550b Almost out of powder

R

Roland Thunder

New member
I have a Dillon 550b. The powder dispenser is almost empty and I don't want to fill it back up because I am going to change powder when it's empty. What is the best way to load the remaining cartridges with powder and make sure it doesn't run out of powder without my knowing it.
 
You're thinking about it wrong.

If you don't have a powder check die, it might be time to consider adding one.

But, in my opinion, the best way to do it isn't to load until you run out of powder, it's pick a number of rounds you want to load and make sure you have MORE than enough powder in the measure to load that many rounds.

When you hit that number (20, 50, 100, whatever), Take the powder measure off and dump it out.

Then change your powder.

The method you're asking about is a good way of either getting rounds with no powder, getting rounds with inconsistent amounts of powder, or getting one or more rounds with very light powder charges.

I would NOT attempt to go the route you've described.
 
Taking the powder Measure off takes very little time and will need to happen anyway . I like to keep my powder Measure no less than half full .

But when running out of powder care should be taken .
 
Mike Irwin said:
If you don't have a powder check die, it might be time to consider adding one.
Click to expand...

I like this idea. How would I go about adding a powder check die on a Dillon 550B since it only has 4 stations
 
I like this idea. How would I go about adding a powder check die on a Dillon 550B since it only has 4 stations
Click to expand...

You would have to drill a hole in the tool head and put it in #3 and combine seat and crimp in #4.

How are you making sure there is powder in the cases normally on your 550 as it sits now? I would suggest the same method to answer your original question.

In any case it only takes pulling the two pins to dump powder back into the can it came from. I like to keep the powder hopper at least full enough to be at the baffle. When done pull the two pins and return remainder to jug on some a funnel or piece of paper rolled into one helps prevent spills.
 
You're thinking about it wrong.

If you don't have a powder check die, it might be time to consider adding one.

But, in my opinion, the best way to do it isn't to load until you run out of powder, it's pick a number of rounds you want to load and make sure you have MORE than enough powder in the measure to load that many rounds.

When you hit that number (20, 50, 100, whatever), Take the powder measure off and dump it out.

Then change your powder.

The method you're asking about is a good way of either getting rounds with no powder, getting rounds with inconsistent amounts of powder, or getting one or more rounds with very light powder charges.

I would NOT attempt to go the route you've described.
Click to expand...

Read Mikes post again...and again.

You should always keep a powder measure a minimum of 25% full, IME. They throw different charges as they get empty....I've tracked this and found my charges get heavier as it runs low on powder.
 
You should always keep a powder measure a minimum of 25% full, IME. They throw different charges as they get empty....I've tracked this and found my charges get heavier as it runs low on powder.
Click to expand...


I generally refill mine when it gets close to half full to keep charges consistent.
 
There's a tool for emptying the Dillon measure without removing it from the press. Its basically a replacement slide in square powder meter bar with a chute in one end. You just push the powder bar out using it as the pusher, slide it into place, sit the powder bottle in place & slide more till the ramp aligns & voila! The powder slides neatly into the bottle.
http://www.uniquetek.com/site/696296/product/T1347
 
That seems like way too much trouble, Wogpotter!

I think it's easier just to cross your fingers and hope you don't lodge a bullet in the barrel with a squib!

:D
 
The best way to use the last of your powder is to dump it into a bowl. Pull the locating pin out of the charge station and charge them off-press weighing individually. As mentioned above, you loose all consistency in charge weight when there's not enough powder in the measure.
 
I like this idea. How would I go about adding a powder check die on a Dillon 550B since it only has 4 stations
Click to expand...

I started with the Piggy Back press with 5 stations. And then I visited Dillon, they said it was a bad ideal to seat and crimp on the same die. It was about that time I told them their press was not for me and I was not starting over with a complete set of dies, shell plates, tool heads etc., etc., and on and on. They decided it was OK for me to seat and crimp on the same position, I did explain to them if it was such a bad thing I could learn to crimp on another press.

I will not load on a progressive press without a powder lock out die for straight wall cases or a powder checker for other cases.

F. Guffey
 
What is the best way to load the remaining cartridges with powder and make sure it doesn't run out of powder without my knowing it.
Click to expand...
As mentioned already...
The best way is to always make sure you have more than enough powder to get the job done. And if you have a large number of cartridges to load, you check periodically and add when necessary.
When the job is done, empty the powder measure.

Even done the "hard" way, emptying the powder measure only requires what, one linkage clip and loosening two hex screws?

Be safe, not lazy.
 
Nathan said:
You should always keep a powder measure a minimum of 25% full, IME. They throw different charges as they get empty....I've tracked this and found my charges get heavier as it runs low on powder.
Click to expand...

That's the result of vibration settling the powder. The lighter the powder column gets, the more easily the bottom of the pile bounces and resettles. I think a better way to control this is to use a second powder baffle (in addition to the built-in one) about 20% of the way up the inside of the hopper. That way you keep the powder column more uniform in weight throughout the dispensing cycle as long as you don't let the powder level run below that of the baffle.

I'll attach a baffle template file to this post. The last page of the PDF file has some measure-specific templates, including one for the Dillon measure with a variety of dispensing cut profile options. Line whatever cut style you choose, orient the baffle so the line of sight through the cuts is to the built-in baffle bar across the bottom of the Dillon hopper.

I don't know how much powder is in the OP's hopper. If it is a small quantity, say, only enough for a few rounds, since the 550B does not auto-index, he could remove the brass retaining button adjacent to the shell holder at the powder station and slip each case out after charging it and before manually indexing it, and dump the powder on a scale as a check that the low level isn't giving him a false charge weight. This will necessarily slow the progressive loading rate to a crawl, but if it's only for a dozen rounds or so, that's not a big deal, as he will be looking at weighing the last cartridge's powder anyway if he is at the end of the container. If it's not the last of the old powder, but there isn't much left in the measure, he can return the powder to its container after carefully double-checking that it is indeed the right container. (Personally, I have a number of empty powder bottles I put leftover powder in and label with masking tape and a felt marker. I had just enough chemistry in school to be concerned about accidentally contaminating my primary stock containers.)
 

Attachments

I follow the conventional wisdom and keep my Dillon powder measure between 1/4 and 3/4. But every once in a while I want to change powders.

If it is a temporary change, I want to load Powder B but will return to Powder A later, I dismount the measure and empty it into Can A, then remount it and fill it from Can B. Then Can B will be the only one on the bench, right behind the press.

If I want to use up Powder A and go to Powder B to stay, I just load until the measure is empty. When I get nervous about the low level in the measure I do as Unclenick says and start weighing charges. I was amazed how low the powder level in a Dillon measure can get before it starts throwing light, only the last very few rounds, and way below the baffle.
 
When I'm trying to use up a powder that I don't have or don't want to use any more of I've let the powder measure get pretty low, lower than the baffle.

When I'm doing this I will pull cases and check the powder charge more often than usual, I've never had a charge too far off to use, but this probably depends on how well the powder you use meters in your press.

Koz
 
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