goosehead Posted December 14, 2014 Share Posted December 14, 2014 So I get my 550b set up and I'm scared to death that I'm going to double charge a case because I'm used to the auto-indexing of the Hornady. Anyone else done this or have this fear? I'm thinking of returning the 550b and just using the Hornady. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trouble Posted December 14, 2014 Share Posted December 14, 2014 (edited) I just got rid of a Hornady and replaced it with a 550b. Most powders when double charged will spill out letting you know something went wrong. Use what you think you will more comfortable with but after fighting a red press for 2 years the Dillon is like a vacation. Also all the things you hear about Dillons warranty are true. I broke my low primer alarm and told the guy on the phone that I broke it and they still sent me a brand new one FREE. Edited December 14, 2014 by trouble Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bofe954 Posted December 14, 2014 Share Posted December 14, 2014 If you get a good rhythm going and you forget to index the machine, you should also be trying to set a bullet on a case that already has a bullet seated on it. That should make you stop and look at how much powder is in the case... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clipper Posted December 15, 2014 Share Posted December 15, 2014 I have a small lamp that illuminates the case after powder drop. It's easy to check, maybe not so easy with .357 but I manage. My only problem initially was one case with zero powder...I don't think that will happen again, I know what to look for. I don't have any experience with Hornady presses, my Red experience is with my Lee Classic Turret, and I still use it for certain calibers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nebwake Posted December 15, 2014 Share Posted December 15, 2014 If you get into a rythem and check every case for powder you will be fine. Use powders that are higher volume so that you don't double charge. Titegroup and 9mm is a bad combo. The biggest thing is to get the press set up and then run it. Dont pull every 5th round and check or nonsense like that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3gunnah Posted December 15, 2014 Share Posted December 15, 2014 Dillon is the Caddy.......Hornady is the Ugo, both will get you there. But the Dillon is a better ride and looks better to! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nebwake Posted December 15, 2014 Share Posted December 15, 2014 My Hornady stuff takes some serious maintenance to run right compared to Dillon. I am even partial to them since I live about an hour away, and have been to their plant several times. But I only have a red single stage now that is kinda a pain and takes a lot of care, even compared to my 550b. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeinctown Posted December 16, 2014 Share Posted December 16, 2014 Double charges are usually easy to spot, and if you stand to load, you can usually look right down into the case for a visual check. Perhaps you should just get a 650xl and get the powder check system to be sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmorris Posted December 17, 2014 Share Posted December 17, 2014 That is a good fear to have. Manual indexing and no powder check means you have to pay attention to what you are doing. Good idea even with all of the gadgets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brooke Posted December 17, 2014 Share Posted December 17, 2014 "Titegroup and 9mm is a bad combo. " I am really trying to be nice and reasonable on the Internet. But as they say in NASCAR, I have to throw a BS. flag on that. Loading 3.3 grains of TG for a 147 grain 9 mm projectile does result in about a 40% fill. If you can't recognize a case with 80% fill you need to pay a lot more attention to what you are doing. It's pretty darn obvious. The loads for lighter 9mm bullets are 50% or more so I sincerely hope you will spot those. As to the original question about auto indexing, I think you are 180 degrees wrong. The 550 loads powder right before your eyes. You should be looking directly into the cartridge as you index. A double charge is quite obvious if you watch and as someone else said, if you go to place a bullet and a seated bullet is in that position, then it surely should make you wonder what happened...wouldn't it? I hope you answered yes! On the other hand, on an auto progressive press the chances of missing a failure to load powder is very high. Believe me squibbing a round with only a primer for propellant can lead to just as much a problem as overcharging. The bottom line is no matter what type of press you are using if you are not giving the reloading 100% of your attention then you should not be reloading at all. No press is completely fool proof. None can prevent failures. Only you can do that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nebwake Posted December 17, 2014 Share Posted December 17, 2014 (edited) The only point I was making is that its possible to double with titegroup over a powder like HP38. Both are decent and cheap, produce similar results for cleanliness (not),accuracy and felt recoil, but HP38 is a much higher volume powder and therefore nearly impossible to double a round. for new loaders this makes a difference IMO. But whatever throw a BS flag, i dont watch NASCAR. Edited December 17, 2014 by Nebwake Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrumpyOne Posted December 17, 2014 Share Posted December 17, 2014 People, everyone has an opinion...none are wrong, it's a personal preference... As for 9mm and TG being a dangerous combo, it can be...as so can clays in 40 S&W, and dozens of other combinations...IF YOU AREN'T PAYING ATTENTION TO WHAT YOU ARE DOING. It can also be quite safe. So, let's not let this get personal....ok? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reinz Posted December 18, 2014 Share Posted December 18, 2014 (edited) Goosehead, once you learn the machine it is second nature. Whenever you pull the handle down, then you learn to automatically turn the wheel (advance/index). Pull handle with your right, advance with your left thumb.... It's easy to get into a groove. If you run into any problems and have to stop to investigate, don't advance the wheel until you check the stations to see where you are at, especially the powder. Or depending upon the problem, I may remove the case with powder until I resolve the problem. Then double check again when replacing the case and advancing. If you need to, until you get comfortable, do a visual on your power after each pull. I ran a 550 high volume over 20 yrs and never had a double or a squib. On the other hand, I have had a few squibs with the 1050 which is auto indexing like the Hornady. But that is another story. If you don't trust yourself, then switch. Good Luck Edited December 18, 2014 by Reinz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeHunter Posted December 18, 2014 Share Posted December 18, 2014 I had the same concern. With a single brass in the 550 I intentionally did a double charge to see what it looked like with my powder of choice. Now easy to see the difference as I run the press and visually look as I index. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
safeactionjackson Posted December 18, 2014 Share Posted December 18, 2014 "Titegroup and 9mm is a bad combo. " I am really trying to be nice and reasonable on the Internet. But as they say in NASCAR, I have to throw a BS. flag on that. Loading 3.3 grains of TG for a 147 grain 9 mm projectile does result in about a 40% fill. If you can't recognize a case with 80% fill you need to pay a lot more attention to what you are doing. It's pretty darn obvious. The loads for lighter 9mm bullets are 50% or more so I sincerely hope you will spot those. As to the original question about auto indexing, I think you are 180 degrees wrong. The 550 loads powder right before your eyes. You should be looking directly into the cartridge as you index. A double charge is quite obvious if you watch and as someone else said, if you go to place a bullet and a seated bullet is in that position, then it surely should make you wonder what happened...wouldn't it? I hope you answered yes! On the other hand, on an auto progressive press the chances of missing a failure to load powder is very high. Believe me squibbing a round with only a primer for propellant can lead to just as much a problem as overcharging. The bottom line is no matter what type of press you are using if you are not giving the reloading 100% of your attention then you should not be reloading at all. No press is completely fool proof. None can prevent failures. Only you can do that. This pretty much says it all. Visually verify each case and you won't have any issue, when an issue does occur.... stop and inspect all stations. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captkev Posted December 23, 2014 Share Posted December 23, 2014 I am new to reloading and this is my first post. I just bought a 550 last month and have reloaded about 1000 9mm so far. I took an NRA sponsored course to learn a few things before i set it up. I was super paranoid about double charges and kabooms before i took the class. Now i am a little more confident but i still make sure to look at EVERY charged case. It took me a bit to get used to all the steps, right hand pulls down, pushes up, load a new case, left hand put bullet in and advance. In the beginning if i stopped i would question where i was in the process. Now i seem to have a system that works for me as far as keeping safety in check. Tell me if you see any problem with this procedure. Put in the new case, de prime, install primer then advance, add powder (i have a light so i can see the case and powder), now BEFORE i advance, i put a bullet on the case in position #2. That way if i have to stop, i dont pull down and double charge(because there is a bullet on it in pos 2). So i put the bullet on, advance and seat, if i stop before i can see the bullet on the case in pos 3 and know i need to seat. It seems to keep me from forgetting where i am in the process. Any issues with this process? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nebwake Posted December 24, 2014 Share Posted December 24, 2014 Nope looks good, exactly what I do, except I deprime on a single stage press before I clean my brass to keep the carbon that comes out each time off my shell plate and clean the primer pockets. You might notice that it gets a little sticky after a while from the buildup. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captkev Posted December 24, 2014 Share Posted December 24, 2014 Nope looks good, exactly what I do, except I deprime on a single stage press before I clean my brass to keep the carbon that comes out each time off my shell plate and clean the primer pockets. You might notice that it gets a little sticky after a while from the buildup. Thanks for the reply! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goosehead Posted December 24, 2014 Author Share Posted December 24, 2014 I've not had much time to work with it but I did just load 100 357 magnums and it was flawless. I like it so far, had thought about returning it and going with the 650 but the extra money I really didn't have. I think the 550 will be great once i get more time with it. Thanks for all the feedback. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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