Progressive powder measure accuracy

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mic2

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I have a dillon 550B press and was hoping to load 300 win mag for long range.(500-1000 yds) Bought the press from a freind and have not yet used it but am concerned about the accuracy of the auto powder measurer. Spoke with a pro staff shooter at the gunwerks booth at SCI concention who said he uses that exact press and it works great. Other people have said its not accurate enough for long range. Any thoughts?

Thnaks
 
Measure a few charges and see for yourself...

If the dillon won't cut the mustard and you don't need it post it on the EE and use the cash towards some fancy single stage stuff.
 
mic2 said:
I have a dillon 550B press and was hoping to load 300 win mag for long range.(500-1000 yds) Bought the press from a freind and have not yet used it but am concerned about the accuracy of the auto powder measurer. Spoke with a pro staff shooter at the gunwerks booth at SCI concention who said he uses that exact press and it works great. Other people have said its not accurate enough for long range. Any thoughts?

Thnaks
Click to expand...

please delete, assumed wrong.
 
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I have found my 550b to be within .1 grains at most. Works perfect for high volume pistol and plinking 223 but for the hunting rifle (6.5x55) and match 223ammo I use a RCBS chargemaster and a single stage press. If all you do is long range precision work I don't think it is your best choice.
 
You can do precision loads on a progressive press. Dillon makes a powder die that accepts a funnel on top, which you can use to dump in loads that are metered however you choose. It will slow down your loading process significantly, but it's still faster than the ol' Rockchucker.
 
There are a couple factors at play. One is the shape of the powder can affect the consistency of the powder charge; some powders just measure better than others. Two is that the progressive presses are meant for speeding through a high volume of cartridges for people who shoot fast and need piles of cheap ammo (usually closer range high accuracy, low precision type events). Three is that precision is usually a matter of consistency in the movement of the machinery; you have to pull and push the lever exactly the same with the same amount of force every time all the time to expect the exact same results.

It's for that reason that I have a Hornady LNL AP for cranking out 5.56mm for CQB matches and a single stage RCBS for precision shooting.
 
I'm contemplating the same thing, in regards to a 550 and some long range stuff. My plan is to set my powder measure for a little under, then take each case out from station 2, dump it on the pan and trickle up to the weight I'm after. Dump it back in the case, replace the case in the press and carry on. As mentioned, quite a bit slower, but I won't be doing large batches and it saves me buying a single stage press. Thoughts?
 
i use the lnl ap for pistol and 223 and have a redding big boss 2 for my precision and hunting. the 550b that you have can really be used like a single stage so it is a benefit there. i would use it like a single stage and measure out each charge manually. mostly because after 500 yards every little bit makes a difference so treat every stage like if it isnt perfect you will miss. also make sure you over cam your dies a little to reduce run out. in theory you shouldn't have a problem just take your time one day you will probably want a single stage but until then that press should work for you
 
no problems with the Dillon and .223.
weighing 23.5 gr was +/- 0.1 gr.
Just check and re-check that it doesn't drift.
Always check the first and last one (and every now and then,
depending on how many your doing.)
 
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