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Dillon Vs. Alternative Maker Dies


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I used to single stage reload before I got my 650 :wacko: and so I had a bunch of Lee die sets lying around. Their dies work great for me, especially the factory crimp die! The rings work OK but the Dillon ones are better and cost hardly anything.

-Shawn

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I'm planning on getting a Dillon press. What experience have any of you had using other than Dillon dies? Any input would b be appreciated. Thanks. Chris

Sizing dies: Dillons are OK for new brass - generous mouth radius makes for fast reloading, but expect problems with fired brass (particularly 9mm's & .40's where the occasional Glock-fired bit will sneak in). Lee undersized ("U") die is the best choice here.

Seating die: IMHO (YMMV), Dillons are awful, particularly in conjunction with "U" dies, tending to seat bullets crooked (but most especially with 9mm). Redding competition seating dies are absolutely your best choice here, particularly as you can quickly adjust for different bullet types/shapes, variation in brass/tension (brands, fired vs. unfired), slop in the shellplate, et al. Don't reload without them.

Crimp die: Dillons are adequate (IMHO, the only one they make that's fit to use...again, YMMV), but the Lee Factory Crimp die is better.

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I'm planning on getting a Dillon press. What experience have any of you had using other than Dillon dies? Any input would b be appreciated. Thanks. Chris

I have used Lee dies and RCBS dies in my RL550b. They work great. I opted to buy Dillon dies for the first time about a month ago in .38 super just to try them. They work really nice too. I guess if you don't want to spend the money go with Lee. Their crimp dies are great. However, I must also insist on using Dillon's rings.

Happy shooting.

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For me it depends on what I'm loading. I don't think there's a perfect die set out there. You can mix them up to get what you want.

For Pistol (40 and 45)

Lee 'U' sizing die

40 - Redding Comp Seating Die

45 - Dillon Seating Die

Dillon Crimp Die

(I change bullets for the 40, the Redding die is great for that)

I tried the FCD, if the sizng die is adjusted right - I get 100% case gauging. They're in a box somewhere

For Rifle.. (.223)

Dillon Sizing Die

Redding Comp Seater

Dillon Crimp

I won't let Lee dies near the rifle cartidges again :) They're in 'the box'

Besides these (which are 90% of my reloading) I have some RCBS dies in lesser used calibers too.

Added: I use Dillon rings everywhere.. i have a pile of RCBS and Lee lock rings.. in that same box..

Edited by BerKim
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Thanks for the input. I will stick with the Lee dies instead of buying new at the present. I will go with the Dillon lock rings. Thanks again.. Now to make up my mind on the 650 or 550. I feel if I don't go with the 650 I'll regret it later.

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About any dies will work in the 650 and the only Dillon die I use is the sizer die.

This because the mouth of the die is flared and helps guide the cartridge in better than a conventional die.

For seating die, nothing I found beats the Redding competition die.

It's very difficult to fine tune seating dies because of the course thread and close quarters around the lock ring.

The Redding dial adjustment makes this simple and easy.

For crimping the Lee Factory Crimp Die does a great job.

Tony

Edited by tlshores
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I have 2 - 650s set up using the Lee U at station 1 and the LEE FCD in the final station, I use the Dillon seating dies but still seem to have the fine tuning problem like so many have stated--looks like the Redding may be the way to go.

Great info here

Ron

Edited by RON JOHNSON
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The best die combo I've found is a Dillon sizer ground down to fix the guppy brass issue. Redding Competition Seater. Dillon crimp die. If Dillon sold that combo in their catalog, it would solve just about everybody's problems, IMO. It's also the smoothest running combination of everything available.

Dillon: please mail my royalty check to... ;)

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I sold two 650 presses with case feeders and bought three 550's. One is for small rifle primers (38 SC & 40 S&W), one is large primers and the other one is for large Federal pistol primers for the wheel guns. I like the 550 much better and think the quality of the finished round is more consistent.MHO

I use Lee U resizing dies, Redding Comp seating dies and either Dillon or Lee crimp dies.

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... Dillon sizer ground down to fix the guppy brass issue. ...

Are you grinding the bottom / shortening the die in order to get more of the casing into the die?

Right after I got my Dillon 40S&W die set....I found Eric's post on how to de-glockify a Dillon sizing die....

http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.php?...&hl=carbide

I talked with Eric and the proceded to take my sizing die to the grinder. I did one other tweak....put a washer under the primer punch head to back it up slightly.

This mod works GREAT!!!!

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  • 6 months later...

I'm in a similar situation to the original poster. I'm planning to go with the redding competition seater and lee factory crimp. I can't find the Lee 'U' size die though. Is this different from their normal sizing die? I find no mention of the U die on Lee's website or midway.

A link would be appreciate.

Chris

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Do any of these dies from different brands eliminate the need for dies on other stations?

I ask because in that egw link someone wrote a review of the U die:

Bought 2 EGW u dies, one on .40, the other in 9mm. I bought 'em in their Ebay store.

Anyway, they solved my problems in 9mm, and don't see why they wouldn't solve my problems in .40, as well.

They work GREAT in conjunction with redding's competition seater dies, you can eliminate the problematic factory crimp die.

I still have to remove .001, maybe a bit less from my dillon powder funnel.

I love these dies. Get 'em, what are you waiting for?

What dies do I really need?

Thanks again!

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Do any of these dies from different brands eliminate the need for dies on other stations?

I ask because in that egw link someone wrote a review of the U die:

Bought 2 EGW u dies, one on .40, the other in 9mm. I bought 'em in their Ebay store.

Anyway, they solved my problems in 9mm, and don't see why they wouldn't solve my problems in .40, as well.

They work GREAT in conjunction with redding's competition seater dies, you can eliminate the problematic factory crimp die.

I still have to remove .001, maybe a bit less from my dillon powder funnel.

I love these dies. Get 'em, what are you waiting for?

What dies do I really need?

Thanks again!

Reading between the lines, I suspect what they're trying to say is that, by using a "U" die, you can do without the carbide sizer in the Lee FCD (why it's "problematic" is unclear), and, presumably, a standard crimp die.

May well indeed be the case, but it's a cheap double-check, and, personally, I find the collet/squeeze crimp action on the Lee FCD infinitely preferable to jamming finished rounds into a tapered "standard" crimp die.

The reviewer may have lucked out and not run into a round with too large a case mouth not running a crimp die, but, after the expander die/charging, you're still going to want a crimp die of one sort or the other to remove the bell from the case mouth, if not to actually crimp the loaded rounds.

Long story short - no, it does not eliminate the need for a crimping die...

So, what dies do you "really need?" Sizer, seater, and crimper (am assuming you're loading on a progressive with an expander die at the charging station - if not, you'll also need an expander die).

If what you're asking about is what brand dies you need - personally having a box full of tried and discarded dies (to be eBay'd, some day), I've settled on Lee "U" sizers, Redding Competition Seaters, and Lee FCD's for every caliber I load, as have others - YMMV.

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So, what dies do you "really need?" Sizer, seater, and crimper (am assuming you're loading on a progressive with an expander die at the charging station - if not, you'll also need an expander die).

If what you're asking about is what brand dies you need - personally having a box full of tried and discarded dies (to be eBay'd, some day), I've settled on Lee "U" sizers, Redding Competition Seaters, and Lee FCD's for every caliber I load, as have others - YMMV.

I think I've settled on those three as well. I'm planning on getting a Dillon 650 through Brian. Do you by chance know whether it comes with and expander die at the charging station?

What expander dies do you recommend?

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...I'm planning on getting a Dillon 650 through Brian. Do you by chance know whether it comes with and expander die at the charging station?

Yes it does, it's integral with the powder funnel - no need to buy a separate one.

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I have 2 - 650s set up using the Lee U at station 1 and the LEE FCD in the final station, I use the Dillon seating dies but still seem to have the fine tuning problem like so many have stated--looks like the Redding may be the way to go.

Great info here

Ron

Exactly. Dillon is the only progressive I will use and Lee are the only dies (other than the Redding seat die). Especially need the U die and Lee FCD.

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If you are going to reload with cast lead bullets then I would highly recommend the Dillon dies. The bulletseating pludg is very esailly removed for cleaning. If all you plan to load is jacketed bullets then any major manufacturers dies will work. I use several Dillon dies alonf with Lyman, Lee and RCBC.

I'm planning on getting a Dillon press. What experience have any of you had using other than Dillon dies? Any input would b be appreciated. Thanks. Chris
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