Dillon RL450 reloading press advice??

[The91Bravo]

I am buying a Dillon RL450 from another deputy, and just wondering if anyone has one.

I have been loading for about 4-5 years with my Lee Anniversary single stage press, and he is selling the whole kit for $150, so I figured I would get it.

Any experiences with this press, or the upgrades for it to make it a psuedo 550?

Thanks
Steve

 

[HOLLiS]

I like the 550, I have two of them. Problem very hard to go back to a single stage. I keep my single stage for case forming and some other odd jobs.

Dillon makes some really good stuff and their customer service is excellent.

 

[The91Bravo]

Thanks Hollis. I know the reputation of the no BS guarantee, and that helps, especially when buying a used press.

I have never had a progressive press. (Or the semi-progressive press like the 450) but I hope it will save me time, while not sacrificing quality control.

Thanks again
Steve

 

[Olive Drab]

450>? is it coming with a ton of accessories for that specific press (not dies or anything that can be used across the board) and a bunch of other accessories? IE some smoking deal for $150? With dillon the press seems to be the cheap part asd the accessories needed to bring it to its potential cost about as much as that one piece.
Can it even use a casefeeder? I think thats the big appeal to the dillon progressives that all you need to do is pull the handle and place the bullet into the case neck to make ammo. Everything else is done for you which allows you to crank out over 500 rounds per hour with a 650.

 

[HOLLiS]

Thanks Hollis. I know the reputation of the no BS guarantee, and that helps, especially when buying a used press.

I have never had a progressive press. (Or the semi-progressive press like the 450) but I hope it will save me time, while not sacrificing quality control.

Thanks again
Steve

Only thing the presses are different enough that at first I had a few problems. They were all operator error. They do save a lot time.

Also with progressives, you have to be careful when you start and stop in the middle of a run. I developed a fools proof reloading method for when I had a single stage. That method did not work with a progressive. Once I got it figured out, they are really GTG.

Also if you buy the extra die holder you can set up a rapid change over for different calibers.


Again as I stated, they are very addictive and a person tends to get a tad bit more lazy with them.


I am very undecided on the case feed for several reasons. One is that I have my presses set up for larger and small primers. I have the auto primer tube filler...... set at each station the same way. The case feed is not set up based on primer size, so I would be back to switching things around (part of the lazy syndrome here).


If I reloaded for a few calibers, I would probably would like a case feeder or a 650. I reload for over 36 calibers. Also they do load a lot of ammo in a short time. So depending on how much you shoot, will dictate how much time you actually have to reload as far days in between reloading. A afternoon can mean several thousand rounds. So let say that takes a year to shoot up, next time you reload for that caliber could be a year later. When I had a single stage, I was shooting about 500 rds of pistol ammo a month. So I was reloading at least twice a month.

Again you can always ask Dillon if help is needed. They do have exceptional customer service...... along with products. Their dies are made for use on a progressive. They tend to work easier sometimes over other dies.


IMHO the 450 is a good press for someone who shoots one caliber or so, and not that often.