dillon xl650 or hornady LNL AP

[busa dave]

I've decided to buy myself a christmas present and would like input from owners of both dillon xl650 and hornady lock n load AP to help[ me decide which to get. i currently have a hornady lock n load classic single stage. with the amount of ammo I'm shooting its no longer practical for me to stick with the single stage. i load for 9mm .45 .223 30.06 and .308
the only personal experience i have with dillon is the primer pocket swager. its a quality piece.

I already have all hornady dies, i think they are high quality. the classic press that i currently have, i'm not very impressed with. its like everything is just a little out of tolerance. when i'm priming on the press i often have to manipulate the brass a little to get the primer started in the pocket. also most of the hornady shell holders i have seem like they are out of tolerance. some too tight that its difficult to insert brass and others too loose that the brass moves around slightly.

the upside to the lock n load would be its overall cheaper to purchase, i already have LNL die bushings for all my dies. The down side is i'm unsure of the quality of the press. i dont want to have priming hassels like i do now. or any other problems and end up buying a 650 anyway because the hornady pissed me off. i dont mind spending the extra money on the dillon if its going to be worth it. your help is greatly appreciated.

[sprrdhawk44]

Dillon, all day long. I have a 650, and it's awesome. It's almost as fun to load on it as it is to shoot. My buddy has a LNL, and it's a great press, but it's not a Dillon.

[bogey1]

I think the priming system on the 650 sucks. But when it does, they give you a new one for free. Ive never owned anything else so i don't know how good this will help.

[vapochilled]

ford or chevy?
I run a LnL now it's set up, I have no primer issues at all, it just works.!
Have loaded at least 3k of 9mm, 2k of .40 and about the same in .45
Also started to load 357 sig, but gave up, not the presses fault.
Honestly have no complaints with Hornady service either, called twice, issue resolved twice without fuss.
Red or Blue, you won't likely go wrong with either choice TBH

[Twoboxer]

Either one will work for you. Consider watching videos of them in operation - they are a little different and one might appeal to you more than the other.

If you are considering a case feeder at some point (that's the biggest speed/comfort improvement), the price difference between them narrows a bit.

If you are going to change over frequently, the Hornady is probably a bitmore convenient and costs less per caliber.

Both have no bullshit warranties. FYI, I have a Hornady and can vouch personally for their service attitufe and promptness.

[Pkspawn]

I started with a used Dillon 550 that I purchased from a friend. My next press was the LnL.

The thinking was the press isn't as expensive, caliber changes are supposed to be quick/easy and I was planning to load 9,40, 45, 38sp and possibly 223, 308 and 7-08 in the future.

I got the LnL and a month later picked up the case feeder. The case feeder system is horrible. But once you have it tweaked just right, it can run very nice. The LnL has its quirks that you will need to learn and work through. Caliber switching isn't that easy, but certainly MUCH cheaper than dillon if you want to maintain die settings.

I've never worked with the 650. I got so frustrated with the LnL priming system, I went to the extreme and bought a dillon 1050. That 1050 will turn you into a reloading snob. Caliber changes are VERY expensive even if you don't purchase a new toolhead, which I don't. lock rings are much cheaper. But when I load up a caliber, I will run everything I have in that run before switching calibers again. With no bullet feeder, I can do 900 an hour.

Don't let the speed or presses determine your choices. The biggest factor is sorting and checking your brass prior to it getting to the press. that 900-1000 hour I can do is with brass that I already ran through the press and is processed to find all the bad pieces. A nested 9 in 40, or bent necks will slow you down. And finding SPP in 45 is always fun. Or crimped primers, etc.

Both presses are nice. The LnL should really be compared to the Dillon 550. Although the LnL is 5 stations, the extra station is taken up by the expander (Hornady frees up this station by offering a expander in the powder die, PTX). So you do technically have 5 stations. The indexing is a little smoother on the LnL since it is 1/2 indexes.

They each have their quirks.. Run your searches online and see which one you think you can deal with and overcome. I don't know any perfect presses out there. Dillon comes close, but still has its own quirks.

Customer Service.. Hornady was great. No real questions asked when replacing broken parts, they just promptly shipped it out. I can't speak for Dillon, never had to call them..

Another thing to consider. Can you source local parts/help? for me, there are 3-4 dillon shops and 1 hornady within 90mins.

[NathanB]

the only people who will sell you on a lock and load are people with a lock and load. Great product from Dillon and customer service that is second to none. I actually was talked out of doing a lock and load by someone with one. went iwth the 650 and couldnt be happier

[Yoder]

I have the LNL. If I could do it over again I would have bought a Dillon. The Hornady is ok, but I have had to screw with it a lot. I guess I can do about 400 rounds an hr with mine with no case or bullet feeder. If money isn't a problem buy the Dillon.

[animalmother85]

As long as you have a solid understanding of reloading;


I've used 550s, 650s and 1050s extensively. If I were to do it again, I'd save all my pennies, beg, borrow and steel everything I could in order to get a 1050 right off the bat.

[nitro570]

Just got a 550 last week and love it,never had an LNL so take it for what its worth. Brian Enos had the best deals. Good luck.