From the December 1993 Precision Shooting ....

Daryl Dudley competed in benchrest competition with a conventional benchrest rifle using 6 PPC and 6 BR Talldog cartridges. Cases were originally prepared per accepted benchrest techniques and practices. His reloading dies were made by Neil Jones.

But the ammo was assembled on a Dillon 550 including primer seating, powder charging, sizing, and bullet seating using the press in its normal progressive manner.

Dudley competed in the Phoenix Cactus Classic, Lafayette's Crawfish Benchrest match, Sixth Annual Firewalker Match, and others. He competed in light and heavy varmint classes.

At the Firewalker Match, he fired groups of 0.183", 0.252", 0.165", 0.219", and 0.280" producing an aggregate of 0.219" -- good enough for a fourth place finish at the 100 yard distance. The next day he placed fourth once again at the 200 yard distance. His combined 100 and 200 yard performance placed him second overall for the Heavy Varmint class. In Light Varmint, he placed second at the 100 yard distance but not so good at the 200 yard. He placed fourth for the combined 100/200 Yard Light/Heavy Varmint Aggregate.

So maybe a Dillon progressive has potential.

Hammer

Doesnt David Tubb use a Dillon 550 also? Myself it seems there are steps to do between stages; like decap, clean pocket, lube, wipe lube, etc. that would take away the advantage. Now for pistol, I crank em out on my Dillon, I still decap and clean the pocket on the RC first.

Were there more than four competing? That might make a difference....

Good point.

There were 64 shooters competing.

But those group sizes look pretty good even if they had not been shot in the heat of competition.

Hammer

The new Tubb book 'The Rifle Shooter' has a whole section dedicated to discussing the modifications and improvements made to the Dillon 550 that he uses.

Monte

It was the dies made by Neil Jones, more than the make of the press.

HI,

Iceholeken, I have been called something like that name before, anyway I agree with you I have a 550. When I am reloading rifle rounds I have found I end up using it like a single stage. I use a powder dump, so I resize take out so and so. That is why I want to buy a forster co-ax and use that just for my rifle and keep the 550 for my handguns,it pumps them out like crazy. Kev

243winxb,



Definitely, Neil Jones makes outstanding dies.



The Precision Shooting writer Daryl Dudley was using Neil Jones dies before switching to the Dillon 550 press.



Dudley does not claim that the Dillon press improved his shooting performance. He merely points out that switching to the Dillon and using its progressive loading features did not deteriorate his performance. And this allowed him to load his match ammo faster and occupy less time at the match in the loading process which is done between relays.



Hammer

Kev, I am an avid ice fisherman, hence the name. I guess I fit the other catagory also sometimes....