I am a service rifle shooter loading precision 223 ammo.

I am assembling my brand new 650. The salesman told me I could use my RCBS uniflow. He sold me an adapter to do so, appears to be useless BTW. He also told me the Dillon measure is not going to work well with 4895. I have a LOT of 4895 so please don't tell me to use something else.

He did NOT tell me that the RCBS will need to be manually operated. This is a deal breaker for me. I see no point in a progressive press with a manually operated powder measure. Not only is that slow but to many balls in the air will cause me to make mistakes.

Anyone have experience with this? I am strongly considering sending it all back.

Scot

Dillon makes a belted magnum powder system just for this application.

Belted magnum powder measure

quote:

Originally posted by DavidReed:
Dillon makes a belted magnum powder system just for this application.

Belted magnum powder measure

Just what everybody needs for loading 223 ammo.

I bought a fully automated 650 with case feeder and all the bells and whistles. It never worked correctly, primers did not seat or fully seat and the low powder sensor was a joke needing readjustment every 10 rounds. I returned it to Dillon for repair, they sent it back still non working.
After going round and round with the owner, they finally returned my money.
In my experience, buy a Hornady Lock and Load and be happy from day one.

I dunno.

I brought the dillon stuff to keep up with IPSC/IDPA shooting and also do a fair amount of 3 gun.

I didn't have any trouble with 4895 with my 1050 (uses the same powder measure).

Before you get too upset, try the large bar (rifle) measure and see what happens. You probably will not have too much trouble. For me, I usually use 748 for .223, but have used quite a bit of 4895 as well. Seemed to shoot well for me, just have a lot of 748... kinda like your situation, I guess.

i use a hornady one on mine and it works fine automatic i think that you are missing the linkage set up

Maybe I should have got the Hornady. I did considerable research and found the Dillon was preferred over the Hornady about 5:1.

Two different Dillon techs told me that the Dillon measure will not work well with stick powders. I never intended to use it at all.

The powder measure adapter is defective as sold. The barrel for the sliding powder funnel has no rebate to keep the funnel from falling out. It also required a manual separate step to throw the powder. That is not what I was sold over the phone.

HP is different than 3 gun. The ammo needs to be much better for HP. Ball powders are temperature sensitive and non starter for the HP game, that is when you get to the Master level and above.

I ordered the RCBS case activated linkage kit. If that works, or can be made to work I think I will be OK.

I wouldn't take a Dillon press for free, but I do use the Dillon powder measure on my Hornady Progressive. It works fine, but I use it mostly for pistol. I have used it for 223 however. I like the sliding bar system for some reason.

I did a test of the Dillon measure on the 650. The throws look good enough when it works right. Unfortunately I must move the handle at a snails pace or it spills powder all over. It trickles through the sliding funnel very slowly. It also bridged and needed to be taken apart to clear it. I spent more time with the vacuum cleaner than weighing charges.

Although the salesman told me it would work, as sold it is not suitable for production loading with my 4895 in 223, IMHO. It bet it would work with 308. I bet it would work great with pistol ammo, I do not presently load pistol ammo. I have 23 days to decide if I want to return it.

I hope the RCBS linkage kit with the small uniflow chamber is the answer. Otherwise it all goes back to Dillon. I am currently looking at loading about 4000 223s a year. That is a lot work on a single stage press. Maybe the Hornady machine is the answer, I may find out.

I used both presses and bought the Hornady because the Dillon suffers from several design flaws, for me.
I know, lots of guys use them, and their marketing is superior; they even have their own magazine.
Yes, the Dillon measure does work for 308. I think it is the stick powder you are trying to get through a small hole, but any measure will have that.

4895 will work and so will other powders like H-322.
if I'm doing a big 10-K like bulk number of loads I just use AA-2230.
I know you don't want to hear that, but 4895 isn't gonna meter any better or worse than it does in your rcbs powder dump.

the 550 and 650's are both very simple machines, you just have to adapt to how they operate.

I used some H4895 for the first time tonight loading for 223 on my 650.

Spot checking, and all were spot on or +0.1 gr

Gonna shoot them tomorrow, I hope.

I was pleasantly surprised how well it metered despite what some say.



Try it and see before you worry too much about it.