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Old October 12, 2010, 07:07 PM   #1
Bella
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Join Date: July 6, 2009
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Dillon Shotshell Reloader

I was looking at a Dillon catalog, the Blue Press. Not just the cover, but the shotshell reloader. Its expensive but seems made to reload many rounds quickly. I have some questions about this press.

Does anyone here use one?

How happy are you with it?

How complicated is it to use?

Thank You!
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Old October 12, 2010, 08:14 PM   #2
zippy13
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Dillon is a relative newcomer to the shot shell loader market. As a 4-gun shooter, I'm acutely aware that the Dillon loader doesn't do the .410-bore. Don't get me wrong, I'm a Dillon fan, my present set-up is a Dillon press for metallic cartridges and 4 Mecs (12, 20, 28-ga & .410-bore) for shot shells.

The majority of the shot shell reloaders I know use Mec equipment. The shotgun forum members use Mec loaders from the modest 600 Jr to power assisted 9000s. The Mec loaders simply deliver the most bang for the buck. If I were to upgrade to a higher end loader it would probably be a Ponsness/Warren.

A top of the line Mec with the optional electrical power unit is less than $50 more than the Dillion unit with a case feeder. You don't need a case feeder if you don't have your hand occupied pulling the lever.

Although this is the reloading forum, most of the shot shell discussions go on over at the shotgun forum. You may wish to re-post your question over there.
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Old October 13, 2010, 04:23 PM   #3
BigJimP
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Like Zippy said - there is no .410 option / so for me that's a negative.

I do not use a Dillon on shotshells / but I do like their metallic 650 press with the case feeder. Dillon has good technical assistance / and getting their shotshell press up and running is not that big a deal. It is a good press / and it is not complicated to use / a buddy has one and he likes it.

At $ 830 for the press / without the case feeder - its compeitively priced if you want to do more than one gague. Its not competitive if you only want to do one gague. Dillon charges about $ 115 for each of the other 2 gagues = so about $ 1,060 for 12, 20 and 28ga setup. The equivalent MEC machine would be the 9000 GN ( still operated with a handle, auto indexing ) like the Dillon L900.

MEC 9000 GN for 12ga or 20ga is $ 450 / in 28ga and .410 it's $500
and for all 3 gagues it would be $ 1,400 or a little more than $ 300 more than the Dillon SL 900 - but with MEC, you get all 3 loaders as stand alone machines. You would not have to break down the press - to switch gagues ( but its not that big a deal to re-set the press for another gague.)

Just the stand alone Mec 9000 GN 12ga would be $ 450 / or almost $ 400 cheaper than the Dillon. The MEC does not have some features I like on the Dillon /like the 25 lb capacity shot tub. With MEC you have an option to have a .410 loader as well ...

The machines I use are the MEC hydraulics - 9000 HN machines / in all 4 gagues. They are hydraulic - so you need a permanent place to set the pump and motor on the floor. You only need one pump and motor / with cutoff switches - you can connect and disconnect each loader as needed to the hose in about 5 min. I have 2 loaders hooked to one pump / shut off one machine / load on the other. I leave the 12ga loader in place all the time / and swap out the 20ga, 28ga and .410 loader as I want.

Only dowside to MEC 9000 HN hydraulics - is cost - it is $ 896 for 1st machine (with pump and hose )/ then $ 540 for a 20ga with hose, no pump / $ 593 for 28ga - or about $ 2,050 for all 3 gagues ....and another $ 593 for the .410 machine . But they mean no handle pulling / they make a very consistent shell ...easy to use / and quick ...( and I have the room in my shop ) ... For what its worth - I'd buy the MEC 9000 HN hydraulics again ....and I think my oldest one ( 12ga ) is at least 10 yrs old by now...

The Dillon shotshell loader / without the case feeder will give you about 15 boxes of 25 shells an hour. The MEC 9000 GN ( manual pull handle ) is about the same ( there is no case feeder option for a MEC ) / the MEC 9000 HN hydraulic ( operated by a foot pedal ) will easily put out 20 boxes an hour.

When I say shifting a tool head to a new gague is no big deal ...its like swapping another loader in and our for me. I typically reload in qty's of about 60 boxes at a time --- and then stock the inventory. So it isn't like I run 5 boxes and quit / although that is a little easier to do when you have stand alone machines.

PW makes good machines / so does RCBS, Spolar, etc --- but I stay with MEC partly because I've used their equipment for over 40 yrs. All presses have "quirks" - and you get used to them ...but nobody is making bad equipment these days... Spolar is a lot more money / PW is competitive - but they're a little too finnicky for me / I had one in the late 70's - sold it and went back to MEC.

Hydraulic Mec's - are a little noisy - with pump and motor running ...not loud enough to drown out a radio playing ( if you turn it up a little ) ...and I've put a plywood insulated box over mine on floor / to quiet them down a little.

Last edited by BigJimP; October 13, 2010 at 04:36 PM.
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Old October 22, 2010, 09:05 PM   #4
GE-Minigun
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Quote:
Does anyone here use one?

How happy are you with it?

How complicated is it to use?

Thank You!
Been using one for close to 10 years with one part broken during that time and it was my fault. During that time I've loaded over 100,000 rounds with all three gauges. I also have a Hornady 366 that I use for 410 for reasons mentioned above...Dillon doesn't make a 410 conversion. At the time I was looking at Mec's but came across the Dillon for sale used with 2 conversions 12 and 28 for a STEAL. The price was so cheap that I would have been stupid to turn it down. If I had it to do all over again I'd go the same way and look for a used one...for some reason they don't seem to hold the resale value the metallic presses do. As for complication of use...there is none. Factory adjusted and conversion changes take 15 minutes at the most.
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Old October 23, 2010, 06:43 AM   #5
Bailey Boat
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4 gauge loader here.... All are Mec's... 350 to 400 rounds per hour, cost effective, last forever......
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