Dillon Powder Measure Problems ( from Pro1000 thread )

[woolleyworm]

Originally Posted by LDBennett

gdmoody:

So it is the powder measure that is the problem, not the press in general. Sounds like setting up your press is not the problem but getting the powder measure to work to your expectation is the problem. You were not specific enough for me to know that.

My Dillon measure will get to within a few tenths each way with spherical (ball) powders. For better than that I use the Dillon adapter and a manual Redding BR30, mostly for extruded powders on a very few cartridges.

Call Dillon. That's what they want you to do. Just ask for technical help.

As 748 is a ball powder it should be metering better than that, I would think. No powder measure will get the loads exactly the same every time and it is not necessary anyway. The latest thinking is that several tenths either way makes little difference on the target. Other variables swamp out any small difference in the powder charge. John Barsness of Handloader magazine has put the myth to rest that you have to get every load to a tenth even for target accuracy. You do know that few bench rest shooters who load during the competition weigh their loads. They measure by volume which is not very different than using the Dillon powder measure. Maybe your expectation are too high when they really don't need to be.

LDBennett

Originally Posted by American Leader

Ld & GD you boys musin fight over Big Blue and that Ole Red Lee thing. Remember you guy's are friends. I thought everyone here knew all the other presses are better than Lee. Good thing you had your Lee's though Moody, or you wouldn't have gotten any ammo loaded. As I said before, I have 3 Lees and load lots all the time. Don't understand all the fuss!

Originally Posted by gdmoody

I am not confused. I have been trying for three weeks off and on to get the powder regulated with the new .223 caliber conversion that I bought. It will not throw a consistent charge. I have been using the Dillon to load pistol cartridges for over a year and have never, repeat never had a problem with it. The minute I buy a NEW rifle kit, the problems started.

I had three toolheads so I don't remove the dies from them. The only exception is two weeks ago when I bought this NEW .223 kit, I removed the .45 ACP dies from it and put the .223 dies in their place. I adjusted everything and all dies are working correctly except the powder die. I went as far as going out last week and buying a NEW quick exchange kit to put the NEW caliber conversion kit in and no matter what I did, I still could not get a consistent throw.

It takes three hours when you have to take every powder charge you throw and weigh it individually. Each time I did, I would dump the powder back in the "hopper" and throw another one. I was trying to get 24.6 grains of Win 748, some times the thing would throw 24.6, then something like 25.2, 23.3, 24.2. 24.6, 25.1, and so on, never the same twice in a row.

I'm here to tell you that I stayed in my reloading building for close to 6 hours yesterday, with about half of it screwing around with this thing. I did manage to get a couple of hundred .380s loaded with the LEE press, during that time.

I took the set up apart at least twice to make sure everything was right, I even turned the powder funnel (the thing in the conversion kit that drops the powder) upside down and tried it that way and nothing changed. Therefore I have given up on .223 in the Dillon and from now on I will reload them on my LEE single stage that I have been using for 30+ years. It has never failed me!!

I truly find that reloading is very relaxing. Yesterday was a different story, I was ready to pull out what little hair I have. It was enough to make a preacher cuss!! I was not happy with spending close to $150 and not being able to do what I wanted to do with the blue press. It wasn't a total loss since I now have another toolhead with powder measure so I can set up another caliber (PISTOL, that is).

LD, you know any body who wants a .223 conversion kit? I have one for sale.

The differences GD was getting was 1.4gn +/-, so I'm scratching my head also. I should have my strong mount in today, so all of my hands-on Dillon PM experience has been with the SDB. Once I get my 550 set up, I'll measure some 748 and see what results I get. It is possibly in the linkage/operating rod set-up; at least that is the only area I could see being the problem, other than a 748/measure problem.

[LDBennett]

The powder measure has to be raised and lowered with the powder die threads so that the measure gets a full stroke of the powder bar. Get that wrong and the exit of the powder from the bar as it is delivered to the cartridge may be partially blocked. The bar must move such that the linkage almost touches the rear of the opening in the powder measure body. Less than that is not a full stroke. I also use the spring band to assure the powder bar fully returns to its starting point.

Put the powder funnel in backwards and the measure sees a shelf instead of a funnel which will capture some of the powder as it is delivered to the case.

Did the plastic guide in the powder measure delivery tube fall out and get lost? It is the place that the funnel pushes against to cycle the measure.

I reload for rifle and pistol cartridges and have for over 25 years on this Dillon RL550B. While the powder measure may be the weak point of the Dillon system, my only complaint with it was it has a hard time with extruded powders. But all powder measure do, including the Redding BR30 that I sometimes use manually.

One frustrating thing about the Dillon powder measure is dialing in the delivery amount as there are no reference marks for the screw. I have tried the UniTek powder bar but the glue they provide did not work well and the anti-backlash fix for the micrometer fell out. They did repair both of mine but I have yet to use them since the repair. The micrometer setting works as you can get the initial setting much closer and only have to fine tune it, if the UniTek powder bar stays together(??).

LDBennett