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Posted: 11/1/2016 12:53:12 PM EDT
So I finally went I got myself a Dillon 650 -
I got everything need for 223 on the reloader (caliber conversion, shellplate, case feeder plate, dies) not I just need some case prep stuff for trimming and primer pockets. I plan on getting into 308 and 6.5G reloading (most likely only on the single stage though) so I'm also looking into something that accommodate multiple calibers. I know I could get one of the drill powered trimmers, but the good ones are pretty close in price to a Frankford Arsenal platinum trimmer by the time you get into multiple calibers and I still have nothing for reaming primer crimped primer pockets. Those who have had the FA trimmer, what is your opinion of them? Also, I noticed in Amazon that people often buy the RCBS Trim Mate crimp remover so I am wondering if this fits the FA trimmer? Are there any other options similar in price and ease of use? |
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Having a lathe style trimmer is good for low volume reloading. But I believe it is one of those things that everyone needs in their reloading tools.
Giraud will be the answer for high volume reloading. If you got a Dillon 650, I am gonna assume you will be shooting and loading a lot. I think they are about $100 per size and I think that is an excellent deal from the reviews and the speed at which brass can be processed. I have the RCBS trim-pro 3 way cutter head and it works great to speed up trimming on a lathe style trimmer. But, I should have just gotten the Giraud with as much time and money I have put into trimming 556 brass. Primer pocket reamers are very cheap and are an absolute must have. I think I have the RCBS or lyman set and I use it on my lyman lathe style trimmer to ream primer pockets. There are many options for this step, but I believe this is the cheapest. |
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The FA trimmer isn't bad. I use mine for lower volume stuff like 6.8SPC and 308.
For bulk 223, I have a Giraud cutting head mounted on a 3450RPM motor. A pace of ~600/hr is doable on that. The FA takes 4sec per case to chamfer/deburr, and cuts at 0.00085"/second when using the RCBS carbide cutting head. |
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I know it's out of the price range you want but with the setup you have, I can't stress how nice it is to have the Dillon trimmer. High volume rifle case prep on a 650 with casefeeder and Dillon trimmer versus using a lathe style or handheld, drill powered trimmer is like the difference between a Ferrari and a horse drawn buggy.
The Giraud is great and is what I use for high volume stuff but if I owned a 650 I would probably still buy the Dillon trimmer and use both for different purposes. As long as you stick with boat tail bullets and/or use a Lyman M die, there's really no need to chamfer and deburr case mouths after trimming with the Dillon. I know that didn't answer your question but I thought I should mention it since you've got a nice start to a great setup for rifle brass prep. |
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Based upon what y'all are saying, I might buy the FA trimmer just to get started and that will cover me for all calibers in lower volume for now. Then when I want to step up the volume for 223, I can go a few different ways with either a Giraud, or even a press mounted option like a Dillon or Honey Badger.
How long does it take to trim with the Giraud vs the FA? I plan on doing one 3 gun match and some practice sessions a month so I am thinking I will be around 200-400 shells a month. I will probably reload in batches of at least 1000, so this could realistically be doing a batch every 3 months. |
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Are you going to be loading high volume on a bunch of calibers?
I would recommend buying a lathe style like the Wilson trimmer for all the stuff that is low volume (308 and other rifle rounds) then buy the individual Giraud drill trimmer for the high volume stuff (like 223). I have the full scale Giraud and absolutely love it, but I bought that because time is a priority for me with a 2 year old so I trim everything on it I including low volume precision loads. |
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Dillon is the fastest- I prep cases almost at about 12-15 per minute. I have 1050's now, originally did so on a 650 so the below setup is from memory.
Use 1 toolhead for case prep and another for loading. Most reloading issues arise when prepping the brass, so you are not interrupting powder drops, etc. when prepping only. Both the case expander and the flare operations below remove inside burr, which is minimal. You can, of course, deburr by hand if wanted. Case prep: the Dillon trim die vaccum adapter (Manifold) blocks the adjacent stations (2 and 4). Note later regarding a modification. Station 1 - decap (Or presize/decap) I presize with a Full-length die adjusted a little high. Station 3 - trim/size with the RT-1500 Final headspace and trim length established. Station 5 - Lee Universal Decap die (Possibly other Lee die bodies) with a 223 or 308 expander to expand the case mouth. The Lee expander has a long taper so the neck is opened up gradually which puts less stress on the brass. Loading: Station 1 - Flare the case mouth out slightly with a Lyman M-die (There are other options). Station 2 - Primer/powder drop Sation 3 - optional powder check Station 4 - Bullet seat Station 5 - crimp, if wanted. I recently modified a Dillon trimmer vaccum adapter, and can put 1 die in the adjacent station so the M-die could possibly move to the case prep toolhead, and use a Universal decap die in it's place. The Dillon seat dies actually remove most of the flare, leaving a VERY slight gap at the case mouth- When I seat then pull bullets there are no scratches. Runout is generally less than .002 using the Hornaday runout gauge. |
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