Progressive reloaders and stick powder

[Bigscot]

I recently bough a used Dillon 550b and in reading through the manual it states that sitck or extruded powders may bridge and not drop completely. I have experienced this and powder shearing with my RCBS equipment. It also states that these powders should not be used in cases smaller than .30 cal.

I just got it set up this past weekend and reloaded some 9mm using flake powder and it worked great.

My question is, how well do the extruded powders meter with the Dillon powder measure? Do they work with sub .30 cal cases? Are there any acceptable non-extruded replacements for I-4350, 3031, 4064, 4198? I use these in 30-06, 30.30, .243 and .270. I have been experimenting H-414 some in 30-06 and .243.

Bigscot

[BruceB]

The only stick powders I've run through my 550 recently have been H4831 SHORT CUT and IMR4320. Both worked very well, with no hangups or bridging problems.

I wouldn't want to try 'normal' H4831 in the 550, and I seem to recall that a trial with IMR 4198 was not very successful...of course, 4198 has a very long-grain "structure" and that sure doesn't help.

[kodiak1]

H4831 X2 If I need to use anything else it is back to the single stage and what I now call slow method.
Ken.

[Johnch]

For stick powders I use my Uniflow
On a Powder measure adt.
http://dillonprecision.com/template/p.cfm?maj=14&min=2&dyn=1&
Scrowl down , right side

I am carfule when I load smaller cases
When using stick powders
Out of habbit I pull each case and look
John

[44man]

I use a Redding BR measure and throw a short charge, then trickle it to weight. SC powders work better but I still measure. Ball and flake powders just get measured into the case.

[klw]

I personally think that this can happen with any powder measure and maybe most powders.

I recently bought one of the new RCBS gadgets that attaches to a powder measure and has a built in powder trickler. The RCBS site is down at the moment so I can not give you a link to this thing. Handy gadget. Anyway this dumps a powder charge directly into your balance pan and you can add powder via the built in trickler.

What I found interesting was the weight variability you see when you measure each and every charge. Almost always it is very little but every once in a great while you see a very wide swing. Usually a very small charge followed by a very big one.

This is, of course, the problem Lyman solved on their powder measure by building in that little metal weight that bangs the measure every time it is used. That odd looking little addition greatly reduced the risk of powder bridging in the measure.

I don't think that this is a problem that occurs very often but it certainly does occur.

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

I've had very good luck with IMR4895 and metering from my Hornady LnL powder measure with the case activated powder drop. It meters better than I can do by hand with my Redding BR30. I load my 30.06 rounds on my Hornady and have been extremely pleased with the results on the 600 yard line.

You can adapt the RCBS version of the Hornady case activated powder drop and either a Hornady LnL powder measure or an RCBS Uniflow powder measure to your 550 fairly easily.

Dave

[Lloyd Smale]

there to inconsistant in a dillon measure. About the only thing that works like was said is short cut.

[LAH]

I use IMR 3031 in my Lyman 55 to load 30-30. No problems with getting all the powder in the case each time. It does however have a built in hammer.

[mike in co]

the powder drop tube/activator...can/should be reamed with a taper reamer . doing this gives the stick powders less places to "bridge".

i use ball powder in 223 in the dillon. ball in almost all pistol loads. for large rifle, i just use a scale with an rcbs set a wee bit short and trickle up.

dillon does make an adapter to put a rcbs measure on the dillon, i have it ,i have not used it.

[50 Caliber]

Ive had real good luck just substituting ball for the stick in my inventory unless there is no close equivelant, then I just use the adapter to use my RCBS powder measure on my Dillon press. Doent slow me down that much.

[pjh421]

Don't know if you have an RCBS Chargemaster dispenser/scale combo or equivalent, but these are useful while making a series of test rounds on the Dillon press when you want to charge with progressively more powder, i.e. 5.2 gr.; 5.3 gr, etc. instead of fiddling with the adjustment screw & then weighing. You just punch in the numbers and hit "dispense". In a few seconds you wind up with a weighed charge you can funnel into your casing. Replace the scale pan and hit dispense again before you seat the bullet. Before you're done with the boolit, the dump pan will have another weighed charge waiting for you.

I have used this method when loading IMR 4320 for .223 and IMR 4064 for .308 on my Dillon 650 because although slower, its simply less frustrating. When I shoot up all my stick powders for these cartridges though, I am switching to ball. John Barsness' recent comments in Handloader magazine concerning Ramshot Tactical were encouraging.

Paul