Old Newbie Questions

[fileophile]

Hi all, I am an old shooter who used to shoot a lot of 3-gun. Even then I was old school and used a .45. Then I got the PRS bug so went that route for the last 10 years or so.  Now I am coming back to pistol shooting and find I have forgotten a lot and also expect there have been improvements in the last ten years, in terms of reloading equipment. I have a Dillon Square Deal press and also a Dillon 650.  The 650 is set up for 45ACP. The Square Deal is set up for .380ACP.

 

Now I'd like to try 9mm, and have a lot of questions:

 

1) Do you think it would be better to set up a second toolhead on the 650 or the SD for 9mm?  I'm leaning towards the 650 for speed.

2) What are the 9mm dies of choice?  I currently have Dillon dies in both presses and they haven't failed me.  Any reason to get something else?

3) I believe all I need for the 650 are the 9mm dies and a 9mm conversion kit...is that right?  Where is the best place to buy these items (i.e cheapest)?

4) One new technology I've heard about is a bullet feeder. Which one works best in the Dillon presses?

5) I have a lot of leftover Titegroup powder. It seems I'm reading on this forum that 3.1-3.4 grains of TG with just about any bullet weight will work fine. Any magic formulas?  I'd be using Speer Gold Dots and misc range brass.

 

Thanks for any guidance.

Edited October 19, 2017 by fileophile
spelling

[wrench459]

53 minutes ago, fileophile said:

... I'd be using Speer Gold Dots and misc range brass.

 

With SDHP's  I want them out of the bbl. ....at the very least @1150fps.

[fileophile]

Is that for proper expansion (terminal ballistics)?

 

[wrench459]

11 minutes ago, fileophile said:

Is that for proper expansion (terminal ballistics)?

 

You can find other boolits for target practice cheaper. Just sayin.

[Sarge]

I’ll buy some GDHP from you. Or trade you some BBI, Xtemes etc.

[fileophile]

Not looking to sell anything, just wondered about the qeustions in the original post.

[MemphisMechanic]

3 hours ago, fileophile said:

Hi all, I am an old shooter who used to shoot a lot of 3-gun. Even then I was old school and used a .45. Then I got the PRS bug so went that route for the last 10 years or so.  Now I am coming back to pistol shooting and find I have forgotten a lot and also expect there have been improvements in the last ten years, in terms of reloading equipment. I have a Dillon Square Deal press and also a Dillon 650.  The 650 is set up for 45ACP. The Square Deal is set up for .380ACP.

 

Now I'd like to try 9mm, and have a lot of questions:

 

1) Do you think it would be better to set up a second toolhead on the 650 or the SD for 9mm?  I'm leaning towards the 650 for speed.

 

I havent touched a square deal. I exclusively load 9, and exclusively on a 650. The answer to this question depends largely on how much volume you’ll be shooting 9mm in.

 

3 hours ago, fileophile said:

2) What are the 9mm dies of choice?  I currently have Dillon dies in both presses and they haven't failed me.  Any reason to get something else?

 

Lee. I find them to simply produce better ammo that case gauges more consistently. I run a Lee U-die in stage 1 and a factory crimp in the final stage of the press and prefer them over the dillon dies I ran my first 20k off this press with.

 

3 hours ago, fileophile said:

3) I believe all I need for the 650 are the 9mm dies and a 9mm conversion kit...is that right?  Where is the best place to buy these items (i.e cheapest)?

4) One new technology I've heard about is a bullet feeder. Which one works best in the Dillon presses?

 

I just bought a Mr Bulletfeeder, after researching this quite a bit. It’s the Dillon of the bulletfeeder world: skip the lesser options.

 

3 hours ago, fileophile said:

5) I have a lot of leftover Titegroup powder. It seems I'm reading on this forum that 3.1-3.4 grains of TG with just about any bullet weight will work fine. Any magic formulas?  I'd be using Speer Gold Dots and misc range brass.

 

Why such incredibly expensive bullets? There’s some old Titegroup data of mine sprinkled in this chart:

 

 

If you’re shooting gold dots we’re going to assume you’re looking to load ammo for purposes other than plinking or minor competition loads. Which means loading them hotter. Which means Titegroup is a very poor powder choice: as a fast burner, it’s very much overpressure by the time you get the bullet up anywhere near defensive ammo velocities.

[4n2t0]

12 hours ago, fileophile said:

Hi all, I am an old shooter who used to shoot a lot of 3-gun. Even then I was old school and used a .45. Then I got the PRS bug so went that route for the last 10 years or so.  Now I am coming back to pistol shooting and find I have forgotten a lot and also expect there have been improvements in the last ten years, in terms of reloading equipment. I have a Dillon Square Deal press and also a Dillon 650.  The 650 is set up for 45ACP. The Square Deal is set up for .380ACP.

 

Now I'd like to try 9mm, and have a lot of questions:

 

1) Do you think it would be better to set up a second toolhead on the 650 or the SD for 9mm?  I'm leaning towards the 650 for speed.

2) What are the 9mm dies of choice?  I currently have Dillon dies in both presses and they haven't failed me.  Any reason to get something else?

3) I believe all I need for the 650 are the 9mm dies and a 9mm conversion kit...is that right?  Where is the best place to buy these items (i.e cheapest)?

4) One new technology I've heard about is a bullet feeder. Which one works best in the Dillon presses?

5) I have a lot of leftover Titegroup powder. It seems I'm reading on this forum that 3.1-3.4 grains of TG with just about any bullet weight will work fine. Any magic formulas?  I'd be using Speer Gold Dots and misc range brass.

 

Thanks for any guidance.

 

1) Six of one, half a dozen of the other.

2) If you setup the SDB you'll have no choice since it uses proprietary dies. For the 650 you can stay with Dillon (my personal preference) or buy Lee dies if you're looking to save some money .

3) Do you have a casefeeder? If so you'll also need a small pistol plate. I can't recommend a retailer since I'm a "Snow Mexican", sorry.

4) Mr. Bullet Feeder.

5) Whats with the "just about any bullet weight" statement. In reloading we know that charge weights will vary with bullet weight, right?

Edited October 19, 2017 by 4n2t0

[Ofishl1]

Agree with previous posters on bullet choice, cheaper options unless cost is no issue, the key factor I found for 9mm since I shoot PCC 9 and single stack is a lot range pick up and once fired is the unkown of "glocked brass"..for this reason like others have mentioned I run the 9 on a dedicated tool head in my 650 with a Lee  full length sizing die...no issues with bulged brass..ever.

[fileophile]

Thanks for the replies, good info. I do know about following a reloading guide. It sounds as though Titegroup is a poor powder choice, so what is a good powder choice for 115 or 124 class bullets?

 

I’m looking for low recoil with a defensive load. I like to practice with what I carry and money is not that big of an issue because I have all the bullets already. Match PF is not a concern.

Edited October 19, 2017 by fileophile

[Hi-Power Jack]

16 hours ago, fileophile said:

I've used Winchester Auto Comp - 5.5 gr will get you a nice load.  I'd work up slowly with a chrono, of course.     

 

16 hours ago, fileophile said:

 

 

 

[fileophile]

Thanks.  I will try that.  I also have a Mr. BulletFeeder on the way thanks to you'all's advice.

[wrench459]

Just picked up forty bullets at .63 cents each.

These will be for varmint control.

I'll need to do a quick ladder of around ten rounds with a pretty known powder.

Is this doable?

[Hi-Power Jack]

2 minutes ago, wrench459 said:

 

I'll  do a" ladder of ten rounds" with a pretty known powder.

Is this doable?

 

That's new to me ...  what's a "ladder of 10 rounds"?

[wrench459]

 

[Hi-Power Jack]

Thanks, Wrench.

 

Anything shorter than a 23 minute video ?

 

Any summary for us time impaired shooters?     

[wrench459]

12 hours ago, Hi-Power Jack said:

 

Any summary for us time impaired shooters?     

 

Yeah I've also been around the block a few times.

Time is getting shorter for me