Setting up the Dillon 750

[Kevin]

I finally have some time to set up my new to me Dillon 750. (Thanks Contender... he helped me buy it.) I had to order a few small parts and clean my garage.

But now it's reloading time. I can already tell it's a more sturdy press than the Hornady Progressive I had before this. There are a few things I don't care for, but I can get over them. For example, as a left hander, this set up is more designed for right handed people. Just the way the cases feed into the machine from the far back right side and rotate clockwise, ejecting in the back, again on the right side.

The Hornady was more of a left handed machine. Strange but true. The operator stood on the left and most of the operations took place from the left side of the press.

Anyway, I haven't added any primer or powder yet, but have the dies set up. I'm watching some Youtube videos. Dillon has some they produced, so I can assume they are accurate. They have a main guy, "Gary" who shows step by step the setup. It's pretty informative.

I'm using Dillon Dies, for 9mm.

Why is the powder on the second station, and then the bullet seating on 4? What happens on station 3? I did get the small powder bar installed and I haven't tested it yet, but it cycles fine. I have no doubt it will be accurate.

I have the Automatic Case Feeder. But, just from dropping in a case or two at random, but they don't always land upright to slide into the shell plate holder. I'll try dumping in a bunch of cases and see if it makes a difference with a full tube. Is there an adjustment for this so the cases fall and land rightside up?

Also, and this is something I've noticed. I used Dillon dies on the Hornady, but about 1/2 the time they wouldn't size correctly and then be too big for my chamber check gauge. So far all the cases are sizing correctly according to my check gauge...I actually have two of them and they are both checking out ok. QUESTION: Is it possible, the Dillon dies are more accurate in the Dillon press?

This was such an issue that when I had the Hornady, I bought one of the Lee Undersize 9mm dies to overcompensate.

Oh, and another question: The Dillon seating die does not crimp. For 9mm, should I crimp? With what? My test bullets I've done so far today chamber in a pistol just fine (and eject! Finally, thank you Sig Sauer ) But what do ya'll think about crimp?

But so far, my first impressions with the Dillon are this is a great press. The quality seems excellent and I after setting up this machine for 9mm, I can see why you would want two machines because changing everything over for another caliber is a lot. Yes, I know they have the quick change setups. But I think I'll just leave this for 9mm for a while and see what happens.

 

[Kevin]

Yes, fiddling with it some more and it seems none of the cases drop cleaning from the automatic case feeder into the slider bar to move into the shell holder. I assume this is a minor adjustment, but not sure how.

 

[epags]

Go here: https://forum.dillonprecision.com/

 

[NC FNS]

Gee, sure wish I had your problems!
Good luck with the Dillon, should be great once you get everything just right. We'll be expecting you to supply the ammo at the East coast gathering next year….

 

[contender]

Ok, I'll jump in here,, since I do run a few Dillon presses.

First off, it's about time you got around to setting it up. D:

"Why is the powder on the second station, and then the bullet seating on 4? What happens on station 3?"
Station 3 is used (originally) for the "Powder Check Station." In recent years,, an aftermarket bullet feeding system utilizes that station. I use the powder check addition on all my station 3's. Once adjusted,, it rarely goes off as long as you are loading. But if I'm doing odd stuff, I get to hear the buzzer.

The case feeder.
If you have it properly aligned up,, AND all the little parts from the caliber conversion set,, installed correctly,, you should not have any issues with cases feeding. The hopper holding the brass,, as it rotates,, if a case isn't upright,, it should fall back into the rotating case feed plate until orients itself right side up, and in the slot. Once in the slot,, it should drop base first into the tube. The cases drop one at a time into the feed ramp section. Make sure the removable plate that the case slides in is correctly seated.
Also,, I've found that only using American made or good brand named brass helps a bunch. I scrap out a lot of odd, foreign, or weirdly marked brass prior to even attempting to load them.

"QUESTION: Is it possible, the Dillon dies are more accurate in the Dillon press?"
It may have been an adjustment issue. But I use Dillon dies in my presses,, and haven't had any issues.

"Oh, and another question: The Dillon seating die does not crimp. For 9mm, should I crimp?"
Yes,, you need a taper crimp die in station 5. Station 4 is just for seating. Look at your dies from Dillon. They should be marked as to which ones they are. I'd bet one is a crimp die. One die does the resizing,, and de-capping. The neck expander is inside the powder die, and should be part of the caliber conversion. The second die is just the seating die. The 3rd die,, taper crimp die. Adjust accordingly.

"I can see why you would want two machines because changing everything over for another caliber is a lot. Yes, I know they have the quick change setups"

The biggest reason I prefer (2) machines is the swapping of the priming system. I did that on my 650 until I found a second 650. Now,, I have one set up for small primers, and one for large primers. After that,, swapping calibers is very easy.

 

[Kevin]

Thanks Contender, I'll go back and look at the case feed problem. I hadn't thought about the cases themselves. The ones I used were just mixed head stamp.

And like I said, some were landing in the correct orientation, then some would fall onto their sides.

I'll take the parts out and put them back in. I did follow the video and went step by step. But maybe something is not fitted perfectly.

Thanks!

 

[Kevin]

Ok, some more wiggling and waggling and I think I have it.

I took the pieces from the conversion kit out and re-seated them, and used the hopper for the automatic feeder. I also adjusted the angled block that allows the case to fall into place.

I think they were falling too early. There is a VERY fine line where they either fall to early or not at all.

And then, it's weird, they seem to line up better when the tube is full. Perhaps it's the weight of the cases on top that does something.

Not sure, but it is better now.

Even got out the taper crimp and got that adjusted.

Thanks again!

 

[Kevin]

And another thing! Well, not really, back to the dies working better. I was thinking about this today. On the Hornady press, they use those Lock -n- Load rings. The die is screwed into this ring, which twists and locks into the Hornady press. Well, those rings have a little flange that rests on top of the press to hold it -and the dies- in place.

I'm sort of thinking that little extra height was causing the issue of the case not being inserted into the die far enough and then just the smallest part of the case wasn't being fully resized. I don't know, perhaps this was it. Who knows.

I will say those rings did wiggle loose occasionally, and then the dies were ineffective. I would have to stop and tighten the die and fix that particular bullet. IF I happened to notice it.

 

[contender]

Good to hear you are getting it worked out. Those are great machines,, and once you get it running,, you'll be a bit surprised at how smoothly things can go.
The "better" cases have helped me a bunch. Many of the foreign made types have slightly different dimensions,, and often the shell plate or the feeder slots etc can get jammed up.

I've kept my foreign stuff in a separate bag. I use them for swaging jacketed .40 cal bullets. But even those,, I have to double check with the shell holder as they can be a bit oversized, and not work.

 

[Kevin]

I believe you about the different cases.

A few years ago I was having issues with 38's. I posted about it a lot here. All mixed head stamps and they all seemed to be different lengths. So then I had trouble seating bullets properly.

I took all my 357's and 38's and once they were shot, they got recycled.

Then, I bought enough Starline brass of each to last me a good long while. I was even smart about and got the 38's in nickel plated so I can clean them together and it's easy to separate.

Only revolver cartridges are easier. I'm not scrounging around on the ground picking them up.

I'll see if I have trouble with cases if I can find any pattern in those causing problems. But I'd bet you are correct.

Thanks!

 

[Hvymax]

I set up the load plates for my Load master complete with the powder measures etc. I think it takes me 15 minutes to swap out.