Help me pick a new press-or-Help me Obi One Kenobi

[SLOWDOG]

Except for the old Roch Chucker on the end of one of my benches I only run blue. The other presses are all good but what keeps me running only blue presses is the fact the powder drop is very accurate. I tested one last week. I was doing a run of 556 and was low on powder. I wanted to see how low it would get before it started effecting accuracy. Was a very slow process but after an hour of weighing each round I found out that it stayed true till the second to last round. Last round was only around 13grns.

Today I did same test while doing 45 acp on a different press and powder drop. Same exact results. I've had others that would vary with less powder in reservoir.

Another great thing about the 550b is the fact it doesn't auto index. You can use it like a single stage for working up loads. Also Dillon has THE BEST WARRANTY!! Just my two dents worth....nothing more

[Maryland_Shooter]

Except for the old Roch Chucker on the end of one of my benches I only run blue. The other presses are all good but what keeps me running only blue presses is the fact the powder drop is very accurate. I tested one last week. I was doing a run of 556 and was low on powder. I wanted to see how low it would get before it started effecting accuracy. Was a very slow process but after an hour of weighing each round I found out that it stayed true till the second to last round. Last round was only around 13grns.

Today I did same test while doing 45 acp on a different press and powder drop. Same exact results. I've had others that would vary with less powder in reservoir.

Another great thing about the 550b is the fact it doesn't auto index. You can use it like a single stage for working up loads. Also Dillon has THE BEST WARRANTY!! Just my two dents worth....nothing more

I count that as a minus, as IMHO any true progressive auto-indexes. On top of that, nothing keeps a user from putting a single case in and running any progressive as a single stage.

I run the LNL and as far as warranty, they have replaced anything promptly with no questions.

BTW if you run .40 with the case feeder, you need a special part - which they will send you for free. Seems the small feed tube is a touch too small for fired .40, but they'll take care of you with a special made part.

[Mulie]

I don't think you can go wrong with the LNL or the Dillon.

Personally, I am a Dillon fan. I started with a Square Deal B for pistol. Then I picked up a used 550 and loaded a lot of ammo on it. When my son got into some defensive pistol shooting, I gave him the 550 and got myself a 650. Initially I missed the 550 but as I got used to the 650 and learned more about it, I grew to love it. Especially 5th station with the powder checker, just gives me peace of mind.

The one thing that I would suggest is that you keep your Rock Chucker. Through out all of the progressive presses, I have continued to use the Rock Chucker and wouldn't part with it.

[Maryland_Shooter]

Yes, keep the Rockchucker. No doubt as you wind your way through a batch of any caliber, say .45, you will run across the odd piece of .40 brass that needs to be deprimed/resized, use the RC instead of having to save it for when you change over.

Typically I also make a "dummy" round or 5 to dial in COAL, you can pull and resize them fast on the RC, rather than on the progressive.

I say this because I typically don't use any priming system other than the RCBS hand primer.

When I sit down to load, I load: bell case, drop powder, powder cop, seat, crimp.

My brass is already sized and primed . . .

How about working up a load for a rifle?

RC is handy to crank out 10-20.

I tend to load all bullets of a caliber before I switch over the press. Saves time for me. YMMV.

I voted LNL and note that guys who have or have had a Dillion have also gone with the LNL.

Either way, welcome to mas producing ammo, soon enough, you will forget ammo prices.