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Best / Worst Powder Metering in Dillon Powder Measure


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As I was reading through the topics last night, I discovered one member's post that described a call to Dillon where the service person recommended not using AA5 - and that got me thinking. Now retired, I've recently returned to reloading after a ten year absence. I have a bunch of powders I haven't tried in the 550B and it would be interesting to see what others think about how the various powders meter through the 550B.

So without regard for how the powders perform once loaded.

I find that Unique meters poorly and Tite Group is superb.

What say you?

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The VV powders seem to measure very well over others due to the small size of the powder granules.

Use of 310 for pistol. Also use of 3n37.

Hogdon Benchmark for .223 meters very consistently. This is also a fairly small sized powed granule.

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Vit 320, Clays, and Tight Group all metered well for me.

I'd be especially interested in what rifle powders meter well, for 223 and 308, because I hear that question a lot on the phone.

Gary at Dillon told me this one day for 223: Winchester 748, Hodgen H-335, Accurate 2230, and Accurate 2015, which is a "stick (extruded) powder," but the sticks are very small so it will rarely bridge in the Powder Measure, all work real well for .223 in a Dillon Powder Measure.

be

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As I was reading through the topics last night, I discovered one member's post that described a call to Dillon where the service person recommended not using AA5 - and that got me thinking. Now retired, I've recently returned to reloading after a ten year absence. I have a bunch of powders I haven't tried in the 550B and it would be interesting to see what others think about how the various powders meter through the 550B.

So without regard for how the powders perform once loaded.

I find that Unique meters poorly and Tite Group is superb.

What say you?

Wouldn't it be nice if Dillon would publish something that tells users what

works and doesn't work in their press. I am trying to use 2520 in my

550B and I've got more on the bench than I do in the cases. What an

awful powder system, just awful, not to mention the awful primer system.

W748 wasn't any better.

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I use WSF for 40S&W and 9mm and get really consistant charges. There does not seem to be a whole lot of talk about this powder but my guns are still relatively clean after matches. Really accurate loads. I would like to hear if others are using this powder and what what there loads and PF are. Please give bullet, grn of powder, and OAL.

Edited by barney88pdc
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All the ball powders such as W-231, WSF, WST, etc. and their Hodgdon counterpaRTS meter exceptionally well. as do the Vihtavouri N-310, N-320, N-330, Alliant's, Bullseye, American Select, and Power Pistol.

The worst metering powder I have ever used was HS-800X.

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"As I was reading through the topics last night, I discovered one member's post that described a call to Dillon where the service person recommended not using AA5 - and that got me thinking. Now retired, I've recently returned to reloading after a ten year absence. I have a bunch of powders I haven't tried in the 550B and it would be interesting to see what others think about how the various powders meter through the 550B. "

So what is the problem with AA5 and a Dillon?

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  • 7 months later...

Since this is a common theme, I brought this back up.

Still looking for your favorite 308 powders that meter well in a Dillon Powder Measure.

From my notes I have these for 223:

Winchester 748, Hodgen H-335 & Benchmark, Accurate 2230, and Accurate 2015, which is a "stick (extruded) powder," but the sticks are very small so it will rarely bridge in the Powder Measure, all work real well for .223 in a Dillon Powder Measure.

I know 748 works well for 308 - long ago I used it a lot and had great results with it.

Also, for 308, Dillon recommended IMR 4895 and 4064.

Any more?

be

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+1 for AA2230 for .223, i've got about 8K rounds loaded on my 1050 (i know, only about 2 days worth of loading after brass prep ;) with very consistent powder throws (spot checks show i'm usually within .1-.2 gr ona 24gr powder drop.

for pistol, i've had very consistent results with WW231 and Power Pistol. Have read unhappy reports about unique but i've found it to be okay, usually within .2gr on an 8 gr powder throw (which is less consistent then a ball powder but for .45 colt at 30 yards, that's sufficient consistency for my purposes).

-jared

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For 223 Ramshot tac, H 322, H 335, and Varget all meter well. The bridging issue with Varget is usually caused by a bit of case lube still in the case neck which causes the powder to stick in the neck. When the ram is lowered the powder dumps all over the press. After I started tumbling my cases to remove all the lube before I loaded them the bridging went away. Varget is hard to beat; especially with heavy bullets.

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I had the opposite experience with Varget and .223. The only way I could get it to work was to keep a wrench right beside the press and while the powder was dropping pick it up and tap the side powder measure adapter with it. I had to do a bit of polishing to get Varget to meter consistently in .308 too. IMO, Varget is a PIA with a Dillon powder measure but its the only powder I have had a problem with.

I had excellent results with W748 in .223.

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In .223 W748 is just perfect through my 550B as is all other W powders I use.

In Pistol W231 - Titegroup - UClays - W540 - W296 - Silhouette all work very well.

I have been using H4895 for 30-06. I believe this is the "Short Cut" powder. When it's gone, I have 8lbs of surplus IMR4895 that should prove interesting.....through the 550B.

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BLC(2) meters and works well in .308, I've not had any problem with TAC, WW748, WC844, WC846 (which works great in .308), WW231. Minor problems with SP2, Unique and any really small flake powder, seems to get squished between Dillon's powder bar and the measure's frame. Changed over to one of Ralph Arredondo's plastic bars and that problem went away.

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