That is my experience too. And claiming 800rd per hour on a 650/750 is BS, even if you ignore the hours you spent sorting brass to avoid the endless stoppages.
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Dillon progressive purchase advice needed
- Thread starter Ape_Factory
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That is my experience too. And claiming 800rd per hour on a 650/750 is BS, even if you ignore the hours you spent sorting brass to avoid the endless stoppages.
Hope this helps, I have an 1100, 650 and a 550. I loaded a Ton of pistol Ammo on my 650 and thought it was fantastic. After getting an 1100 inky mind there is no doubt it is s much more pleasurable experience loading on the 1100. Th 550 was what I did al my precision rifle ammo and it does a fantastic job but slow. I started loading 308 on the 650 and now I load all my rifle Ammo on the 650. I do it in two passes and use an AutoTrickler. The feeder just makes life so easy and I have noticed no difference in quality.
1100 for pistol, 650 for rifle and the 550 is pretty is just 338 due to size
1100 for pistol, 650 for rifle and the 550 is pretty is just 338 due to size
Posts like this REALLY make me want an 1100 lol, but everything is so damn expensive for it, including the press itself. I'd be running 9mm, 38, and 223 on it, but I've never felt I shoot enough ammo to warrant the upgrade.
I ended up playing "let's fill the cart" numerous times with various configurations over the past few weeks and finally pulled the trigger on an XL750. Since I have three rifle cartridges I'm reloading for, I'm ok with the shortcomings loading 9mm. Plus I already have 2,000 processed 9mm cases ready to load. I will say this, while the sub-$700 entry price seems so tempting, once you buy a lot of the extras and necessities, you've added another $700 to $1K easily.
In addition to the XL750 set up for 300 blackout, I purchased the case feeder, one extra caliber conversion kit in 9mm (for now), a few powder dies, the appropriate case feed plates, the powder check and a few primer tubes. I'll go back for the caliber conversion kits for 308 and 223. I know the shell plate is the same between 300 blackout and 223 but I suspect everything else is different. It's cheaper to purchase the entire kit as opposed to the individual parts even minus the shell plate.
Aftermarket, I ordered;
-a bunch of Jofer billet toolheads
-two Armanov billet toolheads with floating rings (for 308)
-Armanov quick disconnect for the powder system
-KMS Squared LED lights
-Inline fab locator pin tabs, ultra mount, and the Ergo roller lever
-UniqueTek micrometer powder bar kit, powder baffler and XL750 ultimate bearing kit
-Area 419 funnel and dillon adapter
-Double Alpha Primafil
The only thing I want to add at this point is the Armanov index bearing cam block which is back-ordered. I'll polish the powder feed system, install the aftermarket parts and then set up/tweak everything so it's hopefully as smooth as butter. I'll be doing 300 blackout supers first so I'll be doing everything I can to minimize powder spillage. Should be interesting, LOL.
In addition to the XL750 set up for 300 blackout, I purchased the case feeder, one extra caliber conversion kit in 9mm (for now), a few powder dies, the appropriate case feed plates, the powder check and a few primer tubes. I'll go back for the caliber conversion kits for 308 and 223. I know the shell plate is the same between 300 blackout and 223 but I suspect everything else is different. It's cheaper to purchase the entire kit as opposed to the individual parts even minus the shell plate.
Aftermarket, I ordered;
-a bunch of Jofer billet toolheads
-two Armanov billet toolheads with floating rings (for 308)
-Armanov quick disconnect for the powder system
-KMS Squared LED lights
-Inline fab locator pin tabs, ultra mount, and the Ergo roller lever
-UniqueTek micrometer powder bar kit, powder baffler and XL750 ultimate bearing kit
-Area 419 funnel and dillon adapter
-Double Alpha Primafil
The only thing I want to add at this point is the Armanov index bearing cam block which is back-ordered. I'll polish the powder feed system, install the aftermarket parts and then set up/tweak everything so it's hopefully as smooth as butter. I'll be doing 300 blackout supers first so I'll be doing everything I can to minimize powder spillage. Should be interesting, LOL.
It's not BS at all, and sorting out the mil/crimed cases out of ~1000 cases really only takes around 30 minutes or so... it sucks, yes, but it doesn't take hours and hours either.
IDK what else I could really be doing that makes it work for me when it seems a couple of you guys have had issues gettig a 750 to pump out 9mm... but I do have my own "ritual" I perform.
Probably the main thing is, once/since I got it perfectly "dialed" I've left it the fuck alone: no caliber changes, ever. My XL750 does 9mm only. It took me maybe a month and maybe the first 5k rounds to get it dialed into where I have it now, where I rarely have an issue/stoppage and 99.8% of the rounds pass the Hundo... but yes, 800rds or more per hour can be done.
It's something I had to get a feel for and eventually get good at through practice/repetition and being pragmatic about what actually needs to be accomplished and how versus what sounds better or may be more convenient. For instance, I seat and crimp separately in separate steps/stations and don't bother with a powder check, with mixed range brass you pretty much can't combine those two steps and have any success at going fast and still passing the case gauge.
On the 750 in particular, something as simple as how to zone out and still pay attention to the important shit that happens right in front of me at the front of the press has taken some time to figure out.
Now, I have a checklist in my head I'm always running through:
1. (downstroke) I look to see the empty primer cup retract from station #2 (so I know the last case got primed), and see a spent primer drop down the tube from the case at station #1 (usually out of the corner of my eye, not too worried about that)
2. (upstroke) I look to make sure there's indeed a primer in the primer cup headed towards the shell plate, take a peek to see if the last powder drop looked ok
3. repeat.
I watch this every single time, over and over, it's become muscle memory. If I see a problem (like a primer didn't get picked up or something), I stop and fix it real quick in seconds before it fucks me up and causes a real stoppage that takes minutes to reset. I rarely have problems/stoppages anymore.
If I needed to load another cartridge in high volume (say .223/556) I'd probably just buy another press and MBF, because the thought of having to re-dial-in the 750 over and over again makes me feel queasy. I guess if I had to use just the one press and do caliber conversions/changeovers, then I'd just try to load shitloads over a couple of weekends, like enough for a whole year before changing over.
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When reloading 9mm en mass, how many of you use an ammo checker block? I have an extra barrel lying around for my 9mm which I was going to use to check bullets periodically but I'd imagine that could get tedious after a few hundred rounds.
I usually grab a round coming out every so often and check it.
So far my Rl1100 has been a fucking champ, love it, Huge improvement over the 750 i had. I have heard of alot of people experiencing priming issues on the Apex7 presses due to the shitty rotary dial, im not saying this is true for all of course. As far as running the powder check, I don't run one and really as consistent as my powder throws from the 1100, I don't see a need for it. So I can crimp and seat in 2 stages just the way I like it. I will say the 1100 is built like a tank, no loose shit or anything like that on mine at least, Glad I went with the Dillon. I don't think after running mine for a while that I'll ever dabble into the autodrive, just don't think it's needed for me at a risk of also damaging shit. Lol..
Same. I check using case Guage every so often but with the press dialed in there are no issues...more important when getting ir setup and dialed in
I can't speak for others, but my rotary dial system has been great. It took a hundred or so rounds for me to get it tuned, but most of the tuning has to do with shellplate index rather than with primer index, even though that is kind of counter intuitive. Basically, the primer and the shellplate have to show up at the same place at the same time, but once they do, it's pretty flawless. There isn't anything wrong with the linear system that Dillon uses at all. I think Mark 7 went with the rotary system because their auto primer flip/feed system really wouldn't work with the linear system, but mates perfectly with the rotary.
I do think the Dillons are better manual presses, and the Mark 7s are better automated. It has more to do with the way they index than anything else. The Dillons index very easily, which is great when you are pumping a handle, but they can get wild on the index with the autodrive, so it tries to slow it down. Works sometimes. The Apex you have to press into the full up position to index. It doesn't spring to return like Dillon, but that improves the timing with the autodrive, because the sprockets want to work at the same force up and down, unlike our arms that are happy to push down then relax up.
They are both awesome presses. I have a CP2000, Apex and 1050 sitting side by side on my bench and not one is going anywhere anytime soon.
I do think the Dillons are better manual presses, and the Mark 7s are better automated. It has more to do with the way they index than anything else. The Dillons index very easily, which is great when you are pumping a handle, but they can get wild on the index with the autodrive, so it tries to slow it down. Works sometimes. The Apex you have to press into the full up position to index. It doesn't spring to return like Dillon, but that improves the timing with the autodrive, because the sprockets want to work at the same force up and down, unlike our arms that are happy to push down then relax up.
They are both awesome presses. I have a CP2000, Apex and 1050 sitting side by side on my bench and not one is going anywhere anytime soon.
Like has been said, checking a round every now and again is fine for most. An extra barrel is great IMHO.
I just tend to load hundreds/thousands per session when I decide I'm going to make a batch... and pretty much any one of the resulting 100rd boxes might be one of the ones I grab on my way to shoot a match months later, so I like knowing they've all passed the gauge and that it's all "match grade" and will work in all my 9mm guns. For instance, I run a Shadow 2 that holds 23+1 in USPSA now and then, and that particular gun likes stuff that's passed the gauge, at the rate I can squirt them out with that sucker checking for that with a single gauge would make me crazy and quit lol. Most of my other 9mm's will eat anything that comes off my press.
If you feel like there might be instances/batches where you might want to check 'em all, I think the Hundo from Ben Stoeger is worth the $100 for sure. (It's also the best IMO for dialing in your crimp with 9mm, which is more "bell removal" than a taper, you just keep giving little tiny turns on your crimp die until they'll drop into the Hundo, then stop, you're done.)
I'll check out the Hundo, thanks! I saw the Armanov version but haven't seen the Hundo yet. My 9mm is a LTT Elite (Beretta) with a Silencerco threaded barrel, not sure if those are finicky or not. I've not had any issues with the various ammo I've used but I only have about 5-600 rounds through it at this point.
So that trip to check out the Hundo cost me $180, sigh...
Anyway...came across the DAA Mini Mr. Bulletfeeder which is doable vs. the full-sized version. Wondering if anyone has used it with the XL750. I did take note of the powder check issue in station 3.
Anyway...came across the DAA Mini Mr. Bulletfeeder which is doable vs. the full-sized version. Wondering if anyone has used it with the XL750. I did take note of the powder check issue in station 3.
You are in for a long journey, the 750 will push pistol rounds like crazy the powder thrower works well for that as it’s a bit more forgiving with pistol.
Rifle rounds on the other hand can get out of control really quick I load 223 but I’ve broken it into individual steps remove primer, clean resize and trim using the rl1500, throw powder with a rcbs ChargeMaster given I’m pushing limits and I really don’t trust the Dillon powder thrower to not add more.
Press bullets and very lightly crimp wouldn’t even call it a crimp more a seal
I have 6 tool,heads setup one setup for deprime and collet bullet puller which you will need.
Rifle rounds on the other hand can get out of control really quick I load 223 but I’ve broken it into individual steps remove primer, clean resize and trim using the rl1500, throw powder with a rcbs ChargeMaster given I’m pushing limits and I really don’t trust the Dillon powder thrower to not add more.
Press bullets and very lightly crimp wouldn’t even call it a crimp more a seal
I have 6 tool,heads setup one setup for deprime and collet bullet puller which you will need.
I'm taking steps initially to address the powder throw issues. I've already mirror polished all the necessary components and will be making a few other aftermarket modifications that have worked well for others.
In addition, I have an Area 419 funnel and Dillon adapter on the way, have a Chargemaster myself, along with an RCBS competition thrower with micrometer as well as a Lee thrower which works very well for extruded powders. So one way or another, I'll be covered. I don't have any loads that are in the hot zone and my powder for 300 blackout and 5.56 is spherical.
For 308 I'm using IMR 4046 and Varget, hence the need for another means of powder measure beyond the Redding system. I have no illusions there!
In addition, I have an Area 419 funnel and Dillon adapter on the way, have a Chargemaster myself, along with an RCBS competition thrower with micrometer as well as a Lee thrower which works very well for extruded powders. So one way or another, I'll be covered. I don't have any loads that are in the hot zone and my powder for 300 blackout and 5.56 is spherical.
For 308 I'm using IMR 4046 and Varget, hence the need for another means of powder measure beyond the Redding system. I have no illusions there!
That looks interesting but starts at $425 for a progressive setup. Can you tell us more about your experience with it?
So I load 308 and 6.5 creedmoor with it on my 550. Long term standard deviations are about three fps higher with it than with a v3. Speed is just slightly slower than with the Dillon powder measure because you have to wait for the charge to drop through a rather long tube. This is with 4064/4350 class powders. Don't know if it would work well with chunkier, but anything finer it is great.
You set your charge tubes and leave them set. Buy extras for just a small cost if necessary. Otherwise, you just run the press like a normal 550. I use bridge breakers in every tube, but you really don't have to. I can answer other questions, just let me know.
I loaded 223/5.56 and 9mm on my XL750 before I sold it. (upgraded to a mark 7). I was reloading couple thousand rounds at a time, so can definitely share some tips.
One thing thats VERY important to know, the priming system on a bunch of XL750's was sold with defective parts. There's no "batch" indicator or whatever, just some got it, and some didnt.
this explains it in full. I destroyed a bunch of primers until eventually finding some vague forum post that eventually clicked. I did the video fix, while waiting for Dillon to send the correct parts.
On the rifle side, figure out your case prep process, If you're trimming on the dillon (not sure why you wouldnt), get the dillon case trimmer, Ive tried a few different ones, nothing better out there. Swaging will be your biggest bottleneck. Figure this out first and from there you will be a lot easier. I saw someone post the dedicated case prep machine dillon had. May be worth it. You should invest in some lock nuts with a tension screw/set screw for this, the vibration from the trimmer can work itself loose. keep in mind the top of the die (trim and size die) that dillon requires, is not the standard threading that most reloading dies are.
Bulk swaging or reaming REALLY sucks. Some guys have used the swage it on the 750. If Dillon finds out you use it, it will void your warranty.
Second, you will absolutely need the short trim toolhead for both 223 and for 300blackout, https://www.dillonprecision.com/xl-650-short-trim-die-toolhead_8_8_26197.html pay attention to the fact that in developing the "step" down, they eliminate 2 die stages.
As far as loading and increasing your speed goes, DAA's primer pro collator is pretty decent for me so far, every now and then it needs a cleaning.
Dillon's case feeder is a must as well.
Get the Lyman M die for 223 if you're doing mixed head stamps, and the Lee FCD.
DAA Mr Bullet Feeder is an absolute necessity at that point too. Order the kit to swap to pistol for it while youre at it as well. https://rangepanda.com/products/mr-bullet-feeder-pipe-mount this mount is an absolute necessity, as is this spring setup: https://www.doublealpha.biz/us/dropper-tensioning-spring-assembly
I recommend buying your stuff from titan reloading if you cant get it direct from Dillon, or DAA. DAA usually has best pricing, bobcat armament is good knowledgable too, Titan Reloading was the best for me.
One thing thats VERY important to know, the priming system on a bunch of XL750's was sold with defective parts. There's no "batch" indicator or whatever, just some got it, and some didnt.
this explains it in full. I destroyed a bunch of primers until eventually finding some vague forum post that eventually clicked. I did the video fix, while waiting for Dillon to send the correct parts.
On the rifle side, figure out your case prep process, If you're trimming on the dillon (not sure why you wouldnt), get the dillon case trimmer, Ive tried a few different ones, nothing better out there. Swaging will be your biggest bottleneck. Figure this out first and from there you will be a lot easier. I saw someone post the dedicated case prep machine dillon had. May be worth it. You should invest in some lock nuts with a tension screw/set screw for this, the vibration from the trimmer can work itself loose. keep in mind the top of the die (trim and size die) that dillon requires, is not the standard threading that most reloading dies are.
Bulk swaging or reaming REALLY sucks. Some guys have used the swage it on the 750. If Dillon finds out you use it, it will void your warranty.
Second, you will absolutely need the short trim toolhead for both 223 and for 300blackout, https://www.dillonprecision.com/xl-650-short-trim-die-toolhead_8_8_26197.html pay attention to the fact that in developing the "step" down, they eliminate 2 die stages.
As far as loading and increasing your speed goes, DAA's primer pro collator is pretty decent for me so far, every now and then it needs a cleaning.
Dillon's case feeder is a must as well.
Get the Lyman M die for 223 if you're doing mixed head stamps, and the Lee FCD.
DAA Mr Bullet Feeder is an absolute necessity at that point too. Order the kit to swap to pistol for it while youre at it as well. https://rangepanda.com/products/mr-bullet-feeder-pipe-mount this mount is an absolute necessity, as is this spring setup: https://www.doublealpha.biz/us/dropper-tensioning-spring-assembly
I recommend buying your stuff from titan reloading if you cant get it direct from Dillon, or DAA. DAA usually has best pricing, bobcat armament is good knowledgable too, Titan Reloading was the best for me.
After seeing the price, I had to pause as well. You all are awesome at spending my money, LOL. I started adding up everything I'd need to use with four different cartridges and didn't like the final number.
With that said, it seems like I can get practical accuracy with ball/spherical powders and the Dillon powder measure with tweaks for the other cartridges. I may try to rig up something to use the Lee thrower into the Area419 funnel with the .308 stuff at first. But your results seem promising. I'll try .308 last anyway, I haven't even purchased the caliber conversion kit for it yet.
Did you have to tweak the quickmeasure at all? I read a thread on another forum where the out of the box results were less than advertised but ultimately addressed and now throws stick to within .1 grain.
With that said, it seems like I can get practical accuracy with ball/spherical powders and the Dillon powder measure with tweaks for the other cartridges. I may try to rig up something to use the Lee thrower into the Area419 funnel with the .308 stuff at first. But your results seem promising. I'll try .308 last anyway, I haven't even purchased the caliber conversion kit for it yet.
Did you have to tweak the quickmeasure at all? I read a thread on another forum where the out of the box results were less than advertised but ultimately addressed and now throws stick to within .1 grain.
I did not. I tested various powders and figured out what the SD of throw was. Then I loaded rounds and figured what the SD of the ammo was. My feeling now mimics what @Ledzep has said, that perfect powder consistency is not essential in 308 class cases, or at least as much as we believe. By controlling seating depth and tension, +/-.15 actually changes SD of rounds very, very little.
But yeah, I'd say +/-.1 is about what you get. Some are better, especially as you get down to Reloder 7 and 15 class powders. Never used with ball because the Dillon works well enough.
The other accessory I was looking at was the Mr. Bulletfeeder lite. Unfortunately, you literally need one kit for every round you load. Pistol is different from rifle, 223 is different from 308, etc...it's definitely not "lite" in the cost dept. Plus, if I'm reloading 110 or 125gr. flat base .308 projectiles for 300 blackout, I seriously doubt they'd stay seated in the case while rotating to the next station. I'm using in an AR so I definitely do not want to bell the mouth. Looked great in practice but once I got to thinking about it, not so great. I'll likely still pick one up for 9mm along with the shorter powder throw bar.
Just got a quote back for the quick measure for all four calibers. It'd be $591 shipped. I'd likely be able to drop $100 off that if I stuck with just the .308 setup.
| 1 | QM | Quick Measure W/O Tubes | $ 160.00 |
| 1 | A | Charge Tube A 30-38 Grains | $ 8.00 |
| 1 | B | Charge Tube B 38-49 Grains | $ 8.00 |
| 1 | P3 | Charge Tube P3 20 to 30 Grains | $ 10.00 |
| 1 | PMA | Progressive Main Assmbly | $ 150.00 |
| 1 | PFNL | Progressive Standard Funnel | $ 45.00 |
| 1 | PSCFNL | Progressive Small Charge Funnel | $ 45.00 |
| 1 | PDTM | 22-243 Cal Drop Tube (2)[blue] | $ 30.00 |
| 1 | PDTL | 25-45 Cal Drop Tube (2)[black] | $ 30.00 |
| 1 | BB | Bridge Breaker | $ 5.00 |
| 3 | PDB | Die Body | $ 75.00 |
I have this part and I think its on back order because he's having to remake the part. Mine did not function unless I pushed it to one side as hard as I could, then tightened it down. Anything less than that, and the press would not index. I ended up putting the old one back on and it works great. I have most of the bolt-on add-ons you can buy on eBay.
Interesting - I don’t know who did the aftermarket upgrades first so they may well be a riff on previous designs but I much prefer the Armanov tool heads and floating rings to Whiddens and a Joffer tool head I had for my 750
interesting to hear that, I have an Armanov floating toolhead coming, I have 3 whidden but only really setup 1 right now as I am just getting going on my 750. I Like that I can float all 5 stations if I want and that I can remove the die without undoing the ring cuz the die is locked on the roll pin.
I have mostly upgraded with Uniqutek bearing kit and then a few Entirely Crimson parts like the primer chute, I had wanted to get the Armanov index bearing but instead just put a sealed bearing on the stock unit.
I‘ve no experience with Uniquetek or Entirely Crimson. The Whidden tool head I had was set up to float 2 dies only (in the sizing and and seating positions) rather than all 5 positions like I currently have with Armanov. Sounds like Whidden may have made some upgrades to the tool head since.
I recently bought a Snowshooze kit but haven’t install any components yet.
I’m curious what you’ll think of the armanov tool head - let us know.
I recently bought a Snowshooze kit but haven’t install any components yet.
I’m curious what you’ll think of the armanov tool head - let us know.
The Armanov toolhead is very good. I also like the idea that you can float whichever station you like, though I have to admit I have only ended up floating the stations that are floatable on the Whidden. Uniquetek has a lot of funky, homebrew stuff, but it works. Entirely Crimson is more small parts, but they are very high quality and nice people. LVL10 is more "innovative." Some really good parts, some Rube Goldberg shit.
I have my 750 mostly together on a temporary bench to learn how to set it up, adjust, find what I didn't think of etc. while a new table is being made that'll be a bit larger and more stable. It wasn't half as hard as I thought it'd be to set up and I went through the functioning on each station learning how to change parts out for different components. Pretty easy for the most part. There wasn't anything that was tedious enough that I'd never want to do it again.
There were a few gotchas along the way, notably the mini Mr. Bullet Feeder interfering with the Hornady pistol seater/crimper. Forced be to acquire DAA's seater/crimper which is about half the height or less. If you adjust the bullet dropper to the right height, the Hornady seater/crimper prevents the bullet turret from seating on the dropper. You can see the space created in this photo:
Other than that and things being really "tight" space-wise on the tool head, I haven't found anything else that I'll need to change out.
As I mentioned earlier, I started polishing everything in the powder drop system from the hopper funnel to all of the powder funnels.
I have several powder bar options, with a Uniquetek powder bar micrometer installed on the large powder bar. Assembly wasn't terribly difficult and as long as you read the instructions it goes off without a hitch. I'm using the DAA small powder bar for pistol since I have the DAA mini bullet feeder for 9mm Luger and not for any other caliber at this point. I don't think it'll cover my 300 blackout charges as it holds about 5% less and I'm "right there" at max adjustment for my super load.
The KMS LED kit makes a huge difference. Very good purchase, IMO.
I also concentrated on making the action as smooth as possible to keep powder spill to a minimum. I've installed the Uniquetek shellplate bearing kit, bearing camming pin upgrade and index bearing block upgrade. I even went so far as to polish the inner lip of the shellplate bolt.
Other than that, I have a few Inline Fabrication parts, the locator pin tabs, ultra mount and ergo roller lever as well as a primer chute so I can attach a tube and send all of them into a sealed plastic bottle.
I haven't decided on the Quick Measure just yet due to cost. I have two powder throwers and a Chargemaster along with the Area 419 funnel/adapter for the Dillon. I'll try that first and see if it works for me. If not, I'll look at the Quick Measure.
There were a few gotchas along the way, notably the mini Mr. Bullet Feeder interfering with the Hornady pistol seater/crimper. Forced be to acquire DAA's seater/crimper which is about half the height or less. If you adjust the bullet dropper to the right height, the Hornady seater/crimper prevents the bullet turret from seating on the dropper. You can see the space created in this photo:
Other than that and things being really "tight" space-wise on the tool head, I haven't found anything else that I'll need to change out.
As I mentioned earlier, I started polishing everything in the powder drop system from the hopper funnel to all of the powder funnels.
I have several powder bar options, with a Uniquetek powder bar micrometer installed on the large powder bar. Assembly wasn't terribly difficult and as long as you read the instructions it goes off without a hitch. I'm using the DAA small powder bar for pistol since I have the DAA mini bullet feeder for 9mm Luger and not for any other caliber at this point. I don't think it'll cover my 300 blackout charges as it holds about 5% less and I'm "right there" at max adjustment for my super load.
The KMS LED kit makes a huge difference. Very good purchase, IMO.
I also concentrated on making the action as smooth as possible to keep powder spill to a minimum. I've installed the Uniquetek shellplate bearing kit, bearing camming pin upgrade and index bearing block upgrade. I even went so far as to polish the inner lip of the shellplate bolt.
Other than that, I have a few Inline Fabrication parts, the locator pin tabs, ultra mount and ergo roller lever as well as a primer chute so I can attach a tube and send all of them into a sealed plastic bottle.
I haven't decided on the Quick Measure just yet due to cost. I have two powder throwers and a Chargemaster along with the Area 419 funnel/adapter for the Dillon. I'll try that first and see if it works for me. If not, I'll look at the Quick Measure.
I have my 750 mostly together on a temporary bench to learn how to set it up, adjust, find what I didn't think of etc. while a new table is being made that'll be a bit larger and more stable. It wasn't half as hard as I thought it'd be to set up and I went through the functioning on each station learning how to change parts out for different components. Pretty easy for the most part. There wasn't anything that was tedious enough that I'd never want to do it again.
There were a few gotchas along the way, notably the mini Mr. Bullet Feeder interfering with the Hornady pistol seater/crimper. Forced be to acquire DAA's seater/crimper which is about half the height or less. If you adjust the bullet dropper to the right height, the Hornady seater/crimper prevents the bullet turret from seating on the dropper. You can see the space created in this photo:
Other than that and things being really "tight" space-wise on the tool head, I haven't found anything else that I'll need to change out.
As I mentioned earlier, I started polishing everything in the powder drop system from the hopper funnel to all of the powder funnels.
I have several powder bar options, with a Uniquetek powder bar micrometer installed on the large powder bar. Assembly wasn't terribly difficult and as long as you read the instructions it goes off without a hitch. I'm using the DAA small powder bar for pistol since I have the DAA mini bullet feeder for 9mm Luger and not for any other caliber at this point. I don't think it'll cover my 300 blackout charges as it holds about 5% less and I'm "right there" at max adjustment for my super load.
The KMS LED kit makes a huge difference. Very good purchase, IMO.
I also concentrated on making the action as smooth as possible to keep powder spill to a minimum. I've installed the Uniquetek shellplate bearing kit, bearing camming pin upgrade and index bearing block upgrade. I even went so far as to polish the inner lip of the shellplate bolt.
Other than that, I have a few Inline Fabrication parts, the locator pin tabs, ultra mount and ergo roller lever as well as a primer chute so I can attach a tube and send all of them into a sealed plastic bottle.
I haven't decided on the Quick Measure just yet due to cost. I have two powder throwers and a Chargemaster along with the Area 419 funnel/adapter for the Dillon. I'll try that first and see if it works for me. If not, I'll look at the Quick Measure.
Wow, I don't think I've ever seen anyone give an entire press the race trigger job all at once, before it's ever been used lol.
FYI/FWIW/JMHO but for 9mm I'd the ditch powder check and just use your Mark 1 eyeball so you can seat and crimp in seperate steps... those 2-in-1 dies can be tough to get right since they're compromised and are niether great at seating, nor crimping precisely, and IMO it's almost impossible to dial those in as good as doing it separately with a good seater (and you want a good seater, I recommend the Redding Competition seater, it's ubiquitous for good reason). The crimp die with 9mm is used more like a "bell removal die" than for an actual crimp, a ~$20 Lee or anyone else's basic 9mm taper crimp die is all you need. Unless you're planning on using something like Tite Group where a double charge could get by you, using something like N320 or Sport Pistol a double charge will be obvious and probably make a mess. Once you're in the groove and paying attention to what you should be, I bet you won't even miss the powder check.
Seeing all the effort you're putting into the press, I kind of have the suspicion you won't be happy with the finished rounds using the 2-in-1, but who knows, maybe they'll be just fine.
Looks good.
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I've already loaded my first test loads on a single stage using the Hornady seater/crimping die (taper) and they seemed to have turned out ok. I did do quite a bit of experimentation first as I was suspect of the seater/crimper combo. I haven't messed around with the DAA seater/crimper yet as it just arrived today. I use a separate seater and taper crimp die on all my rifle loads so I know where you're coming from in that regard.
I am indeed loading with N320 and Sport Pistol and a double charge will get very close to overfill. It is pretty obvious so you have a valid point.
I am indeed loading with N320 and Sport Pistol and a double charge will get very close to overfill. It is pretty obvious so you have a valid point.
I thought I'd update this thread periodically, not so much for the more informed amongst us but for those just getting their feet wet or even considering the Dillon 750. I've loaded 9mm and 300 blackout, both supers and subs so far and will be tackling 5.56 and .308 next (if my carbide Dillon 308 sizing die ever arrives).
I have to admit, initially it was a hot mess. Took a good bit of effort and going through the motions, learning the components and machine, to get things running right and overall I see the Dillon as being very flawed but fixable. I loaded a test run of 20 9mm rounds and everything went well for the most part, except for seating depth. Read on.
After my initial round of mods, I was getting less than stellar bullet seating depth consistency with 9mm. I ended up converting all my tool heads with the Uniquetek clamping kits (except for the Armanov which comes that way) which helped but also understanding the machine, how it was being loaded when the press was raised and finitely adjusting the main plate screw so there was zero play was the final recipe for success. It's also imperative the station directly across from the seating die be "loaded" with a case otherwise the seating depth will change. Once I did all of that, the seating depth was pretty much spot-on. My initial batch of 20, I had to go back and adjust the seating depth.
The modifications I made to the Dillon powder dropper worked well with VV N340 powder for 9mm. It was pretty much spot-on as long as I kept my operating stroke consistent. Priming depth was fine, I really almost no issues once I had everything adjusted and running correctly. That isn't to say that mistakes didn't happen and I did have some primer failure to feeds that I didn't catch until I started seeing powder all over the place. Good times. I'm loading normal pressure rounds, not P+.
The replacement of the detent ball with a plastic ball and all the other little friction reducers did help in the powder spill department overall. Still, smooth is fast. You'll understand when you start operating it for the first time. It's ultimately not a definite fix and if you're not smooth, you'll spill powder. The rest is all about rhythm, overbite be damned.
Initially the loading table I was using was free-standing. I ended up building a table from scratch and bolting it to the wall. This helped immensely with powder spillage and cartridge consistency.
Feeling good about the way things were headed, I moved on to 300 blackout. My first round was subsonic, a plinking range load using Berry's and VV N120 for subs. Metered well with the Dillon powder thrower.
Ultimately 300 Blackout is where the limitations of the Dillon really started to rear their ugly head, most notably with their powder thrower. It literally would not meter H110 consistently throw to throw. H110! I'd get .3 to .4 grain variances no matter what I did. The small powder bar, either the Dillon or the Double Alpha, would not hold enough for a 19.7 grain throw of H110 for one of my loads so I had to use the large bar. But consistency wasn't there so I began using my RCBS Chargemaster to throw powder and it didn't slow me down too much but it was a lot to watch it, primer feed, bullet feed, etc... I then remembered I had the RCBS comp powder thrower and set that up off the machine with the Area 419 funnel. While that worked, it negated the reason I'd purchased the Dillon in the first place. But I made it work and it sped things up a bit.
The next fly in the ointment was the Mr. Bullet Feeder lite. It does not work with 300 blackout combined with any flat-based bullet as I do not flare my cases (gas gun only). So count on manual bullet insertion while raising the press. Not a biggie, once in a rhythm it went fairly quickly. Trying to find a boat tail 110grain bullet that doesn't break the bank. The Hornady CX is almost double the cost of say the 110 VMAX. I also loaded up a bunch of Speer 125 grain, again, flat base, and they were more difficult than the Hornady VMAX. I'd likely go up a thou or two with a neck mandrel if I continue loading them. They're cheap and very accurate. Sort of a dual purpose plinker/hunting round.
After loading a bunch of the VMAX and Speers using manual powder drops, I decided to look at a means to adapt the RCBS to the Dillon. I ended up with a new RCBS Uniflow III and the case-activated linkage. I already had the RCBS Competition with the micrometer but I bought into the marketing on the series III. Boy are they right. Spot on for 20 throws. Adapting it to the Dillon and getting it set up was almost effortless in comparison to the Dillon powder dropper. So absolutely FORGET the Dillon powder dropper. Don't invest any time or effort into it, just get the RCBS kit and you'll be happy as long as it isn't an extruded powder. Hoping it works well with the Vihtavouri powders so we'll see. At the very least I can leave the Dillon on the 9mm tool head.
For stick powder like Varget, we all know the Lee Perfect Powder Measure is wonderful and the Dillon or the RCBS not so much. It's like $30 and throws Varget perfectly in my experience. So I also ended up with the Lee Auto Drum which uses a similar rubber wipe which doesn't cut stick powder and I'm hoping will work well. You'll also need the Lee Precision 90995 powder charging die kit to adapt it to the Dillon. I haven't tried this setup yet as I'm still waiting on my Dillon carbide .308 sizing die to arrive. I fully expect two recently-purchased suppressors to arrive before the die. Lead time for the carbide dies is crazy at this point. I'm using LC brass for the gas gun but PMC for the bolt gun so I might try my luck with the Hornady CC full sized die for those.
Beyond that, I started priming off the Dillon. I can't fault Dillon for this but it seems the primer pocket depth on LC brass can vary greatly. I did manage to ream all of them but not all were unified. I'll do so the next round of reloading as painful as it is.
So that's where I'm at at this point. I expect to have much less to no powder spillage with 5.56 and especially 308. I really think it'll shine with 308 if I can get 4046 and Varget to meter well with the Lee. Other than the initial setup and trouble shooting, it has been a big time saver and I've managed to load quite a bit of 9mm and 300 blackout. I'll try to take a few more photos of my setup and add to this post. I'll also try to add more details and experiences as I encounter them.
I have to admit, initially it was a hot mess. Took a good bit of effort and going through the motions, learning the components and machine, to get things running right and overall I see the Dillon as being very flawed but fixable. I loaded a test run of 20 9mm rounds and everything went well for the most part, except for seating depth. Read on.
After my initial round of mods, I was getting less than stellar bullet seating depth consistency with 9mm. I ended up converting all my tool heads with the Uniquetek clamping kits (except for the Armanov which comes that way) which helped but also understanding the machine, how it was being loaded when the press was raised and finitely adjusting the main plate screw so there was zero play was the final recipe for success. It's also imperative the station directly across from the seating die be "loaded" with a case otherwise the seating depth will change. Once I did all of that, the seating depth was pretty much spot-on. My initial batch of 20, I had to go back and adjust the seating depth.
The modifications I made to the Dillon powder dropper worked well with VV N340 powder for 9mm. It was pretty much spot-on as long as I kept my operating stroke consistent. Priming depth was fine, I really almost no issues once I had everything adjusted and running correctly. That isn't to say that mistakes didn't happen and I did have some primer failure to feeds that I didn't catch until I started seeing powder all over the place. Good times. I'm loading normal pressure rounds, not P+.
The replacement of the detent ball with a plastic ball and all the other little friction reducers did help in the powder spill department overall. Still, smooth is fast. You'll understand when you start operating it for the first time. It's ultimately not a definite fix and if you're not smooth, you'll spill powder. The rest is all about rhythm, overbite be damned.
Initially the loading table I was using was free-standing. I ended up building a table from scratch and bolting it to the wall. This helped immensely with powder spillage and cartridge consistency.
Feeling good about the way things were headed, I moved on to 300 blackout. My first round was subsonic, a plinking range load using Berry's and VV N120 for subs. Metered well with the Dillon powder thrower.
Ultimately 300 Blackout is where the limitations of the Dillon really started to rear their ugly head, most notably with their powder thrower. It literally would not meter H110 consistently throw to throw. H110! I'd get .3 to .4 grain variances no matter what I did. The small powder bar, either the Dillon or the Double Alpha, would not hold enough for a 19.7 grain throw of H110 for one of my loads so I had to use the large bar. But consistency wasn't there so I began using my RCBS Chargemaster to throw powder and it didn't slow me down too much but it was a lot to watch it, primer feed, bullet feed, etc... I then remembered I had the RCBS comp powder thrower and set that up off the machine with the Area 419 funnel. While that worked, it negated the reason I'd purchased the Dillon in the first place. But I made it work and it sped things up a bit.
The next fly in the ointment was the Mr. Bullet Feeder lite. It does not work with 300 blackout combined with any flat-based bullet as I do not flare my cases (gas gun only). So count on manual bullet insertion while raising the press. Not a biggie, once in a rhythm it went fairly quickly. Trying to find a boat tail 110grain bullet that doesn't break the bank. The Hornady CX is almost double the cost of say the 110 VMAX. I also loaded up a bunch of Speer 125 grain, again, flat base, and they were more difficult than the Hornady VMAX. I'd likely go up a thou or two with a neck mandrel if I continue loading them. They're cheap and very accurate. Sort of a dual purpose plinker/hunting round.
After loading a bunch of the VMAX and Speers using manual powder drops, I decided to look at a means to adapt the RCBS to the Dillon. I ended up with a new RCBS Uniflow III and the case-activated linkage. I already had the RCBS Competition with the micrometer but I bought into the marketing on the series III. Boy are they right. Spot on for 20 throws. Adapting it to the Dillon and getting it set up was almost effortless in comparison to the Dillon powder dropper. So absolutely FORGET the Dillon powder dropper. Don't invest any time or effort into it, just get the RCBS kit and you'll be happy as long as it isn't an extruded powder. Hoping it works well with the Vihtavouri powders so we'll see. At the very least I can leave the Dillon on the 9mm tool head.
For stick powder like Varget, we all know the Lee Perfect Powder Measure is wonderful and the Dillon or the RCBS not so much. It's like $30 and throws Varget perfectly in my experience. So I also ended up with the Lee Auto Drum which uses a similar rubber wipe which doesn't cut stick powder and I'm hoping will work well. You'll also need the Lee Precision 90995 powder charging die kit to adapt it to the Dillon. I haven't tried this setup yet as I'm still waiting on my Dillon carbide .308 sizing die to arrive. I fully expect two recently-purchased suppressors to arrive before the die. Lead time for the carbide dies is crazy at this point. I'm using LC brass for the gas gun but PMC for the bolt gun so I might try my luck with the Hornady CC full sized die for those.
Beyond that, I started priming off the Dillon. I can't fault Dillon for this but it seems the primer pocket depth on LC brass can vary greatly. I did manage to ream all of them but not all were unified. I'll do so the next round of reloading as painful as it is.
So that's where I'm at at this point. I expect to have much less to no powder spillage with 5.56 and especially 308. I really think it'll shine with 308 if I can get 4046 and Varget to meter well with the Lee. Other than the initial setup and trouble shooting, it has been a big time saver and I've managed to load quite a bit of 9mm and 300 blackout. I'll try to take a few more photos of my setup and add to this post. I'll also try to add more details and experiences as I encounter them.
I hear you on the standards. I mostly want to get the process down to the nth degree before precision loading for my bolt gun.
Based on my testing with my 300 blackout rifle, I'm fairly close to max load without seeing pressure signs. Plus 19.8 was actually the most accurate load for me and I felt 19.7 would account for any extra throw variance but that was before switching to the RCBS powder thrower which is just spot-on.
On primers, there were some that were really high, above the case's base high, and for a bit, I was pulling each one, examining the primer depth and seating them in further with a hand held. Not the fastest process. I'm using converted LC military 5.56 cases and I did find some pockets were more shallow than others. Some are just swaged with the Dillon swager off press and some are reamed/unified on the RCBS case prep center so it's been somewhat of an experiment to see what works and what doesn't. Everything is also trimmed off press on a Giraud. I didn't have any issues with primer depth on the 9mm although I did have issues with feeding for a bit until I adjusted the primer system base "just so". After that, no issues with 9mm.
Case prep for rifle is dedicated on a separate tool head and all the cases go through one more wash session prior to the reloading process. I use a neck expander in both tool heads, mostly in the second loading toolhead to help insure consistent bullet seating depth. I figured belling the mouth on the rifle cases, when used with gas guns, was not recommended so I don't do it. Crimping doesn't remove the bell 100% in my experience.
I do case prep and reloading all on one tool head for 9mm but it's imperative there's a case being resized for bullet seating depth to remain consistent. Really wish seating depth wasn't dependent on anything other than what you set it at but it is what it is. And yeah, I'm not even close to the min. seating depth so I'm probably worrying over nothing. But I do like consistency and if I'm going to load, I want rounds that are better than what I can purchase off the shelf.
Based on my testing with my 300 blackout rifle, I'm fairly close to max load without seeing pressure signs. Plus 19.8 was actually the most accurate load for me and I felt 19.7 would account for any extra throw variance but that was before switching to the RCBS powder thrower which is just spot-on.
On primers, there were some that were really high, above the case's base high, and for a bit, I was pulling each one, examining the primer depth and seating them in further with a hand held. Not the fastest process. I'm using converted LC military 5.56 cases and I did find some pockets were more shallow than others. Some are just swaged with the Dillon swager off press and some are reamed/unified on the RCBS case prep center so it's been somewhat of an experiment to see what works and what doesn't. Everything is also trimmed off press on a Giraud. I didn't have any issues with primer depth on the 9mm although I did have issues with feeding for a bit until I adjusted the primer system base "just so". After that, no issues with 9mm.
Case prep for rifle is dedicated on a separate tool head and all the cases go through one more wash session prior to the reloading process. I use a neck expander in both tool heads, mostly in the second loading toolhead to help insure consistent bullet seating depth. I figured belling the mouth on the rifle cases, when used with gas guns, was not recommended so I don't do it. Crimping doesn't remove the bell 100% in my experience.
I do case prep and reloading all on one tool head for 9mm but it's imperative there's a case being resized for bullet seating depth to remain consistent. Really wish seating depth wasn't dependent on anything other than what you set it at but it is what it is. And yeah, I'm not even close to the min. seating depth so I'm probably worrying over nothing. But I do like consistency and if I'm going to load, I want rounds that are better than what I can purchase off the shelf.
Depends on how much you bell the mouth... When I use my mdie I barely open the mouth works great with my bullet feeder with 77smks.
I don't use an mdie with all my other rifle calibers that I seat a bullet by hand with. Also
For precision rifle with stick powders I throw by hand with an autotrickler.
0 need to run a mandrel through the necks twice....
If you haven't seen these, might be worth a look... posting because the swage process (the whole prep process really, unless you go the dedicated tool-head way like @reubenski mentioned) seems to be the achilles heel to loading high volume rifle stuff on the 650/750 Dillion's:
www.midsouthshooterssupply.com
...and
www.midsouthshooterssupply.com
I haven't jumped in on doing much high volume rifle stuff just yet on my 750... but according to my buddy who does, the APP + its Swage kit has been "life changing" lol.
(FWIW, I'm not affiliated with Midsouth in any way, I just like and use those guys a lot so...)
LEE APP (Automatic Processing Press) Reloading Press
APP (Automatic Processing Press) Reloading Press by Lee Midsouth carries the APP (Automatic Processing Press) Reloading Press from Lee. The APP (Automatic Processing Press) Reloading Press is the fastest and easiest way to prepare cases and size cast bullets. It is also a very convenient...
www.midsouthshooterssupply.com
...and
Lee Precision APP Primer Pocket Swage Kit | Midsouth Shooters
Buy a complete APP Primer Pocket Swage Kit here at Midsouth Shooters. This Lee Precision swage kit is designed specifically for the Lee App press.
www.midsouthshooterssupply.com
I haven't jumped in on doing much high volume rifle stuff just yet on my 750... but according to my buddy who does, the APP + its Swage kit has been "life changing" lol.
(FWIW, I'm not affiliated with Midsouth in any way, I just like and use those guys a lot so...)
I've been meaning to buy one of those but keep finding a suppressor to buy instead every month
I know what you mean (except for the suppressor part, I wish lol), and now I've messed up and watched an F-Class John vid on the Lee ACP and think I'll need one of those too.
Some of the Lee stuff is just almost too cheap to be believed sometimes, but these APP and ACP things look sort of amazing...
Say, you don't happen to know where someone could find an AEM5-30 in-stock do you? (asking for a friend
)You bring up some good points. Maybe I should test a bit further on H110, wasn't aware compressed charges were more accurate.
For some reason I cannot completely remove the belling. I'm using a Redding crimper in its own station and I do a somewhat light crimp so maybe that's the issue, dunno.
I'll give it a whirl when I load 223 and see if belling works. I purchased a bunch of "processed" brass way back when and it came belled. It's not something he did for auto loaders but I was desperate and purchased the brass anyway. Maybe it was just belled too much but I've not been able to fully remove the bell without going too far on the crimp end of things. I've been trimming it out as the brass grows.
Neck mandrel is just in there twice for tension equalization. I've found it gives me a more consistent bullet seating vs. not having anything in the first stage.
I do have an autotrickler (RCBS) but it slows me down just enough to be annoying. I honestly have had awesome success with the Lee perfect and it's spot on 99% of the time with maybe a tenth of a grain difference here or there. I'll be a happy camper If I can get it to work and be that consistent without throwing off the machine. Plus it wasn't expensive at all. Beats that $500 rig I looked at a few months back.
Forgot to mention earlier on that I've eliminated the powder check altogether, checking everything visually is much easier for what I've loaded so far.
The Redding is one adjustment. Case in slot, raise press, screw Redding crimper down until it makes contact. Lower press, turn die in another 1/8th in or so and you're good to go assuming all your cases are the exact same length. I'll take a look at the Lee. That's sort of my next move, die envy. See what works, what doesn't and what on the market is "better".
My neighbor has the Lee. He's had two Dillons and sold them both as he just wasn't that impressed. Now loads with the Lee and says if you know how to tweak it, it runs very well.I know what you mean (except for the suppressor part, I wish lol), and now I've messed up and watched an F-Class John vid on the Lee ACP and think I'll need one of those too.
Some of the Lee stuff is just almost too cheap to be believed sometimes, but these APP and ACP things look sort of amazing...
Say, you don't happen to know where someone could find an AEM5-30 in-stock do you? (asking for a friend
I don't want to sound like I'm unhappy with the Dillon but the initial cost of the press is really just the start. I easily doubled it with accessories, add-ons, etc...
Everyone was totally right about the case feeder. That's an absolute must-have.
Between 2 650's, a 550 and close to 50 toolheads, case feeders, bullet feeder and rt1500's, dies for precision rifle, dies for plinking rifle, powder hopper mods...the list goes on. But when you have a machine dialed in....it just plain runs. I have one dedicated for pistol and one dedicated for rifle and brass processing...just swap toolheads....
Nobody said it was cheap. Hahaha
I've been thinking hard on an 1100 myself for dedicated pistol....I'd then turn my pistol 650 into a dedicated case prep machine and my other 650 would be 5.56/300blk/6.5cm AR loading...
My son and I ripping through stacks of 30rd mags of 9mm out of the MP5 and AR9 in the pits shooting reactive steel hurts. I now make my son load his own mags so he maybe slows down a tad......hahahah. anything to load 9mm faster in larger qtys
So true. I'm not in that deep yet but I can see it becoming a possibility as I've already considered it, LOL. But for now I'm relatively content. I will say the last 500 or so rounds of 300 blackout went very smoothly and required about 1/16th of the time it would have taken me on a single stage.
One item that I did on my 750 for 223 was to flatten the shell plate using a flat surface in this case a piece of glass and wet/dry 320 paper doing so stopped the plate from tilting when applying pressure, I was never able to get consistent sizing or seating until I did. Sorry to say I gave up on the priming system, one thing that helps is to have a can of air handy to keep clearing the punch of bit’s of brass which seemed to,find their way into it. One thing I was never able to overcome with the priming system was at the end having it throw primers out or turn them sideways no matter how slow I went with it. I’ve moved to hand priming to keep from crushing or losing them on the floor.
the primers turning sideway issue is more than likely an improperly swaged crimped pocket.
2-650s and 2-1050s on Ammobot Autodrives. Planning on getting 3-CP 2000s with the new Dillon Automation for pure case prep.
Same as a few people here, TONS of Dillon equipment. Once you get everything dialed, they are a dream to work with. Requires some messing to start, but once you get it "right" make sure you mark it all and go from there.
I processed 50k 223 last year, making sure swage is correct, is one of the most critical items for proper progressive loading.
2-650s and 2-1050s on Ammobot Autodrives. Planning on getting 3-CP 2000s with the new Dillon Automation for pure case prep.
Same as a few people here, TONS of Dillon equipment. Once you get everything dialed, they are a dream to work with. Requires some messing to start, but once you get it "right" make sure you mark it all and go from there.
I processed 50k 223 last year, making sure swage is correct, is one of the most critical items for proper progressive loading.
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