I've been wanting to try reloading for a while and finally took the jump. I got a Dillon XL750 delivered this week....
My friend, that's not a "jump"... you were shot out of a cannon !!
Bullets: Montana Gold 124gr JHP
Powder: Silhouette (also order Power Pistol and Sport Pistol but order is delayed and probably won't get them for a while)
Primers: CCI 500, Federal, Federal premium gold
Casings: Mostly once fired Magtech casings, 9mm
I plan on making loads with Silhouette from 5.0 gr to 5.6 gr based on Silhouette's data for 124 SPEER GDHP with 1.105 OAL (I think this is the closest to the MG 124 jhp). When this shelter in place is over, I'll test these loads and hopefully figure out which works best for my gun.
We've already done a lot of work for you. If you've gone through our
DIRECTORY stickie, then you've seen this...
https://czfirearms.us/index.php?topic=98459.msg759928#msg759928BUT... until I can finally shoot again and test these rounds, I want to crank out 1 thousand rounds of ammo: I have the time, want to get acquainted with the press and reloading process, and am low on ammo.
Very much
Agreed. I'll recommend some additional equipment and some exercises you can do.
Accessories• Making that many rounds, you're going to want the Dillon
Strong Mount option. It places the press more into the center of the bench top, thereby making it
far more stable. This in turn will allow you to use less muscle energy, leading to better back and shoulder comfort.
• You're going to need to look inside the cases as they pass, so more light is required. The best light is the "UFO" lights for 650/750 by
KMS Squared (they are on Amazon)
• Loading 1000's of cases is also going to generate 1000's of spent primers
and smut, and the Dillon solution is simply not up to the task. Order the
Spent Primer Chute from
UniqueTek.
HERE This item uses a hose to route all that trash to a
sealed container under your bench where you won't have to
breathe that dust and can eventually recycle all the brass for cash.
• As a note: If you ever decide you need bearings or other enhancements, the place to start is a seller on Ebay named "Snowshooze" and he makes the very best working bits. He's got a 650 "kit", and may have a 750 "kit" by now.
Exercises• The powder measure is the place to start. Install the
Small Powder Bar. Dillon PMs are typically stiff for the initial several thousand drops so the first thing to do is squirt
powdered graphite down into the hopper. You can get that in the Lock Section of any hardware store, or
HERE. Then you'll want to add rubber bands to assist the slide in its return. I use a light weight spring (see photo) off the early Dillons, but rubber bands work just fine. You'll also want to use a Sharpie Marker to denote the directions. And you can get the knobs from Ebay vendors, typically 2 for $5.
• Once all that is complete you can take one of your used cases (with old primer in place), fill the hopper at least 1/2 full with powder, and start running powder through the PM. This loosens up the PM, distributes the graphite (which is also coming off the powder), and will help you adjust the belling while you play.
• If you'll weigh each of the powder drops after a fresh fill, you'll see that the weight varies wildly for the first 6-9 drops. Since reloaders want
consistent weights, you learn your first rule:
Never use the first ten drops. Back into the hopper they go. Keep doing powder drops and exercising the PM. You want just enough case belling so that the bullet will just barely balance on top of the case. And you want to practice dialing in on your desired powder weight.
• Since all PMs have small variations in the powder weight, the best way to learn to adjust any PM is by the
averaging method. If your notes tell you that you want 5.3gr of a certain powder, then drop ten (10) and see how close you come to 53.0gr. That way some my be at 5.29gr and some will come out at 5.31gr, but the overall average will land smack dab on 5.30gr. Practice that.
• When you finish for the day, the very best practice is to pour the powder back into the can. This in itself leads to 2 ideas... first you're going to need a funnel. Second, you're going to want to pour it back into the
correct can. Therefore:
Rule #2: Only keep one, single can of powder on your bench top. All the others are across the room or under the bench. You cannot mix powders.
For the 1K rounds, should I pick right in the middle and load at 5.3 grains? Obviously not ideal to pump out 1K rounds without testing first, but would that be my safest bet in terms of having ammo that my gun will safely/reliably shoot? Am I missing something? I got the powder check die so hopefully I can't mess anything up too badly.
First of all, you're going to place your Seating Die in position #4, which allows easy visibility into the case. With your UFO lighting this will be a reality. You'll either need to
watch the Powder Check (which can lie to you if it's not properly set) or you'll need to
watch the physical powder. One or the other. I think it's easier to watch the powder myself, right before you place the bullet.
I shoot a CZ Custom Shadow Target. Just paper target shooting at 15 and 25 yards trying to get the smallest group possible. I'm shooting 10 rounds in a 3 inch group from 15 yards on a good mag; large majority stay within 4 inches at 15 yards. No steel shooting (yet).
I use the smallish 4x6 individual
TQ-2 NRA target.
HERE This has a 2.3" bull. I always shoot this at 30 feet
from a sand bag or other supported position so I can compare targets from 10 years ago. You'll want to standardize your testing on some
similar target and
distance.
I also have no sense of how accuracy changes between loads. If I test 5.0, 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 5.4, 5.5, and 5.6 grains at 25 yards resting on a bench, will I see a noticeable difference in group size? I've seen some youtube videos of ladder testing where I can barely notice a difference. Is the testing across grains mostly about feel/recoil for 9mm? Should I expect improved accuracy when comparing my 5.3gr load vs my factory ammo (Magtech 115gr fmj)? Hoping to see some improvements considering how much I spent on all this gear..
You want a good target so that you can shoot each load at a new target. The target with the tightest group will be
your best load in
your gun with
your powder and
your bullet.
My gun will be completely different. Performance is simply on an individual gun basis. My results may help you get from 100 loads down 4 or 5, but
you must still test those 4 or 5 in your gun. There's simply no way around it. I highly suggest 8-10 cartridges per test group,
using ALL the same bullet, brass and primers. That way there's only
one variable: the amount of powder.
Any help/guidance would be appreciated.
We'll gladly answer any questions you have equipment, accessories, adjustments or just the jolts and bumps of getting started.
PS:
• Best powder scale: the Ohaus 505 series. Sold as he Dillon
Eliminator or on Amazon
HERE• Dillon doesn't really have a good answer for seating your bullet (same as the XTP and Precision Delta JHP), so I make a slip-in seating anvil that lots of people use. They give you a precision seating
and centering, which is important for competition. Contact me by PM if you want one.
