Dillon 550B Owner Here - New to rifle reloading Questions.

[AyKay]

So, I generally shoot pistol or surplus rifle ammunition, but have the Dillon 550B For reloading pistols.
I was watching some videos on precision rifle reloading.
I want to make use of my 4 station progressive loader:
Station 1) resize/deprime/prime
Station 2) powder drop/flare
Station 3) seat
Station 4) crimp

Looking to get into reloading .308 WIN.

So, I have a few questions and if the background information is not enough, please ask questions.

I was told on the 'ladder test' to go with the tightest group and not necessarily the highest velocity rounds. Yes; No? I thought the higher velocity was key.

With Case trimming and OAL, we do not do this with pistol reloads. I just run mine through stage 1. I am worried about 'SAAMI' specs. I heard it was better for the case to 'fit' to the chamber of the rifle and it would be more accurate than if resized to SAAMI spec's. Fact or Myth?

On the 4th stage, the 550B has a crimp. (I have not searched this yet cause I am doing one whole post), but is it better to crimp or not to crimp?

I have looked into some of the Deburring tools and primer uniformers and them seem to be required for the process, but I am pretty stuck on the above questions.
Thanks for any and all help!
Hopefully I can begin sharing some successful load charges with everyone.

 

[SpentBrass]

So, I generally shoot pistol or surplus rifle ammunition, but have the Dillon 550B For reloading pistols.
I was watching some videos on precision rifle reloading.
I want to make use of my 4 station progressive loader:
Station 1) resize/deprime/prime
Station 2) powder drop/flare
Station 3) seat
Station 4) crimp

Looking to get into reloading .308 WIN.

So, I have a few questions and if the background information is not enough, please ask questions.

I was told on the 'ladder test' to go with the tightest group and not necessarily the highest velocity rounds. Yes; No? I thought the higher velocity was key.

With Case trimming and OAL, we do not do this with pistol reloads. I just run mine through stage 1. I am worried about 'SAAMI' specs. I heard it was better for the case to 'fit' to the chamber of the rifle and it would be more accurate than if resized to SAAMI spec's. Fact or Myth?

On the 4th stage, the 550B has a crimp. (I have not searched this yet cause I am doing one whole post), but is it better to crimp or not to crimp?

I have looked into some of the Deburring tools and primer uniformers and them seem to be required for the process, but I am pretty stuck on the above questions.
Thanks for any and all help!
Hopefully I can begin sharing some successful load charges with everyone.

I also have the 550B I load mainly .223 and .338 LM, I use all four stations as you have stated for .223...I only use full length sizer/decapper, seating die, I don't crimp my precision rifle loads (Age old debate over crimping is still alive and well.) You will need a good trimmer I use RCBS it has micrometer adjustment for trimming, and some basic chamfer/de-burring tools, Hornady scale. I want to get a RCBS Case prep station but need more $ first.

Question is what are the .308 for? AR-10 if so crimp as they will be banging around in a mag, are they for precision shooting? I say IMHO no crimp as The theory is that it can cause accuracy issues and possibly pressure differences again there is debate on weather or not you should crimp and when.

SAAMI specs meh, depending what you read some say are antiquated to today's modern rifles but still a good rule of thumb for beginner re loaders, I load to Lyman reloading book specs for my AR-15 rounds and pistol rounds, I am playing around with seating depths for my .338 LM though. Get a good book like Lyman's 49th edition reloading manual or something comparable and use those specs for now.

Ladder test's I like to start at the min load spec in the book for that round and work up .5g, 5 rounds per half grain approaching max load but not getting there and looking for pressure signs on each group aka bulging primers, stress at the neck or shoulder area, and at the base. Then see what your groups look like at desired range and pick the most consistent load.

If i have said anything you already know my bad got to babbling, as always follow good reloading practices and any advice I have given is what works for me and may be diff for you, so be safe and follow a good reloading book specs.

 

[mdmp5]

If you size rifle brass to saami specs every time, you are overworking your brass, creating excessive headspace, and the brass will show premature wear and possible pressure signs. You don't need to crimp rifle rounds.

 

[AyKay]

This would be for a Remington 700 Magazine Fed Bolt Action. Great information. In your first stage, you just use the standard Dillon .308 Win die? I like to keep a separate plate for each one of my die sets.

I am just surprised that in the ladder test one goes for the most consistent groups in the .5 increment and not the highest velocity the rifle can handle...once the scope is zero'ed I guess I do not understand why the same powdered cases will be inconsistent because everything I know is that velocity = wind bucking.

I understand consistency is everything with reloading, but this ladder test thing is not sitting right in the back on my mind.
Thanks.

 

[AyKay]

If you size rifle brass to saami specs every time, you are overworking your brass, creating excessive headspace, and the brass will show premature wear and possible pressure signs. You don't need to crimp rifle rounds.

I use stage one to prime/deprime. Perhaps after stage one, I could Case Trim and then set back in at stage 2. I would really like to extend the service life of my brass but not at the expense of replacing segments of my 550B. Thoughts? Alternatives?

 

[gimpy]

You should be making two passes through the press. First pass is resizing the brass, second pass is dropping powder, seating, and possibly crimping.

 

[SpentBrass]

This would be for a Remington 700 Magazine Fed Bolt Action. Great information. In your first stage, you just use the standard Dillon .308 Win die? I like to keep a separate plate for each one of my die sets.

I am just surprised that in the ladder test one goes for the most consistent groups in the .5 increment and not the highest velocity the rifle can handle...once the scope is zero'ed I guess I do not understand why the same powdered cases will be inconsistent because everything I know is that velocity = wind bucking.

I understand consistency is everything with reloading, but this ladder test thing is not sitting right in the back on my mind.
Thanks.

When I was doing ladder tests with my .338 Lapua Mag I started low came .5 per group and thw sweet spot was 86.5 of Retumbo, still good at 87g, groups started opening up a bit with 87.5-88g, then got worse up to 89g which was a higher velocity. But i was more accurate with 86.5 slightly less velocity.

 

[EXTREMEPREJUDICE]

Alternatives?

Yep, get your hands on a single stage press and learn the ABC's of reloading for your rifle. Then you can take that knowledge and transfer it to your progressive.

 

[ZiaHunter]

I use the 550B to reload for my gas guns and pistols. I was experiencing excessive runout for my 308 using Dillon dies and made some changes which are producing runout on a consistent basis of less than .002 at the ogive. I set one tool head up with an expander die in the first station to take care of any dents in the neck. In the second station I size the brass with a Type S FL die with the decapping pin removed. The bushing allows for consistent neck tension for various neck thickness. Once sized tumble the brass to remove the lubricant then trim to appropriate length with a Giraud. The second toolhead has a decapping die in the first station, Hornady Case Activated Powder dispenser in the second and a competition seating die in the third with the fourth empty. The Hornady measure is throwing fairly consistent loads with R-15 and V140 in the plus or minus .1 gr. range. I had experimented with many different combinations and this one seems to work best for me.

 

[HodgdonExtreme]

Ladder testing is about finding a range of charge weights that result in the bullets spending enough time in the barrel that they exit the muzzle during a point in its vibration where its at either the top or bottom of its travel.

Velocity can be accounted for by ballistic charts and scope turrets, ammo that has lots of random dispersion can't.

Get an RCBS precision mic or Hornady headspace tool. Use it to set up your sizing die so that resized cases are ~.002" shorter than fired ones, as measured from case head to datum.

A 550 can make great long range ammo, but usually the brass will need to make two trips through; the first to recap/resize, and the second to actually load.

Don't crimp precision long range rifle ammo.

 

[Twoboxer]

. . . I am just surprised that in the ladder test one goes for the most consistent groups in the .5 increment and not the highest velocity the rifle can handle...once the scope is zero'ed I guess I do not understand why the same powdered cases will be inconsistent because everything I know is that velocity = wind bucking.

I understand consistency is everything with reloading, but this ladder test thing is not sitting right in the back on my mind.
Thanks.

In nearly all cases, small changes in velocity are irrelevant and using the "max load" can be harmful to your equipment, ammo components, and accuracy. Your rifle's barrel vibrates when firing a round, and the harmonics affect how the bullet will leave the barrel. If you work up a load tesing carefully you will see that - almost always - the most accurate loads (ie, the tightest groups) are not at book max charge, but somewhat below . . . and then again ~3% lower.

Bullet weight and BC are probably more important to long range accuracy than the extra 50-150 fps produced. And if you're shooting at 100 yds, the minor benefits of BC, weight, and speed will probably be less noticable under normal conditions than the difference between the most accurate load for your rifle and it's max load. At truly long range thay matter much more.

You might want to read up a bit more, and I'd suggest reading Optimal Charge Weight Overview et al. It is another method for finding an accurate load, and in the reading you will see more of the factors that affect it.

 

[AyKay]

Awesome everyone!
Thank you for all the contributing and everyone of you has helped me with some of these 'larger' problems!

I am going to work on my essential (need) and non essential (want) list shortly.

Get an RCBS precision mic or Hornady headspace tool. Use it to set up your sizing die so that resized cases are ~.002" shorter than fired ones, as measured from case head to datum.

Do you think the RCBS precision mic or Hornady headspace tool is better than the Lee Trimmer Set? Why are both essential? It seems to me like the RCBS precision mic or Hornady headspace tool are not necessary with the 550B 1st stage and then the Lee Trimmer Set (in that order). Correct me if I am mistaken because I am trying to 'buy once, cry once' so to speak. I do not want to waste money shooting Reloader15 and 175 SMK the 'wrong way'.

 

[HodgdonExtreme]

Awesome everyone!
Thank you for all the contributing and everyone of you has helped me with some of these 'larger' problems!

I am going to work on my essential (need) and non essential (want) list shortly.



Do you think the RCBS precision mic or Hornady headspace tool is better than the Lee Trimmer Set? Why are both essential? It seems to me like the RCBS precision mic or Hornady headspace tool are not necessary with the 550B 1st stage and then the Lee Trimmer Set (in that order). Correct me if I am mistaken because I am trying to 'buy once, cry once' so to speak. I do not want to waste money shooting Reloader15 and 175 SMK the 'wrong way'.

I'm not familiar with the Lee trimmer set, but it doesn't sound like the tool you need to measure "headspace".

"Headspace" is the distance from bolt face plane go the surface in the chamber that stops the cartridge from moving forward any further. In the case of 308 (as well as most rifle cartridges), that surface is the shoulder.

Imagine dropping a .400" ring onto the shoulder of a 308 cartridge... where it stops is the "datum". From case head to datum is a crucial distance.

Obviously (I hope) that distance on a cartridge must be less than the corresponding measurement of the chamber, else that cartridge won't fit. Ideally, the cartridge would be ~.002" shorter. A little shorter, like .005" isn't awful terrible, but much shorter than that is getting pretty bad.

The RCBS precision mic and Hornady headspace tool are made to measure this distance on a cartridge case, allowing you to set your resizing die appropriately.

If you simply follow the instructions included with most dies, you'll end up sizing brass down much further than necessary, greatly reducing the life of your brass and greatly increasing the risk of case head separations.

Get the tool, it is essential.

 

[ColoYooper]

AyKay, welcome to the wonderful world of reloading with a Dillon 550B. I have one and I consistently load benchrest .260, 308, 30-06, and .300 WinMag cartridges with it. This can EASILY be accomplished, if you are
aware of the strengths and weaknesses of the 550B. Here are the steps I follow...
1) Tumble your brass to clean out the carbon from the inside of the neck. This will make re-sizing MUCH easier and will reduce the stress you place on the brass. Plus your brass will be nice and pretty.
2) Run all your brass through the first station on the 550B with a neck-only...or full-length re-size die. I use a dry mica lube on my neck only dies, and RCBS lube pad and lube on the full-length dies.
3) Remove the brass from the 550B and clean out the primer pockets with a primer pocket brush. Inspect the flash holes for corn-cob that WILL have been deposited in step 1.
4) Load up the primer tube on station 1 and run all the brass through..but don't re-size again. Just cycle the press to pickup a primer, insert the case after the down stroke, and push the handle forward
to seat the primer...then rotate the case 60 degrees, and push the press handle upward again to re-insert the primer, rotate another 60 degrees, and again press the primer into the pocket.
Because ALL progressive presses have stations that are offset from the center bolt they have the potential of not seating the primer completely flat in the pocket. By rotating the case multiple times and re-seating,
we are making certain the primer is completely bottomed out in the pocket. In time you will be able to feel non-bottomed out primers with your thumb, and re-insert the case with the high side toward the center of
the press, and re-seat the primer making it flat.
5) Place all primed cases in a holder, and place a dummy case in station 2 to dump a charge of powder. Empty the powder onto a digital scale. You should be able to adjust the amount dropped by the Dillon Powder funnel to
plus or minus 0.2 grains. If the charge is light, trickle (2) pieces of typical extruded rifle powder (H4350, H1000, RL22....) per 0.1 grain desired into the digital scale pan. If the charge is a couple of grains heavy,
withhold (2) extruded pieces of powder as you dump the pan into the powder funnel that is sitting on the case you are charging. I've found that this method is MANY times faster than the digital automatic
scales/tricklers on the market.
6) Run all the powder charged cases through station 3 to seat the bullet. I skip station 4 for all rifle ammo.
I've had a lot of success with the above steps. My rifle ammo typically has LOW single digit standard deviations, and groups as well as the rifle is capable...(Most under 1/2 MOA). I like that the 550B allows me to easily
and quickly transition to different cartridges and produce quality match grade ammo with minimal effort.

DaveS

 

[AyKay]

Cheers.

Thank you friends.

 

[Mad_Charlie]

The only way I get good rifle food from my 550, is to process my cases with a single stage first (clean, size, trim, primer pocket work, etc.) everything done to the brass and ready to load. Then I prime, charge, and seat with the 550.

You NEED a way to measure cartridge headspace so you can set your resizing die (of whatever flavor) correctly, I use a Precision Mic, you NEED a triming tool to make sure that your cases are not over length, most folks trim to 2.005 for .308, I use Forster and Hornady tools, and you NEED a chamfer/debur tool. You also NEED a good caliper.

I would look for a good used rockchucker to size with, otherwise, it's two trips through the 550, loading rifle is not the same as loading pistol, you NEED to have your cases prepped correctly for safety and accuracy!!

 

[AyKay]

Okay. I was under the impression that the Lee Trimming set was non adjustable. I am going to be taking a trip to my local reloading retailer and will be talking with them soon also. I believe everything that I am told here, but every time I go into the store I end up talking with them anyways so it will be a good time to cross reference and sound board my new found knowledge with them. Looks like I have a few new tools to pick up.
I have to admit, this forum is very helpful.

 

[Gary Smith]

I only use my Dillon 550B to load rifle that are first fl sized, prepped, trimmed to length or new cases.
Using a Dillon to fl size rifle cartridges flexes the cartridge plate in both directions that results in COAL
variations on seater in my humble opinion.