Progressive Press & 6BR Reloading

[Ogre6br]

Hi
What progressive press' do you guys use and can accurate 6 BR ammo be loaded on a progressive press.

THanks

later
P

 

[vegeta]

I use a Hornady Lock and Load AP press, Redding sizing dies, and a Forster seater.

I load for prairie dog's and not for competition. I don't think my rounds would stand up to others on this board. I get run out as high as 0.006 but most rounds have 0.002 to 0.003 run out. Powder charges also vary by 0.2 to 0.3 grains. If I recall correctly, I have and extreme spread of velocity around 60 fps.

I think someone was featured a while back that uses a Dillion press to make his rounds. Look in the Guns of the Week.

Hope this helps,

Bobby

 

[bmx]

I use a Dillon 550B to load all rifle and handgun ammo.

For the reloading of rifle cartridges I use Redding full length bushing dies and either Forster or Redding micrometer dies for bullet seating.

Most of the rifle rounds have a runout of less than .001, sometimes going as high as .0015. If a round has more run out than .0015 I seperate them and then break it down and start over.

If the round will not full length size and load to a maximum of .0015 the brass goes into the hunting brass can or gets tossed.

I have been extremely lucky with the Dillon powder measures in that I have 5 measures which will consistantly drop +/- 1/10 grain on the smaller powders. For bigger powders such as 4350 and 4831SC I use a Lyman 55 to throw the charges.

 

[memilanuk]

I've got a Dillon RL550B sitting here that I use to load for my Service Rifle, at least the short line loads. So far I started out loading my 6mm BR on Wilson hand dies in a Hart arbor press, now I'm using a Redding Competition Seater and Type 'S' F/L bushing die... the last 500yd F-class match I went down to the pits after my relay and stood there for about a minute just grinning at my target... nice tight 18-shot group about 2.5" across judging by the pasters, plus two called shots about a half minute out to the left. May not set the BR world on it's ear, but for a Savage 10FP w/a SSS barrel I was pretty tickled.

The relevant part is that I was 'testing' thrown vs. weighed charges... the first ten shots were thrown on my Redding BR-30, and the next 10 were hand-weighed using my Redding #2 scale... and shot as close to exactly the same as I can tell out to 500yds. Maybe w/ a better scale like a VIC-123 it might be a different story; I don't know.

I'm trying to work up the courage to try loading these on my Dillon... that would be about the best of both worlds... super-accurate *and* fast-n-easy loading. One of these days I've been meaning to get out and try some Ramshot TAC and Big Game behind a 107 in the 6mm BR but it hasn't happened yet.

 

[Forum Boss]

I have an RCBS 2000 progressive. I really like it. Having tried the Dillon 550 also, I think the RCBS has a better powder measure and superior primer system. You can buy the CCIs pre-loaded into strips.

We had planned to use the RCBS with a ball powder,such as H380) and try some varmint loads. Then I found my barrel didn't like the 75s and 80s very much. We might try the test later through a 10-twist.

I do agree with other posters, that for best accuracy, or if you are running a real hot load, you should probably hand-throw and weigh the charges. But with a ball powder, my RCBS will drop within .01 grain pretty consistently. It's another story for IMR 4895 or even Varget.

 

[Hipshot]

I use a Dillon 550B with ball and stick powders. Without counting the granuals, I'm really pleased with its consistency. I, too, use Redding bushing die for sizing and Forster micro seater die.

I shot two perfect 600's in two concecutive club matches at 300 meters with bullets made right out of the Dillon; I never turned on a powder scale. I have pre-set powder bars for my most popular loads. In the 6br I use Varget.

One secret,???) I have regarding the Dillon powder drop tubes as they come in the conversion kit is to polish the inside well. Too many have rough or pitted interior surface and cause bridging. My technique it to use a somwehat undersized brush, wrap a piece of cleaning patch around it and smear it full of JB. Chuck it into a hand drill and just go at it. Real polishing media or even Flitz might be better. The objective is to polish the inside of the drop tube until it is nice and smooth.

 

[memilanuk]

Hipshot,

I've got a tapered reamer sitting here that I've been meaning to try out on my powder funnel on the tool head I use for my .308 Win. A number of people I've talked to claimed that reaming,to slightly improve the funnel geometry) followed by polishing the snot out of it like you mentioned is the way to nirvana, or at least no more spilled powder everywhere, when using Varget and similar powders in the Dillon. I've strongly considered changing the powder measure out for either a RCBS or Hornady w/ the case-activated powder drop linkage, but for now I've been getting about as good of results out of the Dillon APM w/ UniqueTek micrometer as I do my tricked-out Redding BR-30... just got to figure out how to eliminate the bridging and I should be OK.

The other concern as far as precision loading on the 550 at least would be evening out the tensions/stresses on the tool head during the loading process. Try skipping a station when putting the cases in, and move the seater to station #4... this way you have cases being sized on one stroke, then powder drop and bullet seating,more sensitive and easily affected processes) on a separate stroke. Slows things down a tad, but the consistency in bullet seating seems to be worth it. Also, if you have access to a copy of 'The Rifle Shooter' by David Tubb it might be worth checking out the reloading chapter where he talks about the modifications he's done to his 550,if I'm not mistaken, he also does all his loading on the 550).

 

[Wild_Bill]

Hi i have used the Dillon 650 and 1050 profesionaly i have used the diferent 650 models over the last 10 years and their powder thrower safety lever was the worst thing they invented for rifle shooters. The old spring loaded return was a verry good system and would throw charges around .1 and sometimes .2 with Varget. The new system with the anti double charge system would sprinkle half the powder over the place. Now there is a FIX that Dillon would not like get some springs like the older version then get a 1/4 gutter bolt and place the bolt through the long cut out holding the cam uo and tighten it there you will need to file the head slightly. what you will di is convert a new sustem to an old system and all you have to do is remove the bolt to return it to standard. Only do this for rifle charges as if you double charge them you will have powder every where and with pistol charges you could be in trouble but with this system and a dillon 650 i have loaded Palma ammo for shooters competing for places in the Australian Commonwealth games team with 308 ammo. I also use the system for my 6mmBR hunting ammo and it shoots verry well i can load verry quickley and if using new brass i can load 1000 in an hour.
Cheers Bill
Australia

 

[Hipshot]

Milanuk,

The advice for reaming and polishing is good. If I could, I'd mill a bit out of the interior of those drop thingies. But, I have to say that just by polishing the snot out of the tubes I've been able to use H4350 without spilling powder all over. Give it, or both techniques, a try.

I also discovered that by revising the reloading sequence that the seating is more accurate from shell to shell. Last night I tried an experiment that seems to have worked: I was loading .223 and I set the micrometer seater as far down in the tool head as possible. The bottom of the seating die still did not touch the bottom plate, but it was close. ,The instructions with the seating die say to screw the die down until it touched the shell holder, drop the ram and screw down a few turns.) By having the seating die down further, basically as far down as I could get it, I found much better consistency in cartridge to cartridge depth even with sequential procedure. In fact, out of 30 loads only one was more than .001 different, and it by .002. I also discovered that very consistent handle movement also produces more consistent results. This takes some practice and time, however.