deni 16 Posted December 1, 2012 hello all just wondering if this kit would be a good place to start. price looks good at $249 plus 500 free bullets I'd be looking to reload 9mm with 357 magnum and .223/5.56 down the line once I get comfortable. if yes, what additional items would I need to get started? http://www.cabelas.com/product/Shooting/Reloading/Presses-Dies%7C/pc/104792580/c/104761080/sc/104516280/Hornady-Lock-n-Load-Classic8482-Kit/740228.uts?destination=%2Fcatalog%2Fbrowse%2Fshooting-reloading-presses-dies%2F_%2FN-1100195%2FNs-CATEGORY_SEQ_104516280%3FWTz_l%3DUnknown%253Bcat104792580%253Bcat104761080&WTz_l=Unknown%3Bcat104792580%3Bcat104761080%3Bcat104516280 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
alec.mc 180 Posted December 1, 2012 I'm personally a blue man ( i like dillons stuff ) . That kit is a single stage kit, prepare to take a long time to go throw all the steps to have a functional round in the end. You'll also need dies for each of the calibers you plan on reloading, calipers, case gauges, powders, primers, bullets, you'll need a tumbler with cleaning media,a media seperator, primer tubes, etc...etc.... PERSONALLY, i'd pass. the 500 free bullets dont do it for me at all, it's like a $40 value. IMO, i'd save up a bit more cash and go for something of a progressive nature, either hornady or dillon. If you dont do alot of shooting, and you dont mind taking your time loading up and are on a budget, by all means go for it, I do a alot of shooting and need to be able to crank out a few hundred rounds at a moments notice for a match or something. More ammo = More happy Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
alec.mc 180 Posted December 1, 2012 For an extra hundred+ dollars you can get a dillon 550, It's " semi " progressive, meaning you'll have to spin the turret by hand, but it'll be tons faster then a single stage, and if you want a full progressive check out the xl650 550 - http://www.dillonprecision.com/#/content/p/9/pid/25291/catid/1/RL550B__w_o_a_Caliber_Conversion_Kit 650- comes with 1 set of caliber dies http://www.dillonprecision.com/#/content/p/9/pid/23803/catid/1/XL_650 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
deni 16 Posted December 1, 2012 I considered Dillon I know it's a forum favorite as well. I remember someone having discounts on Dillon as well and if that was still available I'd definitely be interested. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
deni 16 Posted December 1, 2012 that setup they have on the site in the 550 video, how much extra stuff is on that press? that video is pretty convincing Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
vortex0178 3 Posted December 1, 2012 I reload 9mm, .357, and 5.56, and I would advise that you skip single stage and go straight to a progressive. Unless you are only loading small batches (50-100rds a session), single stage will just be too time consuming. I use a Hornady L-N-L but you can't go wrong with Dillon either, if you have the coin and like blue. The mechanisms on the Dillon seem more elegant (or at least more complex) than the Hornady. From what I've seen, the primary procedural difference between the two is that in the Dillon, caliber changes will be slow if you only use one tool head, or if you have multiple toolheads but only one powder measure. If you plan to buy multiple toolheads each with a dedicated powder measure, then the Dillon wins every time in terms of caliber change speed. With the L-N-L, you can quickly swap out individual dies due to the L-N-L bushings, and if it matters to you, you can still store them in their die boxes with the bushings installed (not sure if this is possible w/Dillon toolheads). The powder drop design is also different, as the Dillon uses a slider bar whereas the Hornady uses a rotating drum. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bagarocks 36 Posted December 1, 2012 Heres some stuff to look at, All are free shipping These are progressive presses $419.00 Hornady LnL with 500 bullets http://www.grafs.com.../productId/5988 $394.00 dillion 650 http://www.grafs.com.../productId/3032 $485.00 RCBS http://www.grafs.com...productId/14219 $234.00 Lee Loadmaster http://www.grafs.com.../productId/8276 Check out this one too http://www.midsouths...%45%53%53%45%53 multiple stage turret presses are also something to look into they give you quick caliber change overs and I can do 150 to 200 rounds an hour without trying. They also give you the option of single stage loading as well which I find useful when prepping my 223/556 cartridges. I use a Lee 4 stage turret press FWIW Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NJKen 23 Posted December 2, 2012 I considered Dillon I know it's a forum favorite as well. I remember someone having discounts on Dillon as well and if that was still available I'd definitely be interested. It may be. http://njgunforums.com/forum/index.php?/topic/9964-njgf-dillon-group-discount/ Ken Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bry@n 195 Posted December 2, 2012 Heres some stuff to look at, All are free shipping These are progressive presses $419.00 Hornady LnL with 500 bullets http://www.grafs.com.../productId/5988 $394.00 dillion 650 http://www.grafs.com.../productId/3032 $485.00 RCBS http://www.grafs.com...productId/14219 $234.00 Lee Loadmaster http://www.grafs.com.../productId/8276 Check out this one too http://www.midsouths...%45%53%53%45%53 multiple stage turret presses are also something to look into they give you quick caliber change overs and I can do 150 to 200 rounds an hour without trying. They also give you the option of single stage loading as well which I find useful when prepping my 223/556 cartridges. I use a Lee 4 stage turret press FWIW That price for the dillon is a 550, not a 650. The LNL is a good press for the $$ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Candide 0 Posted December 2, 2012 A LnL is very effective without a casefeeder, a Dillon 650 is not. Both are great machines. I have a LnL with a casefeeder and I believe the weak link is the casefeeder. Dillons casefeeder is that much better. However I give the nod to the LnL for its dies/quick change system, the LnL powder measure blows the Dillon away, the primer mechanism is better on the LnL and it doesnt spit out a primer if there is no case in the station, the spring vs the brass tabs on the dillon for case retention is also better in my opinion. I also have a sdb from dillon and think its an awesome press so I'm not bashing dillon by any means. I think the Dillon presses are built just a little stronger but both the lnl and the dillon have amazing warranties so you can't go wrong with either. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hd2000fxdl 422 Posted December 5, 2012 I have the Dillon 650 and will say while I like my Blue Press, I'd be just as happy with the Red one. Don't think you can go wrong either way. While many of the old time hand loaders will say start off on a single stage, I started on a progressive and don't see it as a problem at all. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites