Lets see your benches!

[awptickes]

I don't know the 40 S&W Winchester White Box ammo is, but, I will never buy it in .38 Special again. That is the dirtiest garbage I have ever shot. That's all.

Cheap walmart ammo.

 

[deesly1]

I have a question for those who own Dillion 650 progressive presses. I was looking at buying a progressive for .223/5.56 primarily. Any suggestions or better yet does anyone have a detailed parts lists so i dont feel like a moron ordering the equipement for my Dillion press! Thanks in Advance.

 

[DocAitch]

Dillon 650

I own a Dillon 650 but only use it for straight walled pistol cartridges.This is very straight forward-the brass goes from the tumbler into the press, all you have to do is add the bullets
Because the bottle neck cartridges should be lubricated (even with carbide sizing dies), and they should be measured/trimmed after sizing some of the advantage of the Dillon progressive is nullified. (I am assuming you will use the ammo in an AR or other modern self loader and will need to full length size the cases)
These steps have to happen off the press/before the actual loading sequence.
I would recommend that you do the brass prep and then run them through the Dillon after you have removed the lube. If you get a second tool head you can run the lubed cases through the 650 (no primers) just to size/decap, then trim as necessary,remove the lube, then change back to the other tool head, add primers to the priming system and load them.
Also remember that the powder dispenser is a volume measure that will work best with a spherical powder (W748,AA2230,H335,TAC and others depending on bullet weight).
There was an article in the Blue Press (Dillon Catalog) about a rifle team using the 650 for competition shooting and they had to break the sequence to accomplish the brass prep steps required for bottle neck cases.

so i dont feel like a moron ordering the equipement for my Dillion press

I have always found the folks at Dillon to be super courteous and helpful when I speak to them on the phone and have never gotten the impression that they think that I am a doofus (which ,on occasion, I am)
DocAitch

 

[deesly1]

I own a Dillon 650 but only use it for straight walled pistol cartridges.This is very straight forward-the brass goes from the tumbler into the press, all you have to do is add the bullets
Because the bottle neck cartridges should be lubricated (even with carbide sizing dies), and they should be measured/trimmed after sizing some of the advantage of the Dillon progressive is nullified. (I am assuming you will use the ammo in an AR or other modern self loader and will need to full length size the cases)
These steps have to happen off the press/before the actual loading sequence.
I would recommend that you do the brass prep and then run them through the Dillon after you have removed the lube. If you get a second tool head you can run the lubed cases through the 650 (no primers) just to size/decap, then trim as necessary,remove the lube, then change back to the other tool head, add primers to the priming system and load them.
Also remember that the powder dispenser is a volume measure that will work best with a spherical powder (W748,AA2230,H335,TAC and others depending on bullet weight).
There was an article in the Blue Press (Dillon Catalog) about a rifle team using the 650 for competition shooting and they had to break the sequence to accomplish the brass prep steps required for bottle neck cases.

I have always found the folks at Dillon to be super courteous and helpful when I speak to them on the phone and have never gotten the impression that they think that I am a doofus (which ,on occasion, I am)
DocAitch

I am familiar with the Case prep before reloading. I plan on doing all my case prep prior to reloading: cleaning, triming, chamfering, deburring, lubing etc.. However once my brass is prepared. I would like to just sit down and press out 500 rounds at a time. Is this realistic?

 

[DocAitch]

With prepped brass, I think that is very realistic.
DocAitch

 

[JavaDan]

I have a question for those who own Dillion 650 progressive presses. I was looking at buying a progressive for .223/5.56 primarily. Any suggestions or better yet does anyone have a detailed parts lists so i dont feel like a moron ordering the equipement for my Dillion press! Thanks in Advance.

I suggest you go to www.brianenos.com and look around his site before you do anything. Check out his packages. You will learn a lot there.

I just bought a 550B from him. A few bucks cheaper and free shipping. He's a Dillon distributer. You place your order there and it ships directly from Dillon.

I ordered last Sunday. Press and accesories arrived this morning, Friday.

I was looking at the 650, but the information on his site convinced me to get the 550B, instead.

 

[DaemonAssassin]

I have a question for those who own Dillion 650 progressive presses. I was looking at buying a progressive for .223/5.56 primarily. Any suggestions or better yet does anyone have a detailed parts lists so i dont feel like a moron ordering the equipement for my Dillion press! Thanks in Advance.

^^^

I have the 550B from Dillon and i can't say enough good about it. A buddy of mine wanted to reload 7.62x54R, .45ACP, and .223/5.56 using my 550B, I said no problem, you buy the stuff that I won't reload for (the mosin stuff) and I'll go half on the rest. The only stipulation I had was that I keep all of the dies, quick change kits, and caliber conversion kits, and if he gets his own 550B I would buy him out on his half of the equipment that I use for my own stuff. We haven't had any issues with the equipment, nor the press.

Starting with the 550B might be easiest for stepping into the progressive world, but there is nothing that says you can't own both a 550B and a 650 after a few years. Dillon CS won't ever make you feel or think you are lacking in knowledge, heck, they have given me great info on stuff just for asking, and also helped me learn to prefect the hobby of reloading.

Best of luck with your choice, and it is a good call to get a Dillon, no matter what model it is.

I suggest you go to www.brianenos.com and look around his site before you do anything. Check out his packages. You will learn a lot there.

I just bought a 550B from him. A few bucks cheaper and free shipping. He's a Dillon distributer. You place your order there and it ships directly from Dillon.

I ordered last Sunday. Press and accesories arrived this morning, Friday.

I was looking at the 650, but the information on his site convinced me to get the 550B, instead.

^^^

Good advice to check out!

 

[guthook]

I own a Dillon 650 .... I would recommend that you do the brass prep and then run them through the Dillon after you have removed the lube. If you get a second tool head you can run the lubed cases through the 650 (no primers) just to size/decap, then trim as necessary,remove the lube, then change back to the other tool head, add primers to the priming system and load them.
Also remember that the powder dispenser is a volume measure that will work best with a spherical powder (W748,AA2230,H335,TAC and others depending on bullet weight)....I have always found the folks at Dillon to be super courteous and helpful when I speak to them on the phone...

This is also how I use my XL650 with .223 and .308

I bought a few spare tool heads and just keep the decapping/sizing dies in them. This, coupled with a casefeeder, will make quick work of the sizing operation.

 

[hodgepodge]

Old kitchen cabinets in the garage, with a Lee press. I'm currently loading .45LC.

I have a new project. #7.5 over Goex FFg.

 

[lax]

here is my start, countersunk the lag bolts and used pocket holes for almost everything else
top is 6x3, shelves are 5x3
just need to add cross members for each level and the tops, not sure if I'm going to use 3/4 ply or mdf for the top

 

[engineerbrian]

here is my start, countersunk the lag bolts and used pocket holes for almost everything else
top is 6x3, shelves are 5x3 just need to add cross members for each level and the tops, not sure if I'm going to use 3/4 ply or mdf for the top

Is that going inside or staying in the garage? If its going inside I hope your doors are wide enough to get it in the house

 

[HarCo2ANewb]

Found a 29"x8' piece of 3/4" birch at Lowes they let go for like $15, time to build a bench just for reloading and AR building!

 

[OldSchool1959]

I snapped a couple of pics of my bench last night. You almost can't see my RCBS Partner with all of the clutter. It gets it done for such a small press. Forgive the glass of wine in the first picture. I was reloading my mellow not ammo when I took it.

 

[HarCo2ANewb]

Finally wrapped up my newest bench, wanted an area I could set aside only for guns. I can set up the vise as is for AR work once I get all the parts for my build or take that down and set up my press to reload on. Just made it with 2x4s, that scrap piece of 3/4" birch and used some Red Heads to bolt it to the foundation. The top has one 3/4" piece screwed to the frame and then I used 1 1/4" screws up from the bottom to attach the top.

And here it is with some nice polyurethene

 

[OldSchool1959]

Very nice work in a small area!

 

[HarCo2ANewb]

Very nice work in a small area!

Yeah, my utility room has this weird offshoot that was just storing crap but I figured at 40" wide, there was enough room to actually use it to work in.

 

[SOMDSHOOT]

Here's my bench... It repairs CB and HAM radios all day, 8 days a week, and also doubles as something of a small reloading bench for priming brass and other small reloading requirements.

 

[Speed3]

I have an existing bench that is tall enough to work...but I need to find a suitable top to being reloading, right now its 2x6's and I don't want a gap. What is the cheapest top that you gives are using? I would rather not use plywood to aviod splinters.

Thoughts?

 

[HarCo2ANewb]

Here is a closer shot from the top, the garden faucet crank is attached to some 1/4" all thread that goes through a small hole I drilled in the top of the bench. This is a VERY sturdy way to clamp the press down for me.

This is a close up of the underneath supports, the press is held down with 1/4" x 6" hex bolts with the nut-end bored out of the bottom plate to keep the base flush. I took some 3/8" SS tubing and cut it down to spruce things up and to support the top plate that is only 1" pine.

Speed3, I posted this awhile back in this thread and might be another option if you don't want to make a whole new top to your bench. It is all scrap 1x board and 2x4s.

 

[IndispensableDestiny]

Here's mine. Commercial workbench with a home made riser. Recycled laundry room cabinet on the right. A second bench in the background is for gun cleaning, etc.