Who is loading precision rifle on Dillon 550 / 650?

[rox]

Trust me, you're not the first, nor the last, to do that

The good news is, you learn to *not* do that fairly quickly

Happened to me too, but I didn't use the funnel long enough to learn...

Aside from the risk of a mess, dropping powder midway through the cycle doesn't promote the smooth cycling of the press that produces consistent output.

Put a case-activated measure (not Dillon) on the press and make a small funnel to replace the hopper. Open it up to accommodate your largest charge. Now you can cycle the press without interrupting midway through each cycle. Only thing to watch is that you don't drop a second charge in the hopper when you've had a case missing/removed from the shell-plate for whatever reason. I mitigate that scenario with a camera looking into the hopper that displays on a screen in front of me.

Here's a video of my powder system in action.

 

[memilanuk]

You da man

 

[memilanuk]

So I take it you have a bullet feeder working okay with those longish pointy boolits?

 

[rox]

So I take it you have a bullet feeder working okay with those longish pointy boolits?

Yes. I don't use it with 215s, but I've used it with all those listed.

The next steps are a little speedup of the powder dispenser, and a 'teleport' system to transfer the powder into the press automatically.

 

[memilanuk]

Any tips/tricks for making that work smoothly? Any problems/concerns with banging up the meplats in the feeder?

 

[rox]

Tweaking the angle of the collator, getting the length/tension and 'sag' of the bullet drop spring-tube 'just right'. You need a bit of a loop so that the bullets slow to a near stop, then *just* make it then fall gently into the dropper. If there is too much tension it can hold the dropper up, and bullets will just flow out. Very occasionally a bullet can fall off the collator; I have a plastic tray under it to catch them. Even more occasionally one gets dropped upside-down, requiring a quick manual intervention. The tiniest bit of case flare helps align the bullets into the case and lock them vertical (assuming you have sufficient neck clearance in your chamber). Consistent trim length is a pre-requisite for this, but if you have a 1050 you probably always have consistently trimmed brass right? I made a floating stepped mandrel for a Sinclair expander die that works a bit like a 'M' die (but without the runout!).

 

[Twdmar]

Trust me, you're not the first, nor the last, to do that

The good news is, you learn to *not* do that fairly quickly

Also avoid letting anyone interrupt you in mid-sequence.

True, I found that but also I found since I load and do all sizing operations with different toolhead, it's nothing to just have a loading block at the powder dispenser and then move over to the press and put the case in the side. The results seemed the same on paper and easier for me

 

[Sheldon N]

Here's a video of my powder system in action.

That's pretty badass. Best I can do is about a 14 second cycle on a 550 with a Prometheus for priming/loading match Dasher or 6BRA ammo.

 

[Baer45]

I load large batches of ammo to match standards equal to any one holes on a 550. During development on 30 caliber or smaller, I load on a Harrels 4 hole turret press which is almost as fast. The 6.5 Guys load on a 550 and their site shows step by step how to do it and saved me a bunch of time. I like the550 better then 650 for loading match ammo because of the superior primer action (fixed on new 750).

 

[Baer45]

True, I found that but also I found since I load and do all sizing operations with different toolhead, it's nothing to just have a loading block at the powder dispenser and then move over to the press and put the case in the side. The results seemed the same on paper and easier for me

I use a Dillon funnel on the 550 powder drop die and throw from my autodrop right to the case...couldn’t be easier...

 

[Kimber.204]

Right now I load all my match ammo on a 550. I'm shooting only NRA highpower, but once I find a nice flat node, my powder charge can have some variation and my velocity is still where it should be.

When I shoot some wildcat cartridges I will do the initial sizing operation on my single stage (with the inline fabrication shell kicker!!!) Then the next time around I move to the Dillon 550 and we're good to go.

I typically shoot in the upper range of Master but I'm still progressing. I think it will be a while till I think my ammo is holding me back when loaded on a Dillon 550. It's the indian not the arrow as they say.

 

[Baer45]

Heck yeah. Love it too. I use an Area419 funnel on a Dillon adapter on a 550, Whidden locked toolheads and of course good dies.

I’d bet dollars to donuts that more people are doing this than many realize or are willing to admit. There’s been a stigma that comes with precision shooting that says you MUST torture yourself in the reloading process by making it as complicated as possible if you’re going to be taken seriously but those times are changing.

Keep searching the forums, look especially for articles by Scott Harris.

I tried the Area 419 adapter but it did not feel stable. Are you just placing it on top of the 550 powder drop die top? I’d like for it to work I have also used the 419 caliber specific die with no powder drop die and just set it on top of the neck when the handle is down....

 

[F Class John]

I tried the Area 419 adapter but it did not feel stable. Are you just placing it on top of the 550 powder drop die top? I’d like for it to work I have also used the 419 caliber specific die with no powder drop die and just set it on top of the neck when the handle is down....

I wrapped a single trimmed layer of painters tape around the bottom of the Area419 adapter and it fits nice and snug into the top of the Dillon powder die.

 

[Baer45]

Will give it a go!

 

[Twdmar]

I did not mention that I hand prime everything with my 650. Also, I was still using a balance beam scale when I tried the funnel mounted on the powder die.
One thing I do like about filling powder separately from the press is that once I have 20 cases loaded with powder and I go to seat bullets there are fewer mental breaks in the continuity of the bullet seating process. It helps me to limit mistakes and if I need to pause during loading this seemed to cause fewer problems. I just have to be careful not to spill powder in to the previously charged cases.

 

[Baer45]

Interesting. That is why I like the 550 so much. With priming on the upstroke I can actually feel the primer seat so the Sinclair hand primer stays in box.

 

[Hoser]

I load on a 550. Dispense powder with a Prometheus or a FX-120 autotrickler.

Everything from 17 Mach IV to 338 Lapua.

I shoot out past 2,000 yards with ammo loaded on my 550 and I hold my own against some heavy hitters.

 

[Nature Boy]

Very nice set up @Hoser

How do you like the Widden tool head? Does it make a difference?

 

[FAF1947]

When I was chasing leg points and shooting the AR I would load all my short line on my 650 after resizing on the Rockchucker. I was using N540 and the trick then was to use a tapered reamer to open up the powder drop funnel to help stop the powder from bridging It helped but the stick powder would still bridge ever now & then. I now use my 550B for rifle and the 650 for pistol.

 

[Hoser]

Very nice set up @Hoser

How do you like the Widden tool head? Does it make a difference?

It helped a little with runout. Not sure its 100% worth it. In the grand scheme of things, they are cheap.