Dillon 550 powder spilling

[Teletiger7]

Reloading .223 55gr fmjbt using H335. When I bring the lever back up and the shellplate is on it's way down after powder charge has already been put in case there is a very small amount of extra powder that spills out of powder die. Not sure if this is the best description but this happens as the powder bar is resetting to it's original position to get ready for next charge. Checked the powder charge weights and they are +\- o.15 gr so the consistency of charge is not a problem for me. I'm just wondering if this extra spilling is normal because after about 30 rounds the shellplate starts to feel sticky/rough when moved forward. I've just been brushing the spilled powder away every once in a while. Any troubleshooting suggestions? TIA

[TonyM]

Reloading .223 55gr fmjbt using H335. When I bring the lever back up and the shellplate is on it's way down after powder charge has already been put in case there is a very small amount of extra powder that spills out of powder die. Not sure if this is the best description but this happens as the powder bar is resetting to it's original position to get ready for next charge. Checked the powder charge weights and they are +\- o.15 gr so the consistency of charge is not a problem for me. I'm just wondering if this extra spilling is normal because after about 30 rounds the shellplate starts to feel sticky/rough when moved forward. I've just been brushing the spilled powder away every once in a while. Any troubleshooting suggestions? TIA

Does it still spill if you actuate the handle very slowly, as in waiting 10-15 seconds when the ram is all the way up?

Try waiting a little bit before returning the ram to the lower position and see what happens.

[Teletiger7]

hmmm, so your saying to try leaving the shellplate in the up position for an extended amount of time. I'll have to try that. Although it would be great if I could get it to not spill when reloading at my normal pace.

[TonyM]

hmmm, so your saying to try leaving the shellplate in the up position for an extended amount of time. I'll have to try that. Although it would be great if I could get it to not spill when reloading at my normal pace.

Well, sometimes with some powders and larger charges you have to slow down to allow all the powder to drop.

When I'm loading 500S&W with 35-40 grains of powder I go a little slower than when I'm doing .45ACP and 5.5 grains. If not, I always end up with some variance and powder on the shellplate of my 650.

Give it a try and see if it helps.

[damon1272]

I had this problem too. Two things I did was to puase at the top of the stroke to give the powder a little more time to drop. The other thing I found was that I was too heavy on the case lube. I am currently using the dillon lube and I spray it in a pie plate and rol 20 or so cases in the pan at a time but being carefule not to get lube on the neck. I also give them a few minutes to dry before loading. This has stopped alot of teh issues of powder not completly dropping into the case.

[rayra]

hmmm, so your saying to try leaving the shellplate in the up position for an extended amount of time. I'll have to try that. Although it would be great if I could get it to not spill when reloading at my normal pace.

It's your 'normal pace' that we're asserting is the problem. Give it a heartbeat to drop the load.
The other thing is how loose is your shellplate? If it is too high / loose, the rifle brass is able to wobble and if you are snapping the plate forward with too much vigor you can literally be throwing powder out of the charged cases.
Either way, occasionally blow off the scattered powder grains. I usually do this when the ram is in an up position so I don't have to worry about a charged case, or put my finger over its opening before blowing off the excess powder.

[rayra]

I had this problem too. Two things I did was to puase at the top of the stroke to give the powder a little more time to drop. The other thing I found was that I was too heavy on the case lube. I am currently using the dillon lube and I spray it in a pie plate and rol 20 or so cases in the pan at a time but being carefule not to get lube on the neck. I also give them a few minutes to dry before loading. This has stopped alot of teh issues of powder not completly dropping into the case.

You're doing it wrong and wasting a lot of lube in the process.
Lay out a section of newprint, lay out ~30 casings as if they were on a machinegun belt. Use a ruler or something for a straightedge to get them nice and aligned. Then do a couple more rows, butted up against the previous. All with the case mouths facing away from you.
Shake up the Dillon lube well and give the brass a good spritz. It is not necessary to saturate them (or the paper). Then wait a couple minutes for the isopropyl alcohol to evaporate. Then using your fingertips, roll the brass over 180degrees and spray again.
When they are once again dry, pick up the paper and pour them into a suitable container for use by the press.

No lube IN the cases.
Lube on the necks.
Sufficient lube on the cases.
Little waste.

And it's actually faster. I've done as many as ~200 rifle cases with this method, in only a few minutes. Multi-task and you can do your other press setup chores while the lube dries.

Dillon's lube is Lanolin and alcohol. Essentially a wax, not an oil. It pretty much stays right where you put it after the alcohol carrier evaporates. So you really should get it on the case shoulders, particularly if you are full-length resizing.

[30Cal]

Try polishing the inside of the powder funnel.

[Snapping Twig]

This happens to me with .243 and IMR 7828. I tap the powder hopper and give it an extra moment or two at the top of the stroke.

[ar15barrels]

Try polishing the inside of the powder funnel.

+1.

Or "double bump" at the top of the ram stroke.
Run it all the way up, back it off maybe 1/8" of ram travel and hit it again.
The key is consistency though so make sure you do it the same each time as you are also settling the powder measure with each bump.

[Ugly Dwarf]

Try polishing the inside of the powder funnel.

Can you elaborate? I assume you're using really fine sandpaper, but perhaps something else?

Dwarf

[30Cal]

It's been forever since I did it. I think I tried to get in there with a conical dremil felt wheel (I seem to recall that not working so well) and finished with a thin strip of crocus cloth--clamped one end in a vise and held the other end taught while pulling the funnel back and forth.

I've heard of some guys using a taper reamer on it to get extruded powders to drop easier, but I never had to go that far to get it working fast and smoothly.

[ar15barrels]

Can you elaborate? I assume you're using really fine sandpaper, but perhaps something else?

I use about 320 grit crocus cloth and spin the funnel in the lathe.

[Teletiger7]

Thanks for the suggestions, I'll give them a try.

[Kid Stanislaus]

Any time you have a problem with your Dillon press your best bet is to call Dillon customer service. They are great people and the answer is usually quickly offered. I can't say enough good things about them.