Quick Question for Dillon 223 loaders

[Jicko]

Do you use the large or the small powder bar for the powder dispenser?

PS. are there spots that you will polish to try to achieve better powder charge? or are there tricks that you do?

[joelogic]

large, I thought small was for pistol. I get a consistent charge. Sometimes when I spot check its off by a 1/10 of a grain but for a plinker thats good enough for me.

[Jicko]

large, I thought small was for pistol. I get a consistent charge. Sometimes when I spot check its off by a 1/10 of a grain but for a plinker thats good enough for me.

I couldn't find the approx powder weight range for each bar...

What powder are you using to get +/- 0.1gr? I can't seems to get there....

And what powder scale do you have? I use an electronic one.

[ronas]

Large bar for rifle like 223 and small bar for pistol 9mm. You most like will not get the 1/10 differences if you use an extruded powder. Personally I use spherical powders.

[30Cal]

I use the large bar. I have polished the inside of the powder funnel with a skinny strip of krokus. I get +/- 0.2gr with IMR4895/Varget sort of powders.

I do my case prep up front (size, trim, etc). Then I charge and seat with a single case on the shellplate at a time. Before I run the case into the powder die, I tap the side of the measure body. If I bang the press, I dump the next charge or two because I know they'll be heavy.

It pays to weigh 50 or so charges and log them along with how the press felt so that you get a feel for when a charge is going to be outside the norm. This will allow you in the future to tighten your variance without having to weigh each one.

[Jicko]

I do my case prep up front (size, trim, etc). Then I charge and seat with a single case on the shellplate at a time.

So, you are not using it progressively?

[Ugly Dwarf]

I've had good luck with consistant (+/- .1gr) charges of Ramshot TAC and Hodgdon H335 out of the large powder bar on my 550.

I'm not a bench rest / match shooter, so that level of consistancy does just fine.

I too found the variance went up (+/- .2-.3 gr) when I've tried extruded powders.

[Jicko]

I've had good luck with consistant (+/- .1gr) charges of Ramshot TAC and Hodgdon H335 out of the large powder bar on my 550.

I'm not a bench rest / match shooter, so that level of consistancy does just fine.

I too found the variance went up (+/- .2-.3 gr) when I've tried extruded powders.

I tried Varget and RL15 with it before and the results are unsatisfactory.... now I am switching to exactly Ramshot TAC and H335 for my plinking 55gr FMJBT.... and hope that it will work.

I am planning to go with 26gr of TAC....

[ronas]

now I am switching to exactly Ramshot TAC and H335 for my plinking 55gr FMJBT.... and hope that it will work.

Those should work quite well. I've used 748 exclusively for 223 for around 25 years and in the Dillon since 1994 with good results. I've recently purchased 8 lbs of BLC2 and I suspect it will do as well as the 748.

[Hans Gruber]

I tried Varget and RL15 with it before and the results are unsatisfactory.... now I am switching to exactly Ramshot TAC and H335 for my plinking 55gr FMJBT.... and hope that it will work.

I am planning to go with 26gr of TAC....

26g might be a smidge hot, especially if using 5.56 brass.

Ramshots load guide shows max 25.2-25.3 for 55gr projos.

I'm going to be loading my first TAC .223's tonight into LC brass and am going to run 22.7-24.5 probably.

[Jicko]

26g might be a smidge hot, especially if using 5.56 brass.

Ramshots load guide shows max 25.2-25.3 for 55gr projos.

I'm going to be loading my first TAC .223's tonight into LC brass and am going to run 22.7-24.5 probably.

I tested the 26gr TAC.... no pressure signs... MV not even hitting 3000 on my 14.5... while my XM193 are running 3050fps....

Sierra's loadmap for AR/223 (page 6):

http://accurateshooter.net/Downloads/sierra223ar.pdf

TAC
24.7 2900
25.5 3000
25.9 3050
26.3 3100

Also, ramshot's TAC map, for the one bullet that is the most similar to 55FMJBT would be the Sierra SPT.... when running with 25.2gr of TAC, the predicted pressure is 49000..... which is quite a bit under the 55000 for SAMMI..... but it is good to start low and work it up, if this is your first time loading with 223 and/or a new powder(TAC)

[Hans Gruber]

I tested the 26gr TAC.... no pressure signs... MV not even hitting 3000 on my 14.5... while my XM193 are running 3050fps....

Sierra's loadmap for AR/223 (page 6):

http://accurateshooter.net/Downloads/sierra223ar.pdf

TAC
24.7 2900
25.5 3000
25.9 3050
26.3 3100

Also, ramshot's TAC map, for the one bullet that is the most similar to 55FMJBT would be the Sierra SPT.... when running with 25.2gr of TAC, the predicted pressure is 49000..... which is quite a bit under the 55000 for SAMMI..... but it is good to start low and work it up, if this is your first time loading with 223 and/or a new powder(TAC)

Yeah this is my first time loading .223 so I'll be happy with something that'll A) cycle the action reliably and B) not destroy my brass. Have some Hornady 55gr FMJBT's to go through before I move on to heavier stuff.

I'm a little excited. I haven't shot my AR in about a month after doing a lot of precision .308 work. I took it out last night and was surprised at how small and light it felt Should be fun.

[30Cal]

So, you are not using it progressively?

Let me rephrase. If I have to trim, then I prep them all first. If I don't have to trim, I use it progressively, but with one case at a time on the shellplate.

I'm pretty sure the state junior highpower kids just pull the blue handle as does Jim O'Connell (5 or 6x state champion).

[Ugly Dwarf]

If I don't have to trim, I use it progressively, but with one case at a time on the shellplate.

I'm a believer in stick with what works for you, but I wonder why you do it this way?

Seems like the way you're working here is much like an upside down turret press. Not that it's bad, but I'm wondering what benefit this offers?

[grywlfbg]

Large powder bar. I also use one of these:

http://www.uniquetek.com/site/696296/product/T1278

and I pause for a full 1-count at the top of the stroke (handle down) to give all the powder a chance to drain into the case. I'm using H322 on a 650 w/ 0.1gr max variance.