Dillon 550 precision rifle loading

[Zatchmo]

I know there are quite a few threads on this already, but I thought it might be interesting to some to document this journey as it unfolds.

Background
I used to shoot USPSA. I started with single stack and quickly moved to open. I started loading .45 ACP on a Dillon 550b. I was shooting 2-3 matches a month and practicing a bit here and there. Probably shot around 500 rnds/month in the summer, a bit less in the winter. I also had a .223 varmint rifle that I decided to load for as well. I came up with a good enough load and was super happy with ~1 moa performance. I switched to open and loaded 38 super as well.

After a move to the Denver metro area, I started shooting more like 7-10 matches a month. I bought a second (and then a third for some reason) 550 and even had a case feeder. For those still reading, don't buy a 550 case feeder. Not worth it. After loading 1200 rounds in 1 sitting for handgun nationals one year, I ordered a super 1050. Best move I ever made for pistol ammo.

I haven't really been shooting much pistol the past few years, but have picked up rifles. Ringing steel at distance is addicting. I now have a 6.5 creedmoor and a .224 Valkyrie that I would like to start loading for.

Gear
So despite already owning the 1050, I don't think it's the right tool for this job. I'm determined to use the 550. The list of stuff is below:

Dillon 550 with the fancy mount and extra bins
Whidden tool heads
Whidden 6.5 dies
Redding Valk die
21st Century expanders
Lee universal decap die
Chargemaster
419 powder funnel and adapter to use Dillon powder die
Forster trimmer

My planned workflow is as follows:
Decap - Dillon toolhead
Tumble
Lube
Size, expand - whidden toolhead
Tumble again?
Check oal, trim if necessary
Prime, powder, bullet seat - whidden toolhead

I will add responses to this thread as I proceed through this process with results. If I can get brass deprimed and tumbled tonight, I'll be doing well.

Comments/criticisms are welcome. If there is a step I am missing or something I should be doing differently, please comment.

 

[Gregor.Samsa]

Following. I’m new to Dillon presses. Once I get my bearing making bulk practice ammo, I’d like to set up for more precise ammunition for my bolt guns.

 

[6.5SH]

I suggest another universal decapping die in station one for your prime/powder/seat. It will ensure the flash hole isn't plugged with a stray piece of cob or walnut.

 

[McMillan]

I've done a fair bit with a borrowed 650. Honestly I don't think using a 550 without a case feeder is any quicker than using a rock chucker with a case kicker system. Possibly slower. I will be buying a 650 and running a case feeder in the future with a similar setup to what you said. I also put a empty die that doesn't touch the case at all and screw it down to contact the tool head in every non used station to remove flex from the tool head

 

[47guy]

ive been loading 6BRA on my 550 with great success....when i use the dillon powder throw with varget it will vary about .4g...it might be more but of all the charges ive weighed .4g has been pretty normal.

i still FL size with a bushing only on my coax...
on the dillon...
station 1 expander mandrel and prime
station 2 powder throw...lately ive been using the auto trickler and dillon powder through die but with the dillon powder throw loads seem to shoot just as well
station 3 seat
station 4 empty

curios to hear how this goes for you.

 

[High Desert duck]

I do brass prep on my Dillon and seat on my rock crusher. I just couldn’t get in the rhythm for dropping powder(leaving the ram down and spilling powder). I also did have powder bridge a couple of time in the powder funnel. I don’t think seating single stage appreciably slows me down. It’s also a lot easier to monitor the proper powder level for me.
brass prep
Tumble
Lube with hornady one shot 25 cases at a time a little spray into the neck as well
Position one -de prime (universal)
Position 2 -empty
Position 3 -size (.001 or .002 below mandrel diameter depends on what the load likes)
Position 4 -mandrel (Carbide turning mandrel)

tumble and trim (Giraud)
prime on the Dillon using station one with a universal de primer to clear flash hole.
Powder (AutoTrickler)
Seat on the rockcrusher

I use a whidden tool head but I have found I get the exact same results with a Dillon tool head and a 3/4 inch O-ring under the locking ring. I also run a rubber O-ring on top of the mandrel under the die body Cap. Total runout is usually under .001

Not including tumbling this is good for 100-120 an hour.

 

[Zatchmo]

I do brass prep on my Dillon and seat on my rock crusher. I just couldn’t get in the rhythm for dropping powder(leaving the ram down and spilling powder). I also did have powder bridge a couple of time in the powder funnel. I don’t think seating single stage appreciably slows me down. It’s also a lot easier to monitor the proper powder level for me.
brass prep
Tumble
Lube with hornady one shot 25 cases at a time a little spray into the neck as well
Position one -de prime (universal)
Position 2 -empty
Position 3 -size (.001 or .002 below mandrel diameter depends on what the load likes)
Position 4 -mandrel (Carbide turning mandrel)

tumble and trim (Giraud)
prime on the Dillon using station one with a universal de primer to clear flash hole.
Powder (AutoTrickler)
Seat on the rockcrusher

I use a whidden tool head but I have found I get the exact same results with a Dillon tool head and a 3/4 inch O-ring under the locking ring. I also run a rubber O-ring on top of the mandrel under the die body Cap. Total runout is usually under .001

Not including tumbling this is good for 100-120 an hour.

I needed more tool heads and wanted to try the whidden dies. That's the only reason I went that route. I suspect the rubber o-ring would have been just the same.

I did get brass deprimed and in the tumbler last night as well as the 6.5 dies set-up at least close. I'm not sure if the bushing for measuring shoulder bump is massively out of spec, or if my chamber is just super short, but I wasn't getting numbers that made sense there. I was able to find the jam point of my lands, though and have the seating die at least close to ready to go. I don't have a concentricity measurement setup, but I do have a granite surface plate and dial indicator. I also have friends with them if I can't come up with a good measurement myself.

Things I've learned so far:
1. Shoulder bump doesn't match my expected absolute numbers by a big error; I need to understand that.
2. Corncob media sucks for volume rifle. Thinking back, I used the ultrasonic back in the day. But I was shooting a lot less, then. I'm going to try the fine walnut as soon as I can find some.
3. Sizing and using a mandrel in separate dies, both on the down stroke is game changing.
4. 144s need to be loaded to roughly a mile oal to jam the lands in a SAAMI 6.5 chamber.

 

[6.5SH]

Crushed walnut shell can be found at walmart or pet stores as reptile bedding.

 

[McMillan]

I needed more tool heads and wanted to try the whidden dies. That's the only reason I went that route. I suspect the rubber o-ring would have been just the same.

I did get brass deprimed and in the tumbler last night as well as the 6.5 dies set-up at least close. I'm not sure if the bushing for measuring shoulder bump is massively out of spec, or if my chamber is just super short, but I wasn't getting numbers that made sense there. I was able to find the jam point of my lands, though and have the seating die at least close to ready to go. I don't have a concentricity measurement setup, but I do have a granite surface plate and dial indicator. I also have friends with them if I can't come up with a good measurement myself.

Things I've learned so far:
1. Shoulder bump doesn't match my expected absolute numbers by a big error; I need to understand that.
2. Corncob media sucks for volume rifle. Thinking back, I used the ultrasonic back in the day. But I was shooting a lot less, then. I'm going to try the fine walnut as soon as I can find some.
3. Sizing and using a mandrel in separate dies, both on the down stroke is game changing.
4. 144s need to be loaded to roughly a mile oal to jam the lands in a SAAMI 6.5 chamber.

I found by putting a larger die that doesn't touch the case in any way into every un used station screwed down so it bottoms out on the shell plate it made the shoulder bump much more consistant

 

[Zatchmo]

I found by putting a larger die that doesn't touch the case in any way into every un used station screwed down so it bottoms out on the shell plate it made the shoulder bump much more consistant

Sorry, I forgot to address that. I was using the whidden bump gauge instead of the Hornady. There's a much bigger chamfer in the whidden, so I was getting numbers that I wasn't expecting. Went back to the Hornady and everything looked right.

One thing I like about the 550 better than the other Dillon presses is the way the shell plates work. The head of the case hits the top of the ram instead of resting in a groove. This makes it a lot less sensitive to shell plate movement, at least in theory.

 

[McMillan]

Sorry, I forgot to address that. I was using the whidden bump gauge instead of the Hornady. There's a much bigger chamfer in the whidden, so I was getting numbers that I wasn't expecting. Went back to the Hornady and everything looked right.

One thing I like about the 550 better than the other Dillon presses is the way the shell plates work. The head of the case hits the top of the ram instead of resting in a groove. This makes it a lot less sensitive to shell plate movement, at least in theory.

I could see how that would help I just don't like the issues with running a case feeder. Sizing brass you have to put cases in with your right hand which makes it very slow. With a single stage and a case kicker loading the cases with your left hand you can pretty much size as fast as you can pull the handle. I think I could nearly keep up with the 650 and a case feeder on my single stage but it's hard work. I'm sure I could do it faster than on a 550 without a case feeder.

If your using the powder drop it's a whole different ball game. But I'm not willing to sacrifice accuracy for speed

 

[McMillan]

ive been loading 6BRA on my 550 with great success....when i use the dillon powder throw with varget it will vary about .4g...it might be more but of all the charges ive weighed .4g has been pretty normal.

i still FL size with a bushing only on my coax...
on the dillon...
station 1 expander mandrel and prime
station 2 powder throw...lately ive been using the auto trickler and dillon powder through die but with the dillon powder throw loads seem to shoot just as well
station 3 seat
station 4 empty

curios to hear how this goes for you.

Have you tested accuracy at range?

 

[Gustav7]

I would skip the first deprime then tumble stage.

I would, and do:
1.) tumble brass if its really dirty.
2.) Toolhead #1 - Deprime, Resize, mandrel in opposing die hole of the resizer, to help counter any movement of the sizer. I used Armanov locking toolheads with floating dies, and so far I really like how thats working.
4.) Tumble off lube
3.) Trim if you need to/chamfer/debur
4.) Toolhead #2 - Mandrel - powder - Seat bullet. For powder I use a MTM drop tube and funnel. It fits perfectly in the die hole (shown below). I'm still playing around with using my mandrel twice. this next batch, I'm going to resize then immediately mandrel with a turning mandrel (.002" under). Then opposite my seating die, I'm going to run an expander mandrel (.001" under). Hoping this works the brass less in one motion, and results in better neck tension.

That being said, I'm getting great consistency seating bullets for my 6.5cm on the 550. having the mandrel opposite the bullet seater seems to help. It also helps the physical act of working the press consistently. Theres less slop and play since the mandrel creates a little friction.

 

[702lineman]

I've had a hell of a time getting my dillon powder throw to be very accurate. It has been all over the place, even with 6.5 staball which literally drops perfect every time in my rcbs powder dump. Anyone have any suggestions? I usually use varget, but practice ammo I powder dump staball.

I tumble before I deprime. When I get done shooting a match I empty my bag straight into the tumbler. Plain old corn cob media, but I dont get carried away here. As long as it knocks the grime off im good. Doesnt have to shine like a diamond in a goats ass for me. If I anneal the brass ill do it after I prime. Then I chamfer, debur, brush the inside of the necks on a Frankford power unit.

I use redding type s 6 dasher dies, with the expander button(I know, I know, its crazy.) Prime, drop powder and seat bullet. Sd's of 2fps to 6 fps with lapua brass and 107s. I use 2 chargemasters still(so 1999 I know). I need an auto trickler or another chargemaster.

I'm over all the crazy steps of reloading anymore. I did them for way too long. Whatever makes it faster/easier.

 

[iukamedic]

I use my 550 for everything I reload. I have auto powder measure for 300 blackout and 9mm. All other calibers I kinda treat like a single stage. For decamping I use a separate cheap lee press. I have all of my calibers set for small primers so that I don’t have to change primer seating parts. I use a Rcbs charge master lite for powder measure in accuracy loads.

 

[Gustav7]

I've had a hell of a time getting my dillon powder throw to be very accurate. It has been all over the place, even with 6.5 staball which literally drops perfect every time in my rcbs powder dump. Anyone have any suggestions? I usually use varget, but practice ammo I powder dump staball.

I tumble before I deprime. When I get done shooting a match I empty my bag straight into the tumbler. Plain old corn cob media, but I dont get carried away here. As long as it knocks the grime off im good. Doesnt have to shine like a diamond in a goats ass for me. If I anneal the brass ill do it after I prime. Then I chamfer, debur, brush the inside of the necks on a Frankford power unit.

I use redding type s 6 dasher dies, with the expander button(I know, I know, its crazy.) Prime, drop powder and seat bullet. Sd's of 2fps to 6 fps with lapua brass and 107s. I use 2 chargemasters still(so 1999 I know). I need an auto trickler or another chargemaster.

I'm over all the crazy steps of reloading anymore. I did them for way too long. Whatever makes it faster/easier.

Ive heard of a couple things for the powder measure:
1.) Put a powder baffle in the powder hopper
2.) take apart everything that’s metal and put it in your tumbler with corn cob media and polish for half a day.
3.) If you’re using the failsafe Rod thing, try it without. I use two of the old long springs wrapped around it. If your failsafe Rod isn’t Set up just right, you’ll get a knock half the time and it seems to settle the powder for some charge and not for others, creating a bad variance.

I don’t have any issue with mine. It throws H335 to +/-0.1gr... at least every time I’ve measured it.

 

[47guy]

Have you tested accuracy at range?

yes...601yds

854yds

 

[47guy]

I've had a hell of a time getting my dillon powder throw to be very accurate. It has been all over the place, even with 6.5 staball which literally drops perfect every time in my rcbs powder dump. Anyone have any suggestions? I usually use varget, but practice ammo I powder dump staball.

I tumble before I deprime. When I get done shooting a match I empty my bag straight into the tumbler. Plain old corn cob media, but I dont get carried away here. As long as it knocks the grime off im good. Doesnt have to shine like a diamond in a goats ass for me. If I anneal the brass ill do it after I prime. Then I chamfer, debur, brush the inside of the necks on a Frankford power unit.

I use redding type s 6 dasher dies, with the expander button(I know, I know, its crazy.) Prime, drop powder and seat bullet. Sd's of 2fps to 6 fps with lapua brass and 107s. I use 2 chargemasters still(so 1999 I know). I need an auto trickler or another chargemaster.

I'm over all the crazy steps of reloading anymore. I did them for way too long. Whatever makes it faster/easier.

like @Gustav7 said get rid of the fail safe rod....and dry graphite is the powder throws best friend

 

[DellaDog]

ive been loading 6BRA on my 550 with great success....when i use the dillon powder throw with varget it will vary about .4g...it might be more but of all the charges ive weighed .4g has been pretty normal.

i still FL size with a bushing only on my coax...
on the dillon...
station 1 expander mandrel and prime
station 2 powder throw...lately ive been using the auto trickler and dillon powder through die but with the dillon powder throw loads seem to shoot just as well
station 3 seat
station 4 empty

curios to hear how this goes for you.

Exact same setup I use, except I add the Redding Instant Indicator at stage 4.

 

[Yotetalker]

Dillon Precision RL550 Free-Float, Zero-Play Toolhead

Free-Float, Zero-Play Toolhead has lock rings that allow the sizer and seater dies to float for the best possible alignment and more concentric ammunition.

usa-shop.armanov.com

you guys should check out these tool heads they lock in tight and don’t have any play they give you the option to free float a die in them I don’t I lock them down tight but you can if you want and the quality of armanov is second to none I’ve got about every up grade they have and am very pleased for the 650/750 stuff. Their euro site has a little more on it as far as upgrades but you pay more do to $ exchange. Ussually get it in less than 2 weeks from euro. It’s really good stuff though makes the machine run smooth and Some of the upgrades like primer shut off and case feed shut off are nice.

 

[GetReal]

Following. I'm getting ready to try this with .223.

 

[Gustav7]

Dillon Precision RL550 Free-Float, Zero-Play Toolhead

Free-Float, Zero-Play Toolhead has lock rings that allow the sizer and seater dies to float for the best possible alignment and more concentric ammunition.

usa-shop.armanov.com

you guys should check out these tool heads they lock in tight and don’t have any play they give you the option to free float a die in them I don’t I lock them down tight but you can if you want and the quality of armanov is second to none I’ve got about every up grade they have and am very pleased for the 650/750 stuff. Their euro site has a little more on it as far as upgrades but you pay more do to $ exchange. Ussually get it in less than 2 weeks from euro. It’s really good stuff though makes the machine run smooth and Some of the upgrades like primer shut off and case feed shut off are nice.

I started a thread a while back on this. I still need to run the tests with the Armanov toolheads vs. the regular Dillon toolheads. Unfortunately its a bit of a time consuming process. Switching the exact same die set ups over to two different toolheads, and then running a batch for each lol..

I'll get to it at some point and I'll update the original thread I started when I do. SO FAR, seating depth consistency is great, and appears to be more consistent than my old process. When I do the testing side by side, I may get a more representative experience.

Armanov Zero Play Toolhead For Dillon RL550 - Review

Searched on Google and here to find more info on the Armanov Zero Play but couldn't find any so I'll give my version of a review. I'll continue to update with more use, and hopefully get some info out there for anyone who wants to use these. I needed more toolheads for my 550, and I felt like...

www.snipershide.com

 

[47guy]

when i first got my 550 a few months ago first thing i noticed was the the shell plate would bind unless i left it pretty loose and this was causing some primers to be just a bit proud which was causing a few FTF with 9mm.
i did a little research and found a lot of complaints about the shell plate binding and most were the same thing as mine where it was only binding on one or two of outer areas where the cases go into the shell plate.

so im guessing these shell plates are punched out?? so i took my 9mm shell plate and some 800 grit wet/dry sand paper on a piece of glass and started sanding down the bottom side of the shell plate....i wish ida taken more pics but when i started the sand paper was barely hitting the outer edges so i kept going until all the black was just about gone then continued using 1500 grit then finished with 2500 grit.

i bought the bearing kit for the thumb wheel and i can now tighten the retaining bolt down to where the shell plate is hard to turn then back it off just a tiny bit tighten the set screw and the shell plate runs smooth with no slop.

i did the same to the 308 shell plate and the pic kinda gives you an idea of what im talking about.....

 

[Yotetalker]

I use my 650 to just make bulk 223 and 223 ai precision rifle trainer ammo. I noticed my Dillon tool head was getting some wear in it and had flex it also made it tough to get the shoulder bump I needed with different types of dies Redding dies are threaded shallower and you just barely have enough room to get the bump you need on a tighter headspaced rifle escpecially for a 223 ai. Forster dies seem to have a little more thread and allow just a little more adjustment for bump back. Seat wise I use Forster also I just like how they are smoother than a Redding and I can feel neck tension much better if somthing is a little off. Varget never throws supper consistent in a Dillon with a 22cal neck it typically bridges up. 8208 and shooters world match rifle have been my go to powders for 223/ai. The nice thing about them two is the charges you need for 75-80 grain bullets is the same setting on the Dillon even though they are two very different make ups in granules. The upgrade with the rubber band or springs is a must works great for consistent function. I also think having a case feeder and a bullet feeder running keeps some nice vibration through the machine and makes the throw more consistent. If you haven’t reloaded in a bit cycle your powder drop a few times as it’s sure to settle some and you’ll have a high charge just from bumping around on the bench.

 

[Yotetalker]

when i first got my 550 a few months ago first thing i noticed was the the shell plate would bind unless i left it pretty loose and this was causing some primers to be just a bit proud which was causing a few FTF with 9mm.
i did a little research and found a lot of complaints about the shell plate binding and most were the same thing as mine where it was only binding on one or two of outer areas where the cases go into the shell plate.

so im guessing these shell plates are punched out?? so i took my 9mm shell plate and some 800 grit wet/dry sand paper on a piece of glass and started sanding down the bottom side of the shell plate....i wish ida taken more pics but when i started the sand paper was barely hitting the outer edges so i kept going until all the black was just about gone then continued using 1500 grit then finished with 2500 grit.

i bought the bearing kit for the thumb wheel and i can now tighten the retaining bolt down to where the shell plate is hard to turn then back it off just a tiny bit tighten the set screw and the shell plate runs smooth with no slop.

i did the same to the 308 shell plate and the pic kinda gives you an idea of what im talking about.....View attachment 7417330

Same here the Dillon has a lot of rough edges just in general that need some TLC but a man can make it work. If you ever get to pull the handle on a mark 7 revelotution press go ahead and hire a divorce lawyer

 

[Gustav7]

This is the PDF I used to guide any issues I may have had with precision loading on my 550. Has served me well.

 

[GetReal]

I've done a fair bit with a borrowed 650. Honestly I don't think using a 550 without a case feeder is any quicker than using a rock chucker with a case kicker system. Possibly slower. I will be buying a 650 and running a case feeder in the future with a similar setup to what you said. I also put a empty die that doesn't touch the case at all and screw it down to contact the tool head in every non used station to remove flex from the tool head

I can load 250 -270 9mm / hour on the 550B. Pretty sure I couldn'tmatch that onmy Rockchucker. Not with all the tool changes.

 

[Zatchmo]

This is the PDF I used to guide any issues I may have had with precision loading on my 550. Has served me well.

Thanks for posting this. I had planned to run dies in the same position you do, but for whatever reason the whidden toolheads only have the roll pins for the floating collars in stations 1 & 2. Had I realized this before I ordered them, I might not have. A "problem" easily fixed with a drill bit and 30 seconds on the drill press, I just haven't done it yet.

One question for you, do you tumble your loaded rounds? Or do you wipe the lube off?

 

[Gustav7]

I can load 250 -270 9mm / hour on the 550B. Pretty sure I couldn'tmatch that onmy Rockchucker. Not with all the tool changes.

Should be able to load quite a bit more than that. I think the last run I did around 500-600 in an hour. Helps if you have more primer tubes, and then get into a consistent routine. I also check every single case for powder, but that takes no additional time, you just have to work it into your process.

Once I get going I pop a round out about every 5-6 seconds. I have 3 primer tubes, so that’s 300, plus 100 in the press. So I usually do 400rds at a time, easily under an hour.

One question for you, do you tumble your loaded rounds? Or do you wipe the lube off?

That’s why I like the Armanov, you can do all 4 stations.
No I don’t tumble loaded rounds and I would not recommend it. Pointed bullets vibrating around primers makes me nervous lol.
I normally tumble after I size, as I run two tool heads. But if I did do it all in pass, I’d just wipe em off in a towel.

 

[GetReal]

Should be able to load quite a bit more than that. I think the last run I did around 500-600 in an hour. Helps if you have more primer tubes, and then get into a consistent routine. I also check every single case for powder, but that takes no additional time, you just have to work it into your process.

Once I get going I pop a round out about every 5-6 seconds. I have 3 primer tubes, so that’s 300, plus 100 in the press. So I usually do 400rds at a time, easily under an hour.

Yeah.... I load primer tubes as I go along, and go real slow.

Point being.... NO WAY I'm gonna be faster on a Rockchucker than on a 550 B. THAT was the point of my post as it was a reply to that discussion..

NOT to get into bragging contest about how many I can load in an hour. So I'm very happy for you. No...really.

 

[Gustav7]

Yeah.... I load primer tubes as I go along, and go real slow.

Point being.... NO WAY I'm gonna be faster on a Rockchucker than on a 550 B. THAT was the point of my post as it was a reply to that discussion..

NOT to get into bragging contast about how many I can load in an hour. So I'm very happy for you. No...really.

Hahahah, my bad, that wasn’t my intention either. I agree with you, no way anyone is keeping up with a Rockchucker

 

[GetReal]

like @Gustav7 said get rid of the fail safe rod....and dry graphite is the powder throws best friend View attachment 7417137

I think my first step for accurizing my 550B should be the powder measure /thrower. I suspect bullet and primer seating depth is important, but less important than a consistent powder charge.

The actuating rod does get hinky at times. Considering the rubber band trick / dry graphite thing.

Any words of wisdom?

 

[Zatchmo]

...
That’s why I like the Armanov, you can do all 4 stations.
No I don’t tumble loaded rounds and I would not recommend it. Pointed bullets vibrating around primers makes me nervous lol.
I normally tumble after I size, as I run two tool heads. But if I did do it all in pass, I’d just wipe em off in a towel.

Thanks that's what I used to do as well for rifle.

Pistol I tumble loaded. Takes way too long to wipe them all off, but I load in 1000 round batches there. Rifle will likely be a couple hundred at a time.

Regarding dropped vs weighed charges, I'm using the chargemaster and a funnel. Definitely not as fast, but I'm looking for a good balance. I may setup a spare powder drop in the future, but that's a whole extra topic altogether.

 

[Gustav7]

Pistol I tumble loaded. Takes way too long to wipe them all off, but I load in 1000 round batches there. Rifle will likely be a couple hundred at a time.

Curious why you need to wipe off your pistol rounds? If you have carbide dies you don't need to run lube, so it should just be one easy pass from shot to remade... throw in a quick tumble prior to loading if your brass is dirty.

Regarding dropped vs weighed charges, I'm using the chargemaster and a funnel. Definitely not as fast, but I'm looking for a good balance. I may setup a spare powder drop in the future, but that's a whole extra topic altogether.

I definitely slow down my whole process when I load for precision, which is only in .223 and 6.5cm. I use two Chargemasters, ones a 1500 and the other is a Lite. They work great for me. They drop powder about as fast as I load, so 90% of the time they keep up with as fast as I want to load precision. But I work my press in a completely different manner loading for precision than I do for bulk. If and when I get to a point where I'm loading precision in one pass, I'll still work the press slower and more deliberately.

An example is when I seat bullets. Right now, I have a mandrel is station 1, powder funnel in station 2, and seater in station 3. I work the ram until either the seating die or mandrel makes contact, slight pause, then a slow, deliberate, and consistent push of the ram until it stops dead. I leave my ram at the top while I grab a powder pan and drop it in the funnel (4in drop tube). Then I slowly work the ram back down and do another. This has worked pretty well for me right now.

 

[McMillan]

Does anyone know if you can add the auto prime system to a Dillon bl550. After reading the article on modifying a Dillon 550 I'm interested in getting one and trying it out running full progressive without a powder drop. Buying a bl550 would be a lot cheaper if you can add a auto priming attachment to it

 

[TheOfficeT-Rex]

Can I see a picture of how you guys are removing the fail safe rod and bolting the links together? I keep reading this but I cant picture it. I'll probably pull and polish my hoppers this week.

 

[6.5SH]

Does anyone know if you can add the auto prime system to a Dillon bl550. After reading the article on modifying a Dillon 550 I'm interested in getting one and trying it out running full progressive without a powder drop. Buying a bl550 would be a lot cheaper if you can add a auto priming attachment to it

Yes. It's about $125 for the Auto prime and the primer warning system together.

 

[Gustav7]

Can I see a picture of how you guys are removing the fail safe rod and bolting the links together? I keep reading this but I cant picture it. I'll probably pull and polish my hoppers this week.

If you’re planning on polishing the actual hopper, I wouldn’t. If you just used the word hopper to mean your actual powder drop, then sounds good lol. You want the powder bar, housing, and drop tube polished in the inside.

For the linkage, I just undid the little clip spring. Picture to show...

 

[6.5SH]

Related to the fail safe mod. Powder Measures made after 2000 do not have the return springs.
The Dillon part info is #14036 Powder Bar Return Spring, $3.99

Handy to have at least one so you can try to match something up at a hardware store.

 

[Zatchmo]

Curious why you need to wipe off your pistol rounds? If you have carbide dies you don't need to run lube, so it should just be one easy pass from shot to remade... throw in a quick tumble prior to loading if your brass is dirty.

Open division major is fairly hot. The press is substantially happier with a couple shots of "one shot". Loads are far more consistent.

 

[47guy]

Can I see a picture of how you guys are removing the fail safe rod and bolting the links together? I keep reading this but I cant picture it. I'll probably pull and polish my hoppers this week.

i do the same as @Gustav7 but i just use a rubber band for the return spring.

 

[DellaDog]

What‘s the reason for removing the rod?

 

[TheOfficeT-Rex]

Thanks All.
I think I'm going to get one apart today, and probably add the return spring and fail safe rod removal. I really only use the hopper for bulk 223 and 8x57, but I'd like the best 8208 throws possible while I do it. I usually use a 419 funnel, drop tube, and weigh charges.

 

[Gustav7]

Thanks All.
I think I'm going to get one apart today, and probably add the return spring and fail safe rod removal. I really only use the hopper for bulk 223 and 8x57, but I'd like the best 8208 throws possible while I do it. I usually use a 419 funnel, drop tube, and weigh charges.

Same, and I agree. I also just got annoyed screwing with the failsafe rod.

Another main reason, is if you don't use the failsafe rod, you can put the powder measure in any toolhead spot you'd like. Last time I loaded a bunch of bulk, the brass was already sized from someone else, but the necks had like 5-6 thou tension and it was causing issues seating my bullets, so I ran a decapper first position, mandrel 2nd, powder 3rd, bullet/crimp 4th.

I've adopted this 3rd powder position with my 9mm too. My RCBS sizer was breaking decapping rods due to mixed mil brass, so I ran a Lee capper with hardened decapper rod from Squirrel Daddy, then sizer, then powder, then bullet/crimp. Works well. Just have to adjust the point where you put a bullet in the case, being after the ram is worked instead of before.

What‘s the reason for removing the rod?

The reasons I listed above. For precision, the failsafe rod seems to be more inconsistent as well. If you're new to the 550 I recommend running it for safety sake until you learn the press better. Either way, DO NOT run the powder measure with no rod and no return spring/rubber band, etc.

 

[Disfunctional_Engineer]

when i first got my 550 a few months ago first thing i noticed was the the shell plate would bind unless i left it pretty loose and this was causing some primers to be just a bit proud which was causing a few FTF with 9mm.
i did a little research and found a lot of complaints about the shell plate binding and most were the same thing as mine where it was only binding on one or two of outer areas where the cases go into the shell plate.

so im guessing these shell plates are punched out?? so i took my 9mm shell plate and some 800 grit wet/dry sand paper on a piece of glass and started sanding down the bottom side of the shell plate....i wish ida taken more pics but when i started the sand paper was barely hitting the outer edges so i kept going until all the black was just about gone then continued using 1500 grit then finished with 2500 grit.

i bought the bearing kit for the thumb wheel and i can now tighten the retaining bolt down to where the shell plate is hard to turn then back it off just a tiny bit tighten the set screw and the shell plate runs smooth with no slop.

i did the same to the 308 shell plate and the pic kinda gives you an idea of what im talking about.....View attachment 7417330

I'll give you a secret. If you pull the ram up and look on the left side of it below where the shell plate goes there's a set screw. You set tension how you want it above then use the set screw to retain the bolt in place without having to crank it down.

I wish my LNL AP had that feature. It's really fantastic IMO.

 

[Zatchmo]

I made it to the range to Chrono the first loads.

Process:
New Lapua SP brass
Primed on the 550 with a forward stroke, rotate case, and press again to be sure. Station 1, CCI400 (skipped sizing)
Mandrel in station 2 to ensure consistent neck tension.
Pulled case, charged with chargemaster and 419 funnel, replaced case. More on this later. 40.5 grns H4350
Seat bullet in station 3. Berger 144 Hybrid

Data: All 5 shots each. I have more data on the factory ammo, but for comparison sake left the 5 round data.
0.020" off lands
Vavg: 2832
ES: 25
SD: 9.8

0.060" off lands
Vavg: 2819
ES: 18
SD: 6.7

Berger 144 Factory
Vavg: 2869
ES: 16
SD: 6.8

Groups sucked, but so did my controls. .75-1 MOA bad. I could have been having a bad day, but I'm also new to suppressed shooting vs braked, and the recoil impulse is very different. It's also been a very long time since I cleaned my rifle, over a case of ammo. So I'll clean it and try again along with some variable charge weight testing.

So what did I learn?
OAL variation was minimal. Within 0.002".
Modifying the whidden toolhead to allow me to seat in station 4 took all of 10 minutes, 8 if which were searching for my transfer punches.
Using the mandrel is awesome, but pulling cases to charge defeats the purpose of using a progressive press. I'll have to spend time setting up my dies again, but it's fixed now. The plan is size in station 1, expand 2, powder 3, seat 4.
ES/SD numbers were quite good, definitely good enough. If I can learn to group from a bench again, I think this will work out okay.

 

[Zatchmo]

i do the same as @Gustav7 but i just use a rubber band for the return spring.View attachment 7418013

I'm not sure if they are still available, they were about 10 years ago, (the last time I had to order parts from Dillon) but the original powder drops didn't have the failsafe rod. They were available to order. I have 1 or 2 powder drops with the old system kicking around that I used to use for .223 and 25-06 loads.

 

[47guy]

I'll give you a secret. If you pull the ram up and look on the left side of it below where the shell plate goes there's a set screw. You set tension how you want it above then use the set screw to retain the bolt in place without having to crank it down.

I wish my LNL AP had that feature. It's really fantastic IMO.

i know all about the set screw thanks.

 

[Gustav7]

I'll give you a secret. If you pull the ram up and look on the left side of it below where the shell plate goes there's a set screw. You set tension how you want it above then use the set screw to retain the bolt in place without having to crank it down.

I wish my LNL AP had that feature. It's really fantastic IMO.

The set screw is great to have, but its not the fix for some of the shellplate wobble. Unfortunately the shellplate is not perfect on the bottom and can have rough spots, high/low spots, etc. So it creates an imbalanced plate when you lock it down. Doing what @47guy did with his shellplate, and I've done the same, creates a much smoother bottom to the shellplate and makes it more even and square, noticeable on the picture he put up where the outsides honed first.

When I did it to mine, it made the 1st station case wobble almost disappear. It also made the rotation of the shellplate smoother. You always get slightly more wobble on the 3rd position as this is where the detent ball is. You can also cut the spring down to reduce this as well, but sanding and honing the shellplate helps tremendously. Also using a good lube on the detent ball and shellplate screw helps too.

 

[GhostFace]

For you guys that are having issues with the failsafe rod, are you using extruded powders? I just recently switched to ball powders because I have grown tired of hand weighing or double checking every thrown charge. I was using a Redding BR powder measure for .30-06 to throw 4350 and it did okay. The other tool head had a Lee PPM for 4064 for the .308 loads. Now that I use ball powders I installed the Dillon PM along with the failsafe rod and I have no issues with it, my charges are within .2 of each other. If I have my technique down it's on the money every time.