Help with my new Dillon...

[Red1]

I've been using a Rockchucker for many years, but just bought my first Dillon 650. Since I already have a die set (RCBS Competition) for my .223 Rem, the general concensus on the forums was that I could reuse the full length sizer with the Dillon. I already purchased a standard RCBS seater die as the comp seater requires a special shell holder.

I set up the sizer die in my RockChucker just to get a measurement on the shoulder bump. Standard instructions, screw the die down until it touches the shellholder and slightly cams over at the bottom of the stroke. I'm using a Stoney Point Headspace gauge. As a reference point, I'm getting 1.457" after sizing. 1.456" seems to be the norm for factory loaded unfired brass. So this seems pretty normal.

So I set the die up in the 650. First thing I notice is that I have the screw the die almost all the way down to get anywhere near the shellholder. But following the Dillon instructions, I held off a little bit. As expected I didn't get any bump from 1.464" as fired. As a matter of fact, one grew to 1.465". Anyway, I screwed the die down until it just touches the shell holder and it still won't bump.

I'm wondering a) is it OK to screw the die down (if I can) until the ram cams over a little as instructed by RCBS? The last thing I want to do is screw up the 650. Or, b) am I going to need a new sizer die? If so, what are you guys using?

Thanks!

[D.R.E.]

Funny enough, I just set up .223 a couple of days ago.

One bit of advice I am sure of is that if you ask this in Brian Enos' forum you will get excellent answers.

If you are desperate for a half-informed one:

With dillon you want to screw the sizer down until it hits the shell plate and then slightly back it out (probably less than a half turn). Of course, measure after each adjustment. (If you have dillon dies it should say this, no?)

At least for pistol, if I don't do this then I get shorter OALs if I run a case through without having one in the sizing station.

I've been using a Rockchucker for many years, but just bought my first Dillon 650. Since I already have a die set (RCBS Competition) for my .223 Rem, the general concensus on the forums was that I could reuse the full length sizer with the Dillon. I already purchased a standard RCBS seater die as the comp seater requires a special shell holder.

I set up the sizer die in my RockChucker just to get a measurement on the shoulder bump. Standard instructions, screw the die down until it touches the shellholder and slightly cams over at the bottom of the stroke. I'm using a Stoney Point Headspace gauge. As a reference point, I'm getting 1.457" after sizing. 1.456" seems to be the norm for factory loaded unfired brass. So this seems pretty normal.

So I set the die up in the 650. First thing I notice is that I have the screw the die almost all the way down to get anywhere near the shellholder. But following the Dillon instructions, I held off a little bit. As expected I didn't get any bump from 1.464" as fired. As a matter of fact, one grew to 1.465". Anyway, I screwed the die down until it just touches the shell holder and it still won't bump.

I'm wondering a) is it OK to screw the die down (if I can) until the ram cams over a little as instructed by RCBS? The last thing I want to do is screw up the 650. Or, b) am I going to need a new sizer die? If so, what are you guys using?

Thanks!

[Sheldon]

If the press handle is bottomed out you can have a little slight pressure from the die on the shellplate, but there shouldn't be massive pressure, if there is, something isn't right. There is a spring and detent ball under the shellplate that helps the shellplate snap into the correct position, if the shellplate is loose that spring and detent ball will float the shellplate high. You can lower your sizing die till the shellplate bottoms out/compresses the detent ball spring all the way and that's about it, otherwise you'll be stressing the machine's frame.