Dillon 550 help. Bullets seating sideways.

[peppercorn]

I have had this press for a few months and noticed that on 44 mag I was fairly consistantly peeling one side of the bullet in the seating process. To adjust for this I dialed in a little more bell. I also notoiced that the fully seated and crimped bullet bulged slightly more on one side than the other.

Fast forward to 45 ACP. I now have the same problem but to a much more noticable degree. This is with the dies in a seperate tool head than those of the 44 dies. The bullet is definitely tilted when seated and crimped. I attribute the more noticable symptom to the much shorter bearing surface of the 45 cal bullet compared to that of the 44.

Has anyone else had this problem?

Dillon customer service wants me to send the press back, which at some point I will do.


In the photo bellow I have attemted to show the distorted reflection that the bulge creates and how pronounced it is on this side.

In this photo I have rotated the same bullet approximately 180 degrees so as to show the relative lack of bulge.

 

[ken158]

Im thinking your shell plate is not adjusted properly and not indexing to the center of the die

 

[ShinySix]

I used to have this problem with 32ACP on a Dillon550b. Some things to consider:
1. Foreign brass? Sometimes its thinner.
2. Are the bullets true to advertised diameter? Calipers are essential to diagnosing this problem.
3. Like Ken said, check that you index the shell plate correctly.
4. Case diameter after full length resizing: its doubtful, but your dies might be out of spec; again with the calipers.
5. Expander plug traveling too deep within case? Sometimes, its necessary in order to bell cases enough for proper seating. Its unsightly, but do your rounds chamber? This is mentioned in Handloader Mag #266, June 2010, in regards to .380ACP.

Also, I noticed there is a ring on the top of the bullet where the seating stem makes contact. Are you seating and crimping in one operation? I strongly recommend seating and crimping in separate operations. As the seating plug contacts the bullet, the case is usually already crimped and this forces the plug to dig into the bullet. It could possibly be exacerbating the case bulge as well.

 

[peppercorn]

Thanks guys, I'll run down your lists in order.

The shell plate has been adjusted from loose to tight with no change in result.
The plate indexes to the ball bearing and seems therefore to be factory set, in my mind.


All brass is new Starline, as this is a new caliber to me.

Bullets are of same advertised diameter. Different bullets in both 44 and 45 caliber give the same results.

All rounds do chamber and, in 45 cal, all rounds cycle properly.

Seating and crimping are done in independent operations. I see the ring also and it looks like the seating plug has a sharp edge on the ring that contacts the bullet.

 

[dg101win]

What brand of dies are you using? When I started using my Dillon I used RCBS dies and had a slight problem with the case lining up with the mouth of the dies. This was with 45acp and 357mag. I have since of a period of time replaced all dies with the Dillon brand and have no problems. Well one small problem finding time to load.

 

[jepp2]

Pretty basic question, but are you sure you are using the correct bullet seating plug?

 

[ShinySix]

Fine grit sandpaper should remove any burrs on the seating plug. Loading about 1,000 rounds has the same effect. Whatever you decide to do, know that Dillon will unquestionably stand behind their product.

 

[TSQUARED]

It appears to be a misalignment of the die or shellplate not a problem with the Dillon 550.

 

[peppercorn]

The dies are Dillon.
The bullet seating plug is for round nose, the other side is for semi wadcutter.
So far I have loaded 500, 45 ACP rounds and every one looks exactly the same and clocks exactly in the same position.


The only adjustment I can make for the shellplate/die interface is to loosen the plate on top of the ram and rotate it. The problem with this is that the bullets are tilting toward the center of the ram. For this reason I am now thinking the frame where the tool head slides in and the ram are not exactly parallel. To further this thought is the fact that it occurs with two seperate die sets and tool heads.

 

[dg101win]

You don't have the shell plates mixed up do you?

 

[peppercorn]

Shell plates are not mixed. The new set of dies, 45, and shell plate came on the same day and were all set up together.

 

[Beerjman]

When you initially install the dies into the tool head you might create that problem .
Because of the very coarse loose fitting thread which is standard on dies and tool head it is possible to move the dies to a less than perfect alignment .
I adjust the dies with cartridge cases in all four stations , with the ramp up , only then I tighten the lock nuts .
Hope that helps . If not , Dillon will stand behind their product , "don't suffer in silence" .

 

[2hawk]

When you initially install the dies into the tool head you might create that problem .
Because of the very coarse loose fitting thread which is standard on dies and tool head it is possible to move the dies to a less than perfect alignment .
I adjust the dies with cartridge cases in all four stations , with the ramp up , only then I tighten the lock nuts .
Hope that helps . If not , Dillon will stand behind their product , "don't suffer in silence" .

This is a good idea.

 

[Rockets]

Try to seat a few rounds in a single stage to see if you have the same problem...

 

[2hawk]

I notice that the impression of the seating plug corresponds with the bulge, ie, it does look like things are not hitting squarely. Recheck your first station, sizing/decapping die. If it is not adjusted properly it may be causing the toolhead to tilt. Since it is 180 degrees from the seating station I think this is where the problem may be.

Ran across this snippet over at brianenos.com, poster had a similar problem:

"I called Dillon tech support this morning mentioning everything I had tried based on the forums recommendations and he went through all possibilities. Bottom line was the sizing die was not seated properly even though I followed Dillon's assembly and instructional DVD. I had previously raised the shellplate all the way up and tightened the sizing die until it touched the shellplate. Per the DVD, the next step would be to back off the die by 1/4 turn - the video shows only backing off about 1/8 turn which I duplicated. Dillon tech said that was misleading and that properly seating the sizing die included holding down the handle and hand tightening the die as tight as possible...then tightening the die lock ring while still putting downward pressure on the handle...something I have never down before as was not in the manual or video. He said that just tightening the lock ring w/o pressure on the handle can result in improper placement..."

Rocketblend's idea to run one case around at a time is a good way to see if the problem is at the seating station or somewhere else. I also think that Beerjman's reco to loosen the lock rings and then tighten with the ram up and a case in each station is a very good idea. And, make sure the shellplate is sufficiently tightened down to prevent any tendency to tilt.

HTH

 

[davekp]

It's possible the platform is misaligned on the Mainshaft. I had mine work loose on my 650 and I had all kinds of strange problems.

 

[peppercorn]

Today I adjusted all dies with cases at the top. I also adjusted the sizing die with the handle held down and tightened it as tight as I could by hand and then tightened the lock ring.

All rounds cycle with the same result.

I also sent some through one at a time with the same outcome.
I did notice that after sizing, one side of the case was scratched and the other was not. More asymmetry?

 

[jt1]

Check the bottom of the shellplate to see if any crud has accumulated in the groove for the case rim. This can hold the brass slightly too far out and cause misalignment.

jt

 

[TSQUARED]

Today I adjusted all dies with cases at the top. I also adjusted the sizing die with the handle held down and tightened it as tight as I could by hand and then tightened the lock ring.

All rounds cycle with the same result.

I also sent some through one at a time with the same outcome.
I did notice that after sizing, one side of the case was scratched and the other was not. More asymmetry?

Is this your first attempt at reloading? It appears you have a very limited comprehension of mechanics. Perhaps you should consider using a single stage press to gain proficiency prior to using a progressive loader.

 

[2hawk]

Is this your first attempt at reloading? It appears you have a very limited comprehension of mechanics. Perhaps you should consider using a single stage press to gain proficiency prior to using a progressive loader.

If you don't understand why the OP did what he described, it may be you who has a limited understanding of mechanics. If he has a problem on a progressive it is not going to be solved by telling him to get a single stage.