.308 Precision on dillion 550?

[skeeter355]

Re: .308 Precision on dillion 550?

YAOG

Thanks for clearing that up. Thanks for the inputs on your setup. Have a turbo bearing and floating toolhead inbound from UniqueTek. Which ultrasonic cleaner are you using?

Skeeter

 

[YAOG]

Re: .308 Precision on dillion 550?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Skeeter355</div><div class="ubbcode-body">YAOG

Thanks for clearing that up. Thanks for the inputs on your setup. Have a turbo bearing and floating toolhead inbound from UniqueTek. Which ultrasonic cleaner are you using?

Skeeter </div></div>

If you scale your powder charges see if you can buy the clamping head from Whidden and have them install the extra floating bits in all four positions. This will save you turnaround time.

Once you have Whidden's toolhead installed and you decide to use the Dillon as a single stage press you may find that you want to change the location of your dies and lose the Dillon powder measure from the toolhead.

 

[memilanuk]

Re: .308 Precision on dillion 550?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: YAOG</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Well yeah that's why I'm having Whidden modify my Whidden CNC'd floating toolhead to add floating die capability to the extra two positions they don't normally float. This gives me the ability to run the seating die floating or not if it doesn't make a difference.</div></div>

Huh. I thought they'd fixed that.

I had some of the earlier modified toolheads from John (before he started making the CNC ones), and then some of the early CNC heads. From what I gather, he loads on a 650, so he doesn't necessarily see things the same way someone using a 550 would as far as work flow, etc. I'd mentioned that having pins for all four threaded holes added considerable flexibility - I thought they indicated they were going to change that.

At any rate, the last one I got, I looked at it and decided to 'fix' it myself. Its not an especially difficult modification - if you have a drill press to make the hole nice and straight, and some pliers and a ball peen hammer to put the roll pin in the hole. Tubb used to do it to his 550 tool heads long before Whidden started making them commercially available all finished for ya. The hole location isn't (as far as I can tell) especially critical - all its doing is stopping rotation, nothing fancy.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Once you have Whidden's toolhead installed and you decide to use the Dillon as a single stage press you may find that you want to change the location of your dies and lose the Dillon powder measure from the toolhead.
</div></div>

Or not... anything I load from the chargemaster goes right down the powder funnel provided by Whidden for the Dillon powder die in station #2.

Monte

 

[YAOG]

Re: .308 Precision on dillion 550?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Skeeter355</div><div class="ubbcode-body">YAOG

Sounds like I need to get a turbo bearing!

So if you have the shell plate tight with a turbo bearing and the toolheads tight with their clamp kit, why do you still need the whidden floating toolhead. And if it is to further concentricity of sizing the brass, wouldn't it be good to use a floating station to seat the bullet for the same reason?

What brand brass do you use?

Thanks, Skeeter </div></div>

The the floating ability of the forming and seating dies is still needed even when a turbo bearing is used. The turbo bearing helps reduce vertical movement of the case in the shell plate which combined with the clamping of the toolhead significantly improves the consistency of the finished case shoulder and bullet ogive dimensions.

I'm using various batches of commercial Remington and whatever Black Hills' Match and Federal Gold Medal Match loaded ammunition lines use.

 

[YAOG]

Re: .308 Precision on dillion 550?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: targaflorio</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I have tried to use my rl550 to load 308, but my headspace varies more than on my redding big boss. I'll get -.003-.005" instead of exactly .003" on the single.
I assume it is the shell plate. </div></div>

The problem is not the shell plate but a combination of the stock Dillon toolhead moving around, improper die setup and excessive movement of the shell plate.

Once you have the Whidden CNC'd floating toolhead properly located and clamped following the UniqueTek instructions you need setup your dies up with all of the 550's stations filled with brass that is actually being pressed/formed or bullets being seated. The last part of the puzzle is the UniqueTek TurboBearing to eek out the last bit of case stability during brass forming and bullet seating.

HTH!

 

[YAOG]

Re: .308 Precision on dillion 550?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: deadnbrkn84</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I use mine for all my precision .308 loads. I just run it as a single stage, and load each stage separately. Works perfect for me! </div></div>

Get some good measuring tools and you might be surprised at the range on measurements you will find on your loaded ammo. Once you have measured them you will want to improve on your finished ammo. With a good rifle and shooter better ammo almost always shoots better.

 

[YAOG]

Re: .308 Precision on dillion 550?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Skeeter355</div><div class="ubbcode-body">YAOG

Thanks for clearing that up. Thanks for the inputs on your setup. Have a turbo bearing and floating toolhead inbound from UniqueTek. Which ultrasonic cleaner are you using?

Skeeter </div></div>

Oh, I use some no name Harbor Freight ultrasonic cleaner. It looks just like the Lymann cleaning unit but it's grey. It was on sale and with a coupon cost $50 so I figured what the heck and bought one. Works great with some ultrasonic case cleaner and some dish soap.

 

[YAOG]

Re: .308 Precision on dillion 550?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Skeeter355</div><div class="ubbcode-body">

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">


I most definitely float my seating dies. After going thru all the gyrations mentioned above, I'm at a loss as to why someone *wouldn't*... </div></div>


That is why I am asking. He has a very detailed setup and I was surprised when I got to the end and he is seating in a non-floating station. It doesn't seem to affect his runout though.

Skeeter </div></div>

I'm using the Redding Instant Comparator to take direct shoulder and ogive height measurements. I can measure exactly how much more than the SAMMI minimum spec shoulder measurement my brass is being formed to. I do not have to guess with a bump of 0.001"-0.003" hoping that is is not more than necessary to fit my chamber I know precisely where to set the shoulder using the included gauge tool for each of the chambers I load for.

I use a Sinclar concentricity gauge for case and bullet runout measurements. This is a slick little tool!

 

[zeke013]

Re: .308 Precision on dillion 550?

Tons of great info here.