checking Dillon powder drops, how often do you do it.

[mikeyr]

I have a few Dillon presses, I always check the powder drop before reloading and try to check about ever few hundred rounds. I have 2 primer tubes, so every 2 tubes, I check the powder.

It is never off, do you trust it to be good enough ? for example, I am about to go load 9mm on my 650, its still set up from last loading session 3 weeks ago, same powder, same everything. I will disable the primer feed, manually cycle a few rounds and check the powder, it likely will be fine, have any of you stopped checking, I often think about it just so I can get started quicker especially on the SDB's where you can't disable the primer feed, but I always check.

I can't remember last time I had to fine tune a powder drop unless of course I changed powder type.

[smoothy8500]

I have always followed the same procedure you list, checking every 100 rounds on a progressive press. That's with an older style Hornady meter that I don't ever recall having to re-adjust once it's set. However, old safety habits never die...

[XDJYo]

I will re-check only if I'm going from an empty powder measure. If there is powder in there, I won't re-check. I do have a powder check system on my Dillon 650 though, so I know it won't be too little or too much. Since my load recipe is in the middle range, I have a decent cushion above/below my set charge so I'm not too worried.

[kcstott]

When setting up a new caliber I check the first three. Then one every ten for about 20-40 rounds then I just load till I’m out of something. It’ll be close enough. You want it closer that that and you should not be using a Dillon.

[mjmagee67]

I've been reloading my 9mm 135gr USPSA load for so long, I'll check the first and second round then I've loaded over a 1000 with out checking. Basically I check after a long break like over night. I will refill the powder dropper when it's about 1/3 full and will fill to the top. The Dillon powder dropper may be old but it does a great job and I doubt there is anything better...

[Revoman]

I have a written protocol that dictates checking every time that I reload, whether or not its the same load.
After that initial check, I run it again up to the first ten rounds, then every 100 rounds. Yes, it takes a little bit of time, yes it always spot on, but I would rather be as safe as I can, I tend to like all of my body parts.
Overkill, mebbe, but that's what I do and that's what you asked.

[Inkman]

When loading to stock up on ammo for practice and locals, maybe every 500-1000 rds. When loading for a major match i'll check it every 50 rds or so.

Al

[bruce381]

every 10 or so I check and for sure check when powder alarm goes off, which is always having some walnut media in the case along with the powder.

[protohyp]

if you set up the powder measure properly you really should have no issues. A lot of it has to do with the spring nut adjustment. If you dont have that set properly you won't get consistent fill in the powder reservoir.

I typically break up my loads to batches of 50 and verify the first and last rather than throwing them all in a box. That way I have no issue QC'ing a batch of 50 and redoing rather than questioning if my whole batch of 1000 were off. It takes very little time to verify this way and saves a lot of headache and guessing game.

That being said only ONCE did I run into issue because that spring nut was not set where it was supposed to be. The Dillon Powder Measure is very accurate but as usual depends on the powder you're metering.

[tonyjr]

1st - I am on a loadmaster .
I / we check every time 4 tubes are M T .
For me , ball powder is the best . flake is worse and depending
on how much is left in powder bottle and powder , maybe every
30-50 pulls .
FYI - If you are like me and do maybe 300 , then switch calibers ,
dump powder back into bottle , just moving bottle to shelf and later
refill powder holder , it settles .
Worse is log , then ball and flake does not seem to matter . I keep
my powder in a little refrigerator , so maybe the opening and closing it
contribues .

[LTC-J]

I check my powder drops every hundred rounds or so.

When I was single stage, I never ran into any variance with the Lee drop.

I am just starting with a Dillon 1050 and I am doing the same routine. Somewhat easy since I bag my brass in batches of 100.

Granted, I'm doing 45acp so not a big deal.

[the86d]

If a visual inspection (LED light above the cases, mounted) looks different...
It really never is.

[jimmykan]

Every. Single. Round.

Just kidding.

I will check whenever I start reloading and again halfway into the batch.

[MrElectric03]

On my 1050 I check before running a batch but it's only used for .223 and 9mm and stays on the same load. On my 650 I have two powder measures, one with a large bar and one small so they are reset most every time I run a batch. I just upgraded my small powder bar to a micrometer so I can take note of the position and reset it there when I repeat a load. Always verified of course. A reloader that assumes better really enjoy using a bullet puller.

[ar15barrels]

I have a few Dillon presses, I always check the powder drop before reloading and try to check about ever few hundred rounds. I have 2 primer tubes, so every 2 tubes, I check the powder.

It is never off, do you trust it to be good enough ? for example, I am about to go load 9mm on my 650, its still set up from last loading session 3 weeks ago, same powder, same everything. I will disable the primer feed, manually cycle a few rounds and check the powder, it likely will be fine, have any of you stopped checking, I often think about it just so I can get started quicker especially on the SDB's where you can't disable the primer feed, but I always check.

I can't remember last time I had to fine tune a powder drop unless of course I changed powder type.

Once it's set, I don't check it until I change loads because there is nobody else using my reloading bench that could adjust it.

When I change loads, I drop a few charges to get the powder measure in a rhythm and then I drop a series of 5 charges that I weigh and divide by 5 to get an average charge weight.
I adjust the charge bar until I get the measure to reliably drop 5 charges in a row that total to 5x the desired charge weight.