OK, I just broke down and got a Dillon 550

[VictorLouis]

It's been a while since I last reloaded, but I am thoroughly familiar with the basics, and I've owned a Hornady ProJector before. What I would like is your suggestions for powder and primer combinations for the following calibers:

.38 158gr SWCs, .357 125(jhps?), 9mm 115gr ball and .45, both 185gr SWC, or 230gr ball.

I want to get the most loads for the money, w/o concern for max velocities or hyper accuracy. I am concerned with cleanliness. The least amount of excess smoke and soot, the better. Yes, I will be using FMJs, or copper washed bullets with the bases covered. Thanks for the input.

[Steve Smith]

Glad to hear that you joined the "inner circle." Please come to our next meeting so you can learn the "secret handshake!"

Anyway, I have only used one pistol powder, because I bought an 8 lb keg...I'll be needing more soon! I have been using W231 with great success. Some folks have said it is dirty, but I have not found this. I'm using 5.4 gr. of W231 behind a 200 gr. .452 LSWC bullet (in a .45 acp case). Winchester primers are recommended for the Dillon. Some have said that the CCI's do not feed well.

[tawakoni]

Welcome aboard, Victor! I have been loading the same calibers on my Dillon, but I need at least 1000 .45ACPs per week so that is all I have time for now. My pet load is 4.6gr W231 pushing a 200gr LSWC. It's accurate, reliable and definitely in the mid-range category. I like the 200gr Ranier copper-washed SWC a lot but I use the LSWC because it is about half the cost. Gun cleaning is almost a religion for me. It doesn't take me any longer to clean a 1911 that has had a diet of lead than it does to clean one that used jacketed bullets. I just remove more dirt.

Steve, Old Sun! You nearly knocked me out of my chair when you recommended Winchester primers. I have been reading your posts all year and have come to admire and respect you. Your experience with Winchester primers must be totally different than mine. In fact, it was those #&$% primers that brought me to TFL in the first place. Let me explain:

I used Winchester primers for many, many years with great success. I bought them in bulk, 20,000 - 50,000 at a time. Shortly after my last shipment, Winchester changed their primers--- blue box with a banner that states "NEW Surface Finish For Improved Sensitivity".:barf: So my next order (20,000) was the NEW stuff. MY reject rate while loading went from 0% to 8%, my failure-to-fire rate at the range often exceeded 20% -- that's right, more than 20 per hundred didn't go bang on the first try. A good number of THOSE didn't go bang on the second try. In addition, the effort required to seat the primers wore me and my Dillon out. My production rate fell from an easy 300/day to a hard 300/week.

I had several conversations with the good folks at Dillon. They had heard it "a few thousand times before". I contacted Winchester, also. Basically they said "That's the way we make 'em now, learn to live with it". :mad:

The primer mechanisim on my Dillon broke. Actually, I was sure I would break first. While I was waiting for a replacement (three days), I bought CCI, Federal and Remington primers. The CCIs were almost as bad as the Winchesters, and the Federals were no better. Happily, the Remingtons were GREAT. I'm a happy guy. :D

I am surprised anyone is using WLPs in a Dillon. What is your secret? Anyone want 17,160 WLPs?

tawakoni

[Mike Davies]

Off topic, but I found the 'new' Winchester primers with the new surface coating a PITA when using my RCBS hand primer...they just would NOT slide from the primer tray into the loading chamber. Just too sticky.
AND I had my first and only misfires with them.
I'm back to using CCI primers.
Mike

[johnwill]

I see others complaining about CCI primers in their Dillon presses, but that's all I've ever used in mine. I have to admit, I have a box of 1000 Winchester primers that I bought, "just to try them". Now, I'm not sure what I'll do with those! :)

[MikeFromIowa]

Guys: I have used federal and winchester LP and have had no problems with either type. I do believe that the age and # of rounds produced by any press may make it "like" one size, manufacturer, or type of primer than another. Try several different types and you may find that they all work in your 550 or one stands out above the others.
--Mike From Iowa

[tonyz]

Hi all

I have been using WSP primmers for years without any problum
at all, my dillon SDB loves them and I have not had a misfire yet. The Winchester primers that I use come in a blue box with Winchester in Red and primers in gold writing. There is nothing about new surface coating anywhere on the box that I can see. I have tryed CCI and Federal and had no trouble with them in my Dillon SDB. But I can get the WSP primers at the gun show for S12.00 A box of 1000.

As far as Powders go, I have tryed several, and found for pistols W231 is a cost effective, clean, consistent powder that is not dirty.

Like you I use mostly copper plated. I like the rainer, But think they are to expensive. I have found Hardcast Enterprises, copper plated bullets to be very good and accurate bullets for the money. There Phone number is
1-661-723-6700.
Too give you a cost comparison, 45Cal 200Gr ACP copper plated SWC are 48.00 a 1000 and 9mm 115Gr run 34.00 a 1000
For copper plated.

Hope this helps
Tony Z

[Gewehr98]

Thinking Rich should make a Dillon category for us folks, heehee!

I've owned up to 4 Dillon presses to date, an XL-650, RL-550, and two Square Deal B's. I'm down to just the RL-550 and one SDB, plus a couple Hornady O-Frame single stagers for the odd jobs. The 550 never really liked CCI primers, I even had a bunch jam in a primer feed tube and had to soak the whole thing in WD-40 and dispose of it. I haven't even bothered to mike a few of that batch of CCI primers to see how much of a difference in size there was. I've used mostly Winchester and Federal after that, but still use CCI's in the single stage press.

I agree with WW231 for .45 ACP, especially if you run multiple calibers and want a close to universal powder. I ran 5.4gr of WW231 behind a Hensley & Gibbs cast 200gr semiwadcutter for IPSC major. Then the IPSC folks started moving to the shotgun powders, and I switched to WST. It burns a lot cleaner, and I no longer worry if my loads made major power factor at higher, cooler altitudes, like it did to me one match. Since then, I've also started using WST for 9mm Luger, 9mm Steyr, and .38 Special. But if I find a good deal on WW231, I still buy it and use it for practice or slapping steel. Which reminds me, I gotta get busy at the reloading bench again, it's piling up with stuff, egad!

http://www.geocities.com/gew98.geo/evillab.JPG

[Steve Smith]

Tawakoni, it's true! I jsut finished up a 5000 box of the "new" WLPs with no trouble, and I'm about to start on another one. I sure hope you didn't jinx me! :eek: I'll take all those primers as long as they're free! (shoot, when we get away from Christmas season, I may take 'em off your hands anyway! Name a price.)

Gewehr98, I'm surprised you have room to think with that bench! You've gotta spread out!

BTW, Victor, that load is for IDPA, and runs about 835 fps. I don't get real crazy with my .45 loads. Basically I go over the power floor I have to meet, and say "Self is that accuracte?" If Self answers, "Yup, accurate enough" then I go no further. My load development for .45 took all of about 2 hours, since I loaded 10 of each loading, drove to the range (10 minutes away), shot 'em though a chrono, found an accurate enough load that averaged above my power floor (10 fps over the floor, in fact) and went home. this obviously wouldn;t do if you were shooting bullseye comp, but it's good enough for combat stuff. Before anyone says, "A more accurate load would give you a little more edge." I say, "I have a hard enough time figuring out which cover to get behind...my targets look great, but my deductions kill me." Eventually, I'll get better...I already am. Anyway, getting back to my load, it doesn't need much help anyway, as it shoots a full mag into 1 hole that's 1.5" across at 25 yds. :D It just so happened that the load is very accurate, but it wasn't my main concern.


BTW, Victor, take a look at http://www.hi-techammo.com for powder. He sells gov't powder that's guaranteed to be good. If you're going for quantity like me, and not for top-notch pistol accuracy, you may do well to consider him. Looks like he has SR7970 for $45 for 5 lbs (which I can't seem to find loading data for, but he will provide that), and AA#5 for 80 for 8lbs. Not a bad price. If you buy 4 8lb kegs at once, he'll pay the haz-mat. Recently three of us bought 4 kegs of 4895 for $68 each including shipping. Just thought you might use this.

[Edited by Steve Smith on 12-09-2000 at 03:43 PM]

[VictorLouis]

Thanks so far, guys. I was considering W231, just out of familiarity from using it before. I think it probably meters a little easier too, due to finer granules? I was going to get some Ranier, through Midway, but I'll have to try out your leads. Cheap is thee operative word here.:)

[Andy J]

I have been using W231 for the past 7 years in both my 9mm and 45 acp and have been nothing short of pleased. Very little to clean up after shooting. I also have used jacketed or washed bullets ranging from 115 grn 9mm to 230 grn 45 acp. As far as dillon reloaders, friends of mine have them and are very happy with them. I use a Lee Load Master because I got an exceptional deal on one. Enjoy.

[alan]

I have used them for years, pistol and rifle, without problems. As to the "new" ones, the copper colored types, have had zero problems with either large or small pistol primers in a Dillon 550. CCI worked too. For some reason, Remington and Federal primers did not feed well at all, at least not in MY Dillon 550. Go figure.

[ArmySon]

I like W231, Titegroup, and VV for .45 ACP

I use Federal primers now because of some bad experiences with Winchester primers.