Drank the Blue Kool-aid. Ordered Dillon 550

H

hydro556

Gunny Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
Dec 1, 2007
2,746
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STL, home of the Cardinals.
#1
Well, it is done. Decided to go with 550 and set it up for 223 and 556 with what I think are the high end conversion kits.

Here is my order I just placed. Did I miss anything?

1 20050 4-Pack Large Primer Pickup Tubes(@ $ 21.95 ea.) $21.95

1 K12xxx RL 550B in Caliber as Specified(@ $ 419.95 ea.) $419.95
Caliber: 223 w/Steel Dies

1 22051 Strong Mount - 550/650(@ $ 46.95 ea.) $46.95

1 17950 Roller Handle - Aluminum - 550/650(@ $ 41.95 ea.) $41.95

1 22214 Bullet Tray - 550/650/SqDeal(@ $ 39.95 ea.) $39.95

1 11541 550 Toolholder w/o Casefeeder - w/Wrenches(@ $ 26.95 ea.) $26.95

1 20048 550B Spare Parts Kit(@ $ 16.95 ea.) $16.95

1 11185 550B Empty Case Bin and Bracket(@ $ 23.95 ea.) $23.95

1 20xEZ RL 550B Conversion(s) in Caliber(s) Specifi(@ $ 43.95 ea.) $43.95
Caliber: 308 w/Steel Dies

1 22058 550B Deluxe Quick Change Kit(@ $ 96.95 ea.) $96.95


(NOTE- some of the prices look "off" because I didnt order dies as I already have RCBS precision dies for both calibers, I didnt think they would work, but Brian said they will, so that saved me a nice chunk)


Subtotal: 779.50

According to Brian Enos, this is as nice as I could set it up. I almost went with the 650, but he kind of talked me out of it once he knew what all I planned to do.

Like a lot of you guys, he suggested that unless you were going with the case feeder, he would go 550. It seems the 550 is a little less technical, without the auto index, etc, and might be a bit more user friendly. Especially if I wanted to use it like a single stage, if I decide it is easier to be precise for loading LR ammo.

So, I drank the blue Koolaid and cant wait to get it all mounted up on my new super heavy ass duty bench I anchored into the basement wall and floor last night.

newreloadingbench003.jpg
newreloadingbench004.jpg
 
#2
Re: Drank the Blue Kool-aid. Ordered Dillon 550

Congratulations on the 550. I have had an XL650 for about 10 years and really like it. Dillon's customer service is great and you should get years of service from it.
 
#3
Re: Drank the Blue Kool-aid. Ordered Dillon 550

I was tempted to just go all out and get the 650, casefeeder, Dillon trimmer, etc. In the end, I decided to get the 550, set it up well, and get another Giraud for my case prep.

Think it will be best for me in the long run.
 
#5
Re: Drank the Blue Kool-aid. Ordered Dillon 550

Spend the money on the 650 now before you invest a lot of money on the 550! 650 + case feeder = a winning combo! You will thank me later.
 
#6
Re: Drank the Blue Kool-aid. Ordered Dillon 550

Welcome, and have some more blue cool-aid! Bought my 550 in 1984 and have loved it! There have been a few minor issues (the primer feed assembly can be temperamental) but Dillon has been awesome to work with. I wouldn't buy anything but Dillon for a progressive.
 
#7
Re: Drank the Blue Kool-aid. Ordered Dillon 550

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: USMCj</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Spend the money on the 650 now before you invest a lot of money on the 550! 650 + case feeder = a winning combo! You will thank me later. </div></div>

This is good advice.
cool.gif
However, you will be happy with the 550 and you can resell it if you want to move up.
 
#9
Re: Drank the Blue Kool-aid. Ordered Dillon 550

Love my 550! I live about an hour and half from the Dillon shop. I hate that place, I walk in there with money and walk out with nothing.... Great guys in that place tho. You will love your 550.
 
#10
Re: Drank the Blue Kool-aid. Ordered Dillon 550

Looks like you shouldve gotten some extra small primer tubes as well (all I saw were lg tubes on your list). I have a 650 w/ the case feeder and LOVE it! My buddy has a 550 and you couldnt give him a 650 (I think he's jealous). Different strokes for different folks, I guess.
 
#11
Re: Drank the Blue Kool-aid. Ordered Dillon 550

Cool - so you are gonna run two different setups for 223 and 556. Smart move. Just don't cross the streams or the whole press will blow up and a giant blue Sta-Puff marshmallow man will come and eat your entire reloading room.
 
#13
Re: Drank the Blue Kool-aid. Ordered Dillon 550

For loading rifle, you will want to clamp the toolhead in the press with a kit sold by uniquetek. It elminates a lot of play in the toolhead. The micrometer kit for the powder bars is awesome too. One thing you should know about the press; seating depths will vary when other stations are occupied, namely the sizing station. If you are loading blasting ammo, this is not that big of a deal, but for precision loads, better to use the press as a single stage when seating.
 
#14
Re: Drank the Blue Kool-aid. Ordered Dillon 550

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: palmik</div><div class="ubbcode-body">For loading rifle, you will want to clamp the toolhead in the press with a kit sold by uniquetek. It elminates a lot of play in the toolhead. The micrometer kit for the powder bars is awesome too. One thing you should know about the press; seating depths will vary when other stations are occupied, namely the sizing station. If you are loading blasting ammo, this is not that big of a deal, but for precision loads, better to use the press as a single stage when seating. </div></div>

That can be fixed by tightening the center bolt that holds the shell plate enough that the shell plate can rotate but has no wiggle room otherwise. Did it on my XL650 and all the ammo it produced had consistant OAL.
 
#15
Re: Drank the Blue Kool-aid. Ordered Dillon 550

The 550 is better then the 650 in this regard because they shell plates are different. The 650 holds the case head captive on the rotating piece whereas on the 550 the case head slides around on a flat surface permanently fixed to the ram.

John Whidden has some nice additions to the 550 if match ammo is your goal out of the blue press.
 
#17
Re: Drank the Blue Kool-aid. Ordered Dillon 550

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: _9H</div><div class="ubbcode-body">The 550 is better then the 650 in this regard because they shell plates are different. The 650 holds the case head captive on the rotating piece whereas on the 550 the case head slides around on a flat surface permanently fixed to the ram.

John Whidden has some nice additions to the 550 if match ammo is your goal out of the blue press. </div></div>

9H what kind of "match" ammo can you make with the 550?
 
#19
Re: Drank the Blue Kool-aid. Ordered Dillon 550

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: _9H</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I can't make any. Others find that they can, including one multiple time national HP champion with enough tweaking and modding of the machine. </div></div>

So your "match" ammo is back to default a single stage?
 
#22
Re: Drank the Blue Kool-aid. Ordered Dillon 550

You can't really get a Match Grade Consistant Powder throw from the Dillon powder measure.
But,

You can use a funnel and pour your match grade powder charge through the powder die and into the case.

Still use all the components of the progressive press just not the powder measure.
 
#23
Re: Drank the Blue Kool-aid. Ordered Dillon 550

I use a spare 550 to size and seat. I weigh all my powder for .308 and use a funnel. After ten's of thousands of rounds loaded on 550's for handgun, I don't think I'd use it to drop powder for long range/accuracy rifle. JMO and I'm wrong a lot.
 
#25
Re: Drank the Blue Kool-aid. Ordered Dillon 550

I keep a complete primer feed tower and punch/slide setup for each size primers, it makes caliber swaps go ASAP. Primer punch slides should be kept clean and shiny on their outside surfaces (steel wool), and lubed with graphite. Baseplates should be lubed with graphite, and adjusted with the minimum play, just loose enough to turn without significant extra drag.

Maintain a steady operating lever cadence, and wait at full stroke for a count of three, to allow all the powder charge to finish flowing. Don't slam or bang anything as part of the stroke, easy does it. If you feel any (ANY!) unusual resistance, stop and investigate, don't force it. Ignore this advice at your own extreme displeasure.

I use the Dillon measure, and adjust it to always drop the desired charge plus about 0.5gr to 1gr overcharge.

The charge gets dumped into the scale pan and weighed. Excess is pinched out between forefinger and thumb, and trickled to bring the charge back up to the desired weight.

Excess goes into a small pan held aside.

Charge gets dropped back into the case with a drop tube, the charged case is reinserted into the baseplate and advanced to the next station.

In this way, all charges get weighed (which I'd be doing anyway), and any tendency of the Dillon measure's output weight to wander is nullified.

Obviously this slows the process down considerably, but the outcome is match grade ammo. In my operation, the primary time waster is the RCBS electronic scale, which sometimes takes quite awhile (up to a full minute, and more) to settle down to a final reading. I figure I can make up 50-100 rounds per hour of match grade ammo, and I don't mind the time expenditure to get it all just right.

Distraction is your worst foe. Friends, TV, music, talk radio, etc., are all fine in their place, but that place is never anywhere that they can interrupt your train of thought at the loading bench. When you're loading..., <span style="font-style: italic">load</span>; and forget about anything/everything else.
Greg
 
#27
Re: Drank the Blue Kool-aid. Ordered Dillon 550

The Dillon is a great machine, and IMHO, the RL550B is their most versatile model.

It has quirks and traits, and it takes some time to figure out how work around them; but hang in there and stay the course.

I've heard complaints that the Dillon won't handle concentricity issues as supremely as some superduper single stage presses, and I made a conscious decision to go with SAAMI spec chambers exclusively, since I believe they reduce the critical issues surrounding concentricity.

Yes, there's some (actually not so big) accuracy sacrifice involved, but I have some tricks I use to get around that.

First, I pay closer attention to charge weights. I also ream flash holes. That's it, as far as conventional techniques go.

I also 'short size' my brass with the F/L die and sizer ball, leaving the lower half (or so) of the neck (and an extra 1/4" or so of the lower case wall) fully expanded to fired diameter.

What this does is to force the case to have a contact fit with the chamber entry and neck entry points, centering the case more positively in line with the chamber and bore axis.

So, in a way, I get back some of that 'tight chamber' alignment, etc., that I gave up by using a SAAMI spec chamber, while still being able to bypass initial worries that my neck clearance may be insufficient to freely release the bullet.

Right now I'm in a score slump, but that slump is about me and my physical situation, and has nothing to do with the quality of the ammo my Dillon is producing.

Greg
 
#30
Re: Drank the Blue Kool-aid. Ordered Dillon 550

I've never used any press part that isn't made by Dillon. Never felt the need.

Station one, decap/resize/recap.

Station two, Powder measure.

Station three, seater.

Station four, empty.

All exactly according to Dillon's directions. They know their gear and won't hade any info from you about how to get the most out of it. Any questions, call them up and ask. Any problems, tell 'em, they'll help you solve 'em.

I am probably one of their most dedicated fans.

Greg
 
#31
Re: Drank the Blue Kool-aid. Ordered Dillon 550

My layout is right out of the book, in an unheated garage where I set it up when I moved in 12 years ago, and honestly, my 'man cave' is always somewhat of a mess. Photos would mainly just be an embarrassment but if you want to know how it's set up, look at Dillon's setup diagrams.

It's all the way over on the right front corner of the bench, the completed cartridge catch bin overhangs the bench's right edge, and I use the bullet tray and strong mounts. That's it.

For OAL/seating length, I don't do any ogive/bushing measurements. I mark up the ogive of 5 or so dummy cartridges with black marker, and test seat them long, then shorter and shorter, until rifling marks disappear. I take the shortest resulting OAL and deduct another .005", and set my seater to that length. That's how I set them up to jump.

...All jump... That's the extent of any OAL games I will play.

My methods and techniques are a distillation, trimmed with Occam's razor, of every danged thing I could find or imagine to try to A) get accuracy, and B) not make a lifelong dilettante's vocation out of the process.

Greg
 
#32
Re: Drank the Blue Kool-aid. Ordered Dillon 550

I also reload similar to Greg.

My technique instead though is with chargemaster.

In some cases I resize and deprime with a seperate tool head and then clean cases then load with another tool head.

With an XL 650 and Case feeder, resizing and depriming can be done on 50 cases in about 2 minutes.

Caseinserted.jpg

When loading, I setup a chargemaster to the desired .1 grain
fill the case feeder and load the Machine.
First Station Could be your Resizing, or in my setup I have a Mandrel just to make sure any dinged necks from tumbling get straightend up.

Second station is a Dillon Powder die and powder funnel.
I leave the Press handle down, pick up my charge from the Charge Master and pour it through the Dillon Powder Die/Funnel Setup.
Put the pan on the charge master and let it run cycle the handle on the machine.


Third Station is Bullet Seating,

Fourth is bullet crimping if needed.

Product is Match Grade Ammo.
 
#33
Re: Drank the Blue Kool-aid. Ordered Dillon 550

I am running the older 450's and love them! I did switch out the powder measure to Hornady's w/the case activiated auto feed assembly & it works like a charm! The advantage of the 450's is no play in the tool head as it is one solid frame. Using lock rings on my dies make caliber changes a breeze! I keep one set up for .223 and the other for .308 and swap out .45 & 9mm to load large batches of pistol ammo. I shoot my Thompson M1 quite a bit & you go through quite a bit of .45 acp with the 50 round straight mags!

Have had nothing but awesome customer service from Dillon, especially considering both presses were bought second hand! The blue kool aid is good!

Good luck with your setup!!! Am sure you won't be disappointed!!!
 
#34
Re: Drank the Blue Kool-aid. Ordered Dillon 550

Another engineer died and I was given his reloading gear including a 550B set up for 9mm and .223.

I was happy to get all his primers.

The press I have not used, except to borrow a 223 sizer die for a concentricity and case growth comparison of every 223 die I could find.
 
#35
Re: Drank the Blue Kool-aid. Ordered Dillon 550

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Very nice arms room buddy.</div></div>

+1 Should be one in every home.
 
#36
Re: Drank the Blue Kool-aid. Ordered Dillon 550

Hydro,
Nice setup, great room. I was wondering why the 550 not 650? I found your answer very educational. Thanks for including it.
Sam
 
#38
Re: Drank the Blue Kool-aid. Ordered Dillon 550

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: 4Rail_Gunner</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Hydro,


Did you get extra tool heads and Powder dies?
</div></div>

Yes I did. Set up for 556 and 308. Toolhead for each.
 
#39
Re: Drank the Blue Kool-aid. Ordered Dillon 550

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: USMCj</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: palmik</div><div class="ubbcode-body">For loading rifle, you will want to clamp the toolhead in the press with a kit sold by uniquetek. It elminates a lot of play in the toolhead. The micrometer kit for the powder bars is awesome too. One thing you should know about the press; seating depths will vary when other stations are occupied, namely the sizing station. If you are loading blasting ammo, this is not that big of a deal, but for precision loads, better to use the press as a single stage when seating. </div></div>

That can be fixed by tightening the center bolt that holds the shell plate enough that the shell plate can rotate but has no wiggle room otherwise. Did it on my XL650 and all the ammo it produced had consistant OAL.</div></div>

Tightening the center bolt does not alleviate this issue. The issue is from the resistance of the case in the sizing die. Seat a bullet with no case in station 1, then do it again with a case in station 1. You will see that the bullet will be seated deeper when station 1 is empty. So therefore, seat your bullets by using the press as a single stage if you are loading match ammo.
 
#41
Re: Drank the Blue Kool-aid. Ordered Dillon 550

Awesome Setup. You are going to love that machine. I shoot USPSA and it fills my needs well. I shoot mostly 40 S&W and I am also set up to load 9mm. I have a single stage RCBS that I use for my rifle. I see that Chargemaster in the back ground that is the next peice of kit I need. I have a Giraud on order
smile.gif
.

Also there may be some "floating" in the tool head due to them being interchangable. The tolerances from machine to machine and toolhead to toolhead vary slightly. To help reduce differences in OAL some guys on Enos recommend a kit mabe by uniquetek http://www.uniquetek.com/ that helps reduce variation in OAL. Also the CNC Whidden toolheads are supposed to help with OAL. I have not personally tried these out but they have gotten very good reviews.
 
#42
Re: Drank the Blue Kool-aid. Ordered Dillon 550

I have some craftsman clamps with rubber faces. I clamped one on and completely removed the little bit of slop and created zero interference with anything. I am not sure if there are any negatives with this method (seems too easy for someone else not to have mentioned) but it certainly seems to work.

I dont think that the small amount of play would be an issue with my 556 ammo, but possibly could create some variance with precision ammo.
 
#43
Re: Drank the Blue Kool-aid. Ordered Dillon 550

I installed the kit from uniquetek. All it is a helicoil kit with allen head screws. You install the helicoils in the toolhead and instead of using the pins to secure the toolhead you use screws to remove all play in the head. It did make a difference in my precision AR groups. Not all that hard to install.
 
#44
Re: Drank the Blue Kool-aid. Ordered Dillon 550

I have about 10,000 rounds of .223 and about 1,500 rounds of .45ACP from my XL650. It is the only way to go. Get the case feeder, and a RCBS or Kiss bullet feeder. (Bullet feeder will be be next addition after getting my rifle together) You'll spend a little more money, but your time is priceless! In the long run the machine pays it's self off....
 
#45
Re: Drank the Blue Kool-aid. Ordered Dillon 550

I'd be intersted in learning more about how the Uniquetek helicoils helped your groups, and about what specific problems they address.

Greg
 
#46
Re: Drank the Blue Kool-aid. Ordered Dillon 550

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Greg Langelius *</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I'd be intersted in learning more about how the Uniquetek helicoils helped your groups, and about what specific problems they address.

Greg </div></div>

Greg,
If you are asking about my post, I was having a variation in setting depth of up to .008" using a comparator with dial calipers. After I installed the helicoils to secure the toolhead the variation is now .003" over 20 rds measured ( still get an occasional .005". I starting using a sock over the ball on the handle. It allows the ball handle to slide in my hand acting like the roller type. This may have attributed to a smoother more consistant stroke thus improving consistancy. All I know is my groups have decreased about 1/2" at 200yds since the above.

Dino
 
#47
Re: Drank the Blue Kool-aid. Ordered Dillon 550

Yes, thanks.

OK; I had some initial issues with die setup and experienced similar inconsistencies. A friend advised me to adjust the dies so the press would 'cam over' slightly at maximum extension, and it was pretty much mostly resolved. I do my OAL measuring the old way, with just the dial caliper. But this approach is also interesting.

Greg

 
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