30-06 CB's & Dillon 550b

[Sprue]

What method do you use to swell the case neck, or bell a 30-06 case, so you don't shave the cast boolit when seating it?

I don't cast for this round but my buddy is getting ready to. He'll be using his Dillon 550b. Umm, I wonder what powder die he could use. Maybe he needs to call dillon.

Thanks

[Shiloh]

What method do you use to swell the case neck, or bell a 30-06 case, so you don't shave the cast boolit when seating it?

I don't cast for this round but my buddy is getting ready to. He'll be using his Dillon 550b. Umm, I wonder what powder die he could use. Maybe he needs to call dillon.

Thanks

He should call Dillon. My boolits for my '06 are oversize .30's. Lyman 314299. The nose of my Lyman 311299 is too small, .298-.299 The boolits are sized at .312. This fits the Krag and '03 Springfield.

I load one at a time on an old RCBS press. The Dillon is used for my pistol Boolits or jacketed bullets only.

Shiloh :castmine:

[mike in co]

size seperate with a lyman m die, long. call lyman and ask for a custom 314/5 sizer. i currently load very low volume in 06 and use a lee target model for cast,and a std lee hand loader for condoms and a 550b for condoms.

mike in co

[Calamity Jake]

Size and deprime cases on a single stage press then load a Lyman M die(30 Long) in station 1 on the dilllon adjust the m die to expand on the second stage of the expander do not flair the case mouth then use dillions standard 30 cal powder die in station 2 with powder measure on top, seat boolets at station 3 and if a crimp is wanted, taper crimp at station 4.

It is a good idea to put a good chamfer inside the case mouth.

[Willbird]

I emailed Dillon once about a larger sizer for 44 magnum, I cast my bullets .433 to fit the throats in my Redhawk, they told me I do not "need" a larger expander :-).

I have not loaded any rifle ammo on my 550b yet, not sure if the rifle powder funnel works like the pistol exapander does or not ??


Bill

[Calamity Jake]

"not sure if the rifle powder funnel works like the pistol exapander does or not ??"

The dillon rifle powder dies do not expand the neck or at least they didn't use to, I have a
30 cal I use for 30-30, to look inside the die it looks like the top end of a neck size only die but it is large enough not to size the neck. it has a flat shoulder that the mouth of the case pushes on to activate the powder measure.

Dillon does not make custom size expanders, I wish they did!!!!

[miestro_jerry]

Try a Lee M Die. or slightly over expand with powder die. either works.

Jerry

[Nueces]

Some of us also use Dillons for CB rifle loading, but adapt to our preference for the Lyman M-die by using the Dillon in two stages. If your brass is all prepped for it (trimmed, etc.), you can install the size die in station one and the M-die in station two, to yield load-ready cases. Or, sizing can be done separately, followed by any other preparation processes, including priming, if you want.

Then, loading can done with an M-die in station one, with priming, if desired, and charging in station two, seating in station three, and crimping in station four.

I've looked into making a custom Dillon expander for rifle use (made like the pistol ones), but the long, thick case necks make it difficult to get consistent expander depth while properly activating the powder measure. I think Dillon came to the same conclusion, thus their rifle design without the expander function, which works OK for J-words. Without the expander/measure combination, you're just as well off with the M-die. Thus, the two stage process.

Mark

[madcaster]

I had a 550 and it had enough adjustment in the powder funnel to expand the case mouth okay,no problem....

[Sprue]

I had a 550 and it had enough adjustment in the powder funnel to expand the case mouth okay,no problem....

For a Rifle? Dillon rifle dies don't expand for 30-06, thats the question at large.


.....The dillon rifle powder dies do not expand the neck or at least they didn't use to,on rifle powder dies do not expand the neck or at least they didn't use to

and still don't :roll:

[garandsrus]

You can get a .30 Carbine powder die that does expand the case neck. I think that it ends up being too long though for a 30-06 cartridge. In other words, the powder die is turned too far out to work.

I normally resize and trim in one step. The cases are run back through the 550B with the following in the shell plate:

1) Universal deprimer to knock tumbling media out of the flash hole
2) Powder die
3) Lyman M die
4) Seat and remove flair

John

[madcaster]

It HAS been awhile since I had this press,I am most likely wrong.
Thanks Guys...

[Sprue]

A big Thank You to all for your participation!

I'll pass this info on to my neighbor friend. I'm sure that he will appreciate it too.


Best Regards

[runfiverun]

i use the 30 carbine powder die in a separate holder designed for the dillon to use a regular
powder dump and has a set screw to hold the powder die in place.
mainly cause i had it.
i just put it in slot #3.

[Patrick L]

I do not have a Dillon, but the process Calamity Jake lined out is essentially the same I use with my RCBS Ammomaster progressive. I load a lot of rifle calibers progressively, with CBs.

I like to resize the cases in a separate operation. I then remove the lube by either rinsing (RCBS water soluble)/drying or tumbling. I then have nice, dry cases to process thru the rest of the steps.

The Ammomaster is a five station press, so I put a universal decapper in station 1 to ensure no tumbling media is lodged in the flashhole. Station 2 is the Lyman M die set for my .311 CBs. Station 3 is the powder measure, station 4 seats the bullet, and station 5 crimps. On a four holer like the 550 I'd just skip the decap die and be sure to check the flasholes before I started loading.

[mike in co]

I do not have a Dillon, but the process Calamity Jake lined out is essentially the same I use with my RCBS Ammomaster progressive. I load a lot of rifle calibers progressively, with CBs.

I like to resize the cases in a separate operation. I then remove the lube by either rinsing (RCBS water soluble)/drying or tumbling. I then have nice, dry cases to process thru the rest of the steps.

The Ammomaster is a five station press, so I put a universal decapper in station 1 to ensure no tumbling media is lodged in the flashhole. Station 2 is the Lyman M die set for my .311 CBs. Station 3 is the powder measure, station 4 seats the bullet, and station 5 crimps. On a four holer like the 550 I'd just skip the decap die and be sure to check the flasholes before I started loading.

patrick,
actually just resize AND use the lyman m die, then clean and go back to loading whenever...then a dillon 4 station is fine......


mike in co

[Patrick L]

Yeah, I guess that would work too!

[Willbird]

I'm wondering........it is usually an off the wall idea :-)....but wondering IF you could rework a Lee collet die, with a stepped mandrel and a matching step in the collet to make a case look like you had ran an M die into it ?? IE a 2 diameter neck ??

[45 2.1]

I'm wondering........it is usually an off the wall idea :-)....but wondering IF you could rework a Lee collet die, with a stepped mandrel and a matching step in the collet to make a case look like you had ran an M die into it ?? IE a 2 diameter neck ??

Bill, that is relatively easy to do. Run a taper reamer into the closed collet from the top and remove enough material, so the top part of the neck of the case that is usually flared, won't be sized. Instead it flares slightly when the collet sizes the neck below it. You have a neck-sized case that is flared. If you prime during the same operation, your case is ready to load.

[Willbird]

Bill, that is relatively easy to do. Run a taper reamer into the closed collet from the top and remove enough material, so the top part of the neck of the case that is usually flared, won't be sized. Instead it flares slightly when the collet sizes the neck below it. You have a neck-sized case that is flared. If you prime during the same operation, your case is ready to load.

That would work fine in the first station of an RL550B then as long as the shellplate will work the Lee collet die :-)

Bill

[BruceB]

When I wanted some higher-production rates for 7.62 NATO ammo, I managed just fine with the 550B.

I used ONLY the 550. Sizing, priming and powder-charging were all done in the normal (progressive) manner. In station 3 I placed a Lee Universal Expander die, which is really just a mouth-flaring device. In station 4 was the seating die.

I used a minimal amount of flare on the necks, and since the bullets were unstable when placed on the case at station 3 with such a setting, the bullets were placed on/in the neck at station 4. This was a tad awkward at first, reaching through or around the press frame to position the bullet, but I soon grew accustomed to it.

With the tiny amount of flare that I used, I found that I could seat the bullet without damage. WITHOUT removing the flare, the rounds would function in my M1A. This was perfectly OK for the target range, but for more-serious pursuits I think I'd run the loaded rounds through the seating die again, this time having it set to remove that minimal flare without touching the bullet. I do not find it necessary to crimp the rounds, even in the autoloader, but this is still an option.

Every single round is checked with a Wilson cartridge gauge, and there are very few rejects. Virtually all rounds that failed the initial check were found to have burrs on the rim from ejection or extraction, easily fixed with a needle file; NONE were due to that minor flaring which had been applied. I'll admit to being somewhat surprised and tickled to discover this.

[nighthunter]

I learned this method from Bruce B in the past when it was talked about and it works just fine for cast in my Springfield. I do run the cases far enough into the seating die to remove the flare but not far enough to crimp. Haven't had a failure yet. It doesn't take very long to get used to the rythem of the die order. Give it a try.
Nighthunter