Just getting in to reloading and was thinking of using a dillon progressive.I am looking to reload .223 and maybe .308 in the future usually shoot about 100 rounds a week give or take and federal gold match ammo is killing me Dou you all think progressive is the way to go for the volume I shoot or should I go turret or even single ? I want to reload as fast and as accurate as I can accurate being the more important one.AS always input is greatly appreciated.
Proegressive reloader
- Thread starter gremcat
- Start date
Help Support Long Range Hunting Forum
LewisH
Well-Known Member
Yes, IMO it is worthwhile. I've loaded all my .22 centerfire varmint cartridges for years on a Dillon progressive using neck sizing dies.
It's important to use ball or very fine extruded powders. Large extruded powders don't meter well through the Dillon slide powder dispenser.
It's important to use ball or very fine extruded powders. Large extruded powders don't meter well through the Dillon slide powder dispenser.
What would varget be considered? I figured I would use that with 69 smk and federal match primers out of federal brass Would this work on a progressive?I also wanted to try reloader 22 I think it is called as I hear these two work the best .I am shooting a savage 12 fv .223 that will soon be bedded to a stockade stock and in the near future a 28" shilen 1 in 8
LewisH
Well-Known Member
Varget is a fine extruded powder that works ok in the Dillon.
RL22? A magnum powder that's too slow for the .308.
WW748 is a ball powder that's a target shooter's favorite in both the .223 and .308.
RL22? A magnum powder that's too slow for the .308.
WW748 is a ball powder that's a target shooter's favorite in both the .223 and .308.
milanuk
Well-Known Member
Varget is a short-cut extruded (stick) powder that doesn't generally meter worth a dang out of any powder measure, regardless of make or model. If you throw your charges w/ Varget, you'd better be using a pretty wide 'node' or else the plus/minus charge variations will bite you in the rear.
Win748 is a touch fast for the heavier bullets in caliber.
RE22 is not appropriate for the .308 (way too slow); RE15 is just right (another short-cut medium grain extruded powder like Varget, meters very slightly better in my experience).
I've not had good luck with the stock Dillon powder measure and stick powders of any kind; then again I'm kind of a picky SOB about some things
An RCBS Uniflow mounted on my 550 does pretty well so far with RE15 for a .308. Between the heavy spring and the rotary drum style measure, it seems to give fairly consistent results on target.
YMMV,
Monte
Win748 is a touch fast for the heavier bullets in caliber.
RE22 is not appropriate for the .308 (way too slow); RE15 is just right (another short-cut medium grain extruded powder like Varget, meters very slightly better in my experience).
I've not had good luck with the stock Dillon powder measure and stick powders of any kind; then again I'm kind of a picky SOB about some things
An RCBS Uniflow mounted on my 550 does pretty well so far with RE15 for a .308. Between the heavy spring and the rotary drum style measure, it seems to give fairly consistent results on target.YMMV,
Monte
I`ve been loading on a 550 Dillon since the 80`s and would want to load on no other press. I recomand you use only Ball powders. I have use the short cut powders and they are far better than long stick powders, but there are pleanty of good ball powders for every round you want to load. I load rifle rounds from the .17 AH to the .411 Hawk and handgun ammo from .38 SP to 500 S&W. I load 7 different wildcat rounds that I play with, all on my 550 Dillon. I have shot 5 shot group in the .100`s ant 100 yrds. with ammo loaded on my Dillon. Can`t beat them.
I started out learning on an RCBS Rock Chucker single stage. As my free time became smaller I wanted to crank out more ammo in less time and I bought a Dillon 550B. It's one of those decisions that you'll think about for a long time and as soon as you get a 550B you'll wonder what took you so long to get one.
I've lost items and broke a shellpate (because of an unlubed stuck peice of brass that was my fault) on my 550B and even after I tried to explain that the issues were 100% my fault they would still send me a new peice for free.
Especially if you ever plan to reload for pistol ammo, you can't beat the blue Dillon press!
I've lost items and broke a shellpate (because of an unlubed stuck peice of brass that was my fault) on my 550B and even after I tried to explain that the issues were 100% my fault they would still send me a new peice for free.
Especially if you ever plan to reload for pistol ammo, you can't beat the blue Dillon press!
Forester
Well-Known Member
I think it depends on your goals. My pistol ammo needs to shoot at least a 4 inch group at 50yards from the bench and I can match or exceed this easily with a good load on my Dillon 550B.
I have never found a powder dump that lives up to the consistency I want for my rifle ammo so all of it gets trickled on a balance beam scale. I just can not bring myself to trust the electronic scale when trickling powder. I have found the RCBS dump with the micrometer adjustment and a powder baffle to do the best among the major maker's powder dumps. I have never tried one of the really high end powder dumps so I cannot comment on them.
I would not trust the Dillon powder measure to give the consistency I want with any extruded powder or for any precision rifle ammo. About the most I would use it for would be .223 or .308 to be used for plinking or short range (<100yards) competition, and then only with a ball powder.
My 2cents
I have never found a powder dump that lives up to the consistency I want for my rifle ammo so all of it gets trickled on a balance beam scale. I just can not bring myself to trust the electronic scale when trickling powder. I have found the RCBS dump with the micrometer adjustment and a powder baffle to do the best among the major maker's powder dumps. I have never tried one of the really high end powder dumps so I cannot comment on them.
I would not trust the Dillon powder measure to give the consistency I want with any extruded powder or for any precision rifle ammo. About the most I would use it for would be .223 or .308 to be used for plinking or short range (<100yards) competition, and then only with a ball powder.
My 2cents
