Alternative Dies for Dillon XL750 due to Backorder Carbide Dillon Dies

[AshtonKS]

I'm new to reloading.  I found a good priced used Dillon XL750.  I've been getting it cleaned up and ready to start pressing brass.  It came with lots of components but unfortunately no dies.  In looking at the Dillon site, Dillon carbide 9mm and 223 dies are backordered from 35 to 42+ weeks.  I've heard Lyman might be a good option or perhaps Lee.  I could use some advice on a direction.

[Joe4d]

Awful lot of people use a Lee or EGW U die (same same) for 40 and 9mm on Dillons. Pretty much any standard die wil work.
Really not a fan of Dillon dies.

[Dirty_J]

Lol. They’re still rocking those back orders?? It’s been years.  

[galt11]

I would also suggest using the EGW U die for resizing, along with a Lee Factory Crimp die.  For seating, it really comes down to if you want the ability to fine tune the seating depth with a micrometer knob or not.  Hornady and RCBS both make good options, I'm not a fan of Redding at all.

Adam

[21 shooter]

I liked the EGW die except feeding brass to it wasn’t as smooth as a Dillon die resulting in the occasional damaged case.  I do think accuracy might be slightly better when using mixed or many times fired brass.  An EGW or Lee die in the press beats one on backorder every time. 

Edited February 4, 2023 by 21 shooter
Grammar

[HesedTech]

13 hours ago, AshtonKS said:

Dillon carbide 9mm and 223 dies are backordered from 35 to 42+ weeks.

Lot's of alternatives for these.

Lee priced right and available.

Best quality are Redding. Good selection and price from these people: https://accuratearmsandammo.com

RCBS available.

Reload Unlimited well stocked: https://reloadingunlimited.com/product-category/reloading-presses-dies/reloading-dies/?instock_products=in

Used dies on EBay.

 

Basically, Dillon has been running behind demand for a while.

 

If price is not an issue, right now I would buy the Redding NxGen Carbide Sizing Die 9MM Luger.

 

For 223 the RCBS small base sizing die.

 

[xrayfk05]

I tried Redding .40 S&W dies and while I really like their seating and crimping dies I did not enjoy the sizer die on my 650.

The bottom of the Dillon sizing die is flared so the case will enter the die even if it is a bit off center, not so with the Redding dies.

A lot of times the case would not enter the die and needed some manual attention, got tired of it and switched back to the Dillon sizing die.

 

[Sarge]

1 hour ago, xrayfk05 said:

I tried Redding .40 S&W dies and while I really like their seating and crimping dies I did not enjoy the sizer die on my 650.

The bottom of the Dillon sizing die is flared so the case will enter the die even if it is a bit off center, not so with the Redding dies.

A lot of times the case would not enter the die and needed some manual attention, got tired of it and switched back to the Dillon sizing die.

 

That can be corrected easily by loosening the die then running a case up into it and the tighten the die. I run LEE and EGW Udies with almost zero flare at the die mouth and never have an issue

[rishii]

I run a mix of Dillon, rcbs, lee, EGW and Redding dies on my 650

1 thing to be aware of is most dies besides the Dillon you have to put the lock nut underneath the tool head because the dies aren’t long enough 

for 9 I’m using the EGW u-die, Dillon seater, Redding crimp dies

for 223 I’m running hornady x-die set

[AshtonKS]

Thank you all for your input.  Lots to absorb and consider before making a decision!

[ysrracer]

I run Lee 9mm dies on my 750 with Dillon lock nuts on top of the tool head.

 

I've only loaded 2 or 20 thousand rounds thru them. So far so good.

[m700]

I run Mighty armory for sizing. Dillon for seeting, and Lee carbide factory crimp

 

Ive tried micrometer seating dies on rifle and had gotten inconsistant results. maybe due to neck tension differences but I stopped bothering and switched to standard

[OptimiStick]

I use Lee U-Die and Mighty Armory TNT Match for sizers (different presses). Lyman pro worked fine for me too.   I use Redding seaters, but mainly for the adjustability of the seater stem depth ( I hated the Dillion screw the die body up/down method). I think there's several choices now that give you that same seater height adjustability without the Redding price tag. I've got Redding ,Lyman and Mighty Armory crimp , having phased out the Lee FactoryCrimp. I kept getting accumulation on the sizing ring of the Lee FCD that affected the base of the brass, and got tired of constantly cleaning it.

[CC3D]

Personally I pick each die based on my needs and don't buy them all in one kit- I run a U die, Dillon expander die with an alpha dropper funnel, hornady seating die, and a lee FCD. 

 

I would highly recommend the U die and the alpha dropper funnel especially if you're running a bullet feeder. 

[OptimiStick]

Oh yeah , - I run an alpha dropper funnel also on my Dillons, and Might-Armory flare on my mark7 that's a separate case-flare station. Though I'm not sure if the Alphas really made a big difference from the MBF die or not. But I  just left them in once in. But both better for me than Dillons die when using bullet-feeder.

[21 shooter]

I use the Alpha Precision funnel after fighting with pin tumbled brass.  The brass was pretty but not worth the aggravation.  The Alpha eliminated most of that.  I stopped using pins and started using a different mixture for cases.  Works great.  

[HesedTech]

2 hours ago, OptimiStick said:

Though I'm not sure if the Alphas really made a big difference from the MBF die or not.

Agreed, I have them both and really can’t tell the difference.

[plinker625]

Lyman Pro dies are good to go.  SS die body.  No problems with availability. 

Redding Pro Series and Competition Pro Series Dies are excellent dies for handgun operations.

The Redding National Match Die set is a nice set for progressive presses

 

Remember that Lee Carbide Factory crimp dies are only meant for jacketed bullets.  Otherwise they swage bullet to small diameter. 

[OptimiStick]

On 2/6/2023 at 10:28 AM, 21 shooter said:

I use the Alpha Precision funnel after fighting with pin tumbled brass.  The brass was pretty but not worth the aggravation.  The Alpha eliminated most of that.  I stopped using pins and started using a different mixture for cases.  Works great.  

 

Yeah, when wet tumbling mine definitely had more 'stick' and brass dust from the belling station. Dry tumbling you still have a little dry residue that kinda lubes it. Even lubing my brass didn't really solve the funnel stick much. Mine sticks with Alpha or the MBF. Maybe a little less with Alpha? But could just be wishful thinking on my end too. Like I said, once they were in I just left them in.

[OptimiStick]

16 hours ago, plinker625 said:

Remember that Lee Carbide Factory crimp dies are only meant for jacketed bullets.  Otherwise they swage bullet to small diameter. 

 

 I had no bullet swaging issues and I like the secondary resize to clean up the finished round. But I started noticing in my automated press - I was starting to get a ring right at the base. like a hard ledge, and it looked almost like a belted magnum shape (much much less severe than that). But it still caused some stickiness in the hundo gauge.  After troubleshooting station by station it turned out to be the FCD. It's getting accumulation on the sizing ring and impacting the base. If I keep it super clean, no issues. But I got tired of cleaning it every 500 rounds and switched out to a regular crimp die.

[RudyVey]

Lee dies just work fine!

[ddc]

4 hours ago, OptimiStick said:

 

 I had no bullet swaging issues and I like the secondary resize to clean up the finished round. But I started noticing in my automated press - I was starting to get a ring right at the base. like a hard ledge, and it looked almost like a belted magnum shape (much much less severe than that). But it still caused some stickiness in the hundo gauge.  After troubleshooting station by station it turned out to be the FCD. It's getting accumulation on the sizing ring and impacting the base. If I keep it super clean, no issues. But I got tired of cleaning it every 500 rounds and switched out to a regular crimp die.

 

Interesting. I probably have north of 50k rounds on my current FCD and have noticed no such behavior.

[OptimiStick]

My m7 it was fairly early on - but my RL1100 I started seeing it also maybe 20-30k rounds in. It's been a bit of a test bed as far as dies and add-ons go - so it could be a change along the way - but once I saw it on the second press, I recognized it and just changed it out there too at the same time I changed sizing dies.

[Miranda]

1 hour ago, ddc said:

 

Interesting. I probably have north of 50k rounds on my current FCD and have noticed no such behavior.

Hi ddc,

 

Here is how to notice it.... please start with a "9mm" barrel that slugs at .356 or bigger

(instead of  .355 or slightly smaller.)  Decide to use lead bullets.

Decide your lead in the rifling can be avoided by using .357 bullets (real size at the base.)

load them up using a lee FCD as your crimp. 

 

you will size your fat bullets to .354 and the bullets will often fall out should you point the round nose down.

If you reload with federal brass,  you may only size that bullet to .3545 inches...  it will still fall out.

 

:--D  this much I do know.

 

in passing... harder lead bullets do not size as small as softer bullets.  

harder bullets is how I determined the FCD did the sizing.  you will feel it.

 

miranda

 

 

 

[ddc]

1 hour ago, Miranda said:

Hi ddc,

 

Here is how to notice it.... please start with a "9mm" barrel that slugs at .356 or bigger

(instead of  .355 or slightly smaller.)  Decide to use lead bullets.

Decide your lead in the rifling can be avoided by using .357 bullets (real size at the base.)

load them up using a lee FCD as your crimp. 

 

you will size your fat bullets to .354 and the bullets will often fall out should you point the round nose down.

If you reload with federal brass,  you may only size that bullet to .3545 inches...  it will still fall out.

 

:--D  this much I do know.

 

in passing... harder lead bullets do not size as small as softer bullets.  

harder bullets is how I determined the FCD did the sizing.  you will feel it.

 

miranda

 

 

 

 

Not sure what all that has to do with the problem OptimaStick is describing.

 

I'll quote it again:

 

 I had no bullet swaging issues and I like the secondary resize to clean up the finished round. But I started noticing in my automated press - I was starting to get a ring right at the base. like a hard ledge, and it looked almost like a belted magnum shape (much much less severe than that). But it still caused some stickiness in the hundo gauge.  After troubleshooting station by station it turned out to be the FCD. It's getting accumulation on the sizing ring and impacting the base. If I keep it super clean, no issues. But I got tired of cleaning it every 500 rounds and switched out to a regular crimp die.