How many do you load on your 550

#1 · June 27, 2023, 3:16 am

I am new to the forum but have been loading for about 48 years and right now load for 53 different calibers ,and 75% of them on a 550 and most of my caliber changes take about 5 min. The Dillon products make it possible and they make for me ammo that is at least factory quality at minimum.

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#2 · June 27, 2023, 8:39 pm

You must have a large room for all those tool heads!

Are you selling ammo or is your safe the size of my first apartment?

My list: 38, 357, 44 Special, 44 Magnum, 45ACP, 7mm-08, 30-06 Springfield, 7mm Rem Mag, 375 H&H Mag

Thinking about adding the 6mmARC, 380ACP, and 9x19 soon.

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#3 · June 28, 2023, 1:40 am

I load 40 S&W, 9MM, 300 Blackout, .223, 45 ACP and 7.62 x 39 on my 550.

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#4 · June 29, 2023, 6:05 pm

Quote from on June 27, 2023, 8:39 pm

You must have a large room for all those tool heads!

Are you selling ammo or is your safe the size of my first apartment?

My list: 38, 357, 44 Special, 44 Magnum, 45ACP, 7mm-08, 30-06 Springfield, 7mm Rem Mag, 375 H&H Mag

Thinking about adding the 6mmARC, 380ACP, and 9x19 soon.

I forgot to add 223/5.56...slow brain.

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#5 · June 30, 2023, 1:29 am

I've had my Dillon for about 2 years and load 9mm, .40, .357sig, .45, .38 spl, .357 mag, .44 spl, .44 mag, and .223/5.56.

The only other round that I load is .380 but haven't needed to load any in a few years. Just don't shoot that many .380

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#6 · September 12, 2023, 1:35 pm

I'm also new to the forum but have been loading on my RL550B for 30+ years: 38 Spl, 357 magnum, 45 ACP, 30/30, .223, 30.06. If you count the calibers on friends' Dillon presses I've persuaded them to purchase then add another half dozen calibers.

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#7 · October 6, 2023, 12:39 pm

I've been reloading for about 40 years and load for about 16 different calibers. Bought my first 550 in 1985 and my second one 37 years later. One is set up for large primers and the other for small primers.

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#8 · October 11, 2023, 9:49 pm

Lost count a long time ago. I have four 550's, one for each type of primer. I was a dealer for 14 years and mentored a lot of 550 buyers. I always recommended that they keep their old single-stage and use it to supplement the 550, especially when they are loading bottle neck rifle cartridges. I like to deprime and size the cases on the single stage, clean them, and then run them through the 550. Eliminates the buildup of case lube in the powder funnel.

I also told my customers to not use extruded powder in the powder measure as the kernels would catch and jam it. I recommended the use of the Dillon electronic powder scale and a trickler. Always liked the manual index on the press so I could stop, pull the locator pin, and fix a problem.

My love affair with Dillon presses has been going on since 1991.

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#9 · October 12, 2023, 3:10 am

Good idea from Billsguns to keep a single stage press. I still have my original Rock Chucker (1983) plus many years later added a Redding turret press in between my 550s. This allows one to do a number of different things in the reloading process.

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#10 · October 24, 2023, 2:44 am

Just completed loading 700 + rounds of .38spcl today; also load 9mm/.40 S&W/.45ACP/45 Long Colt/.44Mag/.223/.308

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