Thinking about switching to a progressive…

[C Cape]

I’ve seen more and more people that seem to have favorable results loading on a progressive for PRS/Long Range Shooting. I’m running a 6BR with normal SD’s in the 3-4 range and ES’s of around 10 usually.

Currently I’m running everything on a rock chucker but it is very time consuming. I do it in stages on separate days.

Process now:
Deprime
Wet Tumble
Lube
Size
Mandrel
Dry Tumble
Prime
Powder
Seat

I’m thinking if I ran it on a progressive I would deprime, size, mandrel in one stage. Wash the brass. Then I would run my mandrel, powder funnel, and seat on the last stage. The necks tend to get bent some wet tumbling so I figured running them back through the mandrel before loading them would be easy enough on a progressive.

Thoughts??

 

[DarinC]

Pretty much exactly what I do on my Hornady progressive.

I do wish I’d have gone Dillon though. Not that the Hornady is a bad press at all, I just feel that the Dillon is probably more precise based on those around here that use them.

pretty sure @padom runs a 650 in the same way.

 

[MarshallDodge]

I am getting ready to load 6BR on my 550B, and currently load 223 on it.

If the brass is unknown or new, I run it through my 1050 to size, deprime, and swage the primer pockets. After that I trim and wash off the lube. Then I run them through the 550B with a Mighty Armory mandrel/size die, prime, powder, and seat the bullet.

Most of the time I use 8208XBR and the Dillon measure flows +/- 0.1 grains but will occasionally drop a 0.2. If I want the ultimate in accuracy I will manually throw the powder off my chargemaster.

 

[1moaoff]

I’ve seen more and more people that seem to have favorable results loading on a progressive for PRS/Long Range Shooting. I’m running a 6BR with normal SD’s in the 3-4 range and ES’s of around 10 usually.

Currently I’m running everything on a rock chucker but it is very time consuming. I do it in stages on separate days.

Process now:
Deprime
Wet Tumble
Lube
Size
Mandrel
Dry Tumble
Prime
Powder
Seat

I’m thinking if I ran it on a progressive I would deprime, size, mandrel in one stage. Wash the brass. Then I would run my mandrel, powder funnel, and seat on the last stage. The necks tend to get bent some wet tumbling so I figured running them back through the mandrel before loading them would be easy enough on a progressive.

Thoughts??

Mandrel first when on the loading stage. That way any dents etc from handling will be removed hopefully just before loading. It depends on how you go about it but thats what I do so I can dump cases into case feeder on my dillon. The only hand work I have is debur and chamfer. Thats my time to check cases. I may hand prime a batch also just to check pockets by feel but that is rare now.

 

[Moparguy69]

Having great results with my 550B for my 6.5 CM.

 

[acudaowner]

More and more I am loving the idea of running my loads through a progressive for ease and repetition ( I dislike switching dies over and over and over again to move to a different process ) especially when the progressive could do that work for me I then could take the rounds and do a final seating on my single stage ( I knew i should have gotten either a turret press or a progressive ) to do a final press to the depth I want to run them at giving me the precision to adjust on the fly . what ever you do I wish you the best of luck and remember only you care if you blow your fingers off so be careful .

 

[kurtispalu]

I've been having really good luck loading precesion ammo on my Dillon 750. Have only loaded 6.5 creed and 7 rem mag but I'm getting the same or better ES than I was on my single stage. About to add a 223 head for a trainer rifle. PM me and I can help with some of the mods (very minor) that I've had help.

I load on one time threw. Deprime, Full Length Size, Expanding mandrel, powder drop and Seat bullet. I'm using a V3 autotrickler for my powder throw and dumping it in using a funnel on position 4.

 

[TylerN]

I use a Dillon 550b for part of my process and am happy with the time savings. With shot brass:

Anneal
Lube then run through 550 and decap, size, mandrel
Wet tumble
Trim and chamfer with Girard
Prime
Drop powder with auto trickler
Seat on Co-Ax

You can keep your single stage for some of the process and consolidate a few steps on a 550.

 

[Carlos Danger]

I started on a Hornady LNL, against the advice of a friend. Now I only use it for depriming. If I ever decide to mass produce ammo, it's always there but I feel like the Chucker does a better job for precision loading. There's a world.o difference of "feel".

 

[kurtispalu]

Time was the biggest push for me to set up a progressive. Now my total time investment for 200 rounds of rilfe ammo is 1 hour. Plus it's pretty damn satisfying to watch a completed round drop every lever pull. The last load development on my 7 mag had an ES of 4 on a 5 shot random sample from 100 loaded rounds.

 

[PatMiles]

Dropbox - Error - Simplify your life

www.dropbox.com

Read this article. Pay attention to the whys and wherefores of the shellplate modification.

 

[r.tenorio671]

...FWIW, deprime with a universal deprimer, then tumble so you have "clean" brass running thru your dies. Decapping can be done on your old single stage press as a separate operation before wet tumbling.

...You can remove the decapper rod in your sizing die since you will be using a mandrel in a separate station. If you're not doing it now, would suggest annealing after wet tumbling before sizing for more consistent shoulder bump & mandrel sizing of neck.

Good luck.

EDIT: If you deprime as a separate operation you have options with the progressive depending on the amount of stations it has. Stations after the priming (if done on the progressive) can be used to drop powder, mandrel, seat bullet in that order. Some powder drops on a progressive use the case mouth to activate the powder drop and can affect the case mouth if not "precise" in the adjustment, this is why you may consider using the mandrel after the powder drop.

 

[mbeavers1]

I am heading this way too and trying to determine my shopping list. Here is what I have so far for loading 6BR, 223 and 300BO:

Xl750 press bundle
Casefeeder (large and small)
MrBulletFeeder
Upgrade kit (roller handle, strong mount, bullet tray)
RT1500
Caliber conversions (308, 223)
300BO short toolhead
1ea addl toolhead (300BO)
2ea Uniquetek clamped Whidden floating heads (for 6br)
Forester bench rest honed die (will try my Harrells first for 6BR)
300BO dies
223 dies
21st century TiN mandrels (for each)
21st century mandrel dies
300BO trim die
223 trim die
Lyman FCDs (223, 300BO)
5ea toolhead stands
A419 funnel converter for my a419 funnel (6br)
Case bell die (223, 300bo)

Im a buy once and have itll guy so if there is anything im missing, let me know!

 

[Herb Stoner]

Do the inline precision mount in lieu of the Dillon strong mount.

Take a look at Armanov tool heads and rings.

 

[mbeavers1]

Do the inline precision mount in lieu of the Dillon strong mount.

Take a look at Armanov tool heads and rings.

I have an inline quick change. Wonder if it will be tall enough.

 

[mbeavers1]

Ive heard rumors from a few that I may not be able to float BR-family (BR or Dasher) dies using an Armanov head...something about the die threads too short and you have to put the lock ring below. Anyone got any experience with that?

 

[Gustav7]

Ive heard rumors from a few that I may not be able to float BR-family (BR or Dasher) dies using an Armanov head...something about the die threads too short and you have to put the lock ring below. Anyone got any experience with that?

I got my Forster 223 and Redding 223AI dies to both float. The Forster only has about 2 threads engaged though.

Might be a trial and error thing.

 

[TheOfficeT-Rex]

Ive heard rumors from a few that I may not be able to float BR-family (BR or Dasher) dies using an Armanov head...something about the die threads too short and you have to put the lock ring below. Anyone got any experience with that?

Dasher you might get away with, but BR would be hanging on by half a thread. May depend on die brand and how far up the threads go.

Unless you flip the pin, you can't run the lock ring on the bottom. When you clamp the toolhead you must have some sort of float added or you're asking for issues.

 

[XikoPlavi]

I went away from loading rifle on a Dillon 650. For me it was not precise.

I only use progressive for pistol now

The Dillon is a pain to swap to LRP/SRP. The powder dispenser thing is not precise even if you buff it. The primers don’t always seat as precise as I like them to be. The dillons die holder thing wiggles to much also. There are 3rd party die holder things however that are rubber coated that fit snug (if you didn’t know).

I use a turret press. I went with higher end stuff and spent the money and I get more consistent results.

Anyway the progressive is great for pistol

 

[Lightning8]

YouTube video of George Gardner loading 6GT in a Dillon 650 (750?) with his comments on success.

 

[TheOfficeT-Rex]

The primers don’t always seat as precise as I like them to be. The dillons die holder thing wiggles to much also. There are 3rd party die holder things however that are rubber coated that fit snug (if you didn’t know).

Do you mean the shellholder plate? Can you add a link?

I find I get a lot of case tilt priming 9mm, and I'm not sure this would fix it but I'm curious none the less.

 

[XikoPlavi]

Do you mean the shellholder plate? Can you add a link?

I find I get a lot of case tilt priming 9mm, and I'm not sure this would fix it but I'm curious none the less.

No not shellholder plate. The thing that the dies screw into

She’ll plate is another issue to add to the list lol

 

[Herb Stoner]

No not shellholder plate. The thing that the dies screw into

She’ll plate is another issue to add to the list lol

No not shellholder plate. The thing that the dies screw into

She’ll plate is another issue to add to the list lol

Toolhead is what you’re looking for. The factory Dillon tool heads float, so there is a little bit of play between the toolhead and the frame of the press, but differing pressures from simultaneous operations (decapping, sizing, seating, etc.) can impact the die alignment in any one of those operations. There are aftermarket toolheads that are secured in the frame eliminating that play between the tool head and the frame. The individual dies are “floated” using die rings that allow a little play. This allows for better alignment of each operation without one of the simultaneous operations on a progressive press impacting another operation. I use Armanov toolheads and die rings and am very happy with them. I’ve heard good thing about Whidden’s set up as well.

With a few modifications such as this I‘m very happy with the results for my rifle ammo. I don’t use the Dillon powder measure for my rifle loads but rather use a funnel in its place and hand drop the powder from my AutoTrickler. I also have a co-ax and Zero press but still load a lot of rifle on the Dillon. Most case prep is still done on my Dillon 750 - it’s just easy.

 

[TheOfficeT-Rex]

No not shellholder plate. The thing that the dies screw into

She’ll plate is another issue to add to the list lol

Ah, as mentioned above, that's toolhead. I misread- I thought "primers don't seat as precisely" and "wiggles too much" were one connected thought. My bad. I have applied coffee as appropriate.

Re: float in the toolhead - it needs some level of play, either via floating rings or the toolhead fit. How you get there is a debate I feel borders on personal preference.

 

[TylerN]

Dasher you might get away with, but BR would be hanging on by half a thread. May depend on die brand and how far up the threads go.

Unless you flip the pin, you can't run the lock ring on the bottom. When you clamp the toolhead you must have some sort of float added or you're asking for issues.

Having enough thread to engage with the Armanov toolheads is always a challenge. On my Redding dies it seems like I have hard enough thread to catch the dies on any die I have which are Creedmoors and 300 Norma Mag. I haven't had an issue with this yet but it seems janky that the lock rings are only on half or so of the threads. The SAC Dasher Die I have has a little more thread up the die so it fully engages the lock ring.

I've been happy with my 550b. I prime off the press and only use the 550 for decapping and sizing which depending on my die sets use either between 2 to 4 stations. I tried to use the priming system on the 550 but it seemed inconsistent and difficult to change between small and large rifle primers so I gave up on priming on the 550.