Ways to take advantage of extra station on RL550B

[Mike_R]

I just recently got my shellplate set up to load .223 on my RL550B. My current setup is for surplus powders/projectiles so no high expectations there. I want to set up a second toolhead for better quality (ie more concentric, more evenly charged, less violently resized) loads.

I think separate body and neck sizing might give me what I want, or at least get me closer to it than the current squish and crunch sizing cycle. I am looking at 2 options

1) Run a Forster honed FL die station 1 with no expander, a Sinclair mandrel station 2, a RCBS uniflow on a CAPD in station 3, and Forster mic seating die

2) Run a custom body die made from a regular FL die and the neck bored out (while including the decap or decap first), a lee collet die, with the same powder measure and seater as case 1.

Either way I might need to work on the mandrels to achieve adequate neck tension, this will be run through an AR.

Is there a better way to take advantage of an extra station? I don't need a powder check and I don't crimp, the CAPD frees me from having to have the PM in station 2.

 

[ChrisGarrett]

Re: Ways to take advantage of extra station on RL550B

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: megarush</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I just recently got my shellplate set up to load .223 on my RL550B. My current setup is for surplus powders/projectiles so no high expectations there. I want to set up a second toolhead for better quality (ie more concentric, more evenly charged, less violently resized) loads.

I think separate body and neck sizing might give me what I want, or at least get me closer to it than the current squish and crunch sizing cycle. I am looking at 2 options

1) Run a Forster honed FL die station 1 with no expander, a Sinclair mandrel station 2, a RCBS uniflow on a CAPD in station 3, and Forster mic seating die

2) Run a custom body die made from a regular FL die and the neck bored out (while including the decap or decap first), a lee collet die, with the same powder measure and seater as case 1.

Either way I might need to work on the mandrels to achieve adequate neck tension, this will be run through an AR.

Is there a better way to take advantage of an extra station? I don't need a powder check and I don't crimp, the CAPD frees me from having to have the PM in station 2. </div></div>

Sounds like a lot of work.

I reload on a 550b and for 223 (AR-15 moa grade 20" rifle) and for 308 (Savage 10FP LE2b) I have two separate toolheads--one for sizing and one for seating/Dillon powder measure.

Both sizing heads have Redding body dies in station 3, my first of two Redding neck bushing dies with step down bushings (.249"/.250" & .340") installed, but with their decapping rods removed.

I also take out the loaded round kick-out wire and in station 1 I have a second Redding neck bushing die with the final bushing and I leave the decapping rod in place. I have the carbide expander balls, but only really run one for the .223 stuff, since the necks invariably get dinged up upon firing.

For the seating dies, I use Hornady InLine seaters with their MicroSeating stem installed.

If you want to improve things, get a Redding/Forster/Hornady micro seater that supports most of (Hornady,) or all of (Redding/Forster,) the case during the seating operation.

I can load pretty decent ammo this way and having the tandem neck sizers eliminates a few issues, amongst them, press strokes.

Chris

 

[Mike_R]

Re: Ways to take advantage of extra station on RL550B

Thank you for your insights. I hadn't considered running the the brass through 2 toolheads. What is the advantage to running 2 separate neck sizing dies? Does the second die leave the neck close to the diameter of the expander ball?
I was hoping I could get good results without running it through 2 toolheads (running it through 1 sounds like less work to me) although it seems like sizing separately from the seating operation would help you feel the seating process better.
Maybe I will give one of my original ideas a try for .223 since I still want to get some volume out of reasonably accurate ammo and then try the 2 toolhead approach for when I get my SPR barreled in .308. Again thank you for sharing your method with me.

 

[targaflorio]

Re: Ways to take advantage of extra station on RL550B

What's a CAPD?

 

[ChrisGarrett]

Re: Ways to take advantage of extra station on RL550B

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: megarush</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Thank you for your insights. I hadn't considered running the the brass through 2 toolheads. What is the advantage to running 2 separate neck sizing dies? Does the second die leave the neck close to the diameter of the expander ball?
I was hoping I could get good results without running it through 2 toolheads (running it through 1 sounds like less work to me) although it seems like sizing separately from the seating operation would help you feel the seating process better.
Maybe I will give one of my original ideas a try for .223 since I still want to get some volume out of reasonably accurate ammo and then try the 2 toolhead approach for when I get my SPR barreled in .308. Again thank you for sharing your method with me. </div></div>

For precision ammo, I prep the brass first. Then when it's done and I want to load it up, I charge via my ChargeMaster 1500 (by hand) or I use the Dillon measure, which sits on the toolhead along with my seater die.

We use a step down bushing for factory barrels where the throat is opened up more than it might be on a tighter (turn/no-turn) match chamber.

As an example, my Savage 308 blows the necks out to .344"-.345". If my final size bushing is .335", that's a step down of .010" and sizing this amount in one step can a) over work the necks and b) defeat the minimal spring back that brass necks tend to generate on their own.

I use the body die if and when I need to bump the shoulders back and then I have the two neck sizers in tandem.

In a four station press, you don't have a lot of wiggle room to add stuff, so the separate heads are a solution that takes only 20 seconds to swap in and out.

If you're shooting a barrel with a tight throat, then you probably don't need a step down pass, but my two Savages and M-700 7 RM Sendero all have generous throats.

If I'm just loading blasting/plinking ammo, I'll just put my FL sizing die into station 1 of the 'seating tool head' and go to town with the Dillon measure in station 2.

For precision ammo, many of us forego the expander ball entirely, unless we're loading brass...say from a semi-gas gun that flings the brass out and dings in the necks. For this stuff, I use the carbide expander balls and with these, lubing the inside of the necks isn't required.

Expander balls help for dinged in mouths, but they can also stretch the neck area upward, if you're not properly lubing the inside of those necks. Once you lube those necks, you generally have to tumble them again to get that lube off, unless it's a lube that is inert like Hornady's One Shot.

Chris

 

[Mike_R]

Re: Ways to take advantage of extra station on RL550B

CAPD= Case activated powder drop, this allows you to move the "powder" station to locations other than the second station.

The spring back makes sense to me, I hadn't thought of that. I might switch over to the 2 toolhead method, it sounds like that could give me better results. My throat is relatively tight, not neck turning tight but the WOA barrel I use produces less neck OD than other ARs I have used given the same brass. Either way the bushing probably wouldn't be a bad idea. I might experiment and post my results but that is the direction I am leaning now. my necks do occasionally get dinged so I should run something through them, again thanks for the suggestions. I need to get a better seater so I will probably get the Forster set (once somebody has it in stock) and go from there.

 

[kritos666]

Re: Ways to take advantage of extra station on RL550B

I agree with chris..
two tool heads is a great way to go.
I have a sub-moa AR and sub-moa bolt 308. the only press I have is a 550b.

I have trimer die for the dillon power trimer and the resize die in one tool head. the power trimmer is pricey but it works really well for me. All I use is dillon dies, I'm not married to them. It was just what I bought, and so far I have been happy with the results.

my second toolhead, has the powder/seating/crimp dies. I use the CAPD with one exception. I added a micrometer to replace that funky bolt it makes powder adjustment SOOO much nicer.

I will have to try Chris' suggestion of removing the expander ball. that makes a lot of sense.