Dillon SDB strong mount question

[dow]

I've got a Dillon SDB that I've had forever, or close enough to it. Can ya'll tell me what you think of the strong mount? Pros, cons, etc.?

Thanks
Dow

[imashooter2]

Mounts the press higher if you stand to reload. Mounts it too high if you sit. Spreads the load over a wider area if your bench top is weak. Makes no difference if your bench top is stiff. If you add one, you will need to rig a bullet tray, or move your hand considerably farther for each bullet pick up.

[Char-Gar]

I stand to reload, and I am 6'4" tall. I have both my pressed on the Dillon mounts to get up at the right height. I attach the RCBS A2 and Redding turrent with C clamps. Works for me.

Next year, I will have my own shop and build the reloading bench 40" high. I will then have a couple of these mounts for sale. Can you wait that long? (-:

[45nut]

I have had my 550 on a strong mount for years and consider it money well spent, I agree with the bullet tray add-on AND a roller handle if offered for the SD.

[NVcurmudgeon]

I am quite tall (5' 7" on a limber day) and found raising my SDB on a home made "Brutal Mount" and standing to load really helps. My SDB is mounted on the corner of my bench. There is another bench 90 degrees from the loading bench, holding a homemade wooden boolit tray in a vise handy to the SDB. Standing up, IMO, has improved production and safety and has lessened fatigue.

[Throckmorton]

I"ve 2 dillons mounted to a sturdy tall bench without strong mounts and don't seem to miiss them.getting along so well I see no need in buying them just to find out what i"M missin,lol.

[dow]

I am quite tall (5' 7" on a limber day) and found raising my SDB on a home made "Brutal Mount" and standing to load really helps. My SDB is mounted on the corner of my bench. There is another bench 90 degrees from the loading bench, holding a homemade wooden boolit tray in a vise handy to the SDB. Standing up, IMO, has improved production and safety and has lessened fatigue.

NVcurmudgeon- Any chance you could post a shot of your "brutal Mount"? I'd like to raise mine up, but I hate to spend the dollars, especially when Dillon wants 18.00 more for the SDB mount than the other one (http://dillonprecision.com/template/p.cfm?maj=35&min=1&dyn=1&).

...well, I called Dillon about the price difference, and they said that the SDB mount includes a different spent primer chute and cup that's required if you use that mount, so I guess the price isn't that out of line.

I'd still like to figure out a home-built alternative of some kind to raise the press up.

Thanks again,

dow

[MK111]

I thought the strong mount was worthless idea when my friend got one and I resisted for couple years. I picked one up used and WOW. I have a rather serious back problem and standing up makes all the world of differance. I now have three strong mounts under three of my four Dillons and looking for the fourth. Go to it.

[NVcurmudgeon]

NVcurmudgeon- Any chance you could post a shot of your "brutal Mount"? I'd like to raise mine up, but I hate to spend the dollars, especially when Dillon wants 18.00 more for the SDB mount than the other one (http://dillonprecision.com/template/p.cfm?maj=35&min=1&dyn=1&).

...well, I called Dillon about the price difference, and they said that the SDB mount includes a different spent primer chute and cup that's required if you use that mount, so I guess the price isn't that out of line.

I'd still like to figure out a home-built alternative of some kind to raise the press up.

Thanks again,

dow

dow, I don't have any means of posting picture, but this thing is so simple a written description should serve. Actually I "liberated" a small "surplus" battery box from an electical power distribution panel from a former employere. Imagine a box built of 1/8" steel plate in a rectangular shape with one side left open. The top of the box is about 4" X 8". The top is drilled for the SDB mounting bolt pattern. The bottom is about 8 " x 6" and the bottom is drilled for four holes to mount to the bench. The sides are about 4" X 6" which allows a 6" lift above the bench top. The side which faces the operator is 6" X 8" and is solid except where I had to groove it to allow the powder measure pushrod to operate. the side away from the operator is the open side and makes it easy to bolt the "Brutal Mount" to the SDB and to the bench. This box was made by folding in some kind of industrial strength machine, and I got a buddy to weld up the seams. essentially it is a box with no lid, turned on its side, with a few holes and a partial groove added.

[NVcurmudgeon]

P.S. to dow. as far as the "special" primer catcher goes, I threw the original catcher out long ago. I catch primers in the same five gallon bucket I save scrap brass in, pendng the next trip to the scrap yard. The old Costco laundry soap bucket seldom misses!

[August]

I, too, had an SDB for many years before getting a strong mount. I also got a bullet tray at the same time (which I strongly recommend you do). Anywho, my production practically doubled with the addition of these two accessories. Went from ~200 to ~400 per hour with those two simple changes. And, as has been noted, I was a lot more comfortable in the bargain. I thought both were money well spent.

[David2011]

When I build my new bench a few months ago I just built it to roughly the height of a standard counter plus the height of the strong mount. The final fine tuning of the height was determined by the end of the down stroke. I didn't want to bend my back at the bottom of the stroke. My elbow is just short of fully straightened when the handles bottom out. That give good leverage on the progressives. I put roller handles on my Dillon 550 and 650. It worked out that the position of the Square Deal B was good as well.

I like the leverage I can apply when seating primers. By standing back a few inches farther than what feels natural I can lean in pretty firmly on the primer seating stroke. That has significantly reduced the incidence of high primers. Most of my loading is .40 S&W on the 650. For moderate amounts of .45ACP I load it on the 550 which stays set up for .45ACP most of the time. If I'm going to load more than 150-200 I convert the 650 to .45ACP. It's much faster and the chances of an uncharged or double charged case are significantly reduced.

I shoot at least 2000 rounds/ month so a speedy press is nice. I cast all of my bullets and intend to continue for as long as I can get WW. I mix 1/2 lb monotyoe to 20 lb WW and get bullets that hold mold detail very well and are sufficiently hard for steel plate, PPC and IPSC.

[Lloyd Smale]

couldnt do without them