Dillon 750 or 1050 for Precision Rifle

[Shanerbanner10]

Hey guys, long time single stage user here and tired of sitting at the bench. I want to load on a progressive. I specifically want to load 6br and it’s variants. Can you please give me a break down of what is needed to make it happen and also what your experience has been loading on a progressive and shooting PRS matches?

I will throw powder on something like an autotrickler. Brass trimming will be done either a Henderson or giraud.

My thoughts are clean, throw it in the Dillon, decap, prime, fl size, mandrel, powder, seat. Is that realistic? Can it be done on one toolhead or should I separate the process?

 

[simonp]

I will defer to the more experienced members here but I dont think Id load precision on a Dillon personally. Nothing against Dillon's, I have two that I use for pistol and for range use rifle.

Precision though, I load on a T7

 

[Shanerbanner10]

I will defer to the more experienced members here but I dont think Id load precision on a Dillon personally. Nothing against Dillon's, I have two that I use for pistol and for range use rifle.

Precision though, I load on a T7

I know there are a bunch of people doing it with plenty of success. Just need some specifics.

 

[Blackice55]

Whidden floating tool heads, use separate tool heads for sizing and seating. It’s takes some time to get set up. But when you find your load and you wanna make a shit load of ammo, Dillon is the shit.

 

[Sheldon N]

Of those two, 750.

For loading precision rifle, I might personally lean towards 550 rather than 750. There's some advantage to being able to manually index/advance when loading if you pause for any reason. The speed advantage of case feed and auto indexing isn't as big a deal for loading since the bottleneck is typically powder measuring. For brass prep the case feed and auto index do really speed things up, not that the 550 is slow. I'd say roughly 7 minutes per 100 cases for sizing on the 550, if you went 750 it would be more like 3 minutes per 100 cases for sizing.

Your process should be two toolheads, I would recommend the following rough outline.

Tumble clean, anneal, lube.
Toolhead #1 deprime die, FL sizing die (nonbushing), mandrel die.
Tumble clean, trim, then store up all the brass as "ready to load" when needed.

Toolhead #2 = Powder through die with caliber specific powder funnel insert + funnel on top, seating die.
Prime on the press, add powder, seat bullet.

Have loaded tens of thousands of rounds of precision bolt gun rifle, all my match ammo for 5+ years has been on a 550, I also have a 1050 that I do 223 precision rifle on with basically the same process.

 

[Shanerbanner10]

Of those two, 750.

For loading precision rifle, I might personally lean towards 550 rather than 750. There's some advantage to being able to manually index/advance when loading if you pause for any reason. The speed advantage of case feed and auto indexing isn't as big a deal for loading since the bottleneck is typically powder measuring. For brass prep the case feed and auto index do really speed things up, not that the 550 is slow. I'd say roughly 7 minutes per 100 cases for sizing on the 550, if you went 750 it would be more like 3 minutes per 100 cases for sizing.

Your process should be two toolheads, I would recommend the following rough outline.

Tumble clean, anneal, lube.
Toolhead #1 deprime die, FL sizing die (nonbushing), mandrel die.
Tumble clean, trim, then store up all the brass as "ready to load" when needed.

Toolhead #2 = Powder through die with caliber specific powder funnel insert + funnel on top, seating die.
Prime on the press, add powder, seat bullet.

Have loaded tens of thousands of rounds of precision bolt gun rifle, all my match ammo for 5+ years has been on a 550, I also have a 1050 that I do 223 precision rifle on with basically the same process.

Does the 1050 have any advantages over the 550 for match rifle?

I was hoping you’d comment as I knew you loaded one a Dillon. Hoping another couple guys will chime in.

I’ve heard not to use a whidden floating head for sizing and mandrel as there is too much floating and it decreases accurate sizing. Thoughts? I can see it both ways but no experience so figured I’d ask.

 

[Herb Stoner]

My 2 cents…. I’ve loaded on a 750 for a while with the Armanov floating heads and rings (Awesome!) and get excellent results. The 2 head approach mentioned above is more or less what I do. I have the area 419 powder tube, funnel and adaptor for powder charges coming from an AutoTrickler. At times I’ll just do case prep on the 750 and seat later on a single stage. It goes a lot faster than doing everything on a single stage and I get the same results overall.

When I was looking at the options, I recall that the one big advantage I saw was the ability to Swage brass on the 1050. Not something I’ve had to do much so the 750 was adequate. I know there is a aftermarket product to Swage on a 750 but it’s not recommended by Dillon and may have warranty implications. Not sure on the specifics but someone more experienced may know more..

 

[Sheldon N]

I don't think the 1050 offers any real advantages for match rifle, it's super fast when it's set up but more of a pain to swap anything around. I keep mine set up for 223.

No strong opinions on floating heads vs non, I don't think there's a significant difference. On the 550 I typically buy the CNC machined flat toolheads you can get from varying sources for even cheaper than standard Dillon toolheads. I've mostly used a standard o-ring to float the die, but have also mounted dies rigid to the toolhead and still had good runout numbers and consistent sizing. I don't bother to float dies on the 1050 but the brass that comes out is still extremely low runout. I think the key is FL nonbushing die plus separate mandrel die ... that process makes very straight ammo. For consistent sizing I think the key is annealing brass and using a good amount of lube so the case can move/stretch freely within the die. I use homemade alcohol/lanolin lube. I have noticed that sizing amount/consistency is affected if you don't use enough lube.

Loading for two now with myself and my daughter both competing. We're doing BRA and Dasher. Have put a lot of time into finding ways to be faster without sacrificing quality.

PS - Giraud > Henderson for calibers like Dasher/BRA where you're not really trimming off any brass just skimming it each time as a chamfer/debur. Trimming is probably my fastest process now.

 

[TheOfficeT-Rex]

The slowdown will always be removing case lube, and throwing the powder. I have a 550, but sometimes I wish I had a 750 just for the case feeder when decaping/sizing.

If you want to run staball, you can get by with the dillon powder meter and autodrive. If you do it with an AT/supertrickler, forget about running with automation.

On a 550, I run two pass - size/mandrel first pass, tumble, then AT throw powder and seat bullet like a single stage. ATv3 with IP trickler runs fast enough that I'm never waiting on powder. Yes, you can make it work all off one pass, and one toolhead, but now you're making compromises on time vs OCD.

I see no difference in results of floating heads vs standard dillon, except that the floating heads are more expensive, limit the stations/rings you can use, and tend to be more prone to allowing the dies to move more inside the lock rings if you don't get the lock rings perfectly tight. A strip of cross check has fixed that. The armanov floating heads are substantially thicker, slower to change, and may limit the dies you can use (my experience was 223 and 6BRA on a 550. Other presses/calibers/dies may vary).

Sheldon has a good point though - trimming eats time and is worse with substandard tools, although I disagree, I love my henderson, even for just skim cuts. Anything with a 3-way head is better than cut then chamfer then debur...

 

[Baron85]

I’m not using a Dillon, using the Hornady LNL ammo plant. Wish I had spent the extra on the Dillon.

With that said I have been prepping 223, 6br, and dasher brass then using the single stage to seat bullets for a while.

Recently have been testing prime, powder and seat on the progressive as well with good results. That includes throwing powder on the press without weighing.

My system is clean the brass, anneal if it’s that time, lube, dump in case feeder, first stage is full length sizing with decapping pin but no expander next station mandrel. After that back into the cleaner to remove lube, then giraurd to trim and chamfer.

Next go around is decappet to clean out corn cob from flash hole, prime, powder(either weighed on the auto trickler or dumped with the press mounted powder throw) then seat bullet.

I have not noticed any accuracy differences between ammo loaded on the single stage vs the progressive as long as I’m weighing the powder charges. When I’m throwing powder my ES/SD go up some and accuracy opens up some. Still sub MOA usually but I use the thrown powder for practice and weigh for matches.

 

[BuildingConceptsllc]

The new Mark 7 Genesys looks pretty dang cool. 3 independently controlled servos with programing??? That's what I'm going to be looking at in the future. It would be nice to hear from someone who has one but they are so new I don't know if they are even selling them to the public yet

 

[Sheldon N]

although I disagree, I love my henderson, even for just skim cuts. Anything with a 3-way head is better than cut then chamfer then debur...

Henderson is a thing of beauty, for sure. But for pure speed the Giraud crushes, you can use both hands and alternate left/right/left/right. You can get very close to a rate of 1 piece per second.

 

[MediumSpeed]

new here - I've just started hand loading 308 and 65cm on a dillion 650 - basic process uses 4 stages 1 - deprime then wet tumble and anneal. 2 - lube, FL resize, mandrel, rinse in acetone. 3 trim with a giraud (awesome tool!) and prime manually from stage two of the press. 4 weigh powder charges with an autotrickle (though with ball powder I think you can get away with the powder bar) then seat and if it is going in a gas gun, light crimp. It takes a while but seems to work - since the shell holder plate rotates, my shoulder bump ranges from 2-4 thousandths... likewise my seating...

 

[greentick]

Tagging in. Thanks for the 550 experience!

 

[Shanerbanner10]

I don't think the 1050 offers any real advantages for match rifle, it's super fast when it's set up but more of a pain to swap anything around. I keep mine set up for 223.

No strong opinions on floating heads vs non, I don't think there's a significant difference. On the 550 I typically buy the CNC machined flat toolheads you can get from varying sources for even cheaper than standard Dillon toolheads. I've mostly used a standard o-ring to float the die, but have also mounted dies rigid to the toolhead and still had good runout numbers and consistent sizing. I don't bother to float dies on the 1050 but the brass that comes out is still extremely low runout. I think the key is FL nonbushing die plus separate mandrel die ... that process makes very straight ammo. For consistent sizing I think the key is annealing brass and using a good amount of lube so the case can move/stretch freely within the die. I use homemade alcohol/lanolin lube. I have noticed that sizing amount/consistency is affected if you don't use enough lube.

Loading for two now with myself and my daughter both competing. We're doing BRA and Dasher. Have put a lot of time into finding ways to be faster without sacrificing quality.

PS - Giraud > Henderson for calibers like Dasher/BRA where you're not really trimming off any brass just skimming it each time as a chamfer/debur. Trimming is probably my fastest process now.

Appreciate the info. I used to have a Giraud and am now trying to decide between Henderson or Giruad.
I’d rather spend time shooting. So cleaning lube was something that I often did after the cases were loaded and seated to save time in the past. Didn’t effect accuracy or Sd/ES.

 

[MediumSpeed]

for mixed brass 223 for shooting classes and the like I use 4 steps - 1 wet tumble. 2 size/deprime/swage or cut (rcbs)/trim. 3 final size, prime, progresive load etc... 4. tumble in corn with a tablespoons of isopropyl achohol for about 15 minutes - it isn't sub moa but it is quick and for gennerally 50-200 yards or less it is great

 

[Sheldon N]

Appreciate the info. I used to have a Giraud and am now trying to decide between Henderson or Giruad.
I’d rather spend time shooting. So cleaning lube was something that I often did after the cases were loaded and seated to save time in the past. Didn’t effect accuracy or Sd/ES.

If you do dry tumbling check out corn cob blast media that's 20-40 grit. It's small enough that it doesn't get stuck in flash holes and still makes nice shiny brass. Sometimes I'll throw in some car polish to bump it up a little.

Main reason I don't like to process/load all in one pass is because the lube eventually gets gummy on the internal dillon powder funnel and can catch powder kernels or cause bridging. Keeping loading clean/separate from the lube is preferable IMO.

I don't usually figure time spent tumbling into the overall reloading time. It takes me 30 seconds to dump it in there or sift it out and I can leave it as long as I want and get back to reloading whenever. Helpful if you have a huge lot of brass so that you do brass prep only every once in a while then load for each match as needed. Most calibers I've got 600-1k piece of brass that I cycle through.

 

[Drbobinmo]

Twice here I’ve seen non-bushing full length sizing mentioned. Why is that? I thought bushing die was the way to go followed by mandrel die. I’m learning too so just curious about this. Thanks.

 

[spife7980]

Twice here I’ve seen non-bushing full length sizing mentioned. Why is that? I thought bushing die was the way to go followed by mandrel die. I’m learning too so just curious about this. Thanks.

Typically thats referring to a honed forster etc that is made to not overwork the neck.
Just like you choose a bushing of appropriate size, you can have them cut the solid die body material to a chosen size, its just a one way only operation, once removed it cant go back.
So its got the benefit of a bushing die but no neck that can float around or leave a donut bubble at the base of the neck.

 

[Hoser]

Both machines are good choices.

Other than die station differences, the priming methods are very different. The 1050/1100 primes on the downstroke and there is zero feel to it, but the primer depth is very consistent. With the 550/650/750 the priming step is separate motion and you can feel the primer seat.

I am loading my bolt gun ammo on a 550 (throwing powder with a Prometheus and an Autotricker) but I am not using a mandrel. If I wanted to use a mandrel, I would switch over to my 1050/1100s. I load up to 338 Lapua on my 550.

1050/1100 toolheads are pretty expensive which can be a factor.

When you buy a 1050/1100 it comes complete with dies and a casefeeder. The 650/750 does not come with dies or a casefeeder.

 

[Gustav7]

I run a 550 and a 750. I have not personally ran a 1050 but some I've talked to regarding precision aren't a fan of the less "feel" to the press since its so robust. It's also an expensive press for just precision. Now if you're loading 10k+ of pistol and this will just be a second thing, then sure why not.

Since I have both the 750 and 550, if I shot more precision ammo than I do, I would prep everything on the 750, then prime/load on the 550. I like the auto indexing and case feeder when it comes to prep work, and you can run RT1500 on it if you want, although it sounds like you have a trimmer already.

When I go to load though, I really like to feel the operations, as the consistency with which I load the ammo has been the biggest factor for me in making good ammo. This is assuming you are using quality dies that aren't fucked up of course.

If I had to choose just one, and I only shot precision ammo(mostly), I would go the 550 route. If I also shot pistol ammo or 556 range ammo in any reasonable quantity, I'd go 750. Luckily, I have both.

 

[Shanerbanner10]

I run a 550 and a 750. I have not personally ran a 1050 but some I've talked to regarding precision aren't a fan of the less "feel" to the press since its so robust. It's also an expensive press for just precision. Now if you're loading 10k+ of pistol and this will just be a second thing, then sure why not.

Since I have both the 750 and 550, if I shot more precision ammo than I do, I would prep everything on the 750, then prime/load on the 550. I like the auto indexing and case feeder when it comes to prep work, and you can run RT1500 on it if you want, although it sounds like you have a trimmer already.

When I go to load though, I really like to feel the operations, as the consistency with which I load the ammo has been the biggest factor for me in making good ammo. This is assuming you are using quality dies that aren't fucked up of course.

If I had to choose just one, and I only shot precision ammo(mostly), I would go the 550 route. If I also shot pistol ammo or 556 range ammo in any reasonable quantity, I'd go 750. Luckily, I have both.

Thanks for the info. I will be shooting 9mm and 223 so it’s a dual purpose thing. Dies are one thing I’ve never skimped on. Quality stuff only.

 

[Shanerbanner10]

If you guys were to build out a 750 for loading 6br and price was no issue, what components for the Dillon would you run?

Currently I’m looking at the 750 with case feeder with large rifle plate, at500 powder die with a 6 Br insert (if that’s even a thing?), roller handle,

Armanov free floating head #1 - mighty armory recapping die in station one, non bushing fl sizing die I’ve had for years (can’t for the life of me remember who made it) in station opposite of the decapper but free float the sizing die

Clean then trim/chamfer/debur

Toolhead 2: decapper, prime, 21st century mandrel in 2, powder in 4 and free floated seater in 5.


Thoughts? Does that sound reasonable?

 

[TheOfficeT-Rex]

Toolhead 2: decapper, prime, 21st century mandrel in 2, powder in 4 and free floated seater in 5.

You're going to be reaching through the press to put a bullet on station five. It's behind the case feeder and the bullet tray is naturally on the left hand side.

Powder 3, seater 4, empty 5 is how I would run. The bullet tray is pretty convenient, and the inline fab mounts are nice.

 

[Gustav7]

If you guys were to build out a 750 for loading 6br and price was no issue, what components for the Dillon would you run?

Currently I’m looking at the 750 with case feeder with large rifle plate, at500 powder die with a 6 Br insert (if that’s even a thing?), roller handle,

Armanov free floating head #1 - mighty armory recapping die in station one, non bushing fl sizing die I’ve had for years (can’t for the life of me remember who made it) in station opposite of the decapper but free float the sizing die

Clean then trim/chamfer/debur

Toolhead 2: decapper, prime, 21st century mandrel in 2, powder in 4 and free floated seater in 5.


Thoughts? Does that sound reasonable?

You don't want to run your mandrel after the case is primed, as there is basically no room for the air to escape. You can back your primers out, and it feels fucking weird lol...ask me how I know. I would run the mandrel on your prep tool head. Then trimming/chamfur/debur is all done on the properly sized neck.

I've ran the Armanov toolheads on my 550...and I'm not sure they're worth the hassle. I WOULD however, get the nicer CNC machined heads. If you did run the Armanov, I would only run it on the prep toolhead. IMO theres no reason to run it on the bullet seater. That's all press feel with that one for consistency.

Everything else looks good.

 

[Shanerbanner10]

You're going to be reaching through the press to put a bullet on station five. It's behind the case feeder and the bullet tray is naturally on the left hand side.

Powder 3, seater 4, empty 5 is how I would run. The bullet tray is pretty convenient, and the inline fab mounts are nice.

Noted thanks! Otherwise sounds like I’m in the right track. I know next to nothing about progressives/Dillons, so I expect a learning curve.

 

[Shanerbanner10]

You don't want to run your mandrel after the case is primed, as there is basically no room for the air to escape. You can back your primers out, and it feels fucking weird lol...ask me how I know. I would run the mandrel on your prep tool head. Then trimming/chamfur/debur is all done on the properly sized neck.

I've ran the Armanov toolheads on my 550...and I'm not sure they're worth the hassle. I WOULD however, get the nicer CNC machined heads. If you did run the Armanov, I would only run it on the prep toolhead. IMO theres no reason to run it on the bullet seater. That's all press feel with that one for consistency.

Everything else looks good.

Gotta link for those heads?

 

[Gustav7]

Gotta link for those heads?

I would just run the Whidden toolheads, they make good CNC, non floating ones.

Here -- https://www.whiddengunworks.com/dillon-toolheads/

 

[Blackice55]

If you wanna be a baller run a 650 or a 750 with a mark 7 autodrive and 2 auto tricklers

 

[Herb Stoner]

Gotta link for those heads?

Toolhead Free-Float, Zero-Play for Dillon XL650 / XL750

Upgrade your reloading setup with Armanov Toolhead! Designed to improve efficiency and precision, shop now and experience the ultimate reloading experience.

usa-shop.armanov.com

More info here. You’ll want the free float rings to go with it. Don’t use regular die locking rings with this tool head as it defeats the purpose of the design.

 

[Shanerbanner10]

If you wanna be a baller run a 650 or a 750 with a mark 7 autodrive and 2 auto tricklers

I’ll be using a Supertrickler and won’t be producing huge amount of ammo so that’s not really necessary for my needs

 

[Shanerbanner10]

Toolhead Free-Float, Zero-Play for Dillon XL650 / XL750

Upgrade your reloading setup with Armanov Toolhead! Designed to improve efficiency and precision, shop now and experience the ultimate reloading experience.

usa-shop.armanov.com

More info here. You’ll want the free float rings to go with it. Don’t use regular die locking rings with this tool head as it defeats the purpose of the design.

That was my plan.

 

[Shanerbanner10]

I would just run the Whidden toolheads, they make good CNC, non floating ones.

Here -- https://www.whiddengunworks.com/dillon-toolheads/

Thanks, I looked at Whiddens website and must have just missed these.

 

[Forward543]

I switched from a 550 to a hornady LNL. Runout was less, did not have to monkey with the toolhead. The Hornady inserts work great.
I chuck everything in dry tumble for a bit. Anneal, if i am going to, lube and resize/ decap on a single stage. Then back in the dry tumble. Then the LNL for mandrel, powder, and bullet seat. Throw powder on a auto trickler, with ineguity precision trickler and have a funnel/ drop tube setup. I hand prime while running the rounds through. Load rate of roughly 130-150 per hour on prepped brass.
If you want to go full progressive, you can tumble live rounds to get the lube off. I do not keep my brass clean enough to run that program, and do not want to wet tumble unless I absolutely have to. Right now I am shooting for .2 mil ammo at 1k. Seems to hover between .2 and .3 depending on the rifle.

 

[impactaddict]

My 2 cents…. I’ve loaded on a 750 for a while with the Armanov floating heads and rings (Awesome!) and get excellent results. The 2 head approach mentioned above is more or less what I do. I have the area 419 powder tube, funnel and adaptor for powder charges coming from an AutoTrickler.

Here's a link to the powder funnel adaptor: Area 419 Dillon Adaptor. I wrapped a little plumbers tape for a tighter fit.

I've taken the same approach as many have suggested. 2 tool heads, etc. If nothing else, case prep on the Dillon will save a lot of time. Precision reloading with ball powder is the future, I think.

 

[Shanerbanner10]

I switched from a 550 to a hornady LNL. Runout was less, did not have to monkey with the toolhead. The Hornady inserts work great.
I chuck everything in dry tumble for a bit. Anneal, if i am going to, lube and resize/ decap on a single stage. Then back in the dry tumble. Then the LNL for mandrel, powder, and bullet seat. Throw powder on a auto trickler, with ineguity precision trickler and have a funnel/ drop tube setup. I hand prime while running the rounds through. Load rate of roughly 130-150 per hour on prepped brass.
If you want to go full progressive, you can tumble live rounds to get the lube off. I do not keep my brass clean enough to run that program, and do not want to wet tumble unless I absolutely have to. Right now I am shooting for .2 mil ammo at 1k. Seems to hover between .2 and .3 depending on the rifle.

My original thought was to tumble live rounds and I may give that a go first and if results aren't favorable I may take a step back and look at the 2 head solution.

 

[superde]

I do all brass prep on a 750 with the Armanov floating heads/rings and toolheads, and then seat on a single stage under my Prometheus. This has worked really well for me and has saved me a lot of time. My process is:

1. Decap on 750 (about 25 pieces a minute), with a toolhead with just decapping die.
2. Stainless tumble for 30 minutes.
3. Separate brass from pins and dump in acetone bucket, shake around, dump brass on towel (dry in a few mintues).
4. Drop cases in AMP Mate above AMP to anneal.
5. Lube cases, change toolhead to one with sizing die, size all brass (runout with the Armanov is .001-.002).
6. Dump cases back in acetone for a few minutes, shake around and then dump back on towel.
7. Dump brass into AMP Mate on top of Giruad.
8. Prime and mark brass.
9. Load

 

[CK1.0]

Good info so far...

I have a 750 (that I mostly use for shitloads of 9mm) and would add/highly recommend the Inline Fabrication mount and their Ergo roller handle too. InFab's mount puts the stroke/press at the right height to save your shoulder, and their handle is an improvement over the Dillon roller one IMHO.

I agree with those who mentioned above that "float" isn't as big of a deal as some make it out to be... if you size in 2 stations with a sizing die followed by a mandrel die you'll have straight ammo with low runout without having to go crazy with all the various gadgets made to float everything.

 

[MediumSpeed]

I tried the floating head - had trouble getting my Whidden die (6.5cm) close enough to the shell plate. I ended up using a standard Dillion head flipped over to get me just a little closer and then all was great.

 

[Gustav7]

My original thought was to tumble live rounds and I may give that a go first and if results aren't favorable I may take a step back and look at the 2 head solution.

I would seriously consider 2 toolheads from the go for anything precision based. Hell...I'm even doing two toolheads for 556 range ammo.

What I found, in my 100+ rds of experimentation, is that you had zero "feel" on the bullet seating and the inconsistency with the sizing die led to inconsistency with the bullet seating.

There's a reason the overwhelming majority of guys on here use 2 toolhead set ups on progressives for precision.

 

[Herb Stoner]

The Inline Fab mount is a great recommendation - its much more solid than the dillon mount and the quick change plate system works well.

Also - get the case feeder - this is the best reason to go with a 750 over a 550. When I first got my 750 my intent was to do just pistol and non-precision gas gun loading but I started just decapping rifle rounds on it because it made it go so fast vs decapping on a single stage press. It was also a great way to get a "feel" for the press overall without having to focus on multiple processes at once.

As to the "floating" heads - the dillon and some aftermarket head are designed so the whole head floats in the press frame and there can be uneven pressure on various station as the forces in one station will move the whole head slightly and may influence another station.
The Armanov heads lock the whole head tighly so it does not move and with thier rings allowing a bit of float for each station which eliminates the potential for uneven pressure on the original floating toolhead (described above) causing inconsistencies as the toolhead itself no longer floats but the individual dies float so pressure on the toolhead from one station does not move the toolhead and cause variances at another station. I did get less runout as measured on a 21st century concentricity guage with the floating dies vs the floating head. That said, I have no empirical evidence of notable changes in groups as I haven't scrutinized it that closely.

 

[CK1.0]

I would seriously consider 2 toolheads from the go for anything precision based. Hell...I'm even doing two toolheads for 556 range ammo.

What I found, in my 100+ rds of experimentation, is that you had zero "feel" on the bullet seating and the inconsistency with the sizing die led to inconsistency with the bullet seating.

There's a reason the overwhelming majority of guys on here use 2 toolhead set ups on progressives for precision.

I'd second this ^^^ 2 tool heads is the way IMO.

This is coming from a guy who's tumbled thousands and thousands of 9mm after it's been loaded to remove the lube (and will continue to). But for precision rounds, that you'll have had to put twice the amount of work into... IDK if I'd risk messing them up when that close to the finish line. Shit, if you end up shooting Berger Hybrids or A-tips, they're too expensive and fancy to just tumble around like the blaster stuff lol.

 

[MarinePMI]

Since I'm running a XL750 and a CP2000 (which is just a lobotomized 1100, that doesn't have priming/powder), both with Autodrives, I figured I'd pipe in with my comments.

With charge weights being so critical for precision rifle ammo, I'd be very leery of loading ammo on a progressive press. And if I did, it would only be on a machine with an Autodrive.

The reason being, the Autodrive is what gives extreme consistency when sizing, priming and indexing of the press. WIth a manually run machine, a person's arm gets tired, so the stroke (and dwell time in the die) will vary. And variance is what we're trying to avoid.

Were it me (and what I do) I'd just run case prep on the machine (again, preferably with an Autodrive), and then drop charges and seat bullets manually.

As to which press, I'd recommend (if you can afford it) to go with the 1100. I can tell you from experience that the 750 gets pretty crowded, pretty quick. If you ever automate it, real estate begins to get really tight as you add all the sensors and cables. The other reason I'd suggest the 1100, is that it is just a whole lot more robust/stiff. Which again means much more consistency when sizing/bumping shoulders back, as well as priming. I started with a 750. After getting the CP2K and using it, I wish I had just got an 1100. It also made me wish I had bought the 1100 when I went back to load 9mm & 223 on my 750. It doesn't seem like much, but going from 5 stations to 7 opens up a huge amount of options when it comes to processing. Nevermind being able to swage crimped primer pockets as part of the process, as well. The 1100 also comes with the case feeder, the 750 you have to buy it separately.

The 1100 is also much easier to set up with an Autodrive (you literally mount it to the Autodrive, remove the handle and bolt on a geared pulley wheel). The 750 has to have the linkage pulled apart, to support attaching the piston to the ram). And let's face it, once you have something like a Dillon or Apex, sooner or later, you're going to want to automate it. Everyone that I have spoken to, that put an Autodrive on their machines had the same reaction I did, which was..."Why in the hell didn't I do this sooner?!?!?"

All this crap is pricey, I know. But with Dillon releasing their own Autodrive (which I don't feel is on the same level as the Mk7 Autodrive), prices are going to start coming down. There's already at least one other company that is starting to build/sell autodrives as well. I believe it really is going to be the future of progressive reloading.

Anyways, not sure if that helps, or muddies the waters, but just wanted to give my thoughts.

MPMI

ETA: Perhaps @Threadcutter308 has some thoughts to share as well...

 

[MarinePMI]

BTW, one distinction you need to be aware of between the 1050 Super and the 1100. The 1100 is short action only (but more robust/stiffer than the 1050S). The 1100 also has a larger cam, making pulling the handle a bit less tiresome.

 

[Shanerbanner10]

Since I'm running a XL750 and a CP2000 (which is just a lobotomized 1100, that doesn't have priming/powder), both with Autodrives, I figured I'd pipe in with my comments.

With charge weights being so critical for precision rifle ammo, I'd be very leery of loading ammo on a progressive press. And if I did, it would only be on a machine with an Autodrive.

The reason being, the Autodrive is what gives extreme consistency when sizing, priming and indexing of the press. WIth a manually run machine, a person's arm gets tired, so the stroke (and dwell time in the die) will vary. And variance is what we're trying to avoid.

Were it me (and what I do) I'd just run case prep on the machine (again, preferably with an Autodrive), and then drop charges and seat bullets manually.

As to which press, I'd recommend (if you can afford it) to go with the 1100. I can tell you from experience that the 750 gets pretty crowded, pretty quick. If you ever automate it, real estate begins to get really tight as you add all the sensors and cables. The other reason I'd suggest the 1100, is that it is just a whole lot more robust/stiff. Which again means much more consistency when sizing/bumping shoulders back, as well as priming. I started with a 750. After getting the CP2K and using it, I wish I had just got an 1100. It also made me wish I had bought the 1100 when I went back to load 9mm & 223 on my 750. It doesn't seem like much, but going from 5 stations to 7 opens up a huge amount of options when it comes to processing. Nevermind being able to swage crimped primer pockets as part of the process, as well. The 1100 also comes with the case feeder, the 750 you have to buy it separately.

The 1100 is also much easier to set up with an Autodrive (you literally mount it to the Autodrive, remove the handle and bolt on a geared pulley wheel). The 750 has to have the linkage pulled apart, to support attaching the piston to the ram). And let's face it, once you have something like a Dillon or Apex, sooner or later, you're going to want to automate it. Everyone that I have spoken to, that put an Autodrive on their machines had the same reaction I did, which was..."Why in the hell didn't I do this sooner?!?!?"

All this crap is pricey, I know. But with Dillon releasing their own Autodrive (which I don't feel is on the same level as the Mk7 Autodrive), prices are going to start coming down. There's already at least one other company that is starting to build/sell autodrives as well. I believe it really is going to be the future of progressive reloading.

Anyways, not sure if that helps, or muddies the waters, but just wanted to give my thoughts.

MPMI

ETA: Perhaps @Threadcutter308 has some thoughts to share as well...

How does the Autodrive work with precision power throwers (Autotrickler/Supertrickler/etc.)?

 

[impactaddict]

How does the Autodrive work with precision power throwers (Autotrickler/Supertrickler/etc.)?

you can set their cycle rate so I suppose if you had two ATs and were paying close attention, it would be possible. not only possible but very efficient. Auto bullet feeding then comes into play.

 

[MarinePMI]

How does the Autodrive work with precision power throwers (Autotrickler/Supertrickler/etc.)?

It doesn't. At least not yet. Hence why I do the bulk of the work (case prep) on my Dillon, and then use an ATv4 to drop powder, and a Wilson inline seater die to seat bullets as another powder charge drops. You can plow through a lot of cases that way, and still ensure you're getting a very precise powder charge.

Case prep has always been the long pole in reloading for precision rifle. I just leverage the Dillon to shorten the time it takes.

 

[MarinePMI]

you can set their cycle rate so I suppose if you had two ATs and were paying close attention, it would be possible. not only possible but very efficient. Auto bullet feeding then comes into play.

Bullet feeders are the shizzles.

I could imagine somebody has got to be working on a sensor for the Autodrive to trigger and wait for a powder charge drop. Something that pauses the Autodrive until a charge is dropped, or hits a pan that funnels the charge into the powder tube on the press. I'm actually surprised that Adam McDonald (ATv4) hasn't already attacked this problem.

 

[Gustav7]

Bullet feeders are the shizzles.

I could imagine somebody has got to be working on a sensor for the Autodrive to trigger and wait for a powder charge drop. Something that pauses the Autodrive until a charge is dropped, or hits a pan that funnels the charge into the powder tube on the press. I'm actually surprised that Adam McDonald (ATv4) hasn't already attacked this problem.

Good god that would be the pinnacle of precision loading. If the RT1500 would come with a tri-way cutter, you could literally load all in one pass. That of course does not include annealing, so maybe thats a pipe dream, but just being able to set the 1100 to even a 2-4sec pause at the top. IF you ran 2 powder set ups you could just dump manually.

 

[Herb Stoner]

Set up an Ampmate to drop the annealed cases onto a short conveyor through a small cooling tunnel and drop it right into the case feeder. Why not!