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Random Observations About Reloading 9mm on Dillon XL 750


XrayDoc88

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I'm a fairly new reloader and have only had the Dillon for 11 months.  I thought I'd post some experiences I've had  reloading 9mm range brass on the Dillon XL 750 with a case feeder and the Mr. Bullet feeder.  If you agree with the comments or have any additional suggestions, please chime in!

 

1. Very rarely, I'll have a case drop upside down.  I have no idea why this happens or how to prevent it.

2. Very rarely, I'll have a bullet drop upside down.  Ditto above.

3. Rarely, I'll have a primer pressed in sideways.  I don't think it's possible for the primer to actually fit in the primer tube sideways.  All I can guess is that the primer tips with jiggle motion as I'm reloading at a decent pace.  Anyone?

4. It's MUCH better to lube your pistol brass, even if you have carbide dies.  I loved the idea of not needing to mess with lube and bought all carbide dies.  But the powder funnel supplied with Mr. Bullet Feeder would stick on thicker brass and it would take a very hard thud to raise the handle.  This would then sometimes cause other problems.  Now that I use One Shot, no sticking and reloading is easier.

5. With One Shot, I don't really feel a need to wipe my cartridges after reloading.  Do others agree?

6. For those who use alcohol/lanolin, do you have to wipe the cartridges?  I'd love to go the cheapest route.

7. Brass headstamps CBC and WIN were giving me fits with 125 gr .356" Hornady HAP bullets.  The majority of these cases wouldn't pass the plunk test.  I tried less flaring, more flaring, less crimping, more crimping, crimping with Redding die instead of Dillon die, resizing with Redding die instead of Dillon die.  I didn't want to change the COL because I was following a Hodgdon recipe.  I ultimately decided that CBC and WIN brass must be slightly thicker and just wouldn't work for me.

8. I switched to 124 gr .355" RMR truncated cone bullets and my problems with CBC and WIN brass nearly completely disappeared.  I still have a few cartridges out of a hundred that fail the plunk test, but most of them pass now!  I guess shaving a thousandth of an inch (.356" to .355") was enough?

9. I'm not completely sold on the XL 750.  The spacing of the holes in the die holder seems too tight.  Getting the Dillon wrench in there can require acrobatics at times.  I know the use of holders allows you to keep multiple calibers ready to go.  But it seems awkward to try to clean your dies while they're still in the holder with the powder measure hanging upside down.  I'm wondering if I'd prefer the Hornady Lock-N-Load better?

 

Has my learning process paralleled yours?  Thanks!

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6 minutes ago, XrayDoc88 said:

1. Very rarely, I'll have a case drop upside down.  I have no idea why this happens or how to prevent it.  SEE # 3

2. Very rarely, I'll have a bullet drop upside down.  Ditto above. SEE #3

3. Rarely, I'll have a primer pressed in sideways.  I don't think it's possible for the primer to actually fit in the primer tube sideways.  All I can guess is that the primer tips with jiggle motion as I'm reloading at a decent pace.  Anyone?  TOO MUCH WOBBLE IN YOUR BENCH

4. It's MUCH better to lube your pistol brass, even if you have carbide dies.  I loved the idea of not needing to mess with lube and bought all carbide dies.  But the powder funnel supplied with Mr. Bullet Feeder would stick on thicker brass and it would take a very hard thud to raise the handle.  This would then sometimes cause other problems.  Now that I use One Shot, no sticking and reloading is easier. OF COURSE LUBE IS NEEDED FOR MANY REASONS. LEARN TO POWER THROUGH THE THUD AND BEFORE LONG YOU WON'T NOTICE. 

5. With One Shot, I don't really feel a need to wipe my cartridges after reloading.  Do others agree? N/A

6. For those who use alcohol/lanolin, do you have to wipe the cartridges?  I'd love to go the cheapest route. I TUMBLE AFTER LOADING FOR 20-30 MINUTES.

7. Brass headstamps CBC and WIN were giving me fits with 125 gr .356" Hornady HAP bullets.  The majority of these cases wouldn't pass the plunk test.  I tried less flaring, more flaring, less crimping, more crimping, crimping with Redding die instead of Dillon die, resizing with Redding die instead of Dillon die.  I didn't want to change the COL because I was following a Hodgdon recipe.  I ultimately decided that CBC and WIN brass must be slightly thicker and just wouldn't work for me. CBC IS A TAD THICK BUT IT CAN BE FIGURED OUT. WIN SHOULD WORK FINE. IS YOUR CRIMP AT AROUND .378?

8. I switched to 124 gr .355" RMR truncated cone bullets and my problems with CBC and WIN brass nearly completely disappeared.  I still have a few cartridges out of a hundred that fail the plunk test, but most of them pass now!  I guess shaving a thousandth of an inch (.356" to .355") was enough? A THOUSANDTH MIGHT AS WELL BE AN INCH WHEN IT COMES TO RELOADING

9. I'm not completely sold on the XL 750.  The spacing of the holes in the die holder seems too tight.  Getting the Dillon wrench in there can require acrobatics at times.  I know the use of holders allows you to keep multiple calibers ready to go.  But it seems awkward to try to clean your dies while they're still in the holder with the powder measure hanging upside down. YOU'LL GET USED TO IT! I'm wondering if I'd prefer the Hornady Lock-N-Load better? NO

 

 

 

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One shot is way better than lanolin for pistol cases,  it’s the opposite for large rifle cases.

 

everything else is user/pace/feel, to eliminate.  Sideways primers are usually because and upside down/now empty space in shell plate. (At least for me)

 

the LNL is an awesome press for a different purpose in my opinion.  I think it’s quicker to change for small runs unless you have dedicated tool heads for the Dillon, but it’s way quirkier as well. 
 

I use a single for precision rifle, the lnl for small batches of whatever, and keep the Dillon setup for the bulk.  
 

I’ll trade my lnl for a 550 if anyone’s interested, but the 659/750 is the last one I’d let go

 

 

 

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I agree with Sarge on 1, 2, and 3. My bench also wobbles and I see that every now and then too. 
although, with the bullet feeder I found more in-depth tuning basically eliminated upside down Bullets. I now take extra time when switching Bullets to make sure it is set 100%. 
 

4. one shot is amazing and I won’t reload pistol brass without it ever again. 
 

5. I agree, when using coated Bullets I do not bother taking the lube off. When using plated/jacketed I fill a spray bottle with isopropyl alcohol, lay the rounds on an old beach towel, and give a couple sprays of the alcohol and rub in the towel. Takes the lube off of hundreds of cases in a matter of a minute or two. 
 

6. I make my own lanolin/alcohol lube for rifle cases. Like Sarge I also do a quick tumble in walnut media after reaizing, but before loading. After 5-10k cases I find the media absorbs too much lube and needs to be tossed otherwise you get media stuck in your cases and it’s a pia. 
 

7. Unlike a lot of guys, I do a visual inspection of ALL my brass before loading. Checking for stepped cases and bad headstamps. I toss CBC, Maxxtech, sumbro, ammo inc, and basically anything I don’t recognize (after tons of 5 gal buckets you figure out which need to be tossed haha). I like to be able step up to the press with brass that is 100% ready to go and I won’t have problems with. 
WIN I found to be good brass for the most part, and agree you shouldn’t be having problems that one. 
 

8. I think that you can notice some difference in failures when going from .356 to .355. I noticed a huge difference in failure rate when going from .357 coated Bullets down to .355. Especially with thicker brass like SB. With .357 that was the most prevalent failed headstamp. I found crimp was really important when using larger sized Bullets.

 

9. I had an LNL and had absolutely nothing but problems with it. I do not miss it! I enjoy my 750, and my 1050 even more. I now use my 750 for processing pistol brass and loading rifle. I use my 1050 only for loading pistol. I found the 1050 to also be very tight inbetween the dies, so if that is your biggest problem, the 1050 likely won’t solve it. The LNL did make it much easier to access your dies and is the only thing I miss about it but was not worth the other problems I had. If you had started on the LNL I’d say stick it out for a while, but you wouldn’t like switching to it from the Dillon in my opinion. 

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Item number 9:  Take the powder measure off leaving the die it is attached to on the tool head.  Remove the expander insert.  Problem solved cleaning the dies.  Double Alpha has a 1 inch Dillon die wrench that is 1000 times better than the Dillon wrench.  

 

Mike

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56 minutes ago, superdude said:

#7. Have you determined WHY those rounds don't fit the case gauge?

 

Method here:  https://www.shootingtimes.com/editorial/reloading-tips-the-plunk-test/99389

Great link superdude!  The CBC and WIN rounds that wouldn't plunk in my gauge with the Hornady HAP bullets always had a slight bulge at the base of the bullet.  It might be the bullet alignment not being perfectly straight, but it happened so consistently that I finally decided the bullets were a little too fat for the brass.  I might have been able to fix the problem by increasing my COL a little, but I was a new reloader and didn't know you could do that.  I guess the Lee Factory Crimp die could also help "iron out" the slight bulge.  I already have Redding and Dillon crimp dies.  I guess buying a third won't kill me.  :)

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CBC brass is about .0005-.001 thicker but the biggest issue is that the inside taper starts fairly quick. I have some WW that is old and some newer brass and they measure inside differently. I can’t believe they would do it but some brass that was loaded with 115’s has a quicker internal taper than the factory loaded 147’s. 

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For those of you that use One shot lube, do u have issues with powder sticking to measure your charges on a scale every 10th case? Do you guys tumble in corn cob your loaded rounds? I read on the forum, some guys say they just use it VERY sparingly and spray it in a gallon zip lock and lube just the outside of the cases in this method but was curious what others did. I'm new to progressive and I'm also using the XL750. Thx in advance. 

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40 minutes ago, ImpactDoc said:

For those of you that use One shot lube, do u have issues with powder sticking to measure your charges on a scale every 10th case?

WHY ARE YOU WEIGHING EVERY TENTH CASE? JUST SET UP THE PRESS, VERIFY DROP IS CORRECT AND LET HER RIP!

Do you guys tumble in corn cob your loaded rounds?

YES, I DO.

I read on the forum, some guys say they just use it VERY sparingly and spray it in a gallon zip lock and lube just the outside of the cases in this method but was curious what others did.
I USE A PLASTIC SHOE BOX. DROP 200 CASES IN. TILT TO ONE SIDE AND SPRAY THE BOX, TILT OTHER WAY AND SPRAY OTHER END OF BOX. THEN SWIRL BOX AROUND FOR 10 SECONDS THEN DUMP IN CASE FEEDER.

 

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3 minutes ago, Sarge said:

 

Paranoia leads me to weigh often :) I just don't trust powder measures.... the Dillon measure can be off .1-.2, it might be my technique but I'm using Titegroup so I get super paranoid. I've also been reloading for the last 11 years for precision rifles to the .02 grain (A&D fx-120i) so I guess it's difficult for me to get over that hump of forgiving variability with powder measures. 

I appreciate the replies though, one shot here I come!

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Talk about Division, it is Red & Blue.  Ok at one time I had 2 Dillon 650's and a Hornady Lock and Load, this is a hint to where I am going.  I sold one of the Dillions and kept the Hornady.  

 

The Hornady will have more interruptions than the Dillon once everything is set. In rounds per hour you will always win on the Dillon.  When it comes to setting up for small runs different caliber, different bullet, different powder the Hornady wins hands down. I load 9 different calibers on the L&L and only load 3 on the Dillon, I've had both presses for over a decade and done many thousands on both.  The only thing I load exclusively on the Dillon is 9 major, because there is always powder spillage on both but on the L&L it gets in the primer punch and you have to stop and clean it.   Putting 10gr in a 9 mm case well some is going to spill.  The Dillon sets primers easier than the L&L, but if brute force isn't working you are just not using enough. 

 

I don't trust scales either, I have two a Dillon Beam and an RCBS 750 electronic, I cross check them.  Once everything is set I only weigh if I think I see that it is off, but mostly just when I reload the primer tube.   I can load on the L&L for years and the powder never changes, the Dillon another story after a few hundred rounds the charge will increase a .1 gn, then go for thousands of rounds and be off again.  

 

Both presses require you to get in touch with the feel and the rhythm with the Dillon more sensitive to the rhythm a little too fast and you have more problems and with out the developed feel you will break something on both. 

 

The Dillon case feeder has less brass rain and fewer upside down cases, the trick with the Dillon is to not let it get low on cases.

 

There is room on my bench for both and a single stage press in the middle.  Yes it is for sizing 223 cases, and for the GRX for 40. I run 9 mm and 38 super thru the case pro.

 

One shot saves your arm, I just spray the cases a little in the case feeder, when it turns they get lubed.  I pick up a hand full of bullets at a time and find I'm just as fast as using the bullet feeder.

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3 hours ago, ImpactDoc said:

Paranoia leads me to weigh often :) I just don't trust powder measures.... the Dillon measure can be off .1-.2, it might be my technique but I'm using Titegroup so I get super paranoid. I've also been reloading for the last 11 years for precision rifles to the .02 grain (A&D fx-120i) so I guess it's difficult for me to get over that hump of forgiving variability with powder measures. 

I appreciate the replies though, one shot here I come!

.1 .2 is quite normal and acceptable. And safe. By stopping the press every ten rounds you are unwittingly contributing to issues such as oal variations, stoppages etc. A good progressive press, which the 750 is, are designed to be run at combat speed. Every 3-500 rounds of a run I'll let primers run dry, shut off the CF and check that all dies are still tight, oal is good and powder drop is still set, etc. Then I bring it back up to speed and just keep making ammo.

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On 3/10/2021 at 10:19 PM, XrayDoc88 said:

 

 

1. Very rarely, I'll have a case drop upside down.  I have no idea why this happens or how to prevent it.

2. Very rarely, I'll have a bullet drop upside down.  Ditto above.

3. Rarely, I'll have a primer pressed in sideways.  I don't think it's possible for the primer to actually fit in the primer tube sideways.  All I can guess is that the primer tips with jiggle motion as I'm reloading at a decent pace.  Anyone?

4. It's MUCH better to lube your pistol brass, even if you have carbide dies.  I loved the idea of not needing to mess with lube and bought all carbide dies.  But the powder funnel supplied with Mr. Bullet Feeder would stick on thicker brass and it would take a very hard thud to raise the handle.  This would then sometimes cause other problems.  Now that I use One Shot, no sticking and reloading is easier.

5. With One Shot, I don't really feel a need to wipe my cartridges after reloading.  Do others agree?

6. For those who use alcohol/lanolin, do you have to wipe the cartridges?  I'd love to go the cheapest route.

7. Brass headstamps CBC and WIN were giving me fits with 125 gr .356" Hornady HAP bullets.  The majority of these cases wouldn't pass the plunk test.  I tried less flaring, more flaring, less crimping, more crimping, crimping with Redding die instead of Dillon die, resizing with Redding die instead of Dillon die.  I didn't want to change the COL because I was following a Hodgdon recipe.  I ultimately decided that CBC and WIN brass must be slightly thicker and just wouldn't work for me.

8. I switched to 124 gr .355" RMR truncated cone bullets and my problems with CBC and WIN brass nearly completely disappeared.  I still have a few cartridges out of a hundred that fail the plunk test, but most of them pass now!  I guess shaving a thousandth of an inch (.356" to .355") was enough?

9. I'm not completely sold on the XL 750.  The spacing of the holes in the die holder seems too tight.  Getting the Dillon wrench in there can require acrobatics at times.  I know the use of holders allows you to keep multiple calibers ready to go.  But it seems awkward to try to clean your dies while they're still in the holder with the powder measure hanging upside down.  I'm wondering if I'd prefer the Hornady Lock-N-Load better?

 

Has my learning process paralleled yours?  Thanks!

 

I have had the XL750 since it came out, and load 9mm but without the bulletfeeder. 26k rounds loaded.

 

1) Upside down cases are very rare.

 

3) side primers have never happened

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I'm thinking Sarge is correct about the sideways primers.  My reloading bench is actually portable with wheels.  I always lock the wheels before starting, but my setup does have more movement than a large stationary work bench.🙄

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