njl

I'm reasonably confident that I'm not cutting the coating while loading them. I don't have any issues with the other coated bullets I load.

The range where I shoot won't allow jacketed bullets on steel targets, so I have to load plated, coated, or bare lead if I want to shoot steel. I mostly shoot Glocks with stock barrels, so bare (waxed) lead isn't really an option, not to mention, the wax would probably exacerbate the smoke issue. I was starting to think about ordering more 147gr coated bullets, but which ones? I've shot BBI, Precision, Bayou, Black and Blue, Ibeji (not in 9mm), Missouri (also not in 9mm), and X-treme. X-treme, I never could figure out why their 147gr would tumble from some of my guns, so they're out. Of the coated bullets, Precision is, AFAIK, the cheapest, might be the most accurate for me, and I remembered I had a bulk box of them that I'd stopped using...so I decided to give them another try. My current pet load is 147gr FP Bayou or similar bullet over 3.2gr Promo. I hadn't started using Promo yet when I stopped loading Precisions, so I loaded up 100 Precision 147gr over 3.2gr Promo and chronographed them today. As expected, I got pretty much exactly the FPS I'd previously gotten with them using 3.5gr WST...and probably the most consistent 10-round strings (lowest ES and SD) I've ever loaded. They were soft shooting, accurate, and avg'd just over 900fps from my G17. A bit slower from a Sig P226. The only issue was the clouds of smoke. That's probably why I stopped using them several years ago. In the past, I've loaded the 147gr Precisions with Universal and WST. Both are smokey. I actually had a few rounds of the 3.5gr WST load in my ammo can, so I shot those after chronographing the Promo load. Then I shot some Bayou over 3.2gr Promo, and Zero 147gr JHP over 3.3gr Promo. All produce smoke. None produce as much as the Precisions. Are there other powders that might work well with 147gr Precision bullets, aiming for ~900fps from a G17, and not put up a smoke screen? Precision's web site claims their new Gen2 coating produces less smoke. Anyone compared it to the coating they were using several years ago?

Different bullet shapes may require different OALs. I wouldn't worry about what OAL factory FMJ ammo is. Just find what works for a given bullet in your guns. Also, at least with my .45 loads, I've found that coated bullets need to be loaded to minimize the bearing surface exposed outside the brass, or it gets scraped while chambering (or extracting).

Are the bullet noses like that before you load them? Could it be that your seating stem is doing that to them? Though 1.125" seems kind of on the shorter end already, you seem to have an awful lot of bearing surface forward of the case mouth. What happens with your plunk test if you load them a bit shorter? As for the surface irregularity, I wonder if that was caused before or after coating by bullets denting each other during manufacturing, or if it's really an issue with inconsistent coating thickness. Those look more like surface irregularities in the lead (dents) to me.

What weight bullets were you using? I use it for 147s and am happy. I looked at trying to use it for 124s, and was kind of shocked at how full the case was at the starting load. I saw that and decided to stick with Universal for the 124s.

I bought Promo (cheaper "version" of Red Dot) to load .380 and found it works well for just about everything from .380 to .45acp. I've loaded quite a bit of 200gr coated .45acp over 4.6gr Promo.

I'm pretty sure the SDB strong mount is just the 550 strong mount with an extra adaptor plate that makes the SDB fit.

Call Dillon. But this doesn't make sense to me. When you rotate the shell plate, if that set screw was not doing its job, the shell plate bolt would get tighter, not loosen. I don't see how it would loosen as you load.

It so much solved as worked around. I had a spare complete small primer slide and that one works fine. I'll try one more time to disassemble/reassemble the "bad" one before giving up on it. I was mostly just curious if bending the primer seating punch is something others have done. I suspect that's what's happened.

Height is right and matches the other primer slide that goes into the housing without interference.

I'm already using an upgraded primer track bearing. The interference between the primer cup and housing is present even with the housing off the press, just trying to slide the primer slide into the housing with both parts in my hands.

I've started having issues with my RL550B intermittently not picking up small primers. I assumed, that having loaded a several hundred rounds in its current config, maybe it was time to clean the primer slide / slide bearing. After doing that and putting it back together, I found I still wasn't getting full unimpeded travel of the primer slide. After taking things apart again, I found that the primer seating cup was hitting/rubbing the primer housing on its way in to pick up a primer. I disassembled/reassembled the primer slide several times, and the only way I could get that slide to slide into the housing without the seating cup hitting the housing was to leave the spring (14033) out. Is it possible the primer seating punch (13757) is just slightly bent and causing the cup to cant just enough to not make it smoothly into the housing?

I saw a couple of boxes from American Steel this weekend in the trash at the outdoor range where I shoot. More junk brass to watch out for.

I moved on to other bullets. I had tumbling issues I couldn't figure out with these in my G34 and decided I liked bullets like Bayou's 147gr FP better. This thread was 5+ years old

You're supposed to clean them? I never leave powder in the hopper more than a few hours.

I've got something similar from Harbor Freight. I also don't worry about the "time of day". I just have it setup to run for IIRC 4 hours...and I turn the dial appropriately to activate it. When I'm done, I turn off the switch on the power strip it plugs into.

Times like this make having a couple years worth of components on hand "not such a bad idea".

Do you have any idea what brand 185gr JHP you have? I've used PD and Zero...and they're not interchangeable. For whatever reason, the Zeros need more powder to match the velocity of the PDs. You also didn't give a target velocity. I've loaded the Zeros anywhere from low 800s to over 1000fps. At the lower end...depending on who's bullets they are, 5gr or slightly more WST should get you minor PF loads. 5.5gr Red Dot / Promo should get you up into major PF. I load them to right around 1.200-1.210"

So, for those who've used both, other than lower cost of the press, is there any real advantage to the SDB vs the 550 if you're only planning to do a couple of handgun calibers? He thinks he'd only do 9mm and .45acp. I suspect if he goes down this path, he'll end up loading .38spl and .380 as well.

I probably will just order a case next time. I started out with 500 of the 200gr .45 TC to try out. It just seems silly that 1000 costs more than 2x500.

I want to shoot in his squad.

Their Polish Pickle Rack looks like it'd be fun too...and not nearly as big & complex as the dervish.

Price really isn't a factor, but I don't think he'll shoot enough to justify a 1050 or even a 650 with case feeder. Other than price, is there really any reason to go with the SDB? AFAIK, the biggest differences between it and the 550 are auto-indexing and the need to use proprietary dies (only available in whatever pistol calibers Dillon produces). One advantage to the 550 is we'd have more or less identical presses, so whatever he learns from mine would directly apply to his. 9x45, what's the deal with that funnel setup on your 550? Is that catching finished rounds and sending them into the plastic container below?

Why 200gr? If you can catch them in-stock, Roze Dist sells Zero 185gr JHP cheaper than those MG 200s.

A friend has finally said he's interested in seeing what goes into reloading pistol ammo, wants to come watch me load some, and was asking questions about press pricing. He's only interested in loading 2 or 3 handgun calibers, so the SDB would likely be the cheapest [Dillon] option. I'm curious though. I've only ever loaded on my RL550B, which has been setup from day 1 with the roller handle. The 550 starts out with the handle offset to the user's right, and the roller handle increases that. How much different is it using the SDB with its center-mounted handle (and ball instead of a roller)? Trying to imagine using that, it really doesn't seem like it'd be anywhere near as ergonomic as the 550.