Due to my increased volume of pistol shooting I recently purchased a RCBS Pro2000 indexed progressive press. I have always handloaded cases on a Rock Chucker press and have a few rifle loads that call for 110% capacity of powder. I wonder how it is possible to make such loads in a progressive press since everything is automated. It seems to me this would just make a mess with spilled powder.

Perhaps my thinking is fuzzy since the press has a reasonable drop from the powder measure to the case.

I don't like a progressive for rifle. I happen weigh every load except some of my 223 plinking stuff.

If you need a drop tube or vibration etc I would stick with your Rock Chucker.

electric razors make a nice powder settler.
the dillon 550 also has an adaptor so you can use a regular powder dump.
the one that comes on the 550 is as accurate as my redding-br model is with the same powders.
i load my 308's,223's,06's, and 30--30's on them all the time.
my 6-H and ar-30 don't know the difference.
or maybe i just don't know the difference between a .3 and a .5 target [or care that much]

I use my Dillon 550 for all my rifle reloding. When I want to weigh powder charges I just don’t put powder in the powder measure. I use a Pack powder dispenser and scale to dispense and weigh the powder. Just remove the locater pin in the powder station that way you can easily remove the case to add the powder. This also means you can use a drop tube and a vibrator to get that 110%powder fill. Using a progressive in this manor is still much faster than using a single stage press.
Bill

Single stage for me

You have to design your loads to work in the progressive.
1. No large stick powders if possible to ensure easy dispensing - ball powders are much preferred.
2. Carbide dies to reduce friction and minimize lube - not available for most rounds and very expensive for those that are. For tapered cases you will have to use lube and the lube will be on the finished rounds.
3.Carbide bushing dies maybe a good alternative if you know how to set them up and use them
4. Carbide expanders if you have to use an expander to avoid lube for the expander ball though I think you still have to use a little. It is better to use bushing dies I think.
5. You need some method to trim the cases on the press after sizing unless you just cut them short now and then. Dillon makes an expensive on press trimmer.

Except for plinking ammo for the 223 I use the single stage for precision rifle ammunition.

Since I weigh powder to .02 gr. and use a micrometer seater die I don't see any way or need to load in bulk for precision loads.

Gary

I use single stage for rifle. I have a Hornady ProJector. I just haven't found a powder drop that will deliver the consistency I require.

I have a Target Master auto trickle that makes powder charging a lot faster.

So it seems that the good old reliable single stage press is preferred for reloading rifle cases. That works for me. My volume shooting is with handguns and this was the purpose of buying the progressive press anyway.

Thanks folks.

I load all my Pistol rounds on my 550B plus 223,308 a,243,22/250.The measure works fine with short cut powders.The fact of the matter is that I use mostly ball powder for all my reloading now and use a powder dispenser rather than wasting my time weighing every charge.

I use a Dillon for purt near everything. I just don't use the powder drop for my rifle rounds. In my .308, the one hole ragged groups open up to just barely under and inch. It's fine for plinking but not for accuracy. Mainly use the Auto feature for my handguns.

Load your hunting and target loads on your single and your plinkin stuff on the progressive. I like dillon for progressive, got 3. Have good luck with ball powder in the dillons but they still vary more than I like for target and hunting.

i use the dillon 650 for 223 & 308. but i do change the powder measure from dillon to a hornady. I find it works much smoother and more accurate than the dillon when using larger amounts of powder. For most other rifle rounds - they go through the coax. I find in general that unless i have more than 100 rds to load it doesn't pay to set the dillon up for a caliber change

about the only thing I use the rockchucker for anymore is depriming military brass, and the occasional .470 or .375.

I prime, dump powder, and seat bullets on a 550. Other steps get done on a single-stage.

Dillon 650 for every thing under 600 yds.
Richard I yours is the first prometheus measure I have seen albeit a picture. does it work as advertised?

muck

PS how much does it cost?(ball park)

quote:

Originally posted by muck:
Dillon 650 for every thing under 600 yds.
Richard I yours is the first prometheus measure I have seen albeit a picture. does it work as advertised?

muck

PS how much does it cost?(ball park)

it weighs and dispenses charges accurate to one kernal of powder in less time than it takes to seat a bullet. Price, is roughly equal to a high end scope.

Okay. Wake up call. .2 grains in a pistol is generally a hot change and could result in a pressure excursion even with normal powders. .2 grains in a load 5-10 times larger should not be as critical a factor as you should never be at the bleeding edge of pressure

Back in the day ( can't speak to current practice as I have been to a br contest in a decade )some winning bench rest guys threw not weighed their charges and focused on oal case capacity and projectile concentricity

I use my Hornady lnl ap for rifle and most pistol loads. I can do load dev by weighing and pouring charges with a funnel in the place of the powder thrower.

It always surprises my that people will load pistol ammo, which is far more critical on charge weight and oal than rifles, on a progressive but say the progressive powder thrower isn't accurate enough.

My concern was about 110% loads and powder spills, not minute changes in loads.

quote:

Originally posted by gray fox:
My concern was about 110% loads and powder spills, not minute changes in loads.

If you read my post I told you how to overcome that obstical on a progresive ie a Dillon 550.
Bill

I set my powder measures on my dillons far enough under max a .5 gr. aint gonna screw things up and they throw powder closer than that. If I wanna run out there on max. or more I weigh every charge.

Hi Bill, yes I got your post, thank you. I was responding to Jeffferosso about his precision comment.

quote:

Originally posted by gray fox:
Hi Bill, yes I got your post, thank you. I was responding to Jeffferosso about his precision comment.

gray fox,
I have to agree with jeffeosso on the issue of people not worried when loading pistol but agonizing over the powder weight in rifle. I have talked with several top bench shooters that say powder weight is one of the least influential in getting tight groups. Case prep and bullet prep are more productive in producing tight groups and of coarse having a concentric round doesn’t hurt.
Just wondering what load do you need to go to 110% loading on?
Bill

I am old school enough that I still use the original RCBS Piggyback for progressive. But I modify my steps for 5.56 loads:

I re-size and de-prime with the Rockchucker only, then tumble cases. Then I set up the Piggyback. I insert a case withouth the sizing die in the Piggyback and load as a normal progressive press. Works like a champ. I use Western Powder TAC in the press for the 5.56 and have had no trouble at all. I suspect the same technique would work for any bottleneck case...

I tend to do most of my reloading during the winter months, lead casting and lubing early in the year and in the fall outdoors, and target shooting from early spring to late fall. Now I have access to an indoor pistol range year round so need to reschedule all the activities to accommodate much higher handgun volume. This is why I bought the progressive press. I'll need to check old records for which ammo needs 110% powder but it is somewhere in this group: 270WSM, 30-06, 308, 303, (plus whatever I have forgotten) but only with one or two powders and it may not be used in the future. I just wondered if there was a problem.

With over a dozen powders and 700 pounds of lead there are lots fo loads to make without facing this problem.

I do appreciate the input.

The Dillon 650 is most definately the press of choice.Once your tool head is set up it's a walk in the park.

Many people like the 650. I have the 550 and am to far down that road to convert everything to the 650 format. I do have 3 square deals and like them for pistol.
The Dillon warranty is amazing.
Bill

Honestly it all depends on what I'm doing. Bulk '06 ammo with ball powder? Sure, no problem.

.257 roberts using long stick powder? Nope - too many issues with the powder not funneling correctly.

It all just depends.

I use my progressive on everything except load development. When doing load development, I use it as a single stage so I guess I use it for everything.The Rock Chucker sees duty only when a cartridge is so long it won't fit in the progressive(RUM).

single stage except .223 on my Dillon 650 and soon to get it set up for .308 as well.