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BigJimP · June 13, 2012, 03:56 PM

The Dillon powder check ...measures depth of the powder in the case ( its a free floating plunger that goes into the case - and measures the depth ) ...and then alerts you if its high or low....

on handgun calibers like 9mm ( using Hodgdon Universal ....the min is 4.4 grains and the max is 4.8 gr ...) and my target drop is 4.7 ...the powder check die will alert me to 0.1 grain difference ....so it will pick up at 4.6 or 4.8 .... so I'd call it " plus or minus 0.1 grain " ....way better than most other options.

It does not lock out the press ...it just alerts you to an issue. Its a big reason to go with the Dillon 650 ( vs the 550 or SDB ) in my view/that do not have the room for a powder check die to be installed in their tool head ...when you're reloading large volumes of handgun ammo. Its another layer of safety in your procedures...and I like it a lot. I've been mentoring and teaching my older sons ...and now my grandkids to do some reloading ...and they like it , and like shooting their own ammo ....and having the powder check die installed means if it beeps / everything shuts down ...vs me hovering over their back ...like a predator ... I can be 2 or 3 steps away in the shop ...and still hear the beep ...and then walk over and inspect what they're doing ...

The powder check also alerts you to issues ...I had a bolt / nut on the powder measure come loose at one point ...and I was loading about 6,000 rds for an upcoming class....and it started alerting me to an issue ...but one time it was low, then it was high ....( in a .45 acp ) case where I couldn't really see a visual difference in the powder with the eye....after 5 or 6 alerts ...and weighing everything ...we shut it down and found the problem. But because we had the powder check die installed and adjusted properly ...we knew, that 100% of the ammo that we had run thru the press was right on with our powder drop goals.../ we did not have to wonder or worry about any of the rounds that had gone thru the press prior to the issue showing up ...that issue sold 2 of my buddies on the 650 with the powder check system.

June 13, 2012, 03:56 PM	#5
BigJimP Senior Member Join Date: February 23, 2005 Posts: 13,195	The Dillon powder check ...measures depth of the powder in the case ( its a free floating plunger that goes into the case - and measures the depth ) ...and then alerts you if its high or low.... on handgun calibers like 9mm ( using Hodgdon Universal ....the min is 4.4 grains and the max is 4.8 gr ...) and my target drop is 4.7 ...the powder check die will alert me to 0.1 grain difference ....so it will pick up at 4.6 or 4.8 .... so I'd call it " plus or minus 0.1 grain " ....way better than most other options. It does not lock out the press ...it just alerts you to an issue. Its a big reason to go with the Dillon 650 ( vs the 550 or SDB ) in my view/that do not have the room for a powder check die to be installed in their tool head ...when you're reloading large volumes of handgun ammo. Its another layer of safety in your procedures...and I like it a lot. I've been mentoring and teaching my older sons ...and now my grandkids to do some reloading ...and they like it , and like shooting their own ammo ....and having the powder check die installed means if it beeps / everything shuts down ...vs me hovering over their back ...like a predator ... I can be 2 or 3 steps away in the shop ...and still hear the beep ...and then walk over and inspect what they're doing ... The powder check also alerts you to issues ...I had a bolt / nut on the powder measure come loose at one point ...and I was loading about 6,000 rds for an upcoming class....and it started alerting me to an issue ...but one time it was low, then it was high ....( in a .45 acp ) case where I couldn't really see a visual difference in the powder with the eye....after 5 or 6 alerts ...and weighing everything ...we shut it down and found the problem. But because we had the powder check die installed and adjusted properly ...we knew, that 100% of the ammo that we had run thru the press was right on with our powder drop goals.../ we did not have to wonder or worry about any of the rounds that had gone thru the press prior to the issue showing up ...that issue sold 2 of my buddies on the 650 with the powder check system. Last edited by BigJimP; June 13, 2012 at 04:06 PM.