Let Me Be The First.....

Really got to try harder, Chris....

5.56, .454/45 Colt, .223, 308, .22 Hornet
 

.38/.357, 9mm, 308 trimmer, .338/340, .40SW
 
 

44 mag, 45/70, .45ACP, 7.62X39
 



The Beast.
 
Any Questions?
 

Showoff! Are you qualified to operate that machinery? I thought we were talking "HANDLOADING" not factory production. I still use a hand held Lyman "Nutcracker" loader or a small RCBS benchloader special that looks like a miniature O-Press and clamps to a range table. I weigh each charge and seat each bullet, all by hand, hence, "handloads.....Chris

I use my hands to operate the press!
The Dillon is capable of producing premium rifle loads at a reasonable rate, and mass producing range ammo. For the rifle I run the brass through lubed up to beat $hit and just size on the first pass, for the 308 I use 2-3 sizing dies depending on the brass, clean the lube off and then run them through to prime, charge, seat, and mil style crimp. (Lee Factory Crimp Die) Same w/ the 5.56 and Hornet.
The mag rifle loads are the only rounds I don't use the case feeder on, other then that similar to the other rifle loads except I throw the charge, then pull from the press, trickle them to precisely the correct charge, and then seat, crimp, and mil style crimp. ( .338 WinMag, 340 WBY, and 45/70 GOVT). Nice having 4-5 die stations, even for low production rounds.
Precision .357, .44 Mag, .45 Colt Mag, and .454 Casull I Prep/Lube/Size  several hundred cases, polish the lube off, sort by length, and load the largest consistent group, saving the rest for "Range Ammo".  The rest, range pistol, revolver, and carbine, polish the brass, dump 500 rounds in the case feeder, fill 5 primer tubes, dump 500 bullets on the tray, (with my hands), dump a pound of powder in the measure, (with my hands), and start cranking rounds out (with my hands). Easily get 500 rounds / hr of 9mm, .38, .40, .44, .45  including caliber change (with my hands)....
The Dillon throws powder accurately from 3 grains (or less) up to 80 (or more) grains plus or minus a couple tenths, only problem I run into is it's to fast for bottle neck cases and extruded powder, have to give it the "1001, 1002" count between cranks of the handle or it spills the last of the charge all over. .
I use a fine ball powder in the .556 range ammo to avoid that, but just have to take my time with the Mag Rifles.  
Powders:
Data 2200: Hornet, 5.56 ----Super fast metering, commercial ball made by Accurate.
RL15: .308----High velocity / low pressure, great for non-bolt action rifles
H110: My Favorite Magnum Revolver powder---Full Blow Loads
H4350/ H4831: Magnum Rifle
Vitavori 3N37: 9 Mike Mike, 9 Major Mike Mike --- 95 gr pills to 147's,cleanest powder I've ever seen. (And for those that know me I don't like cleaning my guns!)
Titegroup: Just about everything else---.38's to .45 ACP and Colt, even works in a .405 according to some... 
 
  

Due to concerns from the boss, any specific load data will be promptly deleted.
DATA SHOULD ONLY COME FROM KNOWN RELIABLE PUBLISHED SOURCES
I'm sure most any other general handloading discussion will be acceptable.
Al

Well, my efforts at handloading certainly pale before the mighty technology wielded by Al! Sort of wondering, was the ban on charge weight due to potential liability, or because this the internet, and who knows where folks get ideas?

Since every gun is a unique machine you should work up your own loads based on the generally accepted STARTING loads every load manual lists. Manuals have pressure tested loads for powders and components that are tested under laboratory conditions and they tell you where to start and also what not to exceed. What works in my gun may be bad for your gun, besides, you don't know what kind of reloader I am, I could be loading over max loads just to be daring. Why trust someones loads when there is so much reliable info available. Chris

That was Mr. Taffin's concern, Mak. Internet data from anonymous sources! He worries about us me  thinks.

Isn't  Bullseye more accurate because of the name? :-)

Great for priming the timing fuse in my larger caliber's!

 
 
 

What size would those be there now, 1000 nitro express, Al?

M203 (replica)

more accurate then Accurate?

I am glad to see a reloading section and I think Chris pretty much summed up my conclusions after 30 years of reloading for revolvers.  I am a rather "boring reloader" in thatMost of my loads are well below max. The only time I load "hot" is for .45 Colt and .44 Special, in appropriate Rugers. Even then I am conservative. I have magnums when I need that much power, or I think I do. My weakness is for heavier than factory standard bullets. IMO I can do more "damage" with a hevier bullet at decent velocities, than a standard weight at max velocity. 
 
As an example (and a source of frustration) I tried every "over the counter" bullet I could get in my S&W 58 and got no joy trying to keep them around 1,000 to 1,100 fps. Groups were merely "OK".  I stopped by an out of the way gunshop and he had a bag of 200, home cast 22o KSWCs in .41 cal (Remember 210 is the usual factory "heavy") Those things shot like a house afire, I literally stumbled into a great load with these bullets. Now, however I can't get the 411 on who made them for the shop and all I get is promises about more. I am going to have to do some research and find the mold, and then figure out the mixture ratio. The funny thing about them is that in my Ruger, which was out shooting the Smith, they were even more outstanding. 

I just got my mould in for .45 Colt, a 255 grain SWC that will be cast from wheelweights. I won't quench them in water since I don't want them too hard, they should pass through a whitetail just fine.
My .38-44 loads are the old standbye of a 170 grain cast Lyman #358429 on top of 12.5 grains of 2400 that I cast myself. I have a bunch of .41 cal 215 grain SWC's from quenched wheel weights. I also cast some 125 grain SWC's for my .38 and am going to start working on loads for my .32-20 (have some commercial bullets but will cast my own soon).

Mighty good reading here...........A couple years ago when I started reloading my Dad told me to buy some really good books on reloading such as the Speer reloading book and other top names that are trust worthy. He said the various calibers and bullet type/weights in the book will give me a max load and a beginning load. He said stay in the middle!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!This was good advise that I keep. Its usually a good idea to listen to the "old man". I try to keep no more than a couple of powders on hand also. It reduces the chances of using the wrong powder in the wrong load. Unique and Trail Boss serves all my "cowboy" guns just fine.

I really use unique a lot.  For my. 45-70, 44 and even a couple 357/44 mag loads