Two weeks ago, I shared a post about my decision to dive into reloading. Today, I’m here to talk about the press I chose: the Dillon Precision XL750. Fair warning—if you’re looking for a review from a seasoned expert, I’m not your guy. I’m brand new to reloading and barely know my primers from my powder. Maybe one day I’ll be a qualified source, but for now, these are just my decisions, opinions, and early experiences with the press.

Why the XL750?

Some of you pointed out that the cost analysis in my earlier post didn’t mention the press or dies. That was intentional—I wanted to avoid getting sidetracked by equipment choices in that post and save the details for this one. I didn’t exactly keep the XL750 a secret, but I haven’t yet shared the reasoning behind the series of decisions that led me to it.

The first choice was whether to go with a single-stage or progressive press. Most folks, except high-volume pistol shooters, recommended starting with a single-stage press to learn the ropes. The argument was that a simpler machine lets you focus on mastering each reloading step one at a time. High-volume shooters, on the other hand, suggested jumping straight to a progressive press, arguing that there’s a learning curve either way, and if your goal is high-volume reloading, a single-stage press would slow you down significantly. Clearly, I went with the progressive route.

Next, I had to decide which progressive press to get. Among the local competitors I polled, Dillon presses were the popular choice, with the 550, 650, and 750 being the most common. My internet research showed plenty of options, and honestly, none seemed like a bad choice. The main differences boiled down to the number of stages and price. More stages meant higher theoretical output, but also a higher initial cost and more expensive caliber conversions. The XL750 hit the sweet spot between output and my budget. Plus, its wider range of cartridge compatibility was a big draw for me.

Why the Ultimate Kit?

It might seem odd that I mentioned budget constraints and still went for the priciest XL750 package Dillon offers. The reasoning is simple: I wanted the high-volume reloading “easy button.” Reloading will always involve detail-oriented work, but I wanted to minimize the time and effort required. Features like the case and bullet feeders in the Ultimate Kit move the needle in that direction. Sure, those features come at a cost, but I see it as an investment that pays off in time and effort saved.

Did I make the right choice? I don’t know yet—only experience will tell. For now, after setting it up and loading my first few batches of 9mm, I’m happy with my decision. The press and kit seem to have everything needed to start loading (short of components) while only requiring me to actuate the handle, visually check the powder charge, and case-gauge the finished 100-round batches. Batch sizes are limited by the priming system’s 100-primer capacity, but the RF100 Auto Primer Filler included in the kit makes refilling quick and easy.

Setup

Setting up the XL750 was quite an experience. Let me clarify something: people often confuse “simple” with “easy” and “complex” with “difficult.” Simple things can be tough—like pistol shooting. It’s just aligning the muzzle with the target and pressing the trigger without disturbing the alignment, but doing it well is hard. Setting up the XL750 is the opposite: it’s complex but relatively easy. The complexity comes from the sheer number of detailed steps, which can be time-consuming. Thankfully, Dillon provides detailed instructions with plenty of color pictures, and their website and YouTube channel offer helpful videos. Still, working through all that content takes time.

Once the press is set up, there’s additional work to fine-tune or develop your ammunition load. So far, I’ve found getting the load just right and consistent to be far more challenging than the initial unboxing and setup. I suspect this is largely because I’m new to reloading, and it’ll get easier as I gain experience. I’ve been frustrated at times, but it hasn’t felt overwhelming, which was a concern I had before starting. I’m too new to give authoritative advice, but I’ve found that patience, loading small batches, testing them, and changing only one variable at a time is the best way to dial in a load. The kinetic bullet puller included in the Deluxe and Ultimate Kits has been a lifesaver for minimizing component waste while I work out the kinks. I’ll share more on that in a future post.

Small Tweaks and Improvements

The XL750 Ultimate Kit is a robust, complete package ready to start loading the caliber you select when ordering. It includes many “upgrades” that make loading more efficient but aren’t strictly necessary. Even with all the bells and whistles, I’ve added a few tweaks to fine-tune my experience. Like the kit’s extra features, these aren’t required but have made a noticeable difference:

• Locator Pin Tabs: Arguably the most valuable and affordable improvement. I was constantly removing and reinserting the stage 3, stage 4, and stage 5 locator pins on the XL750 while adjusting die configurations and inspecting cartridges as part of my learning process. The tabs from Inline Fabrication make it easier to remove and insert the pins, reduce drops, and keep them from rolling around.
• Skylight LED from Inline Fabrication: The direct lighting on the toolhead makes it much easier to visually confirm the powder charge at stage three.
• Bin Barrier: Many companies make bin barriers, but I picked up a few from Inline Fabrication (along with extra bins for organizing components) to maximize bin capacity.
• 100-Round Case Gauge: Dillon’s included case gauge works great, but checking each cartridge individually is slow, especially since I plan to crank out a lot of 9mm. The 100-round case gauge from Armanov was a no-brainer.
• Clickable Powder Thrower Adjustment Knob: Dialing in the charge weight with Dillon’s powder dispenser isn’t hard, but it’s time-consuming and not very repeatable since the adjustment bolt lacks reference markings. Armanov’s knob with reference markings was an easy upgrade.
• Quick Disconnect: Another Armanov addition, this quick disconnect for the powder measure makes emptying it after each session much more efficient.

None of these are must-haves, but they’ve noticeably improved my loading experience—enough to be worth mentioning.

Final Musings

I’m glad I finally got into reloading, mostly because I’m finding it enjoyable so far. I suspect the fun is tied to the thrill of learning something new, and I’m not sure how long that’ll last. It feels a bit like being Alice in Wonderland, tumbling down the reloading rabbit hole. You might say I’m Zo in Reloadingland. That said, it’s a time sink, and I can see why some shooters only reload out of necessity and find no joy in it.

I think jumping straight to a progressive press was the right call for me, given my goal of cranking out 9mm ammo for practice, training, and competition. I can’t be certain, but I suspect the slower output of a single-stage or turret press would quickly turn reloading from a satisfying curiosity task into a tedious chore.

As for the XL750, the only downside I can point to is that I wish it had one more stage so I could add a powder check without sacrificing the bullet feeder or combining seating and crimping into one stage. Beyond that, I have no complaints. The frustrations I’ve faced seem tied to learning reloading in general, not the press itself. Sure, I’ve made a few tweaks to make the Ultimate Kit even better for my needs, but those are specific to me and my use case—others might not find them as useful, if at all. It’s probably too early to say for sure, but I can’t imagine regretting this purchase down the road. Only time will tell.

I’m curious: How many of you load your own ammo? If so, why? What do you load, and what press do you use? Got any tips for me or other beginners just starting out? Chime in below!