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What press to use for mass quantity .223 rounds ?????
- Thread starter bigbuck
- Start date
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SidecarFlip
Well-Known Member
The easy answer is a Dillon. They make the best progressive seni automatic press going and the most expensive. You get what you pay for.
Planning on stockpiling 223's???
Planning on stockpiling 223's???
Sully2
Well-Known Member
Without a doubt...Dillon 550
Broz
Well-Known Member
I have a Dillon XL 650
I do all my loading on a dillon 550 b. When im loading for longrange, I use it as a single stage press, but when im loading 223, 40 45 etc, I run it progressivly. Call and,get a free catalog- 1-800-223-4570. The 550 b as it comes set up for one caliber is 439.95. Then u can buy a toolhead and conversion kit for each caliber. load rate is advertised at 500-650 hour and have found that to be accurate for pistols. if u are using crimped brass you will want the dillon super swager. The 550 is more versatile but if your only loading 223's they make some models that remove the crimp for u. Their customer service is unreal, break a a part and they will replace it no questions asked
SidecarFlip
Well-Known Member
Dillon makes a dandy (and now copied by Hornady) military crimp remover (bench mounted) primarily for 223 once fired military (Federal) brass. I have one btw, a necessity if you load with anything other than a Dillon and use once fored brass because most OFB is military crimped.
I knew Jeff had a Dillon, he has everything else.......
It appears everyone wants a 223 nowdays, except me. I have a couple already.....(not AR's)....
Of the 5000 or so loaded cartridges in that caliber I have, all were loaded on my Rockchuker. I wasn't in any hurry to get them loaded and I have plenty of time.
BTW, I almost forgot, Graf sells Dillon Presses and accessories.
I knew Jeff had a Dillon, he has everything else.......
It appears everyone wants a 223 nowdays, except me. I have a couple already.....(not AR's)....
Of the 5000 or so loaded cartridges in that caliber I have, all were loaded on my Rockchuker. I wasn't in any hurry to get them loaded and I have plenty of time.
BTW, I almost forgot, Graf sells Dillon Presses and accessories.
I have a Dillon XL 650
Broz , how do you like your press? I would mainly use it for .223 and .45 ACP . Would your setup work for my application ?
Your loading room looks outstanding !
Lamiglas thank you very much for posting the phone #.
One more question to you guys . I dont know anything at all concerning the .223 's If I purchase a .223 die set will it work for any .223 black rifle ?
I have a set of .300 WSM Dies that i am going to post for a swap on .223 dies but I dont know exactly what to ask for .
Thanks for yalls advice.
SidecarFlip
Well-Known Member
What is a 223 black rifle anyway?
There has been ooodles of discussion on various sites about intermixing 223 Remington and 556 NATO. Most OFB you buy will be .223 unless stated. It will be most likely military crimped so the crimp has to be reformed/removed to prime. There are subtle differences between the 2 cases so my rule of thumb is I don't mix.
I load my .223 brass with RCBS Gold Medal Match Dies, not bushing dies, one step below bushing dies on the FL and NS dies but with the Competition bullet seater. I like the RCBS Comp seater because it is set up to take a bullet from the front instead of the bottom and 22 caliber bullets aren;t all that big. Easier to drop in and seat that put in the bottom and pinch your fingers... plus the micrometer head makes setting SAMMI specs and repeatability easier.
I use Hodgon powders and CCI primers and Hornady 55 grain HPBT pills.
Keep in mind that like the big calibers, the 223 is a bottleneck and as a bottleneck it will exhibit all thje characteristics of it's big brothers like case elongation, neck cracking and pressure signs around the case head. You have to trim to length regularly and anneal if you want then to last. I don't anneal the Federals but I do anneal the Lapua. The Feds are tossers anyway after the 3rd reload.
Hope that helps probably I just muddied the water some more.......
There has been ooodles of discussion on various sites about intermixing 223 Remington and 556 NATO. Most OFB you buy will be .223 unless stated. It will be most likely military crimped so the crimp has to be reformed/removed to prime. There are subtle differences between the 2 cases so my rule of thumb is I don't mix.
I load my .223 brass with RCBS Gold Medal Match Dies, not bushing dies, one step below bushing dies on the FL and NS dies but with the Competition bullet seater. I like the RCBS Comp seater because it is set up to take a bullet from the front instead of the bottom and 22 caliber bullets aren;t all that big. Easier to drop in and seat that put in the bottom and pinch your fingers... plus the micrometer head makes setting SAMMI specs and repeatability easier.
I use Hodgon powders and CCI primers and Hornady 55 grain HPBT pills.
Keep in mind that like the big calibers, the 223 is a bottleneck and as a bottleneck it will exhibit all thje characteristics of it's big brothers like case elongation, neck cracking and pressure signs around the case head. You have to trim to length regularly and anneal if you want then to last. I don't anneal the Federals but I do anneal the Lapua. The Feds are tossers anyway after the 3rd reload.
Hope that helps probably I just muddied the water some more.......
What is a 223 black rifle anyway?
There has been ooodles of discussion on various sites about intermixing 223 Remington and 556 NATO. Most OFB you buy will be .223 unless stated. It will be most likely military crimped so the crimp has to be reformed/removed to prime. There are subtle differences between the 2 cases so my rule of thumb is I don't mix.
I load my .223 brass with RCBS Gold Medal Match Dies, not bushing dies, one step below bushing dies on the FL and NS dies but with the Competition bullet seater. I like the RCBS Comp seater because it is set up to take a bullet from the front instead of the bottom and 22 caliber bullets aren;t all that big. Easier to drop in and seat that put in the bottom and pinch your fingers... plus the micrometer head makes setting SAMMI specs and repeatability easier.
I use Hodgon powders and CCI primers and Hornady 55 grain HPBT pills.
Keep in mind that like the big calibers, the 223 is a bottleneck and as a bottleneck it will exhibit all thje characteristics of it's big brothers like case elongation, neck cracking and pressure signs around the case head. You have to trim to length regularly and anneal if you want then to last. I don't anneal the Federals but I do anneal the Lapua. The Feds are tossers anyway after the 3rd reload.
Hope that helps probably I just muddied the water some more.......
Awe you didnt muddy the water . A friend of mine has always had .223's and he told me that you could not shoot a 556 Nato in a standard .223 gun but you could shoot a standard .223 round in a 556 Gun. I then told him it sounds like a hotter round and the bolt want take it on the weaker gun . Maybe someone will set me straight on this if I am confused . Does this sound like what you have heard on other sites.
On a side note I will pull out the Hornady Books and read up before I start packing powder
I understand the difference in the two calibers is in the leade angle. Basically the 5.56 has a long throat and shallow leade angle versus the standard throat of the .223. Thus ammo loaded for the longer leade has more freebore and is loaded slightly hotter to compensate. If fired in a standard .223 it may result in high pressure.
I have a Dillon 450 and have never ran it in progressive mode,I think I have most of the parts to convert it to a 550. It is a nice press.
I have a Dillon 450 and have never ran it in progressive mode,I think I have most of the parts to convert it to a 550. It is a nice press.
boomtube
Well-Known Member
What I have or what I wish I had isn't part of the question; anyone wanting to make a mass of ammo in the shortest time should get a Dillon 1050.
