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Posted: 11/13/2010 4:22:30 AM EDT
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Hey all;
I have a Dillon 550 that I have used primarily for pistol. I have started reloading for 223 and down the road, 6.8 SPC. I know the Dillon powder measure is ok for spherical and ball powders but is VERY inconsistent with extruded powders. I have been experimenting with different powders to come up with loads that are predictable, accurate, and fairly inexpensive. With the spherical and ball powders my load weights are very consistent. With the extruded powders, they are all over the place (I have chrono'd most of my loads). The question I have is regarding using another powder measure on the 550. I have seen that big blue sells a "die" that allows the user to use a non Dillon powder measure e.g., Redding, RCBS, etc. Does anyone out there use another powder measure and how does it affect your loading volume? Any input would be appreciated 
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I don't use the Dillon powder measure for the extruded powders and only use it for my pistol loads. (w-231)
I keep a Dillon loaded with two .223 dies in the rear slots and two 6.8 dies in the front slots, and use a bench mounted separate powder dispenser. This way I can keep both sets of dies loaded and ready to go for two different calibers and only have to change powder drop. I use H 322 for .223, 6.8, and .308. The two dies I keep loaded in that press are the seating die and a separate crimping die for each caliber. I have many different presses but that's how I usually keep the Dillon. I size deprime and trim on a separate press in the garage with a separate priming station. |
| I've heard this criticism about using the Dillon powder measure for extruded powders before. I can't speak for others' experiences but as for me, I have had NO issue with it. Maybe I'm the exception but I routinely check my loads in progress and I've never had any variation that would cause me concern. YMMV but I'll continue to progressively load these powders on my Dillon 550B. |
| I have taken my PM and polished the hopper to a mirror finish along with knocking off the rough edges of the powder bar plus I added a spring to the powder bar to keep tension and also polished the mouth of the funnel and I get a variance +/- .1 (best) .2 (worst) good enough for me |
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I have taken my PM and polished the hopper to a mirror finish along with knocking off the rough edges of the powder bar plus I added a spring to the powder bar to keep tension and also polished the mouth of the funnel and I get a variance +/- .1 (best) .2 (worst) good enough for me
Sorry Double post |
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Consistency in operating the handle is paramount. Polishing the interior of the hopper looks great, but offers little advantage. Putting a mirror finish on the interior of the powder drop is where the real help comes from. It stops the bridging which will ruin a load.
Unless you are shooting and loading for 600 yard tournaments +/- .1 grain does not matter. Some powders will measure on the money without modifying the powder measure or drop tubes - read "ball powders". I personally prefer extruded powders and have no issues using them if I'm careful selecting the right ones. Already mentioned and very good in .223 and 6.8SPC is H322. Any of VihtaVuori's powders in the faster to mid range work great. VV-N133, VV-N135, VV-N530, VV-N540 and even VV-N140 meters well enough not to be overly concerned. RE-15 meters better than Varget and is vitually identical on target. I also set up several Dillon 550B heads with their adapter kit and use my Redding BR-30 measure. It works OK, better than the Dillon, but adds enough extra motion to the reloading process to make me feel like the Wizard of Oz. It also makes it much easier to miss a powder charge if you aren't very careful checking powder before seating a bullet. I do shoot tournaments at 600 yards and that ammo requires extra care. Anything fired at 300 yards or less doesn't matter. I have fired enough to learn that carefully drop charged ammo can shoot very well without the extra effort. Smooth consitant strokes of the press handle, maintain the powder level around 2/3 of the hopper, never leave the handle in the fill position between cyles and use a powder baffle. |
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Quoted: I've heard this criticism about using the Dillon powder measure for extruded powders before. I can't speak for others' experiences but as for me, I have had NO issue with it. Maybe I'm the exception but I routinely check my loads in progress and I've never had any variation that would cause me concern. YMMV but I'll continue to progressively load these powders on my Dillon 550B. I haven't seen any issues either. I will sample case powder loads and they are within an acceptable variation. I use my 550 to single step match .308 loads, and they shoot sub-MOA |
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Quoted:
I have taken my PM and polished the hopper to a mirror finish along with knocking off the rough edges of the powder bar plus I added a spring to the powder bar to keep tension and also polished the mouth of the funnel and I get a variance +/- .1 (best) .2 (worst) good enough for me +1 http://forums.1911forum.com/showthread.php?t=154783 
I use the DILLON powder measure on the 550 and 650 for H332, VARGET, etc without trouble. |
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Ok...I had polished the PM as suggested before I ever dropped a charge. I will try and obtain a spring from dillon to see if that helps. I will continue tweeking my loads and powder to see what happens. I really don't want to purchase another PM nor do I want to add any more steps to the reloading process. I purchased my Dillon originally so that I could load a lot of ammo in a short period of time. It does seem to me that adding more steps just turns the "progressive" press into more of a single stage press.
Again, thanks for all the advice. I appreciate your input. |
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Quoted:
Ok...I had polished the PM as suggested before I ever dropped a charge. I will try and obtain a spring from dillon to see if that helps. I will continue tweeking my loads and powder to see what happens. I really don't want to purchase another PM nor do I want to add any more steps to the reloading process. I purchased my Dillon originally so that I could load a lot of ammo in a short period of time. It does seem to me that adding more steps just turns the "progressive" press into more of a single stage press. Again, thanks for all the advice. I appreciate your input. i'll add that as mentioned above, a consistent stroke of the handle leads to consistent powder drops. i found out that by using dillon's carbide dies in 223 the press operates so much smoother; yes you still need to lube and they are more expensive. they are a pleasure to use on those long high volume loading sessions. |
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For all the talk about inconsistency with extruded powders, I did an accuracy check using Varget, I loaded 20 weighing every charge and getting it exactly on the weight, then I loaded 20 using the powder measure, then I went to the range. At 100 yards off the benchrest there was NO measurable difference in the accuracy between individually weighed and Dillon powder measured charges, NONE AT ALL! |
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