how accurate are the xl650 dillon powder thrower

[lal357]

got a question thinking about buying a dillon xl650 and was wondering just how accurate are there powder throwers right now i reload my f class rounds on a rcbs single stage with a charge master. is this just for pistol and play loads no precision
loading.

 

[Doug Beach]

The Dillon measure will throw stick powder with an extreme spread of about .7 grains, with most inside a spread of .4gr. It works extremely well for conventional Highpower. It would not be my choice for F class.

 

[Rust]

I've found that the Dillon powder measure does not like coarse stick powders in stock form, but if you mirror polish the funnel portion it will throw more consistent charges with less deviation. Ball powder meters much better stock and even better with the funnel portion polished up.

Bye the way, it's a pain in the butt to do a good polish job without screwing up, takes time and patience.

 

[amlevin]

My 650 with the stock powder measure does pretty good with ball powders like 2000MR, AA2230, etc. Charge weight consistency is =/-.1 gr which is more than enough for my usual needs. For more accurate charge weights I just remove the powder measure and install a Lee universal rifle powder die with a funnel on top. I then measure the charges with my Chargemaster. I can load about 200 rounds per hour using this method ------------unless I forget to only pour the powder in while the ram is up and then cleaning up the powder spill runs my production rate way down

 

[ericbc7]

Rust, would you have any pictures of how and what you polished on your measure and perhaps describe in more detail your process? Thanks.

 

[powderbrake]

I was told an RCBS powder measure would be more accurate on my Dillon 550 than the standard Dillon measure, so I tested them both to evaluate the throw accuracy. I threw 50 charges from each on the Dillon press, and weighed each charge on a digital powder scale which displayed to .1 gr.
Extreme diligence was practiced to insure the procedures and measurements were as accurate as possible.

Results were:

Dillon: Set point 31.7 gr Varget

Ave: 31.71
Max: 31.9
Min: 31.4
ES: .5
SD: .108


RCBS: Set Point 31.7gr of Varget

Ave: 31.69
Max: 32.0
Min: 31.4
ES: .6
SD: .138

So the Dillon was a little better than the RCBS with Varget, and the results are in the range as mentioned in earlier posts.

It is nowhere near as good as my Chargemaster, which I would use if I was developing a load.

It's good enough for my prairie dog gun, if I miss a dog, I'll shoot again.

 

[dcali]

In my experience, not very. Ball powder is the way to go.

 

[Shaggy357]

I have three Dillons. With ball powders, they will all throw nearly exact volume/weight of powder every time. When I am setting up the press, I adjust the powder measure volume, and will not load progressively until I have dropped at least three loads in a row that are perfect. For example, a recent load was 25.0 grains of powder. Once I thought I was correct on adjustment, I threw 25.0, then 50.0, then 75.0 on the scale. Three loads in the pan, right on the money, to confirm I was in the ball park. Several times I was higher, or lower, than 75.0. I readjusted until I was right on.

If I am using a short cut or more flakey powder, I may throw four or five loads on the scale. A recent load ended up being 4 drops = 90.1 grains. Four times 22.5 grains and I was within .1 of a grain.

Stick powders are a different story. The larger the stick, the tougher it is to load progressively and keep a consistent powder volume/weight. If a stick binds in the adjustable bar, it causes the spring on the dispenser return rod to engage which gives the powder measure a pretty heavy jolt. Not good for uniformity. If you are loading practice or plinking ammo, you can keep within +/- .2-.3 grains (@.5 grain swing). For my competition ammo, I use the electronic dispenser/scale. Even the good Lyman scale will not keep stick powders within .1 grains. I loaded 385 6BRs this past weekend and had to set the scale at 28.8 to get keep at, or under a 29.0 load. 28.8, 28.9, and 29.0 were the norm. Had to tap the drop tube on quite a few to get 29.0 exact. Had maybe 10 total that went 29.1 or higher. Still a .4 grain overall spread, using high dollar dispenser.

When it comes to powder density, bigger is not always better.

Steve