Danhits

dillon d-terminator scale

I like the way Flatland Shooter thinks. Genius.

I was seeing same thing happen. After reading your post I called Dillon about swaping my original white metal colored pan for the yellow metal colored pan that you spoke about in the thread. I even mentioned your thread without mentioning names or what site the thread was on (must protect the innocent). The Dillon tech on the phone told me that the two pans were identical except that one was annodized a silver color and one was annodized a gold color. he advised that there would be no swapping anf d that there is no upgrade offered. Guess you lucked out getting the right tech that recognized an issue or my tech was right on and we may be crazy people.

Reckon so.

Before you mount the press in a permanant location, bolt the press down to a piece of lumber and then try it in several different places in your workshop / benchtop area using c-clamps to hold it in place, to see what the different mounting positions might offer you in the way of work space, lighting, shelf access, storage, elbow room, ect. Also, for me the strong mount was a really good upgrade. Solid mount and raised the height of the press to where I needed it to be.

Merrill's.

Thanks for the info.

I am having same issue. I'm gonna call tomorrow for the upgrade. Thanks.

No chance for some better pics?

Any new pics possible?

I vote for 550B.

Yes.

Donnie, Any chance of getting you to post some further info, some step by step instructions and some good pictures? Thanks, Dan Danhits@aol.com

More pictures, more details, please. More, more, more!

Dillon is watching and listening. Thank you all at Dillon. I am still lovin' and staying loyal to Dillon equipment in general and my keeping my 550B. This could get interesting. Good job Donnie. Post the pics and the video when you can. Maybe you can be the one to tip this over the edge so those of us in the unwashed masses who want to have a casefeeder with a manual indexing machine can get just that.

Mike, I too will stand and applaud Donnie for having figured out how to make a Dillon 550B casefeeder made for 9mm work with .223 rifle cases. The fact that Donnie is going to the time and trouble to share the info with us all is much appreciated. I too wish Dillon would start selling a 550 casefeeder that can load rifle (especially .223) right out of the box. It is true that the Hornandy LNL is auto indexing and has a case feeder that works with rifle cases. A friend of mine just got a Hornandy LNL and it is a pretty darn good machine from what I have seen. The junior team is using it right now for their needs. Thank you Hornady. This machine will rival the Dillon 650. Personally, I really like my Dillon 550B and wish to stay loyal to Dillon for several reasons. For the present time, I prefer manuel indexing myself, which is why I haven't traded up for a 650. This system works best for me, the way I prep brass on one toolhead and load ammo on a second toolhead. I agree with Mike, Come on Dillon...just do it ! If Donnie has figured out a successful way to get it right it seems odd that Dillon would not also have been able to do it with their blessing no less. Maybe someone from Dillon will see this and respond, hopefully with an announcement that Dillon is going to do it and soon. Donnie, I will look forward to your future postings with before and after pics and also of the possible video. That would be very, very helpful. I will thank you again for taking an interest and sharing. I shoot across the course in highpower with an AR15 service rifle in northern and southern California, Arizona, Ilinois, Ohio, ect. I shoot with four different clubs and am on a club team as well. There are many shooters between the groups. adults and juniors. Over forty of us went to the nationals at Camp Perry last year. There are many groups like ours that load alot of ammo each year. Most all of us load on a Dillon 550B. Some have the Dillon 650. I myself loaded and shot over 10,000 .223 rounds of short line (200-300 yd line) ammo last year alone. Not one single misfire, problem or alibi called for. The Dillon 550B is an awesome little machine. There is a plus and a minus to each machine. I as well as others just happen to like the manual indexing system a little better than an auto indexing machine. There are many of us interested in a .223 casefeeder for the 550B. Thanks again both Mike and Donnie. Dan

Donnie, Thanks for sharing that info. I have a 550B also and load mostly .223 with it (approx 15,000 rounds per year) for use at the 200-300 yd line in highpower matches. LC brass, CCI BR4 primers, VV N135 powder, Sierra 77's loaded to mag length. I do case prep on one tool head Station #1 Redding Universal decap die powder die and measure and Redding Dillon sizing die with decap stem removed Station #3 Sinclair body die die with mandral to unform inside of necks Station #4 Not used I do loading loading on a second tool head Station #1 Not used Station #2 Dillon powder die and Dillon measure Station #3 Redding Comp seating die Station #4 Dillon crimp die set to just barely kiss the top edge of brass If I could ask a few questions as I would like to try what you did, using a casefeeder to load .223 on a 550B. Everyone I know here who loads .223 on a Dillon has a 550B with no casefeeder. I have never even seen a casefeeder in person for the 550B or the 650 so I am unsure exactly how the things work. Did you purchase a Dillon 550B casefeeder in 9mm and adapt it to .223 did you use a Dillon 650 casefeeder in 9mm an adapt it to .223? Any further info especially with some pictures would be very, very helpful. Step by step instructions would be invaluable. You're post outlines some of the work but it is difficult to visualize some of it because of my not having seen or worked with a casefeeder before. Thank you, Dan Danhits@aol.com

All, I load alot of .223 For me, this is getting interesting. In calibers I load for, I prep brass on one toolhead and load ammo on a different toolhead. Mostly .223. Lots of .223. Some .308 and some pistol. Mostly, just lots and lots of .223. About 15,000 to 20,000 a year, for shooting in practice and matches across the course in highpower. That is indeed a lot of brass prep. My hands are proof of that. They are in a constant state of "torn up". I'd really like to have a nice, reliable case feeder for my 550B for use with .223. I have thought about putting together a Frankenstien-like home made one, modifying a Dillon one, heck I even heard of a fella hooking up a Lee case feeder to his Dillon. I am also looking at a KISS bullet feeder as another add on. Have you guys figured out a way to use a 650 casefeeder set up for .223 on the 550B or have you modified the 550B casefeeder set up for pistol caliber for use with .223 brass? I for one, would really appreciate hearing more on this. And any all other ideas and mods, tricks, methods for high volumn .223 case prep and match quality ammo loading with the 550B. Thanks, Dan

Anyone tried to adapt a 650 casefeeder in .223 cal to a 550B press set up in any way to at least improve the 550B system of operation? Something like at least dropping the case into a position where it would at least be more ergonomically simpler to place the case in the #1 position in the press. That might be a stretch for making the 550B a better press and I know I lose points in the thread for using a foo foo word like "ergonomically". My apoligies. Anyone know of an aftermarket company that might make a caseffeder system that would adapt or modify the system operation to the 550B. I was thinking along the lines of how the KISS bullet feeder adapts to the 550B, a company like that.

Can someone tell me why there is no Dillon casefeeder offered for the 550B in small rifle .223 cal? From what I have seen and heard there are many of us who would buy one if it were offered. All I have heard is "that they will never make one". They I assuming is Dillon. Why is that? Has anyone seen an aftermarket casefeeder for the 550B offered for .223 cal? A 650 or a 1050 is not in the cards right now so the suggestion to upgrade is out. Painful admission but true.

From what I have seen and heard, it sounds like most everyone who has gotton a case feeder for their 550B really like it. Why is there no case feeder made for the 550B for use with small rifle .223 cal? I have never heard why. Only from some "that there will never be one". Why is that? Sounds like many folks would be buying one if it were offered. I know I would purchase one.

As an alternative, Wideners has a sale on IMI 62 gr match bullets right now. They work pretty good for the volumn price.

For rifle brass I use a primer pocket uniformer tool chucked in a drill motor held in vice on workbench. Follow up with flash hole deburring tool in drill motor after. Both tools available from Sinclair International. Works well. i am sure there are similar tools for pistol brass. Hope this helps. Good luck.

I use a 550B for bulk loading of .223 and .308. I clean all the brass then lube, resize and decap on one toolhead. I then trim all the brass using a Gracey Trimmer. I then clean all the brass again and drop powder, seat bullet and crimp on second toohead. The Gracey Trimmer is wearing my hands out doing 4000-5000 cases at a time. Maybe I'm just not doing it right or wearing out the cutter blade edges and trimming with dull blades. I don't know. Just seems like there must be a better faster more consistent way. For the moment I'm looking at the Dillon Power Trimmer as an option (any opinions on other options?). Looking for feedback from others using Dillon Power Trimmer for use trimming bulk amounts of .223 and/or .308 brass. Please share your experiences, good and bad, with the Dillon Power Trimmer and if possible provide descriptions and pictures of your set-ups if possible (dies used, type of adapters for vacuum hose, type of hose, ect). Haven't been able to locate much in the way of first hand experiences with the Dillon Power Trimmer and have only seen pictures of how it's set-up in the catalog and a magazine article or two here and there. Interested to hear what tips and tricks you may have learned over time doing bulk amounts of brass with the Dillon Power Trimmer.

Good idea. I'mm gonna try that. Thanks for sharing.