Anyone use a Dillon 550 for Grendel?

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  • Anyone use a Dillon 550 for Grendel?

    I have been loading quality .223 ammo on my Dillon 550 for many years. I have Hornady 6.5 Grendel dies and would like to know any tricks that might help in setting up the 6.5. I finally have a tracking number on my upper so it is time to start thinking about reloading.
    Thanks in advance.

  • #2
    Although I load 5.56 and 45 ACP ammo on Dillon presses, I load my Grendel ammo on a single stage press. I don't see any reason why you couldn't load really good ammo on the Dillon 550 for the Grendel, as long as you stick with ball powders. Stick type powders like Benchmark don't meter smoothly or evenly enough for my liking on automatic powder dispensers. But ball powders like AA2520, W748, BLC-2 and so on should not present any problems.

    Just to be on the safe side though, I would trim the brass a bit on the short side so that you don't run into problems with the sized brass lengthening so much that it is over spec and thereby jams into throat in your rifle. That would cause a rise in pressures because the end of the neck would essentially be crimped onto the bullet, and not allow the bullet to exit the case like it is supposed to. Trimming short, so you allow a few thousandths for the case to expand during sizing should solve the issue though.

    With those considerations, I don't see why you couldn't load really good quality ammo with a progressive press. All commercial ammo is made on progressive presses...

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    • #3
      Not on a 550, but I load 264 LBC on my Lee Loadmaster. I get good results with both ball and extruded powders, but I go comparatively slow with rifle ammo. Pistol ammo can be cranked out quickly. Rifle ammo needs a careful inspection at each stage. The longest grain extruded I use is H4895. It meters well thru either the Lee Perfect measure, or the Auto-disk with the double adapter.

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      • #4
        I load my Grendel on a 550. I size on a single stage RCBS, then trim and tumble. Everything else is done on the 550. I use 2520 or 748 and no extruded powders, 123 Sierra OTM or 129 SST. I put a very slight taper crimp at the 4th die position. The first die position is for priming only. The 550 will work fine for reloading the 6.5 Grendel. Using Lapua brass and 550 reloads will easily produce sub moa ammunition. Haven't tried Hornady brass yet. BTW, I had a 7.62x39 shell plate which I slightly modified to fit the 6.5 Grendel case. Works like a charm!

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        • ruger
          Unwashed
          • Apr 2015
          • 7

          #5
          I use a RL550B for ALL of my reloading, this does include the Grendel, 7.7x58, 7.55x55, 8mm, 30-06, 7.65x53, etc, also many pistol calibers, oh yes the Beowulf also.

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