Well, it's official - I'm a Dillon Super 1050 owner! *VID post 18, PHOTOS post 29*

D

Doc M

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Well... this day has been a long time coming.

After about a gajillion (that's more than a bajillion, but less than a fiftillion) hours of research, I just got off the phone with Dillon Precision's International Sales Department.

I'm gonna be a daddy... to a Super 1050 rigged for .308 and .223. On-press swaging... highest throughput in the business... case feeding... options for a bullet feeder... years later, maybe a Ponsness-Warren autodrive... :dancingbanana:

Oh man, I can't wait. With my luck, Customs will hold it up for two weeks or something...

Anyone else love their 1050 and want to share some reloading #### with a future user? I've watched every single video on YouTube that features the 1050 - even the ones that are oriented sideways in the frame... I need something else to tide me over until this thing gets here!!!

Oh, uh, also - setup tips and tricks that I can't get by RTFM (which I already downloaded and read in PDF format, btw) are very appreciated. :redface:

-M
 
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A few things to think over.

Will you sit or stand to load?

Already have your bench built?

Do you have room above for the casefeeder and eventual bullet feeder?

You can get away with 20 inches of bench depth.

Don't order the bullet tray. If you need one, I have one you can have for the cost of postage.
 
Daveg01 -

pumped doesn't even begin to describe it! :)

Canuck223 -

I appreciate the generous offer for the tray; I might have to take you up on that one, once I get it all sorted out and take a moment to breathe.

Regarding the bench, I didn't realize I could squeeze this setup into just 20" of depth... my existing setup should MORE than accommodate that... it's a bit cramped right now with 2 presses on it, but obviously I'll be unmounting my Lee Loadmaster in favor of the new kid on the block... and the single-stage Lee can always be fitted elsewhere.

I'll probably stand to load, and if that gets tiresome I'll fabricate a high stool I can sit on - I'm not too bad with a welder, for a guy who makes his living as a nerd. ;)

Quigley -

I'm looking forward to putting the joy back into reloading as well... I've skipped a few weekends at the range because I just didn't have enough loaded rounds (I wasn't out, but I like to have a minimum amount at the house... I'm sure you guys know how it is, lol)! I've got a whackload of brass that just needs loading - and being that I only load .308 single-stage (just too heavy for my Loadmaster right now), it takes a bit of work to cook up 400-500.

As for .223, I presently:
-FL size, decap
-Trim/deburr/chamfer
-Swage
-On to the Loadmaster for powder, seat, crimp.

I'm fast enough on the Loadmaster that I can crank out 450 or so in an hour, feeding cases by hand. I can't wait to see what I can do on my Dillon.

The .223 carbide dies are backordered, so I called today and asked them to just ship me the ensemble without the .223 carbides... I have a die set that'll be fine, and with the conversion kit I'll have the swage rod etc. that I really need. It's slated to ship Monday, and I am beyond stoked. I'll likely toss up some YouTube vids once I get it up and running; if I do, I'll put links here!

-M
 
Doc M said:
I'm looking forward to putting the joy back into reloading as well... I've skipped a few weekends at the range because I just didn't have enough loaded rounds

-M
Click to expand...

That was pretty much the same story for me...

Before any match...there I was the nite before cranking out the required rounds on my 550. Now...I have enough ammo stock piled for a few months worth of shooting. Less time at the bench...more time on the range!
 
Quigley said:
That was pretty much the same story for me...

Before any match...there I was the nite before cranking out the required rounds on my 550. Now...I have enough ammo stock piled for a few months worth of shooting. Less time at the bench...more time on the range!
Click to expand...

Yup, that's my take on it too... if I start "billing my time" at even $10 an hour, this 1050 is going to pay for itself right quick! :)

-M
P.S. It shipped today!!! Booyah!
 
Nice! I have a Dillon 650. I'm just loading 9mm for now. I want to start reloading 223 for my Norc M4. I think I went a little nuts on brass. I bought 2k of that stuff and I don't plan to shoot that much. Although I want to start reloading 223 right now, I am still patient b/c it's going to cost a lot to get 223 setup b/c I want the fancy tools. My M4 is feeling it. Only saw under 30rds since I bought it last summer. I refuse to buy anymore factory since my reloading press tells me don't do it. Planning to buy a scope for the M4 too. If I feel secured about my job, I would buy all the goodies now. Not yet...

Even worse (or good) I still want to reload 44 magnum too for future S&W 629 and I also want a long range precision rifle to boot. Doh... I don't know what I got myself into. Guns are $$$ and can't just have one. Arrrgh! Dillon almost paid itself off thx to shooting my own 9mm lead cast bullets. :)

If you really want carbide Dillon dies right away, you should check with ellwoodepps.com in Ontario. Last I checked, they have one in stock last September when I bought Dillon 650 from them.
 
jobbass said:
How much cost you everything.
Click to expand...

Well, for a setup in 2 calibers and a whackload of goodies to go along with it, it was USD$2484.92. Good time to buy, when the exchange is near 1:1!

However, in just one calibre with only the base setup, it would have been $1,850 or so (shipping included).

I plan to do an assload of .223/5.56 and a buttload (that's smaller than an assload, btw) of .308/7.62 - my shooting time is dictated not by expense of components but rather how much/how many I can load up and take with me! If I bill my time at $10/hr, this thing will 'pay for itself' quite quickly... and if I can 'farm out' the machine for things like crimped primer swaging, a lot of my shooting buddies are going to love me - and they're willing to pay a token fee for the service too. Since it's not loaded ammo, it's all good. :)

-M
 
Sounds awesome.

FWIW TSE in Calgary has the Dillon Carbide die sets for .223 in stock, they had three or four last weekend.

Also I have been talking to Rick at Mr.BUlletfeeder and he is getting me set up with a conversion for my bullet feeder to .223 and .308. The best way to deal with him is over the phone.


I'm just running a 650 now, but one day hopefully I'll see a 1050 on my bench as well.
 
Thanks for the tips, Sosa - I might make a Calgary roadtrip and pick up a carbide set if I think it'll be worth it... for now, I'll see how my standard dies run first though. I've got them polished up and they run "like butter" through my single-stage, so I hope they'll work just as well on the 1050.

-M
 
So I got the update today...

It left Dillon's Arizona offices Monday (22 Mar) and it's already at the border in customs being cleared! If customs doesn't take their sweet-ass time, I'll have it in my hot little hands by tomorrow or Friday!

I think I should seek treatment for my excitement... I figure loading about 600 or so rounds of .308 at a relaxing pace should do it? And that's only because that's all the projectiles I have handy right now... lol!

-M
 
Oh baby! It's cleared customs and I'm going to pick it up at the FedEx depot tomorrow! They would deliver it Monday for me, but I want it this weekend, damn it! :D

Pics to follow, for sure.

-M
 
Hahahaha! Well, it's already set up but I'll take a few good pics ASAP and maybe toss up a YouTube vid if I can rig up some decent lighting in the "man cave."

I thought about doing a whole 'unboxing' style review, but I just couldn't contain myself and all I had was my camera phone handy... I'll go step by step through the machine and put up a series though; the website and even manual photos don't do it justice. There are a lot of little things that guys might like to see up close and personal... stay tuned!

-M
 
Alright, so I've just finished putting the machine through its paces for the first time.

I have to admit that, right now, I'm a bit disappointed in the Dillon factory adjustments. The tension on the ratchet was off (causing the press to lock in the 'down' position until I released the ratchet trip manually - re-adjustment solved that), the primer pawl popped loose after 3 rounds and I had to re-adjust it, and the biggest issue now is that the case feed system will mis-feed about 1 in 3 times at station 1. The case feeder and drop tube are great, but the actual case being pushed into the shellplate will pop right out about once in 3 or 4.

When it works, MAN it works... it's a damn slick machine... I'm just working out the bugs right now and I'd like some feedback from 1050 owners on this shellplate feeding issue. I tightened the shellplate locknut and it cleared things up for a while, but now it's screwing up again and the tension is still where I left it. Would having it tighter or looser help? Which way do I go? I tightened the locknut down, then backed it off about 1/8 turn like I've seen some internet pundits suggest. That got me about 10 awesome feeds, then it messed up again.

It seems like it's not the height that's off, but rather the indexing - like the shellplate is just a few thousandths over-turned...

Also, what are you guys who own 1050s or 650s using for lube? I find this thing (even with carbide dies) WAY stickier with Lyman spray-on lube than my single-stages... I'm open to new ideas, because if I use any more of the spray-lube I'll end up with serious shoulder dents in my .308 cases.

One thing I will say for Dillon is that they adjusted the seating and crimp dies PERFECTLY. I did a 5-case study of case growth when sizing, and figured out how much I had to "over trim" to put myself in the right final case length after the first station - THAT part I have nailed. I trim to 2.005" and I end up between 2.010-2.015" after sizing, as tested.

There're a few gremlins to work out, but if I can get past 'em this machine's gonna be a madbastard in terms of output...

I'll put up a couple of pics here for those who've been asking, once I get 'em up on photobucket.

-M
 
Alright, I thought a YouTube vid would satisfy the masses before I could put together a big photo compilation.

[youtube]c7MUwxtxJfE[/youtube]

It's my first YouTube upload, so be gentle! :p It said 'processing' and said the quality should be much higher once it's done... hopefully by the time someone sees it, it'll be up to specs! The video on my "channel" page looked fine though, so I'm optimistic.

-M
 
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