Dillon 550 or single stage

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DinoS

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I have a 550 that I have loaded thousands of rounds for my 38 super but have never used it for rifle loading. I have heard that the accuracy is not there for accurate down range performance. If it works like it does on the 38 I cant see why it would not work with the 500M thing. 7mm 08 168 gr. is what I am single staging now, should I speed up and go with the Dillon.

Newbie to this site, Dino
 
The dillon is perfect for pistol and hunting, absolutely I have two 550, one for large the other for small primer cartridges. Now for long range precision, I have a CO-AX single stage. I was getting up to 5 thou run out on the dillon:eek:
 
DinoS said:
I have a 550 that I have loaded thousands of rounds for my 38 super but have never used it for rifle loading. I have heard that the accuracy is not there for accurate down range performance. If it works like it does on the 38 I cant see why it would not work with the 500M thing. 7mm 08 168 gr. is what I am single staging now, should I speed up and go with the Dillon.

Newbie to this site, Dino[/QUOTE

At one time I loaded .223 on a Dillon 1050 for a match AR15 I had assembled that would shoot 1/2" and under at 100 meters. I never measured the runout.

The load used Sierra 52/53gr HP and H4895 powder in new RP brass.

The 550 should do as well?
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johnl said:
I was getting up to 5 thou run out on the dillon:eek:
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I would bet there was runout on your brass/dies moreso than the press itself.;)

my runout measures on average less than one thou, with a small percentage gauging at up to 2 thou (maybe 5%) with virgin Winchester brass...


If you already have one, I'd recommend you try it - it will likely suprise you.
The beauty of the 550 is you can automate what you want, how you want it.
If you just want to do one function, for whatever reason, it can be used as a signle stage no problem. You can't do that with a single stage.
 
beltfed said:
I would bet there was runout on your brass/dies moreso than the press itself.;)

my runout measures on average less than one thou, with a small percentage gauging at up to 2 thou (maybe 5%) with virgin Winchester brass...


If you already have one, I'd recommend you try it - it will likely suprise you.
The beauty of the 550 is you can automate what you want, how you want it.
If you just want to do one function, for whatever reason, it can be used as a signle stage no problem. You can't do that with a single stage.
Click to expand...

You are probably right. The rifle shot so well I never had cause to question the runout. I used a B & L 36X target scope to test ammo and a 3 - 12 Redfield for competition. The farthest use it had was to 250 yards at the Miller one year, with great success. It would regularly make one ragged little hole on my personal 90 yard range. Wish I still had it!

I am not saying the Dillon 1050 is capable of loading benchrest quality ammo, merely stating my experience. Perhaps my machine was exceptional, I know the rifle was.

The rifle was assembled with a stock Colt lower, SGW (Olympic Arms) flat top upper, SGW 24" match barrel and tubular handguard. Twist was 1-9.

Cheers
 
For just pure out and out accuracy, I agree with the Forster Co-ax and i just like using it and find myself using my other presses less and less.
 
a company called uniquetek (google it) makes a cheap screw down kit fo dillin 550's to take all the slop out of the toolhead an then it should be as accurate as any single stage.
Andy
 
mp5k said:
single stage for accuracy, 550 for production. The singles are cheap & handy!
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I use a rock chucked for rifles and a dillon 650 for pistols
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Hornady L&L (recent purchase) and a Redding Ultra Mag on my bench. As mp5k states, singles are handy and they don't have to be expensive. Wish I had a Co-Ax though. You hear nothing but rave reviews about those things.
 
Thanks for the reply's I was just trying to get some info before getting a new holder. I like the Idea of using only the stages I want and possibly seating with a single stage. I will let you know how it goes.

PS I like the site, great to be here.
 
I use the 550 for seating and do not have uniquetek or any other system to take movement out of the press.
That 'slop' as far as I'm concerned, helps consistent alignment of the dies and shell plate.
I use Redding competition dies and it is as good as any single stage.
 
The weak link in the 550 for rifle is the powder thrower. For match ammo i weigh my rifle powder charges.

I have made a few hundred thousand rounds of match ammo on a 550 and a 650 (same thrower) but used ball powder (like WW748). This would through very uniformly. But if you happen to have a glitch, toss the next two powder charges, as they might be too heavy.
 
Well that's the beauty really; you can configure your dies however you want. In the event you want to weigh and trickle each charge, set up a die plate without the powder dispenser and use a funnel instead.
 
Dino, since you already have a 550, go ahead and use it for making precision rifle ammo.

The quality of your dies (sizing, and seating), and to a certain extent how you set them up and use them, have much more effect on the quality of your loaded ammo than any slop or imprecision in your press (which is surprisingly unimportant). Press features that matter more are things like strength, smoothness of operating and and ease of use, etc.

Making really good match ammo is only slightly faster in a progressive than it is with a single stage. It is common to break the loading process into two separate passes through the press. Pass 1 through the press sizes and primes the brass. You might want to then de-lube the cases. Usually you'll charge the cases with powder either with a bench-mounted thrower, or with weighed charges (though weighing charges is usually not useful for ammo fired at 600 yards or less). Pass 2 through the press will seat the bullet.

Some extra tools will help you set up your dies (concentricity gauge, case headspace gauge), though they aren't needed once you're set up. If you can get an experienced reloader who owns these tools to help get you set up, you won't need to buy them right away.
 
I think Belty's right. I LOVE the looks and idea of the co-ax press but some reading through the benchrest forums advise spending money on quality dies seems to be the way to accuracy not the press.
 
I have a Co-Ax press, and think it's a well-designed, well-made machine. If you like really good gear, it's a good thing to treat yourself with some day. But if you are tight for money, you can put off buying a high quality press pretty much indefinitely.

A far more urgent and important place to spend your initial accuracy dollars, would be on good dies.

A "nice-to-have" tool that would come next would be high quality powder measure, one that is easy to use and throws well. There are several out there; I have a Redding BR-30, which I am happy with. I use its micrometer adjustment to record settings in my log book, and return to them. It throws consistently enough that I am happy to use thrown charges of Varget from it for shooting out to 600m without hesitation. And with some load combinations, I have even used thrown charges of Varget from it at 900m (there's a bit of a story behind it, but the ammo I shot at 800m & 900m to win the Gov. General's Prize in 2009 was made with thrown charges of Varget).
 
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