Load Development Mark 7 Dillon 750 Question

[czebin]

Im looking to purchase a Mark 7 for my Dillon 750. Are guys using a separate press for load development then running the Mark 7, or is it easy enough to use the Mark 7?

[AHI]

550 for work up / odd calibers and 1050 for production is very common set up.

also unless something has changed you can not mount a bullet feeder on the 750

at this time.

[czebin]

I read that you can use Mr. Bulletfeeder but only on station 3. Powder check is a no-go though.

[DJRyan13]

Why load develop on another press? Autodrive has a “Single Cycle” function for reason. 

[AHI]

 we have all ways lost the powder check

Edited April 3, 2020 by AHI

[OptimiStick]

Why must you seat and crimp at the same station on a 750? What's make it different from a 650 in that regard? My 650 w/ MBF is setup (as I assume most are): 1- decap/size, 2 powder drop/flare , 3 bullet-feeder, 4 seat, 5 crimp.  I guess if you combo seat/crimp in station 5 you could powder-check in 4.

 

 

 

[DJRyan13]

53 minutes ago, OptimiStick said:

Why must you seat and crimp at the same station on a 750? What's make it different from a 650 in that regard? My 650 w/ MBF is setup (as I assume most are): 1- decap/size, 2 powder drop/flare , 3 bullet-feeder, 4 seat, 5 crimp.  I guess if you combo seat/crimp in station 5 you could powder-check in 4.

 

 

 

Huh? U can’t BF before powder check. 
 

the issue with 750 is here:

 

https://www.doublealpha.biz/us/mr-bulletfeeder

[OptimiStick]

Oh yeah, I guess you'd have to swap those two :). My point being the combo seat/crimp would free up a station for powder-check.

[czebin]

1 hour ago, DJRyan13 said:

Why load develop on another press? Autodrive has a “Single Cycle” function for reason. 

 

Gotcha, Thanks!

 

 

[czebin]

1 hour ago, AHI said:

 we have all ways lost the powder check

 

Is the powder check even important when running automated?

[DJRyan13]

1 minute ago, czebin said:

 

Is the powder check even important when running automated?

I haven’t used it on 1050 in years. Same PM. Just make sure PM is setup right and things are tight. One key is to make sure the spring is adjusted right on the safety. 

[OptimiStick]

5 minutes ago, czebin said:

 

Is the powder check even important when running automated?

 

 

I think so. I don't on my 650 (manual). With any good light kit you can see into the case and verify a drop, and you control the speed and cadence. but with my Revolution, you have way too many other things going on and it's going too fast to visually inspect the drop. That's why I went M7 was to get the extra station for the powder-sense. 

Edited April 3, 2020 by OptimiStick

[DJRyan13]

I had a bad Digital PM controller on Revo.. worked for about 10 to 20 cases then stopper working. Glad I had powder check...

 

but the Dillons are all mechanical. Not at all the same beast imo. Easy to tell if it’s broke.
 

 

1 minute ago, OptimiStick said:

 

 

I think so. I don't on my 650. With any good light kit you can see into the case and verify a drop, and you control the speed and cadence. but with my Revolution, you have way too many other things going on and it's going too fast to visually inspect the drop. That's why I went M7 was to get the extra station for the powder-sense.

 

[OptimiStick]

That''s true - and my point of view is on the Revo - I've had it not index and double drop due to primer snag - more than once. I also had problems with the mechanical PM, but not with the digital so far (knock on wood) - and about 50K thru the digital. Powder check gives me peace of mind. I still watch my 650 like a hawk too. Trust, but verify.

[OptimiStick]

Come to think of it, do you pre-process or deprime your brass first since you don't have a swage? That's another thing you lose going from manual to auto, is the 'feel' of the primer. It's going to slam one home regardless, no?

[czebin]

Which sensors would you recommend for the Mark 7?

[OptimiStick]

I use them all except decap sense. Which uses an optical sensor to verify a spent primer gets dropped down the exit chute. I pre-process my brass at least some of the time, so often there's no spent primer. So I leave that one turned off 95% of the time. Swage-sense will fire off if I miss a primer and it gets to the swage station. Primer orientation sensor makes sure primer is seated, seated correctly, and not upside down. Swage sense makes sure the primer pocket is clear. Powder-sense makes sure it's not over/undercharged, and bullet sense makes sure a bullet is seated and seated correctly before the seating station. Once that thing is rolling, your job is to make sure you don't run out of brass, primers, or powder. At 2500 rph and higher, you don't have any time to fix anything anyway, and you depend on those sensors to stop the press if somethings not right. Just way too many stations and too much speed to keep track of it like you do a manual press.

[DJRyan13]

I love decap sense... 

[czebin]

On 4/3/2020 at 7:24 PM, OptimiStick said:

I use them all except decap sense. Which uses an optical sensor to verify a spent primer gets dropped down the exit chute. I pre-process my brass at least some of the time, so often there's no spent primer. So I leave that one turned off 95% of the time. Swage-sense will fire off if I miss a primer and it gets to the swage station. Primer orientation sensor makes sure primer is seated, seated correctly, and not upside down. Swage sense makes sure the primer pocket is clear. Powder-sense makes sure it's not over/undercharged, and bullet sense makes sure a bullet is seated and seated correctly before the seating station. Once that thing is rolling, your job is to make sure you don't run out of brass, primers, or powder. At 2500 rph and higher, you don't have any time to fix anything anyway, and you depend on those sensors to stop the press if somethings not right. Just way too many stations and too much speed to keep track of it like you do a manual press.

 

I do not see a swage sense for the 650 / 750. Can you send a link because I am at a loss.

[OptimiStick]

no sorry, was talking about what sensors I used on my Mark7.

 

650/750 won't have swage-sense since you don't have a swaging station.

[czebin]

So I can't use a powder sensor unless I use a seater / crimp die, the decap sensor you don't use so all that I need is the bulletsense??

[OptimiStick]

Do you pre-process your brass at all? or at least decap it before putting it through to load? If you do, then decap sense isn't terribly helpful. If you don't, and you decap in station 1 then decap- sense would be helpful. It just verifies a spent primer does come out and passes through it's optical sensor. If it detects no primer came out, it will stop the press and alert you. Since your'e on a 650/750 and there's no swaging station, I think that's your only way (from M7) to have any sensor action on the primer-pocket. The reason I leave it turned off (on my Revolution) -  1) I preprocess my brass most of the time, so it'd be useless 2) it does get dirty fairly often and you have to clean it 3) since I have a swaging station, any primer pocket obstruction gets caught at the swaging station with swage-sense. Oddly, I don't see decapsense as an option the 650/750 autodrive page,but it is listed as a sensor option if you look at sensors. Remote stop button for sure, and big thumbs up on bulletsense from me. Not sure how it aligns on the 650/750. It's pretty easy on the Revolution. Can be a slightl bit finicky to get some of the final fine-tune adjustment, but once I got it fully set up and I dialed in - I haven't had to touch it since.  And it's done it's job many times.  Upside-down bullets do happen from time to time, especially when I change bullet types. I may get a few upside-downers and that lets me know I need to tweak the MBF a little. PrimerSense I think just stops the autodrive when your low primer warning goes off. 

 

And just to be clear - I have a 650, and have for many years - but it's manual. My point of reference for Mark7 is from my Revolution. Which , as DJRyan pointed out, is a different animal for sure. Sounds like he may have automation on a 650 or 750 so may have better hands on reference for exactly your use-case.

Edited April 6, 2020 by OptimiStick

[czebin]

Thank you everyone for the replies. Last question, should I go another route vs the 750? I just didn't want to spend the extra cash on an Evolution or the toolheads needed for a 1050 for each caliber.

Edited April 6, 2020 by czebin

[DJRyan13]

Let’s clarify... for a 750 with MBF... you can ONLY use station 3 for MBF.

 

Here is the process:

1. Size/Decap

2. Powder

3. MBF

4. Seat

5. Crimp (if needed) - I never crimp on rifle rounds unless I am using cast bullets

 

So, no powder check possible.

 

You 750 owners need to lobby DAA to get an option for 750 owners to MBF in station 4 so you can powder check - if that is what you want.

 

I would not powder check myself.

 

I highly recommend buying the Optical decap sensor (if they have one for 750) and the Bullet sensor - if it works in either station 4 or 5.

 

You can also make your own sensors:

https://www.ar15.com/forums/armory/Mark-7-Autodrive-on-Dillon-1050-review---Added-some-some-shut-off-switches-/42-475089/

 

Good luck!

 

 

[czebin]

13 hours ago, DJRyan13 said:

 

I would not powder check myself.

 

 

Im curious why you don't use the powder sensor?