How do you have the die stations on your Dillon set up for loading? Are you manually feeding bullets? Powder check? You ever wish you had a couple more threaded stations?
For sizing on 650:
#1 sizer die with decapper
#2 blank
#3 blank
#4 Dillon 1500 and trim die if needed
#5 blank
For loading on 650:
#1 blank
#2 powder drop/priming
#3 custom M type expander die
#4 bullet drop
#5 bullet seater.
For sizing on 1050 with auto drive:
#1 blank
#2 Mighty Armory decapper
#3 swage hold down die
#4 blank
#5 blank
#6 blank
#7 sizer sans decapping apps/opposite the swage hold down die to take slack out
#8 blank
For loading on 1050 manual pull:
#1 blank
#2 blank or a collet die if needed
#3 blank
#4 blank/ primer
#5 powder drop
#6 custom M type expander die
#7 bullet drop
#8 bullet seater
I have learned that the case mouths contaminate the bullet drop with sizing lube and powder granules if I try to size and load in one pass, eventually resulting in bullet drop failure.....hence the separate sizing/decapping pass and a trip through media to clean off lube.
I do not use a powder check, but I can see a need for one. I try to use ball or very short stick powder only to avoid bridging.
I've had to weigh loaded rounds a couple times because a bullet plugged the powder measure.... probably from pulling bullets and failing to separate all the bullets from the powder and dumping powder back in measure. Ironically the slide still fully functioned but with zero powder drop. NO MAS.
Yes another station would be good for a powder check. I suppose I could move expander to before priming when loading and use #6 for powder check or just rely on the Dillion expander in the hold.down die.
I did customize the Dillion expander to do both 223s and 20 VTs. The 20 VT expander just rides below the 223 expander on the same shaft. However I just like the versatility of my custom M type better.
