What did you do in the reloading room recently?

[allen-1]

The options are endless with these things all you really need is one but twice is nice. Unless u spring for a bot setup it’s not like you can run em both at the same time anyways haha. One thing I prefer on the 550 is that it doesn’t auto index. One thing I like about the 750 is that extra station.

My wife bought me a Dillon XL650 as my first press a couple of years ago as a Christmas present.
She spent a bit of time researching, and got help from a buddy of mine down the street that reloads.
Bought it setup for 9mm, with a casefeeder.

My buddy and my son helped me set it up and showed me how to use it.
My first couple of hundred rounds were a mixed batch, some good, some bad, some "meh".
After that I had a pretty good idea of what I was doing.

I load lots of 9mm, and smaller quantities of .357Sig, .38Spcl, and .357Mag - I'm about to add .45ACP to that list.
Even with the swappable toolheads, I found it was a pain to swap to one of the other setups only to go right back to 9mm.

I had the room, I had the money - I bought another pretty much identical 650 a while ago.
The original is setup on the left and always used for 9mm, the other is used for the other loads.

Last week I ordered a large primer unit from Dillon, as soon as the backordered dies come in I can start loading .45ACP.

I read lots of people saying on different forums that you should learn to load with a single station press.
Maybe that's true for precision rifle rounds - I didn't find that to be true for what I'm doing - cranking out decent pistol rounds.
I really like the XL650.

 

[steven grammont]

I pumped out around 300 rds of 9mm, cci spp , 4grs 231 win , with extreme copper plated 124gr projectiles.

 

[whacko]

Went down to change over the batch of 45acp I had tumbling overnight and start a new batch and got to thinking...."I've reloaded these a bunch if times.....I'm running short on 45 brass". Then I remembered I had a box of 45 brass but couldn't remember how much. Found it......holy crap another jackpot. A full 50 cal ammo can filled to the rim with once fired winchester 45acp! Haha I knew I had been keeping winchester 45acp years ago..... before I started reloading.....was only buying wwb 45 forever and just kept tossing it innthis 50 cal ammo can every time I came back from the range. .....but didn't realize it was so much. First batch Into the tumbler! This will be a brass cleaning week. 2 batches a day till its all clean and sorted into coffee cans.

 

[mac1911]

Off topic but I’ll be heading out to Marshfield Friday morning any good places in that area worth checking by out?

These are 20 min or so south of marshfield. plimoth bay out fitters , Out Back Arms plympton
South Shore Tactical Hanover , theres a few guys in Rockland in the "art" building. As always call firts to make sure they are open.
i have only been to outback through covid. Thin pickings but i find something each time.

 

[whacko]

1st time I watched someone load with one of these I knew there was a better way. Thanks to Mass Reloading I learned a better and safer way

I used one of those for a year to make 357 and 38. Nothing unsafe about it imo. But yeah there are better ways

I got very good at it though....38 special I made 50 rounds an hour.

 

[TrashcanDan]

One thing I prefer on the 550 is that it doesn’t auto index. One thing I like about the 750 is that extra station.

I like the rewind option on the 550. Makes things a little easier if theres a screwup.

 

[pastera]

Hey guys, I finally ordered some Hi Tek and want to get coating asap.

Any advice for powder coating in a cold garage?

HiTek isn't powder coating

In a cold garage you will need to sit the coated bullets on a fan for about five minutes then preheat on top of your toaster oven to finish drying.

 

[whacko]

I got a pack of new 44mag brass and getting ready to load them. Never bought new brass.....it's star line. Is there any need to tumble new brass before loading it or just load it up?

 

[slap shot]

I got a pack of new 44mag brass and getting ready to load them. Never bought new brass.....it's star line. Is there any need to tumble new brass before loading it or just load it up?

load, that's some purty brass. chose to buy starline once when i started 44. it's GTG

 

[Tallahassee]

I'm looking at Lyman 50th now and unfortunately there's no load data for unique for a 300 grain jsp. I'm assuming that's because it's a fast burning powder. 240 grain pills and below there is data for unique. So ill be stuck with h110 and no magnum primers to use.....

That sucks cuz my brass delivered yesterday and the projos will deliver tomorrow.

I've used Unique with 300gr. When I get home I will look up my numbers in my book. I use Unique for my 278gr thumpers. Sweet load out of a lever gun.

 

[whacko]

load, that's some purty brass. chose to buy starline once when i started 44. it's GTG

Thanks. And yes it's Purdy brass. View attachment 445614

 

[whacko]

I've used Unique with 300gr. When I get home I will look up my numbers in my book. I use Unique for my 278gr thumpers. Sweet load out of a lever gun.

Ok thanks. Lyman does not show unique for 300grain projos.

 

[slap shot]

Thanks. And yes it's Purdy brass. View attachment 445614View attachment 445615

Just FYI I’ve reloaded mine 5 or 6 times by now and they look the same.

 

[Klal]

I was given a bag of .357 brass. It looked long. Turns out its .357 maximum brass.

My father in law has a .357 maximum T/C. I'll load him up some of those wrist breakers.

 

[mac1911]

I used one of those for a year to make 357 and 38. Nothing unsafe about it imo. But yeah there are better ways

I got very good at it though....38 special I made 50 rounds an hour.

Ah the classic loaders, growing up dad gave us 1 round for every six loaded. AFTER we collected about 2-3 pounds of range lead,
Usually sundays we would go to club for breakfast, then from about 10-12 we would pick up bullets on the range while my dad melted the lead and cast bullets on the tail gate with a single burner white fuel coleman stove. Im pretty sure we just used Crisco for lube? I dont remember.

 

[Queen Bee]

Managed to get a lee deluxe 9mm carbide die set that dropped

Now onto getting spp and some powder and bullets

 

[Queen Bee]

I never thought i would see the day i would reload pistol cartridges.

 

[steven grammont]

I never thought i would see the day i would reload pistol cartridges.

I find it relaxing , and I also seem to think that it keeps me stocked up better and that makes for more shooting ...... HahHa

 

[jpm]

I got a pack of new 44mag brass and getting ready to load them. Never bought new brass.....it's star line. Is there any need to tumble new brass before loading it or just load it up?

No need to tumble new brass but you DO need to run it through the sizing die before you prime and load.

 

[jpm]

I never thought i would see the day i would reload pistol cartridges.

I literally reload everything I shoot except 22lr. If I'm planning a trip to the range, I just load up whatever I want to shoot and I'm GTG.

 

[Uzi2]

I never thought i would see the day i would reload pistol cartridges.

Hahaha.....having subguns, I never imagined a day when I wouldn't have to.

 

[whacko]

I wasn't that hard core when

Ah the classic loaders, growing up dad gave us 1 round for every six loaded. AFTER we collected about 2-3 pounds of range lead,
Usually sundays we would go to club for breakfast, then from about 10-12 we would pick up bullets on the range while my dad melted the lead and cast bullets on the tail gate with a single burner white fuel coleman stove. Im pretty sure we just used Crisco for lube? I dont remember.

I wasn't THAT hard core when I was using the Lee classic loader. I wasn't sure I was going to get into reloading but wanted to dip me toes in. The 38/357 set was $15.....had a digital scale already to test powder charges on.....Lee dipper set $12.....calipers $20......can of bullseye and some 125 grain cast lead projos and I was making ammo.

No need to tumble new brass but you DO need to run it through the sizing die before you prime and load.

I figured I had to size. Have to prime anyway.

 

[NavelOfficer]

Just fired off a few of the .308" diameter DEWC in the CZ 52 (7.62x25mm); ran just fine. This bullet works well in the 7.62x38R, too.
I don't see them listed at Graf's any longer, however. Oh well...
Specimens made from damaged .223 Remington brass, yet to be fire-formed (not that my test load was that stout to change much).

I guess I'll have to break open a new box of small pistol primers, as I'm getting a failure to ignite with one out of four primers taken from washed .223 Remington brass. Darn!

 

[Mudflap621]

First OCW test with the tikka varmint complete. These were loaded 20 thousandths off the lands with varying charges of varget. I don’t see any pressure but input appreciated. Also some nice fellow left me a bunch of 223,6.5, and 30-06 brass.

 

[jpm]

those primers look fine to me

 

[Mudflap621]

those primers look fine to me

My thought as well just looking for others opinion. Some on another forum thought might be getting hot towards the end but doesn’t look like it to me. Charge weights increase from left to right. Last three were 23.8 and also my best group so im thinking of going back again from 23-24ish see what groups look like.

 

[jpm]

My thought as well just looking for others opinion. Some on another forum thought might be getting hot towards the end but doesn’t look like it to me. Charge weights increase from left to right. Last three were 23.8 and also my best group so im thinking of going back again from 23-24ish see what groups look like.

Yeah I mean you can see a slight difference in the firing pin dimple but they still look fine IMO. You're probably approaching max on those in like half a grain or so but they aren't even close to flattening yet.

 

[allen-1]

I replaced the fluorescents in my garage with LEDs, the difference is amazing.

Took a couple of pictures down there earlier, this is my setup, (2) XL650s on a bench I made.







I sliced the top into three pieces, a narrow piece along the front that the presses are mounted through, then two pieces in the back. They can be lifted off, and I have storage space inside. Approx 6" deep because I built it using 2x6's:



124 grn Xtreme plated 9mm over 4.0 grn TiteGroup; chamber checked.



More cleaned brass to load:

 

[Queen Bee]

Holy f*** @allen-1 talk about my dream reloading setup

 

[Mudflap621]

I replaced the fluorescents in my garage with LEDs, the difference is amazing.

Took a couple of pictures down there earlier, this is my setup, (2) XL650s on a bench I made.



View attachment 445807



I sliced the top into three pieces, a narrow piece along the front that the presses are mounted through, then two pieces in the back. They can be lifted off, and I have storage space inside. Approx 6" deep because I built it using 2x6's:
View attachment 445809


124 grn Xtreme plated 9mm over 4.0 grn TiteGroup; chamber checked.
View attachment 445810


More cleaned brass to load:View attachment 445812

Looks great! I’m thinking of doing a split height bench kinda the same as I’ve noticed with the inline mount on my 550 I’m wanting the bench height around 36-38” to comfortably load standing. The rest of my operations I wanna be up around 42-44 I think to be at the natural height of my elbows. With that setup I might be tempted to try pulling both handles at the same time