Dillon 550b funnel adjustment

[MBTcustom]

OK, I bought my 550B from Alverez Kelly here on the site a year or two ago, and I will love it and keep it and call it George, and we will be friends for ever and ever blah blah blah.

I have a question though about that darn powder funnel. Being that the press was without instructions, I just winged it (it's pretty self explanatory for the most part).
In order to set that funnel, I have been loosening the clamp screws on the powder measure, and sneaking in there with my fingers and twisting the funnel housing with my fingers, then locking done the nut, and retightening the clamp as both those things effect funnel depth.
This is a royal PITA!
However, in these situations, sometimes I get this strange feeling like I'm sprouting long ears and a tail and making a royal jack*** of myself. I'ts not always the case, but sometimes it's better stop, back up, and ask a question before a wind up like the guy that cast boolits with no mold handles for years LOL!

So tell me, is there a better way to adjust that funnel? I know I'm missing something here.

[btroj]

That is what I do. It is also why I have a tool head and powder die set up for about every cartridge I load for on mine. I dislike adjusting it, even changing from 44 special to 44 mag is enough of a pain to warrant having one set for each cartridge.

I don't usually re tighten the clamps on the measure, I just hold it closed by hand when making adjustments. I can make small adjustments later of they are warranted.

Watch out Tim, those parts breed. Next thing you know you have 8 toolheads, all with a set of dies in them. I just bought a second set of 44 mag dies so I can have one for mag, one for specials.

[ph4570]

That's the way it is generally done. I adopted the method of tool heads set up for each caliber.

BTW you can snag a .pdf manual from the Dillon website.

[Walter Laich]

Not Dillon's finest machine adjustment--it's the same on the SDB, too

[Old School Big Bore]

Watch out for complications. There are two different nominal powder funnels, one for the manual drop (450) & one for the auto drop (550). Somewhere along the way the OD of the powder dies has been juggled also; I have two 450 powder measures and about a dozen powder dies - some fit perfectly, some are tight, some are loose...i've had to reslit one of the clamps to get it to tighten on a couple of the dies.

[376Steyr]

It doesn't help with setting the powder die, but I suggest: Get another toolhead and put your sizer die and a Lyman M expander die in it. Use that toolhead to crank out gobs of sized-primed-expanded cases. Swap toolheads and then charge the cases with powder and seat bullets. Yes, it means handling the cases twice, but it's a lot easier (and "safer") to troubleshoot when things start going wrong.

[wymanwinn]

it is NOT really that big a deal to adjust it....and i agree with having a die head for each caliber loaded...

read this.... http://www.dillonprecision.com/docs/dillon_rl_550b_manual_may_2007.pdf

wyman

[MBTcustom]

See there! eeehaww! eehaww! I knew I was doing something wrong! Been doing adjustments from the top! didn't think about adjusting from the bottom of the tool head.
That right there is entrenched single stage thinking.
How embarrassing.

I tell ya, some days I can leap tall buildings with a single bound. Other days, I fall down a man hole just before I jump.....

[mike in co]

yep the dillon was made for fast loading, but some of us just like doing things diff.
i do the two tool head on a lot of my stuff in rifle calibers and for my 44 mag.
i have loaded 500 45acp in less than an hour....but it was a one time deal to see if i could.
i use two 550's one in small primer and one in large primer...see how lazy some of are ?

[David2011]

See there! eeehaww! eehaww! I knew I was doing something wrong! Been doing adjustments from the top! didn't think about adjusting from the bottom of the tool head.
That right there is entrenched single stage thinking.
How embarrassing.

I tell ya, some days I can leap tall buildings with a single bound. Other days, I fall down a man hole just before I jump.....

Tim,

Don't feel bad. I've been adjusting it from the top since 1981. I must have missed that part when I read the instructions.

If you don't have the 1" lock nuts on the dies you definitely want them. They make it far easier to adjust than the standard die locking nuts. You could probably whip some up real quick from some 1" hex stock or get them from Dillon.

David

[HATCH]

I adjust from the top. Always done that.
To be honest, every caliber I load has a dedicated toolhead, powder die, and dies.
Now I try to have a powder measure for each caliber but to be honest in the past year I added 4 more calibers so I haven't gotten powder measures for them.

[fatboy]

goodsteel, don't feel bad, I to have been adjusting from the top on my 2- 550's for the last 5 years. just last week I was changing out a set of rifle dies, and for some strange reason reading the book. that is when I read that line in the book with that very same epiphany.[smilie=b:
I guess I still can learn new tricks!!!

[9w1911]

I adjust from the bottom, and I have separate tool heads per caliber, I have not purchases a powder measure per tool head yet and I really want another 550b for small primers but hence I will wait

[mike in co]

take the tool head pin out on the die side to get more wrench room...do not forget to put it back.

[garandsrus]

I adjust from the bottom unless there isn't enough thread to grip, then the middle. It really doesn't take too long to adjust. I start high, raise the press, with a piece of brass in the powder position. Adjust the die down until resistance is felt, which is where the flare starts. About a quarter turn at a time after that, raising the brass into the die, will have the belle adjusted to the correct length pretty quickly.

[Alvarez Kelly]

I know I included the Dillon owners manual in the box when I shipped it to you. That doesn't mean the instructions were very useful. Dillon makes great presses, but their instructions are often only clear in hindsight. :-)

[btroj]

That is the truth. It isn't as much instructions as it is a parts diagram.

[375RUGER]

I never saw the need to lock everything in place until the adjustments are finished. I've been doing the following with no problems.
Loosen the lock ring and leave it loose. Loosen the powder measure just enough for the die to spin without binding while holding the measure still.
Bring the ram up, check powder measure function. Lower ram, adjust if necessary. Check. Repeat as necessary. When adjustments are finished then lock down the powder measure. Upstroke the ram once again and tighten the lock nut.

[L Erie Caster]

Dillon makes great presses, but their instructions are often only clear in hindsight.

I agree 500%, what is up with that? You would think all those smart people at Dillon could do better.

[dverna]

It is easy to assume we are pretty smart and not read the instructions. I know have done many times. It is even worse if you are mechanically inclined.

Don Verna

[ROGER4314]

The guys covered most of the basics. On rifle rounds, adjust the powder funnel until it sweeps the powder measure one full stroke....no more.

On pistol rounds, the powder funnel must bell mouth the case. Adjust until you get the correct amount of "bell" only. I use minimal bell.......010" total (.005" per side).

Yup, that is my least favorite part of the Dillon presses. I have hands the size of small hams and that makes it even worse. That's why I ended up with 13 tooling sets. I adjust the powder funnel once, then place it in the storage rack when I'm done loading that type of cartridge. I mark "ready to run" on the tool head and don't fool with it again.

Flash