Kevin Rohrer
08-22-2021, 05:12 PM
After reloading on various single-stage presses for many years, I moved my mass-reloading to a Dillon 550B, which lasted me for 30-years. I liked the manual operation of the semi-progressive 550B, as it allowed me to see that cases did not contain smaller cases, were primed, and had a powder charge in them. Loading in this safe manner, I was able to complete 300-rounds an hour, which included time to empty the cartridge collection box and refill the primer table.
But all good things come to an end, and the press finally began giving me problems that suggested it needed to be overhauled. I shoot too many .45ACP to not have a (semi-)progressive press available, so I bought a new Dillon 750 without the case feeder. My output did not increase, so I added case-feeder. Setup for it was easy, the case-feeder works almost flawlessly, and my output rose to 400-rounds an hour. Yes, I could load more rounds an hour with it if I wanted to, but once again, Safety First. Early-on, I had a squib load bulge the barrel of one of my hi-end 1911s, and getting it repaired was not cheap. Because of this I swore to never allow a round to be completed without a powder charge or primer.
Four-hundred rounds an hour for personal reloading is nothing to sneeze at, but after loading 20k rounds, I developed Tendinitis in both shoulders, and needed to make a change, and that change was adding a bullet-feeder to my setup.
Bullet-feeders that would work with my 750 are not cheap, but I (pun-intended) bit the bullet and bought a Mr. Bullet-Feeder from Dillon. If they recommended it enough to sell the unit, I trusted their recommendation.
The unit is $489.00 from either Dillon or Mr. Bullet-feeder. Both companies have them in-stock, and I received mine from Dillon only a week after ordering it. Unfortunately, setup took just as long as shipping it to me.
The problem with the setup is that the manual was written by someone who is familiar with the device, but does not know how to pass that information along in a logical manner. I read the manual, but it left me scratching my head at several sections, as some components are named but not described or illustrated. Eventually, I watched a Youtube video on setup and was able to complete the job by alternately re-watching it and referring to the manual; but there were two snags.
The first problem was I could not completely bolt-together the two sections of the frame that attaches the bullet-feeder to the Dillon case-feeder bin. When the two pieces were separated, I was able to easily screw the retaining nut onto the bolt, but when trying to attach the two parts together, I could not get them to snug-up with each other. In fact, I applied so much pressure to the nut that the corners started to round-off. As of today, the two halves are not snug with each other, but this has not been a problem.
The second problem was setting the bullet-feeder to the correct angle for proper operation. The manual said the angle should be 45-47 degrees, which means nothing to me. If the angle is not what the bullet-feeder likes, rounds will come out upside down or fall out of the feeder. But by trial and error I was able to get the correct angle, and operation is for the most part, smooth. On rare occasions I still get an upside down bullet, but more often three bullets will leave the drop-tube instead of one.
As for the sturdy, steel bin's storage capacity, the manual does not say, so I load it with two-to-three handfuls of bullets at-a-time and have not had a problem. 230gr. lead bullets are heavy, so I will not tax the motor-drive beyond that amount.
Is the unit worth the expense? Absolutely. Once installed correctly and running smoothly, I now easily reload 500-rounds an hour, and that time includes reloading both feeders and primer tube, as well as emptying the cartridge bin. I am now researching moving up to a Mark VII Apex 10, and that company also recommends Mr. Bullet-Feeder.
In summary, the Mr. Bullet-feeder does what it is supposed to do as long as it is setup correctly. Recommended for those who shoot a lot.
287780
287779
But all good things come to an end, and the press finally began giving me problems that suggested it needed to be overhauled. I shoot too many .45ACP to not have a (semi-)progressive press available, so I bought a new Dillon 750 without the case feeder. My output did not increase, so I added case-feeder. Setup for it was easy, the case-feeder works almost flawlessly, and my output rose to 400-rounds an hour. Yes, I could load more rounds an hour with it if I wanted to, but once again, Safety First. Early-on, I had a squib load bulge the barrel of one of my hi-end 1911s, and getting it repaired was not cheap. Because of this I swore to never allow a round to be completed without a powder charge or primer.
Four-hundred rounds an hour for personal reloading is nothing to sneeze at, but after loading 20k rounds, I developed Tendinitis in both shoulders, and needed to make a change, and that change was adding a bullet-feeder to my setup.
Bullet-feeders that would work with my 750 are not cheap, but I (pun-intended) bit the bullet and bought a Mr. Bullet-Feeder from Dillon. If they recommended it enough to sell the unit, I trusted their recommendation.
The unit is $489.00 from either Dillon or Mr. Bullet-feeder. Both companies have them in-stock, and I received mine from Dillon only a week after ordering it. Unfortunately, setup took just as long as shipping it to me.
The problem with the setup is that the manual was written by someone who is familiar with the device, but does not know how to pass that information along in a logical manner. I read the manual, but it left me scratching my head at several sections, as some components are named but not described or illustrated. Eventually, I watched a Youtube video on setup and was able to complete the job by alternately re-watching it and referring to the manual; but there were two snags.
The first problem was I could not completely bolt-together the two sections of the frame that attaches the bullet-feeder to the Dillon case-feeder bin. When the two pieces were separated, I was able to easily screw the retaining nut onto the bolt, but when trying to attach the two parts together, I could not get them to snug-up with each other. In fact, I applied so much pressure to the nut that the corners started to round-off. As of today, the two halves are not snug with each other, but this has not been a problem.
The second problem was setting the bullet-feeder to the correct angle for proper operation. The manual said the angle should be 45-47 degrees, which means nothing to me. If the angle is not what the bullet-feeder likes, rounds will come out upside down or fall out of the feeder. But by trial and error I was able to get the correct angle, and operation is for the most part, smooth. On rare occasions I still get an upside down bullet, but more often three bullets will leave the drop-tube instead of one.
As for the sturdy, steel bin's storage capacity, the manual does not say, so I load it with two-to-three handfuls of bullets at-a-time and have not had a problem. 230gr. lead bullets are heavy, so I will not tax the motor-drive beyond that amount.
Is the unit worth the expense? Absolutely. Once installed correctly and running smoothly, I now easily reload 500-rounds an hour, and that time includes reloading both feeders and primer tube, as well as emptying the cartridge bin. I am now researching moving up to a Mark VII Apex 10, and that company also recommends Mr. Bullet-Feeder.
In summary, the Mr. Bullet-feeder does what it is supposed to do as long as it is setup correctly. Recommended for those who shoot a lot.
287780
287779