Dillon 550

[RMW59]

Can a Dillon 550 press turn out super consistent ammo like a high quality single stage press?

 

[memilanuk]

Depends on your definition of 'super accurate'. Win a 1k BR match... I'd kind of doubt it, but maybe.

Others do fairly well w/ a 550 or 650 and some sort of hybrid process... David Tubbs has won 11 or 12 National Championships in NRA HP w/ ammo loaded on a highly modified 550... I think it's a pretty safe bet his guns shoot sub-half MOA at 600yds. More details available from his book 'The Rifle Shooter'. John Whidden,U.S. Palma team qualifier)describes his process here: http://www.6mmbr.com/gunweek059.html. Keep in mind these aren't exactly stock Dillon presses, and the charges are being *very* carefully weighed, etc. Almost enough hassle to make a good single stage look simpler by far, but I think it's very doable.

YMMV,

Monte

 

[Linefinder]

I'm certainly not saying it can't be done, but I couldn't do it. That's why as I progressed in reloading experience, I sold my 550 for a song and a dance and "progressed" to a Rockchucker.

The high volume the 550 churns out is, IMHO, a highly over-rated attribute. I have a very serious pdog addiction, and I still manage to comfortably crank out enough rounds on my SS press to never have to worry about running out of ammo, unless I hunt 5 days straight.

I used my 550 as a "modified" single stage for quite some time, before finally deciding it was never going to do the job I wanted it to do.

 

[USAPatriot]

I just had to post to fix the broken link in the previous post. Punctuation sort of confuses browsers...

http://www.6mmbr.com/gunweek059.html

 

[bmx]

My Dillon 550 will load cases and bullets to within .001 runout
using good dies such as Forster and Redding. I have some custom 7/8-14 threaded dies that runout as tight as .0004.

The press will throw 2/10 grain powder charges with powders like Benchmark, H-4895, VV-135 and VV-135. The slower burn rate powders such as 4350, 4831 and such I weigh the charges and drop thru a custom Dillon set up in the powder dispensing station.

I load all my varmint and long range ammo on the Dillon and load all short range stuff on an RCBS partner press and a Sinclair arbor press at the range.

If I could hit the daily conditions I would pre-load all my benchrest ammo on the Dillon and not have so much stuff to take to the range.

 

[Hammer]

Have some experience with Dillons and most single-stage presses. Continue to use both kinds. A Dillon can turn out accurate ammo for many purposes including prairie dog shooting and competition, though some may prefer other means.

One example of reloading setup