This past weekend I tried to get some rounds put together for the range and I found each step using my single stage Lee (Monster O ring) press just taking a long... Time. Yes, I know its important to take your time and yes every load I produce I would trust in any hunting situation because I'm extremely anal about weighing the power to the 1/10th of a grain and making sure everything is good. However, I have in the past considered stepping up to a Dillon 550 or other progressive press since I like the idea of doing more in less time. Given Big Bore rounds 375,416,458's that use standard dies sometime needs a little extra force to resize I was wondering if any of you are using progressive for reloading your big bore and if so which press has worked the best. Or should these progressive presses be left for cranking out pistol fodder.

Thanks Brad

I reload .45-70 rounds on a Dillon 550 and will be using another 550 for the .375 H&H as soon as the proper shell plate arrives. I am shooting mild cast loads if that matters. I have the good fortune to shoot often and my time is very limited. The .45-70 may move over to a Dillon 650 that is idle at the moment if I can conquer the considerable challenge of sourcing scarce lead for big fat bullets.

Progressives will do big bores too. And .1 grain is orders of magnitude less important in a 375 H&H than a 9MM Luger so don't worry too much about not being able to weigh each charge.

i do up to 458 lott and other 3.65" rounds on my hornady LNL

I do both 375 H&H and 416 Rigby on my Dillon 550 AT

I'm not a hunter but I find it kind of satisfying putting together 460 Weatherby rounds one at a time.

What I mean is; I'll size 20 cases on a single stage press, prime them using and RCBS posi-prime, charge them etc.

Have loaded thousands of rounds of 9,3 .375 .458 and some .458 lott on my dillion. All practice rounds though for use both by myself and many a learner PH.

For dangerous game I do not use reloads...i use handloads....starting with a new case and loaded carefully on my RCBS single stage.

That said, I have never had any problems or duds out of the dillion. I must say though that I much prefer the 650 to the 550 these days...

I,m not brave enough to put the time in to get good with a full progressive . Hopefully my next press will be a Lyman Turret press . Now that they are black ,I wont see all the moly smudges as much .. It is good to know the 550 and 650 will work for large cases as eell as 9 mm.

I've loaded lots of .375 H&H and .460 Wby. on an RCBS Ammo Master. But for the big Wby. case the powder measure couldn't keep up so I had to throw the charges individually.

If you need to be lubing cases like for partial full length resizing, and particularly the inside of necks, I dislike the idea of not getting the lube out of the necks before seating the bullet. That sort of excludes a progressive for most of my non-straight wall rifle reloading.

If you use a powdered lube that would probably be better inside necks.

I know quite a number of the highpower guys use progressives. There is a chapter on this in Zedicker's book, Handloading for Competition.

quote:

Originally posted by ARWL:
If you need to be lubing cases like for partial full length resizing, and particularly the inside of necks, I dislike the idea of not getting the lube out of the necks before seating the bullet. That sort of excludes a progressive for most of my non-straight wall rifle reloading.
.

I run several Dillon presses here for everything. I keep two set up for big bore rifles. I don't really use the progressive mode very often with the big bores, as volume is not needed most of the time.

I too dislike lube inside the case necks when loading progressive, especially the big bores. I also dislike dropping large powder charges as well.

What I do like above everything with the Dillons is that with the tool head your dies are set up permanently, no working with or adjusting needed. Loading severel "Like" cartridges, shell plates are rarely changed either. For instance if you load 375 HH, 416 Remington, 458 Win, 338 Win, 300 Win, 458 Lott, 470 Capstick--you do not change the shell plate at all, just slide one set of dies in and load. Same with my B&M series based on RUM brass, all the same, just slide the dies in.

My procedure is not really progressive, I lube and size everything. Clean the cases inside and out, prime on a RCBS bench priming tool. I have two RCBS Charge Masters set up and going for higher productivity and accuracy of powder charge if needed. Doing test work this is not required. Then seating bullets. I rarely do a lot of shooting with cheap ass bullets, so I figure to do my best to get everything right when shooting $2 each or better bullets! And, not loading for machine guns either! But having all my dies set up in a tool head is very valuable time saved!

Then of course with other things I do go progressive on as well. Best of all worlds I reckon!

Michael

I would recommend a Lee Classic Cast Turret press.

Thanks everyone for the info so far. From the concensus it seems that a modified progressive approach is the way to go. I like the dillion 550 tool head approach for that very reason that you can set your dies and leave them intact. I also like the idea of manually throwing your powder charge through the use of the included funnel or with a RCBS powder drop attached to the tool head powder die. I guess I'm trying to limit the number of individual steps that I preform so I can spend more time shooting than playing with reloading tools. I think I may go with the Dillon since its really not that much when compared to the costs of the commponets I use and the price of factory ammo. I may eventualy set up a tool head or two with the auto drop,auto prime for some speed but likely I will just use the press to increase the production speed a little while still maintaining high quaility.

Thanks
Brad

This is an older photo, some things have been added to this part of the loading room since this photo has been taken, but take notice of all the dies and tool heads set up, ready to go, slide in, load, slide out and keep going. Very efficient.

Michael:

I think we are on the same wavelength as far as Big Bore reloading set ups. You are doing what I thought was a good idea. Having tool heads set up for specific loads and then swaping them out. Looks like your manually weighing your charges rather than using the powder drops on each tool head? I also notice you dont have the powder funnels on each setup? Having an idle powder measure on each tool head gets expensive. If you could post a little more details on your loading process I'm sure others both now and later would apreciate it.

Thanks
Brad

quote:

Originally posted by michael458:

quote:

Originally posted by ARWL:
If you need to be lubing cases like for partial full length resizing, and particularly the inside of necks, I dislike the idea of not getting the lube out of the necks before seating the bullet. That sort of excludes a progressive for most of my non-straight wall rifle reloading.
.

I run several Dillon presses here for everything. I keep two set up for big bore rifles. I don't really use the progressive mode very often with the big bores, as volume is not needed most of the time.

I too dislike lube inside the case necks when loading progressive, especially the big bores. I also dislike dropping large powder charges as well.

What I do like above everything with the Dillons is that with the tool head your dies are set up permanently, no working with or adjusting needed. Loading severel "Like" cartridges, shell plates are rarely changed either. For instance if you load 375 HH, 416 Remington, 458 Win, 338 Win, 300 Win, 458 Lott, 470 Capstick--you do not change the shell plate at all, just slide one set of dies in and load. Same with my B&M series based on RUM brass, all the same, just slide the dies in.

My procedure is not really progressive, I lube and size everything. Clean the cases inside and out, prime on a RCBS bench priming tool. I have two RCBS Charge Masters set up and going for higher productivity and accuracy of powder charge if needed. Doing test work this is not required. Then seating bullets. I rarely do a lot of shooting with cheap ass bullets, so I figure to do my best to get everything right when shooting $2 each or better bullets! And, not loading for machine guns either! But having all my dies set up in a tool head is very valuable time saved!

Then of course with other things I do go progressive on as well. Best of all worlds I reckon!

Michael

Yeah, what he said. I weigh every charge, though, and only load .375 H&H and .458 Win. The .375 finished round is too long to allow the shell plate to turn on the 650, but I feed cases, prime and charge progressively

quote:

Originally posted by Brad aka Pill Shooter:
Michael:

I think we are on the same wavelength as far as Big Bore reloading set ups. You are doing what I thought was a good idea. Having tool heads set up for specific loads and then swaping them out. Looks like your manually weighing your charges rather than using the powder drops on each tool head? I also notice you dont have the powder funnels on each setup? Having an idle powder measure on each tool head gets expensive. If you could post a little more details on your loading process I'm sure others both now and later would apreciate it.

Thanks
Brad

Brad

When loading my rifles cartridges I never drop charges, all are weighed. I do a tremendous amount of test work on various things, and dropping powder charges is not part of it. In one of the photos you see a RCBS powder charge, I have only used that twice and that was on some of the Super Shorts, loading several rounds to put on the shelf. With 2 RCBS Charge Masters, I don't even use that anymore. I removed 2 of the Dillons from this loading room, and moved them out to the range room recently. Those two I load handgun, 45 ACP and 45 Colt on, and I drop powder charges with those for sure, and they are full progressive blow and go!

Exact procedure goes like this! Lube, size rifle cartridges, clean lubed cases with alcohol, check length if they need to be trimmed, trim. Move them over to the RCBS primer tool, prime, then most of the time I keep cases ready and primed for loading on the bench as you see in one photo. Most of these are kept for test loads of various things. Time to load, depends on what I need. If loading several different powders and only two to 5 loads each, then most of the time I dip and weigh these on the scales. If in production, I charge up the Charge Masters and have at it. With two running I cannot keep up with seating bullets, so they run pretty fast.

This is the state of my bench this morning!



Here you see the priming side, several different cases primed and ready for powder in little groupings for test loads.



Dies set up in Tool Heads, slide in, slide out, and swap around.






My little trimming operation. I have two of these, one is under the bench in case this one goes down for whatever reason-In fact I keep spares of lot's of things so as to not be out of production.




This is the main press I use for most rifles. It's relatively easy to work with when most of your case heads are the same, like the HH cases or the RUM cases as the B&M series is mostly either RUM or WSM, no changing shell plates. But even if you change the shell plate it takes about 1 minute to do so.




Since I have been working on a 50 B&M Alaskan project I have a second press set up with that cartridge right now.




That's about the jest of it.

Michael

Your shop is ENTIRELY too well organized...

Rich

quote:

Originally posted by Idaho Sharpshooter:
Your shop is ENTIRELY too well organized...

Rich

Thanks Rich, but I have to be honest, I was some ashamed to put the photos up this morning, it's a damn mess on my bench right now, but I just did not have time to clean up this morning for photos! I must get in there and have a cleaning out!

Michael

Do you prefer the Dillon lube to Imperial sizing lube?

quote:

Originally posted by IanD:
Do you prefer the Dillon lube to Imperial sizing lube?

Ian

I suppose I do. The Dillon lube cleans off easy with alcohol. I bought some Frankfort Arsenal the other day, I think it's the same as the Dillon. Works for me.

M

I have loaded about 4,500 416 Rem mag and about 1000 338-378s on my Dillion 550.I have loaded about 500 in three hours going very slow and crimping them also.I messed up at first crushing about 20 416 rem mag cases till I called Dillion.They stayed on the phone for 2 hours.I had the seating die juast a hair too far in .I have shot some nice groups with my 338-378 1/2" loaded on the dillion and alot of 1" groups with my 416 rem m,ags loaded on there.They need a hudge powder hopper instead of a 1 pound one.You zip right through it on those dilluion.I just buy 5 pounds of reloader 15 for the 416 rm and pour in as needed.I like Reduced loads in my 416 to save my shoulder and powder.My favorite is the 350 gr mag tip with 76 grs of Reloader 15 and a Federal 215 primer.I love My dillion 550 it has loaded over 30,000 rounds of various calibers over the 13 years i have had it.I am buying a new one so i have one for pistols and one for rifles and dont have to change the priming system.Dillion is the best way to go.The 550 dillion I have has loaded from the tiny 32 H&R mag to the 416 rem mag and the big old 338-378 .

quote:

This is the state of my bench this morning!

Cool!
I wish, I would have enough space in my flat, for such an loading bench.

Here´s my bench, small, but effective.

My next investment, is a Dillon 550 for .45ACP.


Martin

Thanks everyone for sharing their bench setups. I almost bought a dillon 550 yesterday but the gun shop owner talked me out of it. He stated that going progressive for big bores might be more work in the long run. He also felt the 550 struggled a little in risizing big bore cases. He said 308win no worries but when he tried 300 Win Mag he really had to work the machine hard to full length size the cases? I still like the idea of t he dillon but might buy the RCBS case prep motorized tool and an automatic powder unit before I jump onto the dillon. I still really like the tool head idea but might try and streamline my current set up first.

Brad

Last year, I bought a RCBS Ammo Master 2, for the larger ones.
The Dillon 550, I will buy, should be for my handgun rounds only, like the .45ACP.


Martin

Well who knows, I only load and shoot around 10000 rounds of big bore rifle each year, all loaded on Dillon 550s, I am sure the gun shop owner knows more than me!

Michael

Michael:

I knew you'd bite on this one

Thats why I had to post it rather than PM you. I think my wife would notice a nice big blue machine on the work bench last night if I had bought it and brought it home with me. I still am with you on the Dillon 550. It just makes too much sense not to go with it. I think the only hang up right now is how to reconfigure my bench for the Dillon. I still need my single stage for the 500 Jeffery dies but everything else could go over the the dillon. Not sure if I want to order the press stripped down or get it setup for say 375 H&H or some thing else I commonly shoot. I'm leaning towards your set up possibly using the auto prime on the Dillon and dropping/weighing the powder individually. Price wise your better getting the whole package at once. It's good to know you haven't broken you 550 yet.

Brad

quote:

Michael:

I knew you'd bite on this one Wink

HEH HEH HEH----Hook Line and Sinker!!!!!!!


Good one!

Brad

I don't like priming big bore rifle cartridges on the dillon, but other than that there is no issues. I have broken that bottom piece a couple of times priming big bores, I think it cost $35 or so. But that is because of so much pressure being put trying to get primers seated, I have also broken the RCBS bench primer too! If it can be broken, I can break it! Not priming on the dillon, never an issue with sizing or anything else.

Michael

Michael:

Your a good sport. Hey do you resize and then pull the cases off the dillon to prime? I was planning to keep them on the machine and then cycle them through. I may try and prime on the machine at least initally since I only have the RCBS hand priming tool and haven't got the bench primer. Also I would drop the powder through their powder die with the funnel attched since this looks like a slick way to do it. I may also try my RCBS Powder drop on the press don't know yet. Sounds like you would recomend that I start simple with the basic press? Unless I need high volume ie 45ACP I think I'll stay away from their auto powder drop setup.

Brad

Hey Brad

Thanks, I try! HEH.... I resize a run, then yes, I pull them, clean, trim if needed, prime. You can prime on the dillon, I just seem to have an issue (might be my 25 yr old dillon) getting primers deep enough! The other dillon I have set up on the 50 B&M Alaskan I prime on it without an issue. So yes, you can and probably be fine doing so. Try first and see how it does, like I said, the one press I am using may need some upgrades, it's very old. Dropping charges is fine, unless it's a stick powder, like IMR 4198 or so.

No, I would get the works, don't start simple, get the whole package, then you can use that with the 45 ACP and other things, and pick and chose how you want to load your big bore rounds. You have the best of both worlds when you need it!

M

quote:

I have also broken the RCBS bench primer too! If it can be broken, I can break it!

Sir! Not to put too blunt a point on it...but did your father know my mother? I must be a long lost brother!

It seems to be something that I suffer from too from time to time!

I only ever used a progressive for pistol rounds (9mm Luger on a Star) and some disasters with two cheap at auction Green Machines in 9mm Luger and 38 Special. My did I soon learn why those Green Machines were cheap! I managed to break them royally!

As far as rifle goes I never loaded more than a couple of hundred rounds at a time in any calibre and found that a single station Rockchucker and the obligatory Uniflow and RCBS Bench Priming Tool were enough.

In the 1980s I had RCBS supply a primer cup for their tool specially for the large Berdan primer then common in 303.

quote:

Sir! Not to put too blunt a point on it...but did your father know my mother? I must be a long lost brother!

Enfield

Well, don't know, maybe, my dad was in Germany for a little while? Never know?

HEH HEH HEH............

I load a lot of different big bore rifles, in my B&M series of cartridges alone, that is approaching 14 or 15 different cartridges, then all the other things like 458 Lott, 470 Capstick, 458 Win, 416 Remington, Rigby, Taylor and so on up to 510 Wells right now, and looking at other things. While much of the time I don't use progressive mode on the rifles, it is EXTREMELY efficient to have the dies set up, ready to go, slide in, slide out! That is a great advantage to me. Not sure how easy some of the other presses are in that regard, as I have never felt the need to even look or investigate it. I have been very happy with the Dillons in these regards. But I can break them as well! LOL

Regards
Michael

With my single station I set all the dies then screw the lock ring down to meet the top of the press. I then back off just a hair and tighten the lock ring fully tight whilst not disturbing the initial relative positions.

It sort of gives me the quick change Forster idea but in a conventional "O" press!

So that when I next screw the die into the press the now locked lock ring ensures that the die always goes back to how I want it.

For 270 Winchester I even have two bullet seater dies. One set for the 150 Nosler partition and the other current set for the 150n grain Speer Hot Core.

Ditto with my 6mm Remington. One seater set for the 100 grain Nosler and a second extra one for the cheaper 100 grain Sierra Pro-Hunter.

Those "second dies" alone save a lot of time messing about when swapping what bullet I want to load in that cartridge.

And you can pick up these odd single "orphan" seater dies cheap at gun shows as they aren't part of a set...so people think them worthless!

You can achieve a similar result by putting an O-ring under the locking ring...