Inconsistent OAL Dillon 650

[thegunnerd]

I check on my old dial calipers and my good digital ones, Both confirm same readings.

Yes Yoshida I am using a dillon seating die. I"m thinking of getting a new set of dies , i don't know what else to do really . I'm going to call dillon on monday to see if they have any ideas. Maybe drop a couple extra bucks and get a redding seating die

[yoshidaex]

I don't use dillon dies in my current setup but I recall dillon seating dies have an insert you can change when seating round nose profile bullets and semi wad cutter profile bullets.

Have you tried the other option?

I'm running out of ideas myself.

[thegunnerd]

Hi yoshida, they do have opposite sides for round nose and flat points , i've checked and it is the correct end.

I'm flummoxed by this one . I've been reloading for years and never had this issue. The 223 i loaded before switching back to 40 is well within reasonable variation of oal . So , i got nothin. I may just switch to a dif bullet seater and go from there . Right now i'm measuring nearly 1200 rounds to find one that have similar OALs to shoot and throwing out ones with very low and very high.

[thegunnerd]

List of things i've checked :

Shell plate : as snug as it can be without binding up

Shell plate retention bolt : nice and tight

Ram set screw : tight

All dies are tight

Seating die has the right bullet seater for flat points

case expansion not excessive

same oal before and after crimping

tried with 2 dif kinds of bullets , plated and jacketed …. same result

checked similar headstamps , no correlation with oal

If any Dillon gurus see this and it dawns on you, say something , because i'm about to replace my die set and say screw it.

[Mastiff]

Are you using a dillon seating die?

I use the Redding seating die with the micrometer adjustment and I can hold +/- .001. Also the temperature changes in your work room can impact tolerance variations. The micrometer is expensive. Note that Dillon offers them in the blue press, and there is a reason for that. Best dies I've ever used. Just about every calibre I load in pistol I use their competition die sets. Their pistol sets are designed to work well on Dillon progressive presses. You may want to buy some a set for the Holidays!

Dog

[Shadowrider]

Do what dillon said. I suspect variations in ogive of bullet.

^^^ This is very possible.

I had the same issue. I was loading up all of my bullet supply before swapping over to another caliber. When I ran out of 230 gr lead RN, I started loading .230 RN Extreme and suddenly was getting about .020" variation. I was totally flummoxed too as there was nothing wrong with anything that I could find.

So I did some trig and found that a .001" variation on diameter of the ogive will move the bullet depth waayyyyy more than that. That was part of my problem but not all. What I found in my case was I had the decapping rod too deep and it was hitting the case at the web on some cases and not others (running mixed brass). I guess I was right on the line so to speak. Why it wasn't doing it with the lead RN bullets I haven't a clue. Murphy I guess...

[thegunnerd]

I checked the the bullet lengths from the ogive and they weren't varying enough to account for the large variation in OAL. I think it has something to do with my seating die.

i've ordered a set of redding competition dies and i'll be done with it. I love the redding dies i just hadn't dropped the cash on em for pistol until now.

[98sr20ve]

I assume your only measuring the rounds loaded with a full shell plate.

Also, Try the none flat seating die. It may work better. Of course it may not..

Use about .015" flare.

[Shadowrider]

I checked the the bullet lengths from the ogive and they weren't varying enough to account for the large variation in OAL. I think it has something to do with my seating die.

i've ordered a set of redding competition dies and i'll be done with it. I love the redding dies i just hadn't dropped the cash on em for pistol until now.

How were you checking them? If you weren't using a comparator you still don't know because you are essentially just checking the OAL of the bullet. I was getting about .002 on my Extremes checking like that which is nothing to worry about. Theoretically speaking you have to be measuring from the exact point of contact that your seating stem engages. A comparator will approximate that somewhat.

[thegunnerd]

I used the seating stem to measure it actually. Removed the stem from the die and used that to measure the length from the ogive. It has the same variation as you had .002 approx.

Def not the issue. I also loaded a few with montana gold 180 rnfp's and the variation of the OAL of the finished rounds were the same. So it's not the xtremes

[glefos]

You have something loose, cracked or broken in your 40 set up. Tear everything down, clean, inspect, lube and reassemble.

[thegunnerd]

That's exactly where I'm at ^^^ I have redding dies on the way . Going to tear down and start from nothing with them . But before that i'm going to just replace the seating die to see if it fixes the problem. If that is the case i know exactly where the issue was. If not , then scrap it and start from station 1 .

[Shadowrider]

Have you checked your recapping rod depth yet? That was my issue. It was clear on some cases, not on others but wasn't enough to bend it. The cam over felt normal.

Edited November 30, 2013 by Shadowrider

[thegunnerd]

I backed out a little bit on my decapping die early on to see if that was the issue . It didn't seem to change anything . When working with the dillon dies how do you usually snug down your decapping / sizing die ? I followed the dillon directions , but then again…….

[Bob DuBois]

Had OAL problems in the past loading heavy bullets in 9mm minor. Cure for me was a Lee seating die. Lee's seating die has an insert, send Lee your bullet and for a few bucks they will make an insert that fits your bullet. I had a flat insert made local and OAL went to right on from a wide spread as the insert pushes on the nose of the bullet. I prefer a Lee sizing die also as it will size closer to the extractor groove and a little tighter than other brands. Lee's sizing die also has an excellent primer punch design. Using a Dillon crimp die loading on a 650. Prefer Dillon lock nuts and Lee's sizing die is locked in place from the bottom of the tool head on my machine because of short threads. I use Lee's U die in 40S@W, It sizes the case tighter, for tight chambered guns. Polished the powder die till sized brass could be pushed on the die out of the press by hand. That solved a problem I had with chigger bites on the case mouth.

Don't care what the box says, lube cases easier on the brass, dies, press and the operator. Just a little lube solves lot's of problems.

If you loading 223 and keeping good OAL nothing is wrong in the press. Your seating die is pushing on the side of the bullet instead of the tip. Drove me crazy till I found the fix.

Think the Lee three die carbide set is on sale at Midway the first and second stage dies will help you out. Might purchase a couple of decapping pins when you purchase the dies.

[thegunnerd]

Thanks bob, i'll see if the redding dies do the trick. But i'm never against a good Lee die. That's what i started on and still have a few for 45 and 38. Unfortunately not for 40.

[Mastiff]

I use Sierra Match King #1400 bullets when loading .223. I had the dreaded ring indented on my beautiful bullets from the Dillon seating die. No one has brought that issue up in the thread, but nonetheless, I prefer the Redding comp seating die.

Dog

[thegunnerd]

Yeah i have the ring on my 40s as well . Def because of the dillon seating insert . I wonder if that's what's going on . The weird thing is , i hadn't noticed the OAL difference in the few thousand i had already loaded before swapping calibers back and forth.

Either way my redding dies will be here by friday , so i'll know if the seating die is the problem, which i suspect that it is .

[Mastiff]

I called Dillon years ago frustrated over the ring thing. They told me it wouldn't hurt anything. Dillon, I think you are the best in the game, but there's gotta be away to eliminate the ring. Different shaped seating inserts? I don't know. OAL and bullet seating is often a thing that comes with a ring.

Dog

[thegunnerd]

The way to fix that is to make the insert solid , no hole in the top for material to squeeze through i guess