Here's my set-up for .223 on my 650. I don't like Hornady spray lube, had stuck cases with it, besides it's expensive. I used the water based RCBS lube on a pad, with one of their neck brushes to do the inside of the neck. Then just dumped them in the case feeder.

After loading, 5 minutes in the FA/midway tumbler to de-lube them.



I use the dillon powder measures for handgun, but the wc-844 surplus powder is very fine, it would leak around the charge bar.

The Hornady case activated linkage works great for any type of powder and it has micrometer markings on the adjuster stem so you can record that info to return to a load.

I also use the powder check die, I removed it for this pic to show the linkage more clearly.

I have a Dillon 650 press that I mostly load pistol ammo with. I use the Dillon pump spray lube with great success. Just dump the brass into the hopper giving it a few squirts and turn on the case feeder, takes care of a lot of brass real quick. Should work the same for rifle brass.

HK

Grizz,

what parts do I need to run the Hornady measure.....I use mainly AR2208 powder which is your Hodgen Extreme varients.

Also is it alright to tumble live ammo ??

I only tumble loaded ammunition for a few minutes, just enough to get the lube off. Years ago I had some tarnished ammunition that I tumbled for several hours. That was a very stupid thing to do. Some of the old stick powder in the cases must have broken into smaller pieces. The first round I fired resulted in a pretty stiff bolt lift, so I did what I should have done to start with, pulled the bullets and threw away the cases and powder. I have read also that prolonged tumbling can polish the deterrent coatings off of the powder granules. That would also tend to boost pressures.

The Hornady parts are:
1. Lock-n-Load Powder Measure 050069
2. Case Activated Powder Drop 050065
3. Case Activated Basic Powder Die 050067
JCN

Charlie,

would I require these Hornady parts for the ADI range of powders...which is pretty well all I wil use.

Is it really neccesary to get the Hornady parts ??

Yeah,

I wouldn't recommend the Dillon powder metering system for anything much beyond ball or small flake pistol powder. With a small stick powder like our Varget (your 2209?) the Dillon will (on a good day) likely give you + - .3 grains. A drum type measure like the Hornady Lock-n-Load or the RCBS Uniflow will cut that tolerance in half. Just as important is to mount the machine on a very solid bench.

The Case Activated Powder Drop (that is the erector set looking assembly below the powder measure in Grizz's excellent picture) will work with the RCBS Uniflow powder measure. You would want to also get the micrometer handle. That way you can dial in the desired setting when switching between calibers/loads.

If you already have an RCBS uniflow measure it would be worth your while to get the case activated powder drop system from Hornady. If you don't have that yet you might want to polish up the Dillon powder system parts, and lube them with a dry teflon product like TEF-DRI from Bore Tech, or Rem-DriLube from Remington. Then see how consistent your results are (by weighing charges, and most important, by results on target). And then order the Case Activated Powder Drop.

I don't remember if the little sliding powder funnels came with my powder measure or the Case Activated Powder Drop. I just called Hornady to send me copies of the instruction sheets/parts lists to figure that out. Grizz has likely been more careful with his paperwork than I have, or may remember better what came with what.

The short answer:

1. Try the Dillon set-up.

2. If that is not precise enough, get the Case Activated Powder Drop with either an RCBS Micrometer Uniflow Powder Measure or the Hornady Lock-n-Load Powder measure.

3. None of these measures does a good job with the big slow burning stick powders, but in a big case, the exact amount of stick powder is not too important out to 300 yards.

JCN

The nice thing about the Lock-n-Load measure is that you can instantly change out pre-set powder chamber stems for different loads.

The nice thing about a micrometer style stem is that you can just turn the stem until it is at the desired reading for a particular load.

Two ways to approach the issue, both work.

Thanks Charlie for your help thus far, I have printed the Hornady parts reccomended and I will muck around with all this when my press arrives.

I may not even be setting it up initially as I may move house in the very near future.

Eventually I want an XL 650 for all the calibers I shoot all ready set up other than the big ones that will not fit

Running my Dillon was pretty intimidating to me at first. Still is before I've had my morning coffee.
Just be sure to get the Strong Mount and bullet tray for the unit, and then set it up on a very stable bench. The instructional video helps a lot, even if the guy in the video looks a little light in his loafers. Start with a pistol caliber. Those are easiest. Once you are used to how it works then progress (ha, ha) to the rifle loading. You will be very happy with your purchase. Enjoy.
JCN

Here's a couple places to get the case activated powder die/linkage. The first is dirrect from the Hornady site, the second is from Midway at about 10 bucks less. Just under the full die/linkage package, is the powder die itself. With this you can tranfer the measure and linkage without having to unscrew the powder die.

Thanks JCN for the complement!

Pc, if you need any other views,(pics), let me know. It only takes a few minutes to run a pic online and link it here.

case activated linkage

midway listing

Charlie,

the closest thing I have to pistol round at the minute is the 45/70 so it will have to be that first...well it is straight walled

That will work very well.
JCN