shellplates by caliber
Quote from Reloader on March 16, 2017, 3:08 amI'm about to upgrade from the 550 I've had since 1994 to a 650 and want to buy just the parts I'll need, not all the pieces for autofeeds I won't use. When I look at shellplates, they're listed by some number that is meaningless to me. How do I find them by caliber ? And has anyone else done this upgrade and know what all I will need to buy, other than a diehead and shellplate for each caliber I load ? Thanks for any help.
I'm about to upgrade from the 550 I've had since 1994 to a 650 and want to buy just the parts I'll need, not all the pieces for autofeeds I won't use. When I look at shellplates, they're listed by some number that is meaningless to me. How do I find them by caliber ? And has anyone else done this upgrade and know what all I will need to buy, other than a diehead and shellplate for each caliber I load ? Thanks for any help.
Quote from Reloader on March 16, 2017, 2:00 pmppcgm,
Naming the shellplates by the caliber they load isn't cost effective or efficient, as there would be duplicates of the same plates with different calibers. For example, a 38 spl would be the same as a 357 magnum. If you named it 357, it would be wrong for 357 sig, which uses the same plate as 40 S&W. Same is true of 223 and 380ACP, same plate, but different calibers.
The conversion chart is located in the manual which you can download from Dillon's web site, and there you'll find the conversion kits with part numbers for the plates you need by caliber. You'll still need the conversion kit, as besides the plate, it includes the case feeder parts, pins and funnel. The only two items that you can reuse from your 550 will be the pins and funnel. If you calculate the individual cost of only those parts you need, it comes out to be more than the entire conversion kit. Study the parts on the list, you may be able to buy just a few parts if you load a lot of calibers, as there is many that share individual parts. If the conversion kits you need don't have shared parts, IMO, sell your complete 550 conversion kits on ebay if you're not keeping the machine and buy new ones for the 650. I downloaded that conversion chart and keep it on my desktop for quick reference for when I change calibers.
ppcgm,
Naming the shellplates by the caliber they load isn't cost effective or efficient, as there would be duplicates of the same plates with different calibers. For example, a 38 spl would be the same as a 357 magnum. If you named it 357, it would be wrong for 357 sig, which uses the same plate as 40 S&W. Same is true of 223 and 380ACP, same plate, but different calibers.
The conversion chart is located in the manual which you can download from Dillon's web site, and there you'll find the conversion kits with part numbers for the plates you need by caliber. You'll still need the conversion kit, as besides the plate, it includes the case feeder parts, pins and funnel. The only two items that you can reuse from your 550 will be the pins and funnel. If you calculate the individual cost of only those parts you need, it comes out to be more than the entire conversion kit. Study the parts on the list, you may be able to buy just a few parts if you load a lot of calibers, as there is many that share individual parts. If the conversion kits you need don't have shared parts, IMO, sell your complete 550 conversion kits on ebay if you're not keeping the machine and buy new ones for the 650. I downloaded that conversion chart and keep it on my desktop for quick reference for when I change calibers.
Quote from Reloader on March 16, 2017, 4:49 pmThere is a caliber conversion chart in the center of the XL650 machine manual that lay out what shellplates, locator buttons, and powder funnels are needed for a specific cartridge.
There is a caliber conversion chart in the center of the XL650 machine manual that lay out what shellplates, locator buttons, and powder funnels are needed for a specific cartridge.