Get Started: Loading on a Progressive Press

[@kramr7012]

Over ten years ago I watched your videos with a Hornady L-N-L progressive. Thousands of rounds later, very satisfied. Thanks for making information available all these years. And weathering all the critics I've seen chime in.

[@gregtruchot8826]

That's funny. I was just thinking about the earlier videos with the Hornady L-N-L AP. I also purchased one, but it seems like it has taken a back seat. How about an update with this press sometime?

[@pjjd65]

It's funny how things work out sometimes. Two years ago if you would have asked me if I'd ever own a progressive press, I would have said no. I have since taken a deep dive into the rabbit hole. Today I own 6 progressive presses, and I love it! That's in large part to your videos. You have separated me from a lot of money, buts that's okay. 😄

[@frankw7266]

Bought my 650 over 25 years ago, and the spare parts kit to go along with it. In that time, over many hundreds of thousands of rounds, I've pulled ONE part out of the spare parts, and that was the indexer return spring. Called Dillon, and they had that part in the mail to me the next day. The 750 is now almost triple what I paid for my 650 back then, but knowing what I know, I would buy it again in a heartbeat.

[@bradywebb1311]

Your press shootout vid was why I chose my Dillon Super 1050. Then, my Dillon XL750... I use the 1050 for my high production, medium quality stuff... Think, lots of plinking ammo. I use my single stage press for load development, then move to the XL750 to speed up production on my precision ammunition. I caution anybody that is thinking about a progressive press: Take your time. A progressive press takes a lot of work to set up so it works with as few flaws as possible... (flawless loading is not an option with any press, but you'll really learn that with a progressive) Once you get them set up and running, they are amazing time savers! Don't get frustrated. They need some tuning. Work out the issues one stage at a time, until it works consistently, then move on to dialing in the next stage.. OH, buy multiple tool heads.... Once you get one set up for a caliber, you won't want to change anything!! 😂 Take lots of notes.....

[@jrteekamp]

I bought a Dillon XL 750 after starting with a Lee pro 1000 which I bought second hand ! Buying the Dillon is the best thing I had ever bought ! What a machine . Complete with al the features like motorized case and bullet feeder , powder check For my 6,5 mm creedmore I still use my RCBS single Press

[@wyattreese2078]

Just got a 550c. All of your videos are seriously underrated. Thank you.

[@canesince83]

How is it? I've been looking at this press but haven't pulled the trigger

[@wyattreese2078]

@ it’s different, I switched from the Lyman all American 8. Definitely gotta get used to it but so far I like it! The powder measure took a while to set correctly so it wouldn’t spill powder.

[@canesince83]

@wyattreese2078 I looked at the AA8 but my mind keeps going back to the 550c

[@KRN762]

I learned to reload on a Dillon 650. Steep learning curve! 😊

[@loupuleff571]

I'm still using my RCBS 4x4 progressive it's only a four station but if you use a powder thru die you gain a die spot I basically leave it set up for 45 acp for bullseye loads I would like another press but so many things to consider and of course the cost is crazy now a days.

[@danaanderson9976]

I have 2 of those RCBS 4X4 presses and I got them both for cheap. I am going to set them up for 308 brass prep on one press and loading on the other press

[@moushunter]

The 4x4 is a monster. I used to have one.

[@michaelt.9372]

The rl550 is the best beginner progressive press out there I’d say. It’s easy as hell to set up, and your ROI is very quick. But it’s not overly complicated. Not saying the XL750 is, it’s just easier to not screw up with the 550. The 550C was my first, I was all in for about $1k and it’s paid itself off 10x within a couple years.

[@JBesq]

Getting started with a progressive can be overwhelming. The key is to just go slow and if you’re really unsure then just skip primer and powder and make some dummy rounds to get the feel of things.

[@sssss8700]

Just got my first progressive, waiting on shell plates before I can assemble and get started, couldn’t have timed this better for me

[@moushunter]

If I had a Dillon 750 set up I'd have to cut a hole in my basement floor to lower the bench enough for the case feeder to fit. Then I'd need to cut the legs off my chair. The ceiling height in my cellar is about 5'7". My Lee Loadmaster and Lee Pro 1000 nearly hit the joists at the top of the stroke. They didn't care much about head room in the 1870s when I my house was built...the concrete floor came in around 1950 which took away about 4 inches of what was there.

[@leftyo9589]

first step, start with a sturdy bench, not wobbly junk like we see here.

[@airenthusiast2000]

Just recently got into progressive loading with a Hornady LNL AP and I am already ready to replace it with a 750 or RL1100!

[@catfish1master]

@airenthusiast2000 I know what you mean.. I bought a Full Hornady l-n-l ammo plant with both bullet feeders and lots of extras and 4 days later i bought a Dillon 650 package with lots of extras and wish I would have never spent the money on the Hornady .. Been trying to sale it for 2 months and can'tget 1550 out of it I spent and there like 9 shell plates.. Dillon is the way to go.. God Bless JDAS

[@canesince83]

I guess it's the 550c for me. Thought about the lnl ap but too many reviews like your comment about it lol

[@jonathanlogan6647]

Here one minute after posting. It's almost scary. I've never been this early

[@MrShadow1995.]

Wish you did more videos on the lee six pack pro. Thats the press i chose to start with.

[@Dv087]

I started Lee single, then a Lyman T-Mag turret, finally a Hornady LNL. I used a blue. Cost on blue is not worth it compared to LNL in my opinion.

[@kairos_01-d5d]

Is there a case trimming station on some of these progressive presses?

[@bill2292]

Have you done a 750 vs 1100 video? I'm torn between the two. Thank you Gavin!

[@Jdwg1972]

Totally different machines. One year warranty on the RL1100. More expensive caliber changes. But the trade off is, you can swage primer pockets on the RL1100. I have both. If I had to get one, and own only one, it would be the RL1100

[@bradywebb1311]

If you aren't trying to do any long magnum rifle rounds, the 1100 is the way to go. I have the super 1050 and love it. I only got my XL750 because it can do my 300 RUM and WM.

[@zacharyharwell351]

I don't reload at this time, but me and a buddy of mine have always wondered: Is there a noticeable difference in consistency between a progressive or single-stage? Like is a progressive press "match grade" so to speak?

[@fordvg]

Yes, all of my 308 match ammo was loaded up on a Dillon RL550B back in the 1990’s. I still have and use my RL550B and have a RL550C and a XL750 press now.

[@74charger44]

What do you need? MONEY!

[@CableDawg496]

I purchased a Dillon years ago. Before I placed the order, I called Dillon and asked if my RCBS dies would work, they said yes. When I received the press I set it up but could never get it to work right. I called then and asked for any tips they had. All the bozo did was read the instructions. I ended up returning it. If I decide to buy a progressive press, I’m buying a Hornady.

[@leveractiongypsy1848]

I used only NON Dillon dies on my 550 except the powder funnel die..I only have Lee and Redding dies....working for Hornady is fine too lol

[@bradywebb1311]

Yeah...... You were doing something wrong.... I have at least 20 RCBS dies running on my Dillon super 1050 and XL750....

[@bsarge1015]

I use rcbs dies, no issues

[@thetexasrat]

Personally, I will not use a progressive press because of all the safety checks they cheat us out of. But if one is going to use one they should at least get one with plenty of stations to be able to include a powder safety lockout die, so as to stop the press before any squib loads and/or double charges get by. And on that note Dramworx make a Pyrex powder hopper for powder measurers to replace the static electric laced plastic ones. These will help drastically reduce powder bridging, if not totally eliminating such, in the drop down portion of the powder measurer, of which is one of the main causes of squib loads and double charges when using progressive presses. After all safety should be first and foremost before time and money. Keep in mind that the body and drum need to be made of metal or the static electricity will still raise it's ugly head. And if one is using a powder measurer to drop straight into cases they will need to replace the plastic drop tube as well with a metal one. All in all the Lee auto indexing turret presses help speed up reloading while affording one to only have to pay attention to one thing at a time. Such a press is safer than the progressive ones that do any where from four to ten things at a time distracting one from paying full attention to the powder drop phase. But remember their cheap plastic powder measurers should be avoided like the plague! Again static electricity is a real hazard known throughout the ammunition industry to be the reloaders worst enemy. - Static Electricity and it's effects upon the Reloading Bench - Speer Handloading Manual Number 15, page 41: Static electricity and the Reloader 1. Static electricity can be highly hazardous for the reloader. 2. primers are most sensitive to static charges. The energy is enough to ignite primer dust in and around priming tools. The dust can ignite and propagate to all the primers in the tube [or tray]. The result is a serious explosion. This is the reason to keep those tubes [and trays] clean! 3. Static charges prefer low humidity environments. take some simple precautions. a. Use a humidifier. b. remove carpets from reloading areas. This is the prime source of static energy accidents. c. Clean the reloading area on a schedule. Routine cleaning removes residues of primers and propellants that can react to static energy. d. Use an anti-static product[s]. Handbook of Metallic Cartridge Reloading, Edward Matunas, page 14: Most plastic funnels tend to build up a static charge that cause powder to cling to them. Reloader's Guide - Complete, Fully Illustrated Step-By-Step Guide to Handloading Ammunition, page 129, under Common Reloading Problems: Plastic powder funnels often pick up a fair amount of static electricity ... ... ... this is annoying because powder granules stick to the side of the funnel, and you have to keep tapping the funnel to remove the last granule of powder. The ABCs of Reloading 10th Edition, page 161: Environmental Conditions conditions that can compromise your safety or loaded ammunition's integrity. static electricity which is never a good thing around powder. Lyman 51st Handloading Handbook, pages 30 and 40: Lyman lab technicians have observed a potential serious phenomenon involving mechanical powder scales, plastic loading blocks, Styrofoam packaging, and other objects made of plastic. These materials sometimes retain static electric charge, enough to create an electro-static field of varying radii. This electro-static field has proven capable of causing radical deflection of uncharged and zeroed scales. Dependent upon circumstances, powder in the scale pan tends to dampen the amount of deflection by varying degrees. We strongly urge that the loading bench be cleared before setting up the scale. Then replace equipment one piece at a time while observing the scale pointer. Any item that causes a scale deflection should be removed from the reloading bench. Metallic Cartridge reloading, Robert S. L. Anderson, page 11: One deadly enemy of the handloader is static electricity, which lurks constantly around anything plastic. An aluminum powder funnel avoids the problem of static electricity generated by the sliding of powder granules across its inner face. However, only Pacific makes aluminum powder funnels. The other makers use plastic, and these can cause erratic powder charges, some of which are excessive. Modern Reloading Second Edition Richard Lee Revised 2021, page 85: What are the causes of excessive pressure? "It seems that some shooters were experiencing hot loads from what should have been quite safe. With much detective work, they found the problem occurred only when loading from the bench and immediately firing the round. Ammunition loaded away from the range worked fine. They discovered that the normal jostling of travel reduced the pressure to correct levels. Accurate recommends that ammunition loaded at the shooting bench be rolled back and forth a couple of times to rearrange the powder granules." [Rolling the cartridges around releases the static charge in the powder due to the use of plastic powder thrower reservoirs, plastic dippers, plastic powder pans, plastic tricklers, plastic funnels, and even plastic loading blocks, as well as any and all plastic primer trays. One should also avoid plastic laminated counter tops too.] "Handloader's Manual" by Earl Naramore page 235-237: Bridging. Bridging is a condition that may occur with any mechanical powder measure ... "Basic Handloading" by George C. Nonte Jr. page 43: "Use of an adjustable powder measure will greatly speed up the operation." page 45: "If you discover an error after forty or fifty rounds have been completed, there may be no way to identify the cartridges that contain the error." "Usually, a charge that bulks abnormally high or low will do so at the expense of the charge thrown immediately before or after it. A light charge in the case might mean that some powder remained in the drop tube, and so was probably added to the next charge thrown; an overcharge probably indicates that powder hung up in the drop tube from the pervious charge, making it less than it should be." "If it seems that I'm dwelling overmuch on powder charging, remember that this is the most critical of all the handloading operations to safety. You'll get no joy or profit from handloading if a mistake or an oversight causes a gun to be wrecked or a shooter to be hurt. Handloading is essentially a very safe practice, provided one adheres to the basic safety requirements and concentrates on the job at hand." The above story is also told again and again in many other reloading manuals. Static electricity and plastic reloading tools? Why do manufactures use plastic powder hoppers on a powder measurers when it causes static electricity to bridge the powder in the drop down spout, whereby causing light [squib] loads in some cases and then the next ones get a charge and a half or double charge that blows up the guns? This is a well known phenonium and yet ALL the manufacturers of these powder measurers still go with plastic powder hoppers. Go figure. So do not forget that there is a business that sells replacement powder hopper that are made of Pyrex instead of plastic which would by all means stop any static electricity from building up on the powder in the hopper so that powder bridging in the drop down portion should be a thing of the past. So get a DRAM WORX - Pyrex Replacement Hoppers and replace the plastic down spout with a metal one to boot. And remember that one should not use any plastic tools that come in contact with the powder to be on the safe side of things. Nor should there be any plastic anywhere near powder scales. If you don't believe me then simply ask the people that died due to it. Just saying. And know one can not make this shi+ up. If one is going to use a powder measurer then they should get one made of a metal base and acquire a Pyrex hopper for it made by Dramworx. And replace the plastic down spout with a metal one too. Metal powder funnels and scale pans are also the safer bet. Carpet flooring is the #1 cause for explosive accidents when reloading. Best not to have a plastic laminate covered bench either. And loading blocks are best made of wood.