XL 650

Dillon XL 650 Reloading Machine 

The XL 650 is Dillon's premier reloader, fully covered by their legendary Lifetime No-BS Warranty. It is designed to load most popular handgun calibres at 800 to 1 000 rounds per hour, and rifle calibres up to .30-06 Spr, .375 H&H;, etc. just a little slower.

The optional electrically powered case feeder automatically and reliably feeds the cases right-way-up into the shell plate. Just pour your lubricated, clean cartridge cases into the blue case feed hopper and the device sorts them and feeds them right-way-up into the case feed tube that takes the cartridge cases to the first station of the shell plate. Once the shell plate is fully charged, a loaded cartridge is ejected every time the handle is pulled. Manually place a bullet on the prepared cartridge case in station 4 and pull the handle; all other actions happen automatically.

Starting with an empty machine but filled case feeder tube, the XL 650 works as follows:

1. Resize & Deprime / Prime

  • The case insert mechanism is retracted as the handle is lowered and then inserts each cleaned and lubricated cartridge case automatically into the shell plate when the handle is raised each time.
  • The handle is operated using the right hand.
  • When the handle is lowered for the second time, raising the cartridge case(s) in the shell plate to the tool head with dies, the cleaned, lubricated, used case in station 1 enters the first die and is resized and de-primed.
    • Like all the smaller Dillon machines, all loading actions on the XL 650 happen €œat the top€ when the handle is lowered, and the platform with shell plate and cartridge cases is raised to the tool head that holds the dies.
  • The handle is raised, lowering the platform and the shell plate is automatically indexed to end the cycle, moving the resized and de-primed case to station 2.

2. Powder Drop / Flare

  • At the end of each cycle, or the start of the next, the handle is pushed away from the operator to insert / seat a new primer into the empty, resized and de-primed case.
    • The primer is automatically fed from the reinforced primer magazine to the correct position under the resized cartridge case.
    • It is good practice to always start a cycle by pushing the handle away to seat the primer, or confirm that the primer is seated.
  • As the handle is lowered again, raising the cartridge case(s) in the shell plate to the tool head with dies, the newly primed cartridge case receives the correct powder charge and the case mouth is flared / belled to facilitate later bullet seating.
  • The case enters the powder die and the case mouth pushes the powder funnel up. The powder funnel serves several purposes:
    • Firstly, only if a case is present, the powder funnel is forced up into the powder die, activating / cycling the powder measure to dispense the previously-calibrated charge of propellant. No case = no mess!
    • Secondly, the powder charge falls through the hollow powder funnel and is guided into the case without mess.
      • It does take time for a large powder charge to fall through, so pause for a second or two when your load requires large quantities of propellant, especially extruded types. This is why rifle cartridges load slower than pistol calibres.
    • Pistol cases are flared / belled in the powder measure station to facilitate seating of the bullet, and especially lead bullets. This action is less critical for copper plated or jacketed bevel-based bullets.
  • The handle is raised, lowering the platform and the shell plate is automatically indexed to end the cycle, moving the primed, charged case to station 3.

3. Powder Check

  • This station requires the optional powder check system, a valuable safety feature that we highly recommend to verify that the powder charge is at a safe level.
  • On the next cycle, first push the handle away to seat the primer into the case in station 2. Then, as the handle is lowered, raising the cartridge cases in the shell plate to the tool head with dies, a powder check probe enters the case mouth and rests on the propellant in the case.
    • The level of propellant / powder in the case pushes the probe up.
    • Should the level of propellant in the case be out of safe limits (too high or too low) an alarm is sounded to alert the operator to take remedial action.
  • Like the powder measure, the powder check system must be pre-set to the desired charge.
  • The handle is raised, lowering the platform and the shell plate is automatically indexed to end the cycle, moving the primed, correctly-charged case to station 4.
4. Seat
  • Using the left hand, a bullet is manually positioned in the case mouth.
  • On the next cycle, first push the handle away to seat the primer into the case in station 2. Then, as the handle is lowered, raising the cartridge cases in the shell plate to the tool head with dies, the resized, primed & charged case and bullet enter the seating die, as the platform is raised. The bullet is pushed into the case and seated to the desired, pre-set depth to achieve a suitable overall length of the cartridge.
  • The handle is raised, lowering the platform and the shell plate is automatically indexed to end the cycle, moving the cartridge to the final station.
5. Crimp
  • On the next cycle, as always, first push the handle away to seat the primer into the case in station 2. Then, as the handle is lowered, raising the cartridge cases in the shell plate to the tool head with dies, the case with seated bullet enters the final die. A taper crimp is applied to remove the flare that was applied at station 2 (on pistol calibres) and to suitably grip the bullet.
  • The crimp is especially important for semi-automatic firearms to ensure safe and reliable feeding from the magazine into the chamber.
    • All Dillon dies feature separate seating and crimping.
    • Other brand dies may not apply crimp, and this is generally the norm for bolt-action rifles.
  • The cartridge is automatically ejected into the cartridge bin when the handle is raised, lowering the platform and automatically indexing the shell plate to end the cycle.
    • With progressive machines like the XL 650, all of the functions are being simultaneously performed each and every cycle, so a loaded cartridge is ejected each time the handle is cycled.

For complete peace of mind, the XL 650 machines are covered by Dillon™s Lifetime No-BS warranty. All electrical & electronic components in Dillon equipment are covered by a one-year warranty, as are textiles. Shooting Stuff fully supports Dillon™s warranty and has a spares cupboard with most spare parts available in stock. 

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 Technical Specifications

Ram diameter 1½” 
Loading rate
  • 800 to 1 000 rounds per hour
Height (from bench)
  • Without the optional electric case feeder: 32" (~800mm) 
  • With the electric case feeder installed: 38½" (~980mm) 
  • With optional XL650 mount: additional 175mm.
Capacity
  • Dillon Extra Small Powder Bar (DLN-20780) - throws from ½ to about 3 grains.
  • Small Powder Bar - throws from a little under 3 to about 20 grains of powder.
  • Large Powder Bar - throws from 15 to nearly 45 grains of extruded type propellant, and from 20 to about 50 grains of ball/spherical type propellant.
  • Dillon Magnum Rifle Powder Bar (DLN-21353) - throws up to ~73 grains of extruded type propellant and ~82 grains of ball/spherical type propellant.
  • The Dillon Magnum Powder Measure is capable of dispensing over 100gr of extruded type propellant.

NOTE: Capacities depend on actual propellant type, the values listed here are approximate.


Key Features

  • 5-station, progressive reloading machine:
    • Station 1: Insert case into shell plate (at the bottom), resize and de-prime (at the top)
    • Station 2: Seat a new primer (at the bottom), and dispense propellant (at the top)
    • Station 3: Powder check (at the top)
    • Station 4: Seat the bullet (at the top)
    • Station 5: Crimp the cartridge case (at the top)
  • Insert cartridge cases automatically.
  • Index the shell plate automatically.
  • Feed and insert new primers automatically.
  • Dispense propellant automatically.
  • Check propellant level (for safety) in each and every case automatically.
  • Operator places bullets manually.
  • Eject loaded cartridges automatically.
  • Loads most popular handgun and rifle calibres (requires additional calibre-specific items).
  • Accepts standard ⅞” x 14 tpi (thread per inch) dies. NOTE: Dillon dies are designed for high speed use, as well as rapid cleaning. Non-Dillon dies must re-size and de-prime in the same die. Note that the case flaring die from other brands is not used on the XL 650, as this function is covered from the calibre conversion kit and powder die.
  • Interchangeable tool head, for easy calibre conversion.

Package Contents

The basic XL 650 machine (the big white box) includes the following:

  • XL 650 machine
  • With the empty tool head and primer system already fitted. The primer system is configured at the factory for correct size primers.
  • A bag with small parts is usually pinned to the tool head, this includes:
    • One plastic case feed adapter
    • Three brass locator buttons
    • One stainless steel powder funnel
    • When Shooting Stuff reconfigure /setup the machine on request we put these in the calibre conversion kit box.
  • Primer early warning system 
Blue buzzer and black follower rod, to warn when primers in the magazine get low; before they run out!
  • Operating handle 
With knob, Nylock nut and washer.
  • Powder measure
  • 1 x powder measure, with the appropriate powder bar installed.
  • 650 Primer System Parts Bag
  • 2 x primer pick-up tubes
    • 1 x for large primers (green tip)
    • 1 x for small primers (yellow tip)
    • 4 x spare plastic tips (green, yellow, clear, blue)
    • 2 x R-clips
  • Rotary primer disk (large, if small is installed in the machine)
  • Primer magazine tube with brass tip (large, if small is installed in the machine)
  • Primer seating punch (large, if small is installed in the machine)
  • Powder measure failsafe rod assembly (with blue wing nut)
  • Case feed support bracket (blue plastic)
  • 650 Accessory Box
  • 1 x Ejected cartridge chute with bin support bracket (black steel)
  • 1 x Loaded cartridge bin (blue, plastic AkroBin).
  • 2 x long ¼” hex bolts
  • 2 x ¼” nuts
  • 2 x aluminium tube clamps
  • 3 x 1” die lock-rings (7/8” x 14tpi) – for non-Dillon dies
  • 1 x Spent primer cup (blue plastic)
  • 1 x Extra powder bar (large, if small is installed in the machine)
  • 7 x Allen wrenches (1/4”, 3/16”, 5/32”, 9/64”, 1/8”, 3/32”, 5/64”) in a bag (DLN-16607)
  • Case feed mounting post
  • 1 x case feed mounting post, black, round-tubing
  • Calibre Conversion Kit Box
  • 1 x Empty Calibre Conversion Kit Storage box (blue)
  • Case Feed Tube
  • 1 x Case feed tube, clear plastic ~34cm long with blue label (DLN-20532)

Essential

You will also need the following (not included with the machine) to reload:

  • Reloading Die Set 
No dies are included with the XL 650. If you need to order dies, please order them separately. Select a die set for the calibre you want to reload [click here].
  • Scale 

Set and periodically check your powder charge, we recommend one of the following: 

  • Loading Manual
  • Safety Glasses 

You should always protect your eyes when reloading. Primers contain explosive compounds and nitrocellulose propellant is extremely flammable, with explosive characteristics when burning in a confined volume. We recommend tough, clear polycarbonate glasses for indoor use, like reloading.

  • Case Lubricant
Shooting Stuff Smooth Glide Case Lube (SSB-SGCL) - spray-on lube highly recommended even when using carbide dies, and is essential for all rifle and bottle-necked cases. Trust us on this one; you need a bottle!
  • Vernier calliper 

Set and check cartridge dimensions, like crimp and overall length, we recommend:

  • Powder Check System 

Verify the powder charge in each and every case using the Dillon Powder Check System (DLN-21044). Once adjusted for a specific charge the sensor’s brass-tipped probe enters each case and is pushed up by the propellant, to check the level of powder in the case. In the event of a significant error in powder charge, either too high or too low, the sensor sounds an audible alarm. This is a safety check, not an accuracy check, and while not absolutely essential we feel it’s valuable enough that we included it as essential!


Recommended

These recommended accessories for the XL 650 are very popular and we do feel they add a lot of value. We’ve grouped them to make the complex list a bit more understandable.

Machine Mounting

If your bench is either too low for comfortable use, or you need to access drawers underneath, a Machine Mount or Strong Mount elevates the entire XL 650 above your bench top. The RL550/XL650 versions raise the height of the XL 650 by about 9” (~220mm) and moves the entire machine back slightly so that less protrudes in front of the bench’s front edge. The lower XL 650-only mounts raise the height of the XL 650 by about 7” (~175mm).

  • Machine Mounts 
Available options:
  • Bullet Tray 
Dillon 1050 Bullet Tray Kit (DLN-22215) - blue, cast aluminium bullet tray that elevates the bullets to the level of the shell plate for easier reach. This kit requires one of the XL 650 machine mounts.

Case Feed

Dillon usually offers an automated way of doing things (at additional cost), or a less expensive manual way. The XL 650 is supplied with a case feed tube that holds up to 15 empty cartridge cases. As the level drops during loading, additional cases must be periodically added. To get the most out of your XL 650, we recommend the optional 220V electrical case feeder. 

  • 220V Electric Casefeeder

This device automatically feeds the cases right side up into the included case feed tube, and stops and starts automatically to keep the tube filled. The case feeder for the XL 650 is suitable for handgun and rifle calibres!

Available Options:

  • XL 650 Casefeeder for Large pistol (DLN-97025)
  • XL 650 Casefeeder for Small pistol (DLN-97021)
  • XL 650 Casefeeder for Large rifle (DLN-97022)
  • XL 650 Casefeeder for Small rifle (DLN-97023)

NOTE: Additional case feeder plates are available to convert between classes of calibres.

Primer Transfer

Dillon offers a manual system of flip tray and pick-up tubes or an automated system to get the primers from their shipping box into the XL 650 primer magazine. While the manual approach is most popular approach, the RF 100 is really convenient!

  • Primer flip tray
Dillon Primer Flip Tray (DLN-13606) - This steel tray gets the primers “the right way up” after dispensing them from the box, prior to loading into the pick-up tube, and won’t flip them back!
  • Additional primer pick-up tubes

Transfer the primers from the flip-tray to the machine’s priming system. Once the primers are shiny-side up in the flip tray, dab each one with the appropriate pick-up tube to load-up a hundred primers into a tube.

The RL 550B is supplied with one pick-up tube of small primers (yellow tip) and one for large primers (green tip). Extra primer pick-up tubes, pre-filled, are useful when loading more than a few hundred rounds per sitting.

They are available individually, or in value-packs of four:

  • RF 100 Automatic Primer Filler 
The Dillon RF 100 Automatic Primer Filler is an electrically powered machine to sort and transfer a hundred primers from their packaging box into a "transfer tube", for subsequent transfer into the primer magazine of your favourite Dillon progressive reloading machine. The RF 100 eliminates the need to manually fill primer pick-up tubes, and is available for either large or small primers with conversion kits to change to the other size.

Tools, Setup & Maintenance

  • Toolkit 

The tool head on the XL 650 is quite compact, with little space between dies. Conventional spanners or shifting spanners may be too bulky to work well in the confined space, so we offer a specially designed spanner to get in and adjust then lock your Dillon dies.

Most adjustments on your XL 650 require Allen wrenches. The XL 650 is supplied with a standard set of these, adequate to work on your machine. The development of ball-ended Allen wrenches made it much easier to adjust bolts and screws where space constraints make it difficult to perfectly align the standard Allen wrench with the bolt. The ball-end allows you to work “off axis”, a much more convenient solution!

We have developed a stylish toolkit bracket to conveniently hold a set of ball-ended Allen wrenches as well as the 1-inch spanner. The bracket mounts to the back of the machine.

Convenient toolkits with mounting brackets are available (all the tools required to adjust and basically service the XL 650 machine):

  • Dillon Toolholder with Wrench Set for XL 650 (DLN-11555) - a two-part bracket that mounts to the XL 650 progressive reloading machine to organise and store a set of dipped, ball-ended Allen wrenches and the 1" Bench Wrench. These tools are supplied in the kit and are what's required to adjust and basically service the machine.
  • Shooting Stuff Toolkit for 550/650/750 (SSB-TK650) - a stylish, one-piece bracket that mounts to the "blue" Dillon progressive reloading machines to organise and store a set of ball-ended Allen wrenches and the 1-inch spanner. These tools are supplied in the kit and are what's required to adjust and basically service the machine.

Individual items available:

  • Spare parts kit

Dillon XL 650 Spare Parts Kit (DLN-21146) contains an assortment of small parts for the XL 650, to avoid downtime while waiting for a replacement part should something break or get lost. 

Consider this kit insurance against Murphy’s Law which states that if something can go wrong, it will, at the worst possible time – i.e. the night before a big match! 

  • Case gauge 

Dillon's Stainless Steel Case Gauges allow rapid checking of critical aspects of each loaded cartridge – especially valuable for competition or carry ammo. Invest in one for each calibre!

NOTE: Dillon’s case gauges are available for defined popular calibres only, but those from LE Wilson expand the range considerably: view here.


Optional

This final set of optional accessories for the XL 650 offer additional convenience, but are not for everybody. Nevertheless, this section includes more than just “nice to have” items. Some of these items (like the extra small powder bar for .32 S&W;) are required to load the more exotic calibres.

  • Roller Handle 

A Roller Handles is more comfortable to use than the standard ball-handle, especially for extended reloading sessions, and it can also reduce operator fatigue. We offer the following options:

  • Low Powder Sensor 

Even though the powder level is visible through the clear polycarbonate hopper, a low powder sensor backs you up when you lose concentration or get distracted. 

  • Dillon Low Powder Sensor (DLN-16306) - warns you both audibly and visibly when the propellant level in the powder measure’s hopper gets low. The weight of the sensor is also reported to enhance charge consistency at lower powder levels.
  • Machine Cover 

Our machine covers are designed to keep the machine dust free. They have a locking feature to secure the machine from little hands, or other unauthorised tampering. We have the following options available:

  • Powder Bars 

NOTE: See Technical Specs tab for powder bar capacities.

  • Belted-Magnum powder system 

When loading lots of ammo for big, powerful calibres like .338 Lapua Magnum, .416 Rigby, .458 Lott, etc, you will need a powder measure capable of dispensing over 100gr of extruded type propellant.

Dillon Magnum Powder Measure (DLN-97126) comes with an Oversize Powder Die (DLN-21253) for calibres too large in diameter to fit in the standard powder die.

 

Calibre Conversion

Calibre Conversion on the XL 650 is both as quick and easy as you want to make it. Dillon offers various levels of convenience to suit your requirements and budget. 

Option 1 - Minimum Kit 

As a minimum, you will need the following to change calibres:


Adding a Case Gauge for the specific calibre is always a good idea! 

Option 2 - Convenient Conversion

Option 1 does not take full advantage of the convenience offered by the RL 550B’s interchangeable tool head. So, if you want to leave your dies pre-set, you'll need:

Including an additional Dillon Powder Die (DLN-20064) allows you to move your powder measure from tool head to tool head without changing the flare or belling adjustment. Consider taking a second powder die to also share the powder check system.

We call this “calibre conversion, the moderately easy way” and believe that a case gauge for the specific calibre would be a good idea!
Option 3 - The Easy Way 

For the full Dillon convenience of changing calibres “the easy way” consider the option to leave your dies, powder system and powder check system set up and dedicated to a specific cartridge for faster, easier calibre changes. We call this “calibre conversion, the easy way”


You may also need a different case feed plate for the electric case feeder. Please refer to the calibre conversion chart in the Instruction Manual for the correct plate. The XL 650 Instruction Manual can be downloaded here, or call Shooting Stuff for advice. Available case feed plates (applicable to the XL 650) are:

  • Large pistol (DLN-21072)
  • Small pistol (DLN-21073)
  • Small rifle (DLN-21074)
  • Large rifle (DLN-21075)
  • Magnum rifle (DLN-18492)

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