Ofishl1

When I first started loading for competition for .45 and .40 cal with Case lube, found I had to tumble all the loads after, the lube was gunking up the gun too much as it carried into the mags and the rest. Then I went to a light spray of One Shot, even if I only hit one side of the brass laying down, then roll em around a little and hit em again, have found even new brass slipped through the die like butter. I believe my tooling will last longer and the One Shot almost disappears after the handling. It certainly does not attract dirt like the the "other" type of lube. Great stuff, cut out the "tumble clean" step after loading too...

I dont find any more effort required than I do for a .40 which is more radial volume and bearing surface on the die, however I use Hornady "One Shot" on a all my cases for the 550, .......on the 650 where I run the Super Comp, I actually use less lube and they run through great, just plodding along steadily, I can easily do 400 rounds in a hour if my primer tubes are all loaded up, however I do have the occasional "Super" round or . 40 sneak in the hopper and that plugs up the operations for case feeding for a few minutes. SO, I try to be diligent when Im sorting my brass, that event is about the only thing that slows me down on the 650, ...it just flat blows and goes....

I just added a 650 to my 550 line up, I do notice that on 38 Super, I have to give a fair amount of pressure on the seating stroke to get them seated, however does not seem excessive or more than required on my 550, however I do need to be deliberate and firm. You may want to check your shell plate, if it is too loose this condition could appear. Also check you have the correct primer magazine (the wheel) for the size you are installing. O1

I shoot USPSA competitions 2 sometimes 3 matches a week,...constant bullet factory for .40 and .38 super going on,....I have the Lyman Sonic cleaner and two Corn/tumblers. The Lyman gets the .38 super, i can run 400+ rounds in there using the SONIC fluid stuff for brass sold off the shelf, I think its a few capfuls in the full basin (distilled H2o)...2- 4 minute hits W(heat on) then spin-em in the Dillon separator,........ toss in the tumbler for 10 to make pretty...bingo, ..........when I need stuff done in a hurry, I love this unit for any brass ..or gun parts that needed cleaning too,...simple and quick .40 is just easier for me to toss 500 in each corn tumbler set a timer and leave em go as head to work,....separator spin....load em. The only time primers are punched is when I run em through the 650...never saw a reason for the added step. (my timer broke a couple weeks ago, forgot about the tumblers for two days sitting under the boat cranking away for 24 hours a day in 115 deg heat here in Az...they were clean. ..., tumblers are tougher that I thought!!) Anyway, the great methods all the guys in here employ are what works best for them after trial and..more trial, YMMV,.. try a few methods, extrapolate your own and modify to taste. Be safe... O1

1.170.... 180 g Zero or MG's ....4.7-4.9 on top of V320.... clean ( I dont want any smoke), nice load,...all I use in my .40 STI's

I run a Edge .40 and STI custom in .40, run V320 which is very close to WST, I run 4.2 with Berrys (lead load) for steel, and 4.9 -5.0 for Zeros and MG for Major. I cant imagine you would have any issues at 4.2 -4.5, (watch the crimp),...I load to 1.170 for both guns and they run perfect. I found STI's (mine) like em long. If you run a short OAL with this powder you may notice more snap in recoil,.....good luck.

Well, I guess it depends on what you are trying to do,..make chrono, or settle the dot,...I mean you are already at 165pf, so 1375fps will put you at the comfort zone for a match chrono. You may make it with SPP, but I would try the same load with both primers and see where you chrono.....

Yea, no doubt on the flash, sold off my 3 lbs to a Buddy Open shooter who runs a full size SV Infifnity, they told him to run "exclusively" 3N38, so he is hooked on it....3N37 is ok in my full size Open Gun....but I found N105 (9.8g) to be LESS harsh for my Bedell Open shorty which I run every week, C-More stays pretty clean too...(sidemount) I have run SR4756 which is harsh, but the dot goes straight up...and straight down....I like it in my full size Caspian .38 SC, the other big fad around here is Long Shot,...(or...LOUD SHOT)....some of the Super Sqaud in our club rant and rave about it and claim little Dot movement...I didnt like it...

I dont know if that is necessarily slow, I have Bedell Shorty with a AET Ultimatch barrel, when I ran 3N37 I would get 167.4 -168 PF at 8.4 stuffed in a Supercomp case under a MG 124 JHP with a WIN SR primer....(the Small Rifle primer may be giving me a complete burn over your SPP) So if thats slow, I guess we both are, but i dont think so, the longer barrels would have more time to burn-create gas, I have a Caspian .38 Super Open gun in 5", and it will make PF with less, same barrel by the way........also I got too much muzzle flash w/ 3N37, so I switched to N105 at 9.8- 9.9 and it works great, dot is up and down, ....with the 3N37 it was squirrelly....but YMMV....FYI.... O1

I run a 550 almost everyday, if there is no case present the primer will ride in the primer cup /Bar back into the primer feed stand, however will not allow another to drop on top of it due to the plastic plunger holds the next primer up in the rod and will not drop since the primer cup is full,....so you can cycle the 550 primer bar back and forth and the primer sits in the cup riding along waiting for the forward press of the handle to send it home to the case primer pocket. I recently bought a 650 and have just set it up and not pulled a case through it yet, so all this ski jump paraphernalia has my attention, since it is a non-issue with the 550....I guess I will have to look at this ski jump refurb a little closer....thanks for the heads up.... O1

One of the internal issues to the primer slide housing is the two screw holes underneath that mount the prime-feed base to the press,....if you have it off to clean under the primer bar and look at the location of the 2 tapped holes you may find like I did the holes are tapped off center toward the primer bar....what happens is.. if too much torque is applied to the socket head screws the helicoils cause the material to bulge out where the primer bars slides againt the side,....you can put a straight edge there to see if you have these bulges, I could see mine clearly by sight alone,....I took a fine file and flattened this area out and then some fine scotch brite to make it smooth again, you have to be careful doing this as there is not much wall thickness left there...., however I had no more sticking primer bar,....key note with these bases is to not overtighten the screws,,,,once over-torqued the material fatigues and you need to get a new base for the prime feed tube....I am the field sales engineer for our specialty hardware company and a Helicoil apps engineer that supplies all these that go in the frames,....I talked to them about the design, and the only answer is to go to a smaller thread size to gain real estate in this area, which will create other issues with older gen machines and new ones, so it may not be a design mod in the near future,,,......anyway check your base and see if this is the condition.....

I started with a 550RL 3 years ago, and the learning curve was mostly in what recipes to use for the various calibers, I went by the book, then I got into IPSC, Limited and Open class that change the whole game,...but the 550 is like a diesel, it just runs and runs,, I can get 400 rounds an hour, thats loading 200 rounds of .40 then switching powder measures already set up for .38 super comp....change plate and go....it a great press for starters or advanced...but now consuming 500+ rounds a week, I just bought the 650, have not used it yet, but it looks like a racer,...since I have to load in the garage in AZ,...Im hoping to cut down my handle time in the heat considerably....Dillon is a customer of mine and I am in there all the time,....never a question asked about anything that failed or doesnt work right...."heres a NEW gizzy for your press,.thanks for comin in"...................I love those guys...

This too,... I use same 50-50 Peroxide and White Vinager in a container just deep enough to submerge the Ti comp and not the threads, max about 10-15 mins at a time....works great with some scotch brite wrapped on my dremel.....definetely knocks it loose,...someone told me they discolored their SS comp by leaving it in too long tho....

Have you checked the screws that are holding the Cmore to the mount? Should be loctite on them if not... O1

I see One Shot at Natchez for 6.69 a can, but shipping might make that deal not so good, regardless its all I use, love the stuff and it does goes a long way. Long enough that I dont worry about saving a buck or 2 on 2-3000 rounds...I am little heavy with it though...

This... or a paper clip work very well.....same... primers popping around the floor, new pin....no more mess

Ditto on the Zeros, standard Dillon dies, all Starline SC brass.....never an issue, ...Bedell runs like a sewing machine...

I run MG and Zero in 38 Supercomp, I have had to flip the brass nose pc in the seater die depending on the bullet profile, or you may belling the case too much on the powder drop. I run straight dillon dies on my 550 for .38, if too much belling is not the answer, your sizing die may be worn some like DW said. I have a batch of MG and Zeros in .125 JHP in the box measuring .355 some .354,...so if your die is worn and some are coming through at .354 you have more movement, but crimp should take care of that I would think. Check your seater bushing like I mentioned,...not sure what else could be going on. ETA, my MG 124 JHP are .576..............the ZERO .125 JHP are .557..............so ZEROs are shorter out of the box by close to .020

I agree with the last post, although I am only B class shooter, there are plenty of guys I have shot with that suffer with a teriible grip, or starting a T-star with a bottom plate or whatever,...and right there is simple help I can offer at his level,...I remember when I started and knew nothing, and to toss 4 mags at a star is frustrating and embarassing, I know how that guy feels his first time out, if they accept some advice.. I am always willing to help the next guy, same as one of the guys i shoot with every week, took him to his first major this weekend at the Northern Classic here in AZ, he was shaking and nervous as whore in church,...but he was surrounded with guys from our club who pointed out foot faults, 180 traps, etc,.. and Angus Hobdell was in our squad,...so he learned ways the GM looks at shooting a stage that he (we) would have never considered, and one stage doing it the "Angus way" took out 2 stations and made it so much quicker to shoot, that is invaluable experience...anyway my buddy calmed down after a few stages and started to have fun, but there is no doubt some people come, ..shoot,...and dont come back for a variety of reasons, but I try not to let be because they were left alone to fend for themselves... if at all possible....and Im sure that many clubs embrace the new shooters as well...

I run C-mores on both my Open guns, on Quinn mounts, ejection issues are moot,...I have both dial up and the click version...I like the click a little better I think. If I were to get another one it will be in aluminum so the set screws have better bite and set, the polymer (plastic) c-mores, I have had to change screws out on them and they dont seem to lock down tight enough on one of mine,...they come loose a bit I found. Either way its still C-More's for me....I like being able to change the dot in a few minutes if I need to by pulling the diode and adding another.

ditto, ordered a 38",...now the overlap end hits the mag in front of my gut, and I have to jam the end under the CR,... should have went 36. (Itried to move all the mags back a couple of inches) but when you get used to mag positions on your belt after a while, it makes a difference moving 2 inches, muscle memory I guess grabbing the same spot over and over,...then one day move them 2 inches, and miss..need to buy a 36" I suppose

This is great! Thank you! +1 to that advice, I found for me on a complicated run and gun stage, with corners, ports, bear traps and clams, I had to break the stage down in my mind, and visualize myself in my head running just the portion to the first mag change....over and over a few times, then on to the next section, I see myself making transitions, the mag change, keep the gun high, and how long in seconds it will take me to get from a-b and b-c,...then I know roughly a time I should be able to shoot it in... and the mental rehearsal with eyes closed and muffs on while I am waiting between shooters, watching helps, but some guys are shooting L-10, Limited or Open, or single stack, and I shoot limited so I cant always rely how the next guy and the next will break it down..so I come to a plan and stay with it,...it helps me to virtual shoot the stage before I step up,...of course dry run walk thrus are always included, however the visualized run its just added confirmation to execute the way I plan... O1

Mine was, "no powder" after getting distracted while checking weight of the powder charge in the scale, dropped the powder back in the powder chamber, and placed the primered shell back in and advanced to "bullet seat" without refilling the case, one squib with my son in front of me shooting the gun, ,... I heard it and stopped him before he touched off another round...the bullet was an inch down the barrell.. First and last time that ever happened a few years ago as a newbie loader....the only other condition for alarm was static electricity handling primers, I dont know if it could set off the tube, but I have seen the results of it, and its not pretty..to the press, the roof, or your hand,....totally discharged station now. I place 100 rounds on a large cookie sheet and spray them with One Shot, since I handle every case to place them I have not missed any cracked mouths...yet....and have loaded over 30,000 rounds, only mashed a few primers in upside down,,,thats it...diligence,... attention to detail,... checking powder drops / charges on a regular basis,... watch brass condition, ....dont leave the press with all stages full and needing an action or stroke of the handle,.. clear the press then walk away if you know you will be coming back later,...I sent some cases around the horn leaving a trail of powder right into the bin, NO PRIMER seated....what a mess.. I do love the 550B though...

All I run is Vit 320 under a 180 for major, dropped it to 3.8 with the RM still in back when, I dont have my notes on the chrono, guessing135-140, all I remember was it felt too clunky for me I ditched the RM and dropped in a 10lb spring and it was nice and soft., still run a 11lb on average from Major down to 4.2, ... I like that load for steel personally.