Giraud Vs Dillon RT1500

[brennon272]

Hello,

Currently I am new to reloading and trying to learn how to trim. I bought a honey badger setup and then was told you need a lathe to set it up so back in the box that went and then I bought an rt1500. I’m sure it is something I am doing but I cannot get consistency (yes the lock rings are tight) out of this thing to save my life. For example, .223 trim length is 1.75 inches. I can’t get to 1.75 for anything. Either slightly over or slightly under. I opted for slightly over at 1.7510 but in a small batch of 200 pieces all in a single run some come out 1.7510 some 1.7505 some 1.7515 and others 1.752+. Of course I discovered this after purchasing numerous trim dies. At this point, I am over $1000 dollars into just this trimming rabbit hole and am considering spending more on a giraud and selling the other two off. Even if I could get the Dillon to work, I hate having to run a vacuum cleaner. I am most concerned about being able to set something up easily since I am a beginner and it being repeatable and accurate. I have no idea if the variance I have is an issue but inconsistency is inconsistency. I am really just looking for something that’s reasonably fast and will do the job at this point as I’ve yet to successfully load my first round of ammo on my new Dillon xl750. I don’t want something I’m going to have to mess with for 1-2 hours like this Dillon setup I have. It’s such a pain for me at least. If giraud users (or Dillon) could chime in on what would be a good fit that would be great. I already know it’s a quality product.

 

[SalomonQST99]

Did you call Dillon regarding the RT1500 setup? I've heard stories that some of the units had the wrong cutter installed. I haven't personally used the RT1500 so I can't be much help.

 

[Thump_rrr]

I have a the older RT1200 which is similar but won’t do 300BO.
The Dillon trimmer isn’t only a trimmer but a full length sizer as well.
You need to setup the full length sizer to size your cases ideally using a case gauge.
Once that is done you adjust the trim length to what you desire.
The Dillon also doesn’t chamfer or deburr the cases.
I use mine to prep semi auto brass such as M14 or AR-15 bulk brass.
I processed 1100 pieces of Lake City 7.62 brass and all my measured samples were within 0.001” as long as the necks were long enough to need a trim.

The Giraud trims off the shoulder so it doesn’t care what the total length of the cartridge is.
It will chamfer and deburr while trimming.

Other steps must be taken to ensure all cases end up the same length.

Another thing to keep in mind is that not all brass is the same so don’t try processing mixed brass and expect a uniform result.
I won’t pull out the Dillon for 100 pieces of brass.
I use the Sinclair/L.E. Wilson trimmer for that.

 

[kyzim311]

223 trim length is 1.75 inches

That is the minimum trim length. Anything from the trim length to the max length is ok. In the case of 223, 1.750-1.760 will be in spec.

some come out 1.7510 some 1.7505 some 1.7515 and others 1.752+.

It is normal to expect 0.001-0.002 variation in trim length. It really doesn't hurt anything.

I have the same setup, so I will add a couple tips unrelated to the original question. The rt1500 will leave a bit of a burr. I use a Lyman m die to set the neck tension and knock the burr off the inside. I also lightly crimp my loaded rounds for the same reason. Hopefully this helps.

 

[brennon272]

Maybe I am just being OCD about it. It just doesn’t seem uniform. Other giraud owners please chime in.