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Why I am going to Redding and Dillon

7K views 53 replies 27 participants last post by  Winchester 70 
#1 · (Edited)
I have started a new thread because I do not want to "Jack" Tonka's thread. Tonka, you are a good friend and I appreciate you.

76high boy, can I ask why your considering on deleting your hornady products? You talked so highly about hornady. Please give me your input. It's great that you enjoy helping others, like you do. Of course do what's right for you. Please let me know your deleting your hornady products. Thanks again for your videos.
Mark
Fair enough.

I have always been a huge Joyce Hornady fan and my channel was certainly a way that I could support a company that I always looked up to. I have also been a fan of Steve Hornady because I admired how he filled his fathers shoes and kept the business in the family. That certainly speaks volumes about his character and I believe Jason is nothing less. However, after hundreds of videos in support of Hornady I have no working relationship with them. Because of my videos Hornady has sold LITERALLY hundreds of reloading presses!!! I hear from so many of my subscribers that they either called Hornady to tell them about my YouTube channel or they write Hornady to tell them about my videos and not one time has Hornady picked up the phone and recognized me.

Redding and Dillon on the other hand: Redding has been so gracious and they were that way before even reviewing their Big Boss press. Dillon as well!!! These two companies have actually picked the phone up to speak to me and it just humbles me. One of my subscribers and good friend took the time to write Redding speaking about my channel and Redding took the time to send me a copy via. e-mail. I cannot compliment Redding and Dillon enough and they come highly recommended by me.

I will be starting my M1 Garand series and will be running Redding in those videos. Once the AR-15 kicks off I am hoping to have my funds together to have my first Dillon on my channel. I currently have the Dillon Square Deal B and they have graciously loaned it to me. I am running .357 mag on it but once done I hope to purchase it and set it up for 45 Auto. Shooter45 got me turned onto the Dillon SDB and Shooter was right. It is a press worth having to say the least.

I hope I bring no offense to my viewers and I have only good things to say about the Hornady product line.

Highboy
 
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#2 · (Edited)
Understand, thanks HB. I am a fan of Hornady and do love most of their products. But it is disappointing to hear that they did not reach out to you. You certainly are highly respected by us reloaders who follow you. I can only imagine the amount of business you sent their way. Seems like someone at Hornady made a foolish decision.

Ironically, I discovered you and your videos while I was waiting for my LNL to be delivered. It seems you were in the middle of the series.
 
#5 ·
but good for Jim. He is not tied to them in any way.

Jim is like a teenager now. Not engaged or married, just dating and playing the field with no obligations or commitments.

This way he can be 100% objective without fear of repercussions.

I was about to get a LnL but after seeing Jim's videos I decided not to. Personal decision based on personal reason. I can't wait to see his series with Dillon. I hope it happens within the nest 9 months
 
#6 ·
Seems like I'm always a day late and a dollar short. I just recently made up my mind about getting into reloading next fall and Hornady (single stage) was the way I was going to go. Probably still will. I can't afford the good stuff and won't be doing near the volume that most of you do. Good Luck Highboy.
 
#7 ·
Can't blame you and if you want to sell your LnL AP go ahead I don't think anyone will hold it against you. As long as you don't delete the videos from your channel, that would be a shame.

@One Shot, if I were to get a single stage press I would go with the hornady. The bushing system is awesome for single stage presses. (And progressives)
I outfitted my Rockchucker with the bushing system and it really makes die changes so much faster.
Especially with dies that don't have lockable lockrings like the Dillons.
 
#8 ·
76Highboy:

Good move! In the past I had dealings with Hornady and was not impressed by their customer service or attitude. Their attitude was that they brought out a new press to replace one that did not work all that well and I, as an owner of the older press, had to eat the older press.

In contrast, I bought a Dillon Square Deal and through ignorance kept breaking it. In a discussion with Dillon they offered to buy back the press (full value after over a year of my use) if I replaced it with the RL550B which was my desire as my collection of guns had gone beyond one 9mm pistol. The have updated it several times for free and rebuilt this heavily used press two times for free. Dillon is SERVICE and when you use a press a lot that is what you NEED.

When you start reviewing new presses do not forget the most versatile press in Dillons catalog, the RL550B. It does everything from small pistol rounds to massive Magnum rifle rounds. It uses standard die sets and has interchangeable heads that mount the dies. Changing calibers is fast with no setup required, normally. This press has been around for at least three decades with only minor changes and updates whereas during that same period both Hornady and RCBS have made several different presses only to settle into presses with a lot of similarity to the Dillon. Yes, Dillon stuff is not cheap but it is durable unlike other manufacturers products that I could name (starts with an L and ends in a E).

I have no connection to any press manufacturer and that includes Dillon. I am just a very happy consumer of their press as many of my post here represent. My RL550B is nearly 30 years old and used regularly on more than 30 different cartridges. I think I have standing to make a judgement on the Dillon RL550B (??). Finding others with this same opinion should be very easy as I have read very few negatives here from real owners of the RL550B. I have seen lots of sniping from Hornady owners, though.

Good luck on your new quest with Dillon.

LDBennett
 
#9 ·
HB, I cannot speak for any Hornady reloading equipment, but I do seem to be aware of a lot of qwerks and tweeks they need to run better. The Dillons just run right out of the box and they keep running for 30 plus years.
Good for you, and you always have my respect and support.

DB
 
#11 ·
Bought my 550(used)in 92 from a USPA shooter that was upgrading to a 1050,only problems I've had were due to operator stupidity,but Dillons warranty covered them anyway(and yes,I told them problems were my fault).
 
#13 ·
So, you are switching over, not because of the products' quality or ease of use, but because they give you free stuff?

I haven't watched any of your videos, so I'm just going by your OP here. A whole lot of folks bad-mouth magazine writers because of the supposed "payola" that a bad review isn't possible to a "paying" sponsor ( ad space or freebies) so is your "video magazine" any different?
 
#19 ·
So, you are switching over, not because of the products' quality or ease of use, but because they give you free stuff?
I'll answer this for Jim since he and I have talked about this extensively for the last year or so.

No.

He was thinking of expanding his video series and thought Redding, Dillon, and others would be a good idea. All his equipment is paid for on his dime. No sponsorships past, present, or future. He is about as honest as a guy can be and I would back him up until the end of time
 
#14 ·
Looks like he's making the move to Dillon, and Redding because they have noticed his video's, and the time he takes to learn the equipment, and improve on it. I personally understand where he's coming from. I spent many years fishing semi pro on the FLW Everstart series, and BASS. I spent a great deal of time modifying my reels to work for me. I was/ still am a huge Shimano Reel fanboy. The only problem was they didn't make the cranking reel I needed/wanted. I had to resort to another brand of lesser quality to get what I wanted. I aproched the other company about a higher grade bearing that would last, and they just ignored me. On the other hand when I talked with Shimano, they had a design engineer call me, and we worked together on a gear package for me to try out. Once we decided we had the proper gear package, they built a reel the following year with that gear package. Yes they did ship me a half dozen reels to try out. Hey I'm fine with a guy praising a product, and the manufacture compping him for his work.
 
#15 ·
BTW Does Dillon have the perfect press? No. Do they have the best press? IMO they do have the best progressive presses on the market. I have both RL550b, and XL650. Yes I did purchase some of the upgrades for my XL650, but I did so because I wanted to. I think the spent primer upgrade, and skipped live primer upgrade was well worth the money spent.

My first press was the RL550b based on recommendations from others. I'm glad I saved a little more, and took the advice of others. When I purchased my XL650 I looked at the Hornady Ammo plant. Hey everyone says it's cheaper than the XL650, and you get FREE bullets. After watching Highboy's vids I decided to get the XL650. I didn't need a press that needed to be tweaked up front. I knew what to expect from Dillon. Look at the polls for the IDPA nationals, or USPSA nationals. Usually 97% of shooters polled say they use Dillon.
 
#16 ·
I bought my Dillon 550 about three, maybe four years ago. I really didn't do a whole lot of research before I bought it. I did do a search for "progressive presses", and when I saw all of the "fixes" for the LnL. Like gahunter says, why in the world would I want to buy a press that had all of the videos showing how to make it work!!!! What really sold me on the Dillon were the posts that LDBennet has been making for years.
 
#17 ·
Just as an aside-the auto-indexing "feature" seems to cause the most trouble from what I've read/seen.I neither want nor need this "feature"-which is why I've never bought a D650,nor do I want a casefeeder...a bullet feeder would be nice,I'm researching the GSI for my 550.
 
#23 ·
Zant I agree the auto indexing is on extra moving part, but I haven't had a single issue with my XL650, nor my case feeder. My honest opinion I think most case feeder issues come from a unstable press/bench. My press doesn't move at all. I have never had a case feeder jam, or upside down case. Most guys that have issues with the auto index on Enos forum ask how to replace the index ring. If you don't know how to remove the ring, you have never cleaned it. I clean my press every 1k rounds. I also have a RL550b, and love it, but not enough to buy a second RL550. I do however love my XL650 enough that my plan is to add at least one more XL650.
 
#20 ·
Just because Hornady hasn't said thank you, call you and sent free stuff you're calling it quits with them? Since when did they owe you? Check out Nutfancy's channel and kickbacks. Montana Extreme Gun Products has sent you free products and the channel is worshiping them now.

By the way please define what a "good", "best" cleaner or oil is; the MSDS shows nothing special about it.

Your mission statements in your channel don't match what you seem to really want is what I'm hearing.
 
#22 ·
Highboy has shown his sense of humor and his integrity over the years I've been on this forum, and he has won, earned, the respect of about all of the people here.

If you don't like what he's doing, ignore him and go somewhere else for reloading tips. Nobody's forcing anyone to listen to him. He's just doing something he enjoys, and wants to help others to learn the safe way to enjoy that too.

I'm glad he's not limiting himself to just one brand of press. We've seen his experience with one brand; now we can see how that compares with some other pressmakers. We've had a number of discussions about which brand is best, and it pretty much boils down to personal taste, personal budget, and maybe what's available.

Personally I use RCBS because I found one second hand relatively cheaply. It has served me well and they have treated me just as well as Dillon treats their customers. So I hope Highboy picks up some RCBS stuff at some point...;)

I have a friend who teaches reloading (it's a great course for getting us started) and he has been glad to have access to Highboy's videos to supplement his course.
 
#24 · (Edited)
I find this interesting, I purchased a LNL AP years prior to any of HB videos and it still functions without issue and Hornady CS has never failed to deliver smiles.

The LNL videos seem to be very pro Hornady, and based on the vast amount of videos gives the same impression. So it seems, the videos where produced on a voluntary basis, without a business agreement. So why would Honady be any less of a company because they didnt provide a handout? Don't get me wrong, this was a brilliant plan if you put forethought into the idea from the beginning, it just doesn't seem that's the way this went down.
 
#25 ·
I find this interesting, I purchased a LNL AP years prior to any of HB videos and it still functions without issue and Hornady CS has never failed to deliver smiles.

The LNL videos seem to be very pro Hornady, and based on the vast amount of videos gives the same impression. So it seems, the videos where produced on a voluntary basis, without a business agreement. So why would Honady be any less of a company because they didnt provide a handout?
There's nothing wrong with the Hornady AP. I have 2 friends that have Hornady AP presses, and they seem to like them. Both say Hornady has great CS and are promp on shipping parts.

Highboy's not changing because Hornady didn't hand out free equipment. He has produced a quality video series that shows the new Hornady AP owner what needs to be done up front to make the machine run the way it should. Highboy has helped probably thousands of AP owners with his videos. I'm sure many have commented to Hornady about his videos. I bet Hornady has had their people check them out also. Through all this Hornady has not once contacted Highboy about his thoughts on how to improve the press, or possibly turning the videos in to a DVD set, etc. Hornady had a great oppertunity to utilize Highboy's knowledge, and they didn't. Often field trying a product results in getting free product, or getting product to try out with the option to return, or buy. As HB said in a earlier post he hopes to buy his Square D that Dillon is sending.

Good CS is one thing, but when a company recognizes your knowledge of a product, and contacts you, that means a lot! I'm really proud to see Dillon, and Redding want to talk with Highboy. That really cool, and he for one deserves any comps they may send his way!
 
#34 ·
you convinced me Jim. Since I am pregnant I will send you all my guns, ammo, and gear. Having guns in the house scares me and I sure don't want my new baby to get a hold of them. While I'm at it I will also send you my boat. Studies show babies tend to drown when out on a boat. This will give me more time to sharpen my skills at crocheting.
 
#37 ·
I got my lnl ap a few months back. I'd been saving up and doing my research. For me the lnl just worked. When I got it home I had no idea what I was in store for putting this monster together. Everything went together and I can't wait to start making ammo. I start doing my thing and notice this is out of adjustment and that piece isn't as smooth as it. Should be. I watched your videos and had it all dialed in. In fact I got the last of it tweaked this weekend and ran 500 rounds. I love this press and can't wait to load up some more on it.

That being said, you gotta do what you gotta do. Just don't take the lnl videos down. Many folks like me would of never got our press to run this smooth had it not been for those videos. Keep up the good work.
 
#38 ·
I believe 76Highboy and I share the same desire to help people with their reloading. I also do it often but differently. It warms me a bit when someone thanks me for my service to reloading or guns in general. I don't need those compliments but they sure are nice. Hornady apparently sees no advantage to 76Highboy videos (boy are they wrong) and Dillon does. Hornady is a bit un-grateful, it seems. Time to switch horses for him, I would say.

Tips to "fix" Dillons will be few but tips on setting them up and using them will take up the slack. Unlike the Hornady progressive press, the Dillon is thoroughly vetted but often the user skips the instructions and misses important setup information (been there, done that!). 76Highboy's input is welcomed.

LDBennett
 
#39 ·
All I can say is I'm incredibly thankful to you ( @76Highboy ) for your videos on the Hornady press. As a new reloader (started last year), I watched your videos several times. They made all the difference in the world and I thank you. I continue to refer back those videos on occasion.

I hope you'll keep the videos available on your channel for future reference.

And, I have no doubt you're a stand-up and sincere person - that totally comes across in your work. You can't fake that, you ARE that.
 
#40 · (Edited by Moderator)
Thanks 380!!!

I always say my viewers come first, the companies come second, and I come last. I have no intentions of pulling the Hornady videos because they are not for me. They are a resource for my viewers and I do hope that Hornady benefits as well. As for Hornady I wish them well and keep in mind we are all on the same team and that team is the Second Amendment Team. Hornady has great products, excellent ammo, and I must admit they have stood the test of time while keeping it in the family. That is something they have earned and I commend them for that.

Once again, thanks 380.

Highboy

BTW Does Dillon have the perfect press? No. Do they have the best press? IMO they do have the best progressive presses on the market. I have both RL550b, and XL650. Yes I did purchase some of the upgrades for my XL650, but I did so because I wanted to. I think the spent primer upgrade, and skipped live primer upgrade was well worth the money spent.

My first press was the RL550b based on recommendations from others. I'm glad I saved a little more, and took the advice of others. When I purchased my XL650 I looked at the Hornady Ammo plant. Hey everyone says it's cheaper than the XL650, and you get FREE bullets. After watching Highboy's vids I decided to get the XL650. I didn't need a press that needed to be tweaked up front. I knew what to expect from Dillon. Look at the polls for the IDPA nationals, or USPSA nationals. Usually 97% of shooters polled say they use Dillon.
Thanks GAhunter.

Funny you mentioned the RL550B and XL650. I am currently looking at the RL550B as the first Dillon press to buy. Then the XL650 and I cannot wait to get them. Looks like I will have to have you come and do the Dillon instructional videos for me. LOL...

Highboy
 
#41 ·
Highboy both Dillon presses are great machines. My RL550b is still in factory form. My XL650 had been upgraded with the following plus the dual bullet bin from Inline Fab, Ultramount Jr from Inline Fab, and the sky light kit from Inline Fab.

Missed Live Primer upgrade.
http://www.dillonupgrades.com/xl650missedprimerupgrade.html

Spent Primer upgrade.
http://www.uniquetek.com/site/696296/product/T1346-650

Shell Plate bearing upgrade. The one for $8.95
http://www.hitfactorshooting.com/products/products.html

I haven't upgraded my cam rod with the roller cam yet. Here's a link for that. I hear it's great, but my 650 runs like a sewing machine. Maybe I will one day. I love the live primer upgrade. The missed live primers stay in the bottle, instead of hitting the chute, and ending up on the floor.
 
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