reloading presses

T

tompc1

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i am thinking of buy a progressive press, does anyone have any suggestions?
i have an RCBS single stage now.

thanks for any help,
tompc1
 
With his NO BS guarantee its hard to beat Mike Dillon's equipment!
I still use a single stage but anytime my mind wandered about a progressive - it was ALWAYS a Dillon[I've been reloading for over 35 yrs]!
 
Yup, Dillon makes the best stuff alright. Those progressives won't load 6ppc though.
 
Another vote for Dillon

I have the Dillon 550B and just love it. I have loaded both rifle and pistol cartridges from 380 ACP to 7mm Mag and find it just great. To date I would estimate that I have loaded close to 500,000 rounds through mine and it is still going strong. I do diligently clean it after each use.

Dillon support is world class. When I have needed some parts due to MY STUPIDITY, Dillon has always replaced them free.

I suggest you get their dies and they are made to work with their progressive presses and do a great job.

FYI, one year when the US was providing 308 Palma ammo and hosting the Matches, the ammo was loaded on two Dillon presses. 'Nuff said.

George
 
I keep wanting to move more of my loading over to a progressive press. Most of my 'match' guns (not BR) have minimum 300 cases each dedicated to just that rifle - just enough to get through one long weekend (3-4 day) match without having to fool around trickling charges in the hotel room each night. BTDT too; I'd rather be out having a beer and swapping stories than reloading. The more 'active' of my guns have 600-900 cases per batch. Enough that when it's time to reload, it's an event ;)

I have a Dillon RL550B that has worked pretty well so far (a little under 2 yrs). Had some growing pains with it; Dillon's warranty is truly 'No BS' as mentioned but it doesn't mean the machines are always 100% trouble free. Nothing man-made ever is, in my experience. I've got some 'upgrade' parts for it that I need to get around to installing and dialing in - hopefully they'll make an improvement in a couple areas. Of the people I know who load long-range ammo of any flavor on a progressive press; most run the cases through twice. Once for sizing/depriming, then they do the miscellaneous case prep - primer pockets, trim/chamfer/deburr, and possibly priming off press, tumble off the sizing lube, etc. Second pass clears the flash hole (universal decapper), charges w/ powder, and seats the bullet.

I ride herd over a couple Juniors shooting NRA Highpower (Service Rifle); keeping up with their ammo usage *and* mine has proved to be more than I was willing to stomach with a 550 - no case feeder and manual indexing. I picked up a used Hornady LnL AP (sorry Stephen, Hornady hasn't made the Projector for some years now) set up and ready to roll in .223 Rem. It seems to work pretty slick so far; a couple little quirks just like any machine but otherwise seems pretty reliable. Next step is to add a casefeeder to it so we can start cranking out some ammo.

If you do go the Dillon route, check out these two sites for some cool toys to 'upgrade' your machine:

http://www.uniquetek.com/

http://www.whiddengunworks.net/

And for a dedicated Dillon forum (you must drink the Blue Koolaid before entering):

http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.php?showforum=78

Good luck,

Monte
 
I'm not sure what all changed from the Projector to the LnN AP, other than the LnL die bushings. My main regret about getting this particular press right now at this point in time... is that the 2009 LNL APs are hitting the streets, with an improved case ejection system. Previously their ejector wire setup caused some people grief. I do know at least one fellow who loads some pretty effective ammo for LR Prone using his Projector, and a couple others who use XL650s, so it *can* be done.

Monte
 
alinwa said:
Why not?

I've loaded many PPC/BR rds on a Dillon.

al
Click to expand...

Alinwa,
What press do you use? Do your custom BR dies work in the Dillon?
I've considered a Dillon to preload 6mmPPC & 30BR, but didn't know if it would work.
Don
 
donjfred said:
Alinwa,
What press do you use? Do your custom BR dies work in the Dillon?
I've considered a Dillon to preload 6mmPPC & 30BR, but didn't know if it would work.
Don
Click to expand...


It's an RL 550 about 15yrs old. I haven't touched it for 10yrs but I used to do all of my varmint stuff on it. 22-250, 6PPC, 6PPC USA, 6BR, .243AI etc..... I've got a bunch of die plates for it and it used any brand of threaded die as I recall, including custom.

I'd have to go down and actually set down for an hour to remember the quirks if there were any but I certainly did turn out many hundreds of rounds of PPC/BR stuff.

I know that one of my early 6PPC dies was custom fitted and at that time in my learning curve I was just AMAZED at "how straight of ammo this cheap thing makes"....... I now know more about presses, dies and the function thereof and feel differently. It's a good press, there's no reason that it WON'T turn out perfectly acceptable reloads.

I don't choose to use it for competition loading but in a pinch I'd sure use some of the Dillon reloads in a match. For competition loading it's just easier to use blocks and a conventional (but small) press to eliminate extraneous movements and to allow inspection at every stage. Plus, I'm convinced ( ?? :) ) that my Harrell is a more accurate thrower than the Dillon..... and I'm now weighing everything for long range stuff.

But all in all, the Dillon simply works as advertised and better than I'd have expected. At the time that I bought the 550 I had 5 conventional presses including a Hood and the full complement of Wilson dies with 3 arbor presses. I was all about exploring "press flex" and "ram alignment" and "concentricity" and such............I even had (have, I guess) the tools for "straightening" my loaded rounds by bending them. I ran the whole gadget gamut, completely believing the foolish gabble about how the Mighty Cast Iron And Align Bored Presses where required, how "if your press din't weigh in a 35lb+ NO WAY it could produce "Bench Rest Grade Concentricity"....

TOTAL crap.


And with just a little fiddling I could now set up the 550 to load perfectly acceptable 100/200yd BR rounds for, in my case, 6PPC and 30X47L or .308-.200 because I have custom-fitted FL sizers for all of them. The only downside would be that it's actually more work than it's worth to load 25 cases AND I'd tend to lose some of my inspection steps. Right now my loading is at the point where the "bad" rounds are the result of SCREWUPS :) in my loading regimen, absolutely not tooling problems. I could produce Match Grade reloads using a pop can crusher for the press......

al
 
Thanks Al, for a super answer.

I've always loaded at the range, but with my new Tuner equipped barrels and a new mindset, I thought I would try preloading at home. I figure a two day Match of LV & HV at 100 and 200yds would (to be safe ) require between 250and 300 loaded rounds.

Fire forming alone (at reduced loads) would seem to justify a progressive loader by itself. I have to think a bit if I would trust it to dispense the powder for the match loads Don't even know if I have the nerve to leave my "normal" reloading stuff at home.

Group match in February at Manatee in Florida will be my first "experiment"
Hope a lot of you folks wanting to escape frosty the snowman will join us.

Merry Christmas to all.
Don
 
donjfred said:
I've always loaded at the range, but with my new Tuner equipped barrels and a new mindset, I thought I would try preloading at home. I figure a two day Match of LV & HV at 100 and 200yds would (to be safe ) require between 250and 300 loaded rounds.

Fire forming alone (at reduced loads) would seem to justify a progressive loader by itself. I have to think a bit if I would trust it to dispense the powder for the match loads Don't even know if I have the nerve to leave my "normal" reloading stuff at home.

Group match in February at Manatee in Florida will be my first "experiment"
Hope a lot of you folks wanting to escape frosty the snowman will join us.

Merry Christmas to all.
Don
Click to expand...


Yeahh I hear ya' :cool: I've got several barrels over at Bordens being fitted for his tuner and for the Shadetree one. Preloading is starting to look like a beter and better option all along.





However, for me, since I've started the 600-1000yd loading I've gone the route of preloading but weighing everything so still haven't really got a use for the Dillon setup except for varminting.


Why do you reduce your loads for fireforming? Other than "can't fit enough powder in"...... What powder?

al
 
Don't want to bust anyones bubble, but I been using Lees for 25 years or so. Sure work good.
Mike
 
Al,
On the advice of Gene Beggs I use 20 grains of H4198 to fireform the 6mmBeggs and 20grains of Benchmark to fireform the 220 Beggs. 52 gr and 68gr bullets respectively.
Then the normal load about 26 grains of H4198 and 27 grains of Benchmark.

My 30BR barrel with tuner was made by Borden and he recommends "working up from a fireform load (not specified) 1/2 grain at a time until bolt lift begins difficult and then back off 1/2grain." Somewhere around 33.7grs H4198 behind a 118gr bullet.Thereafter adjust with the tuner.

I fireform with lubed cases.
I normally uase a Harrells powder measure at the range, but plan on using an RCBS Chargemaster 1500 for preloading the match cases. Using a reduced load for fireforming allows me to use the Harrells which is much faster.

Solid advice from two people I have the greatest respect for.

One reason to preload is to have more BS time between matches and relays. Another as I have more time at home since retirement and loading at the range can get exhausting.

We'll see...........
 
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