Dillon powder dispenser accuracy and consistency?

lrrifleman · Oct 2, 2024

Greetings! I started using my Dillon 550B back in the early 1990s, and my initial attempt to load 30 caliber ammo with the likes of IMR4895 were dismal.

I'm now contemplating loading 223, 224 Valkyrie, and possibly 6.5 Creedmoor with ball powder on the 550B. However, I've never reloaded rifle ammo with ball powder on a Dillon, so I'm curious about the consistency of the thrown charges.

Can anyone that loads rifle ammo with ball powder on a Dillon please share their experience with ball powder charge consistency?

As always, thanks in advance for your help!

Mike SC Hunter · Oct 2, 2024

Spherical powders don't usually work in rotating drums/sliding cavity charge bars in powder measures.

bruce381 · Oct 2, 2024

google around unitek company had a page link to accurizing the dillion measure and some guy on u tube has a good comparison to the standard RCBS drum measure the dillion is ok just needs some fine touches. and yes ball powder in my "blueprinted" measure will drop on pistol loads at most a tenth grain or so plus minus.

.38SuperMan · Oct 2, 2024

I have a Square Deal B and a couple of the powder measure units. I had a second SDB that I used for years as well but sold it. I load a variety of cartridges using 231, HS6, CFEPistol, Bullseye, Accurate 2, Accurate N100NF and Unique. Unique is a large coarse flake that’s doesn’t work as well in my powder measures but all the others work great. No accuracy issues except with Unique.

socal s&w · Oct 3, 2024

I agree with .38Superman, ball powders are no problem at all. Nor is Bullseye. Unique is while nuther deal, but since they aren't gonna make it any more, it's no biggie.
Ball powders flow like water and in the Dillon press, throw very consistent charges (using the SMALL bar). At least that' my experience with 231 and 244 for .38 Special.
I did 'help' my dispenser though;
I used an 1-1/2" PVC cap with a flat top/end, drilled a hole through the cap to accept a 1/4", countersunk, flat head, screw on the underside of the cap.
Before filling with shot, I then attached a 1/4" threaded coupling and extended that through the top of the hopper with all thread rod, using another nut and fender washer just under the top Dillon cap after drilling a hole in that as well.
Filled it with lead shot and capped it with a fender washer and nut to
'capture' the shot inside. The fender washer just fit inside the cap, so no leaky.
At the very top, now outside of the Dillon hopper cap, I simply installed an acorn nut to make it look good and something to enable grabbing the rod.
Some minor adjustment on the top fender washer with the nut under the Dillon cap to assure that it drops down far enough to cover the powder and enough room to drop as the powder drops inside the hopper....and you're good to go.
The weighted PVC cap puts the perfect amount of pressure on the powder to keep it very consitent....works for me!

H Richard · Oct 3, 2024

Ball powder and fine flake powder is very accurate. Stick powders less so. I loaded Varget and 4198 and it would consistently drop within 2-10ths or 3-10ths. I normally loaded all my rifle on a single stage and trickled all my loads to exact.

Dillon powder dispenser accuracy and consistency?

lrrifleman

Member

Mike SC Hunter

Member

bruce381

Member

.38SuperMan

Member

socal s&w

Member

H Richard

US Veteran

Similar threads

Latest posts