Researching the LNL and 650

[DaFadda]

Every year or so I start looking at the progressive presses and reading the written reviews. The Hornady people love their LNL, and the Dillon people love their 650's.

So, I start reading... "plastic tip shuts down 650. 5 cent part..." "Don't put a bullet feeder / case feeder on a Hornady"....... "The Dillon is smoother, but doesn't handle ball powder well".... and on and on and on... ad nauseum...

What I DID glean from this trip down the road was that the Dillon 650 is a superb pistol caliber machine, designed to make lots of rounds, with few caliber changes. The Hornady has tighter tolerances, cheaper to operate... and "MAY" not last as long, and /or "MAY" need more tinkering as it ages. BOTH machines seem to have quirks in their construction that can shut the machine down for maintainence and repairs.

So.... Once again, I'm just going to sit back and continue with my LEE 4 hole turret press, which can currently be purchased as a complete kit (without the dies of course) for $129 . I'm just going to continue loading in "batch mode" so that my primers don't jam (RCBS Hand priming tool), I can look in each shell in my loading trays (don't need a powder check die) and can switch to a new caliber in less than 30 seconds (and that includes looking for the right shell holder).

Maybe one day someone will make the PERFECT Progressive machine. But for now... I'll use the extra cash to buy more bullets and shoot more. Six months to a year from now... I'll still be having the same conversation in my head... and probably come to the same decision.

But... maybe not.

Da