes for faster changing between calibers.