Everyone knows you can't load precision ammo on a progressive press

[Tim K]

Right? I hate loading, so I decided to try anyway. I just bought a new JP to use in the carbine role at team matches. Behind it is its predecessor, a gun I put together with a White Oak barrel.



After reading JP's loading document, I decided to try TAC and 77 SMKs. I did exhaustive development, like to the tune of 200 rounds. I did all this measuring powder to the nearest 0.02 grains on a lab scale. I found a nice wide node that's about 0.5g wide. Incidentally, I ran a seating depth test at the beginning and found the gun likes 0.020" shorter than mag length. Surprising.

My final load is 23.5g of TAC, 77g SMK, CCI 450 SRM primers in Prime brass. Velocity out of the 20" JP was 2725fps, right where it should be. With the precisely measured charges, I saw SD = 11. It shot a little better than 1/2 minute.

The final step was to try it in my Dillon 650. With TAC, I was seeing a total spread in charge weight of only 0.08g. Promising. SD's on that ammo were more like 15, accuracy was still 1/2 minute.

As you can image, I was pretty stoked to find a load I can run at 500+ rounds an hour vs 50 rounds an hour individually weighing.

On a whim, I decided to try this load in the old rifle. How sweet would it be if it show well in that one, too?

Here's a group with the JP, the rifle I used for all the development.


Here's a group with the White Oak barreled home build.


Amazing! One load that shoots 1/2 minute in two different rifles. Loading it at 500 rounds an hour? Too good to be true. I have two more rifles to try this in. I'll let you know what I see when I test them.

[Great-Kazoo]

I run my 223 75gr bthp and 30cal 168gr bthp's on the 650 with very good results.

[Shooter45]

The accuracy of Dillon loaders is impressive and many others agree to this. I loaded for years on a single stage press, and still do for somethings like my magnum calibers. However, for precision 556 and 308 loads I go to the Dillon 650 after load development on a single stage press. The accuracy does not suffer in any way from what I have seen and i still check random rounds to make sure the power drop and seating depth are staying consistent. Saves a lot of time that I can spend doing other things, like going to the range! I'll have to find the powder measure my wife got me as a present that really helps speed up and accurize the powder drop to share on here.

[Tim K]

Please do.

[Hoser]

I load almost everything up to and including 338 Lapua on my 550. When I was first getting ready to try it, I tested runout on my Co-Ax, Rockchucker and 550. It was within 0.001 telling me the quality of dies is more important than the press.

I don't use the Dillon powder measure for long range stuff.

[bobbyfairbanks]

I agree everything is done on progressives now except my 338 Edge. Just got a new toolhead for my 338/06 AI. Zombie Steve has been making fun of me because of that and calling me fully hoserized. Thanks hoser