Ive read all the threads here about accurizing the 550 and 650s to load precision rounds. I have a Rockhucker, and a 750 which i use for 9mm, but was looking at getting a 550 for precision rifle since it may be a better candidate for precision due to it being a less complex press. Are all the whidden toolhead and bushing upgrades to remove toolhead play better suited for the 550 or does it not matter at all if installed on the 750? The manual indexing on the 550 is a bonus to move the case in either direction but the extra station and case feeder on the 750 could be useful for case prep and then loading on a 2nd pass. With either press i will be hand priming and using a funnel to drop powder measured from my RCBS chargemeaster. So in short, can the 750 produce the same quality round as the 550C with the uniquetek upgrades?
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550 vs 750 accuracy loading
- Thread starter olive drab
- Start date
I'd just use the Rockchucker for precision rifle. Progressive presses are really meant for bulk pistol ammo. I have a 550 which I used to use for precision rifle, but ended up basically using it as a single stage press. The extra steps necessary for precision rifle loading - trimming, checking the shoulder bump, trickling loads, cleaning primer pockets - mean taking the cases off the press repeatedly, which negates the press's main advantage.
I have a 550, but I really like what people are doing with their 650/750s in the rifle loading scene. You're going to get similar accuracy out of either one. Since you already have a 750, I wouldn't hesitate to use it for precision rifle rounds. You're going to be loading in two passes either way so might as well make use of the casefeeder.
The whidden toolheads are nice, but only float two stations (and you don't get to pick which two). The non-floating whidden heads are nicely machined as well - I don't notice an appreciable difference in performance between the whidden floating head, and a non floating head with a #17 o ring below the lock ring.
The whidden toolheads are nice, but only float two stations (and you don't get to pick which two). The non-floating whidden heads are nicely machined as well - I don't notice an appreciable difference in performance between the whidden floating head, and a non floating head with a #17 o ring below the lock ring.
What workflow were you using on your 550 that you took the cases off repeatedly? A two toolhead flow means (aside from the first time setting shoulder bump and seating depth) I feed them through twice- once for decap/size/mandrel, then I take the acro bin of sized rounds and can then trim/tumble/uniform primer pockets/etc, and once after they get primed/powder from an AT through a 419 funnel/seated/crimp as desired, and a finished round pops into the acro bin.
I have loaded on a loaded on a T7 and a 550. I now prep all my brass and prime all my brass on 650, trim on Giraud if needed prime with V3 and then seat on the T7. Amazing how fast you can process with the case feeder
I have a 750 with all the goodies...
I decided it'd take more in money and more importantly, dicking around, than it was really worth in order to get it running and dialed for precision rifle, and even then IDK if it'd be the greatest. I ended up just putting together a dedicated single-stage setup for precision rifle stuff.
Probably the most known guy I can think of using a 750 for precision rifle is Erik Cortina, and think he's still seating his bullets using an arbor press and Wilson inline seater which is a slow process and pretty much negates any of the speed gained using a progressive for the first sizing pass.
FWIW/IMO a 550 would/will always be a great press to have around, but if you've already got a 750 and a decent single-stage, put those funds towards an AMP or Giraud trimmer instead if you don't already have them...
I decided it'd take more in money and more importantly, dicking around, than it was really worth in order to get it running and dialed for precision rifle, and even then IDK if it'd be the greatest. I ended up just putting together a dedicated single-stage setup for precision rifle stuff.
Probably the most known guy I can think of using a 750 for precision rifle is Erik Cortina, and think he's still seating his bullets using an arbor press and Wilson inline seater which is a slow process and pretty much negates any of the speed gained using a progressive for the first sizing pass.
FWIW/IMO a 550 would/will always be a great press to have around, but if you've already got a 750 and a decent single-stage, put those funds towards an AMP or Giraud trimmer instead if you don't already have them...
No. They're. Not. They're meant for whatever they're good at.
This gets hammered here quite a bit. 550's and 750's will make just as good of ammo as any single stage or turret press, bar maybe the new Area 419 press.
Why are 1000yd F-class guys using them? They're just as capable, and they'll always be faster. If you ENJOY slowing down and using a single stage, then thats awesome, nothing wrong with that.
On my 550 for 223, 6.5cm, 223AI, any precision caliber here's my steps:
Toolhead 1:
1.) deprime
2.) resize
3.) mandrel
Toolhead 2:
1.) Mandrel again (sometimes not always)
1.5) Prime
2.) Powder (manually on dual chargemasters)
3.) Seat bullet
Thats 2 strokes of the ram for what would be 4-5 strokes on a single stage or turret, plus the extra time for powder and hand priming.
For every 1000rds I have ~2000 press strokes. W/ a single stage or turret, thats 4000-5000 press strokes plus powder and priming depending on your setup. It will never be faster all things being equal.
The manual indexing is very nice. I like that about my 550 and use it a lot. But you can do the same thing with your 750 you just have to learn and understand that it auto indexes. Most of the "reasons" I like the manual index, I could get used to on the 750 as well. The Uniqutek tool heads are nice, but check out the Armanov toolheads as well. You can float all 4 die holes and they're cheaper.
I would definitely look at doing your brass prep on the 750. With the casefeeder, you could slam prep on cases quickly, even adding the rt1500 trimmer possibly too. Doing everything at once. Then you just have to prime, powder, and seat bullet on your Rockchucker.
IF any of this came off inflammatory, blame the special on Costco wine tonight lol..
If I was into changing over my 750 for rifle, this is exactly how I'd do it.
In my case, my 750 is just setup so damn nice for 9mm that I don't have the heart to mess it up changing over to rifle and then back. When I burn through enough 9mm to where it's time to reload, it's a pleasure to just fire it up like I never missed a beat and be easily pumping out ~800rds an hour that all pass the gauge after having not touched it for a couple months lol.
Caliber swaps on a 750 aren't hard or terrible by any means, but when you swap and then swap back, it never comes back exactly right, so there's always a little annoying dicking around...
That said, having switched over to using Staball (ball powder) from H4350, I've actually considered at least test driving loading everything in 2 passes with 2 toolheads, auto-dropping powder, annealing before the first pass and trimming between passes... I'm fairly confident I could hold SD's in the low teens, and it would be pretty badass to be able to pump out that many rounds that fast...
But, I usually load no more than 100 to 200 rounds at a time, and even using a single-stage, it's not that bad. Brass prep is what sucks, no real fast way around that.
I load all precision ammo on a 550. It's a beautiful thing. I trim dirty brass, clean it, anneal it, then straight to the 550. One trip through the press. Once I get to the press, I'm loading two rounds a minute.
I also have a 750 and a 1050, and I wouldn't consider loading precision ammo on either.
Whidden tool heads are crap. I bought several and they were wildly out of flat. I had to take them to a local machinist and have him skim cut the upper surface so they wouldn't rock in the press. The free float thing is cool, though, so I converted my Dillon tool heads to floaters. It's super simple to purchase the correct size roll pin at the hardware store and stick one on any station you care about. I found some aluminum die nuts (or whatever they're called) that were wide enough to let me drill a matching hole. Too easy.
Dillon makes a special insert for a powder die that lets you use a funnel. It's slick. It's caliber specific.
Finally, I tried the business of bolting the tool heads into the press instead of just using the locating pins that come with it. I could not see any difference in the tolerance on seated rounds. If I don't have a cartridge under the sizing die (the last two rounds of every session), it'll seat the bullets 0.005" too deep. If you run a micrometer seater, it's easy to just back it off 0.005" for the last two. The tricky part is remembering to set it back when you're done.
I also have a 750 and a 1050, and I wouldn't consider loading precision ammo on either.
Whidden tool heads are crap. I bought several and they were wildly out of flat. I had to take them to a local machinist and have him skim cut the upper surface so they wouldn't rock in the press. The free float thing is cool, though, so I converted my Dillon tool heads to floaters. It's super simple to purchase the correct size roll pin at the hardware store and stick one on any station you care about. I found some aluminum die nuts (or whatever they're called) that were wide enough to let me drill a matching hole. Too easy.
Dillon makes a special insert for a powder die that lets you use a funnel. It's slick. It's caliber specific.
Finally, I tried the business of bolting the tool heads into the press instead of just using the locating pins that come with it. I could not see any difference in the tolerance on seated rounds. If I don't have a cartridge under the sizing die (the last two rounds of every session), it'll seat the bullets 0.005" too deep. If you run a micrometer seater, it's easy to just back it off 0.005" for the last two. The tricky part is remembering to set it back when you're done.
One of the better toolheads
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Toolhead Zero-Play, Free-Float for Dillon RL550C
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...or just run a piece of brass up in the sizing die for the last two rounds. either way.
There's no doubt one can load precision rifle rounds on a 550/650/750, just a different way of doing it, and different things to look out for.
I'll say this: from what I've seen, the aftermarket shell-plates/bearings/etc don't always do what they claim, or do anything at all really... I wouldn't invest in any of that stuff until one has really tried to get all they can from the standard press components, because adjusted and setup properly, usually the stock stuff is just fine. I have a buddy with a pile of this stuff we pulled off his presses that didn't end up doing anything, in some ways it made shit worse.
Another thing here to consider is "reloading philosophy" as far as it pertains to how one feels about "float/axis vs rigid/straight": Personally, I don't buy into the whole "float thing" very much... relative concentricity isn't nearly as much of a big deal as some make it out to be and many times float doesn't help anyways. When a bullet's ogive gets into the lands it straightens out, even if the loaded round looked like a banana.
I've been getting far better ammo after switching to a Lyman Ideal press (relatively cheap traditional/rigid press) than I ever got off a Co-Ax and have become selective about what operations actually need "float". I tend to think some guys get too caught up in what floating things actually does, and whether it's needed or not. These days, the only things in my setup that have any float is whatever small amount the bushing floats in my FL die, and the small amount the mandrel floats in my mandrel die, that's it, works awesome.
I'll say this: from what I've seen, the aftermarket shell-plates/bearings/etc don't always do what they claim, or do anything at all really... I wouldn't invest in any of that stuff until one has really tried to get all they can from the standard press components, because adjusted and setup properly, usually the stock stuff is just fine. I have a buddy with a pile of this stuff we pulled off his presses that didn't end up doing anything, in some ways it made shit worse.
Another thing here to consider is "reloading philosophy" as far as it pertains to how one feels about "float/axis vs rigid/straight": Personally, I don't buy into the whole "float thing" very much... relative concentricity isn't nearly as much of a big deal as some make it out to be and many times float doesn't help anyways. When a bullet's ogive gets into the lands it straightens out, even if the loaded round looked like a banana.
I've been getting far better ammo after switching to a Lyman Ideal press (relatively cheap traditional/rigid press) than I ever got off a Co-Ax and have become selective about what operations actually need "float". I tend to think some guys get too caught up in what floating things actually does, and whether it's needed or not. These days, the only things in my setup that have any float is whatever small amount the bushing floats in my FL die, and the small amount the mandrel floats in my mandrel die, that's it, works awesome.
Erik Cortina started using a 550 I think, and now he's using a 750. Last time I checked he was only using it for brass prep/sizing and then seating on his hydro press.
But ya F class John, and I know there's others. I'll admit, I don't spend a lot of my free time watching youtube videos about F-class lol, but I have watched quite a few of both of theirs for different ideas on reloading and load development
