TdK

Get one of these: Hornady Case Head-space Gage Measure a once fired case out of your friends gun then measure a case that you have re-sized and note the difference. Chances are his chamber is cut shallower than the one that you originally set up your die for. As far kgunz11 post I didn't know about the legal issues I wasn't aware of the federal law aspect. Before I acquired my equipment I would purchase my components and my friend would let me use his 550b to load my ammo on. He said that way his liability would be mitigated by the fact that I did the actual loading. HTH

That's about it for the .30-'06, I've chrono'ed a 168gr A-Max load @ 2700fps. BTW flattened primers are OK within reason, just watch out for cratered primers. I tend to load to the lighter side of the max. If you've ever shot Mk262 Mod 1 you'll notice that every primer is flattened, due to the fact that it is pushing the envelope.

You're right JoshF; about 4895 and 4064 these are the 'Garand' powders, but there have been many advancements since the debut of those powders. The Hornady Reloading Manual 7th edition contains specific M1 Garand loading data tables. Varget is one of the powders included in that load data, they listed their best results with N135 (Vihtavuori). If your really paranoid about your Op-Rod, chrony your loads, as long as you don't exceed 2700fps your gas port pressure should be ok. Varget is the general purpose service rifle powder it works well in AR15's, M1a's and Garands.

Hornady has load data for Varget. Follow the Standard 10% load reduction information and work your way up to max load. Their info is reliable and works well for me. YMMV.

After about a year of using my 550B which, BTW I ordered with the aluminum roller handle, I feel that I can weigh in with my opinion on this question. I did try both the standard ball handle and the roller handle. There truly is no comparison, the roller handle is much more comfortable and lends itself to a smoother motion overall IMHO. I'm glad I took the advice here and optioned my press out with this great feature. I just wish Dillon would have ground some flats onto the arm itself so that properly tightening the handle isn't a two person job.

Where was this propaganda posted at? I love the ammo that I produce on my 550 it definitely shoots better than I can.

Go with the RRA, lifetime warranty on parts says it all. Another plus is they come with the best stock trigger of all the AR's. Ask any Service Rifle competitor, and other than the Uber pricey Giselle and Jewell match triggers, the most common upgrade to any lower is to replace the manufacturers stock trigger with the RRA NM two stage trigger.

I just received my 550B Saturday from Brian, exactly one week to the day from my order. He caught the extra case gage that I accidentally left on my order and credited my Visa for the amount. The EZ-Buy package really streamlines the ordering process. My only suggestion would be to include the "As it should BE" upgrade in the EZ-Buy packages, that would make optioning out the package even easier. All in all ordering from Brian was a great experience and I will recommend him to any and all who are looking to purchase a Dillon.