Lee Dies in a Dillon 550

**Kiski Cowboy** · April 19th, 2009, 01:30 PM

I upgraded my Dillon RL-450 to a RL-550 a few weeks ago. Was trying to load some rounds yesterday, ran into a snag, and need some advice. My Lee dies have done me well for years, and worked well on my RL-450. That said, I noticed the tool head on the RL-550 is thicker, and I cannot adjust my dies to fit it (specifically the seating/crimping die). Does anybody have any good tips on how to use Lee dies in a RL-550, or do I need to break down and buy a set of Dillon dies?

**revarc** · April 20th, 2009, 12:12 AM

The Lee locking ring nuts won't work on a 550 unless mounted on the underside of the toolhead. You can either do that or purchase locking ring nuts from Dillon, which will allow mounting the Lee dies on the toolhead top.

Hope this helps.

revarc

**ALS** · April 20th, 2009, 08:25 AM

You don't have to use Dillon dies exclusively. RCBS dies screw right in and adjust with no problems. I've use both in my 550 since the mid-eighties.

**Kiski Cowboy** · April 20th, 2009, 11:45 PM

I tried the Dillon locking ring nut suggestion (had one in my spare parts kit), and it works. I did a few dummy rounds to check it out, the die is good and tight, and the rounds crimp nicely. Thanks for the tip, saved me from buying new dies for a while.