Question for folks running a Dillon 650.

[Luke E.]

 Okay I've got my new Dillon 650 set up and have had little time to "play" with my new toy but I am having a bit of an issue with the case feeding. I haven't added to electric feeder yet so i'm just hand feeding them 10 at the time for now but where i'm having the problem is after it drops the new case out of the tube. I apologize in advance for not using the proper names for some of the parts. Now, when the new case falls from the tube it lands on what I believe they call the "station 1 locator" It is the aluminum rail that guides the case as it is being pushed to the shell plate. It works correctly most of the time but 1 out of every 13-15 cases falls over somewhere between when it is first dropped and the time is reaches the shell plate. I feel that I am moving way slower than I should have to and it doesn't seem to get any better if I go as slow as I can and still be moving. It does happen more often if I speed up to the speed that I normally run on a 550. The press came already set up with a .223 caliber conversion installed but I have gone back through and double checked to make sure all the relative parts are correct for the caliber. Anyone else had this issue?

 

 Also if there are any other things that are specific to the 650 to watch out for i'd love to hear those as well.

Edited December 17, 2013 by Luke E.

[leroy]

Luke:  I've got a 650 myself; but we reload pistol calibers on it... I would look and see if the the "fallover" cases tend to happen when the case hopper doesnt have several cases in it... My guess is that the cases are bouncing a bit when they hit the "station 1 locator"... I think they may be bouncin up a bit when they fall initially; and one edge of the round is not engaging the groove that sends it down to the first station...I would try to keep the case feeder almost full if i could...

 

Bear in mind that this is a genuine "wild guess"; but it would start there... 

 

The biggest problem (...and complaint...) i have with the dillon stuff is the powder measure adjustment; but i think that it is just the nature of the beast... They are meant to load ammo on; which they do very well; they dont like to be continually fiddled with... Ya need to settle on a load and stay at that powder adjustment....

 

Hope this helps...

leroy

[allenwaddle]

Check the case insert slide (one side is for pistol and the other side for rifle). This is the triangle piece above the station 1 locator.

Allen

[Luke E.]

Luke: I've got a 650 myself; but we reload pistol calibers on it... I would look and see if the the "fallover" cases tend to happen when the case hopper doesnt have several cases in it... My guess is that the cases are bouncing a bit when they hit the "station 1 locator"... I think they may be bouncin up a bit when they fall initially; and one edge of the round is not engaging the groove that sends it down to the first station...I would try to keep the case feeder almost full if i could...

Bear in mind that this is a genuine "wild guess"; but it would start there...

The biggest problem (...and complaint...) i have with the dillon stuff is the powder measure adjustment; but i think that it is just the nature of the beast... They are meant to load ammo on; which they do very well; they dont like to be continually fiddled with... Ya need to settle on a load and stay at that powder adjustment....

Hope this helps...
leroy

This thought crossed my mind and I started keeping track of everything. It seems to happen about as much when there are multiple case in there as when there are none. Looking at the notes I made it did happen just slightly more when the level was low but only by once. I've not loaded a large number yet so I guess my findings aren't spread over large amounts. I'll continue to watch to see if it starts pointing that way though.
Thanks.

[Luke E.]

Check the case insert slide (one side is for pistol and the other side for rifle). This is the triangle piece above the station 1 locator.
Allen

It is set to the rifle side but I double checked it.
Thanks.

[Luke E.]

Luke: I've got a 650 myself; but we reload pistol calibers on it... I would look and see if the the "fallover" cases tend to happen when the case hopper doesnt have several cases in it... My guess is that the cases are bouncing a bit when they hit the "station 1 locator"... I think they may be bouncin up a bit when they fall initially; and one edge of the round is not engaging the groove that sends it down to the first station...I would try to keep the case feeder almost full if i could...

Bear in mind that this is a genuine "wild guess"; but it would start there...

The biggest problem (...and complaint...) i have with the dillon stuff is the powder measure adjustment; but i think that it is just the nature of the beast... They are meant to load ammo on; which they do very well; they dont like to be continually fiddled with... Ya need to settle on a load and stay at that powder adjustment....

Hope this helps...
leroy

As far as the powder measure goes I've had pretty good luck making adjustments to it but mainly because I've got a fair bit of experience running a 550. One thing I learned on the 650 is that you need to get the powder throwing right BEFORE dumping the primers in or else it'll start slinging them out. Wonder how I know that? Ha

[Luke E.]

 I didn't have much time to run the press tonight (again) but I did run some cases through, paying close attention to what was happening. There is a very shallow channel cut the length of the station 1 locator where the primer/primer pocket scoots along and on the ones that tip over it seems that they are being dropped off center.since they are being dropped more towards the rear of the channel, rather than each side of the locator supporting part of the case, the side of the case closest to the operator is falling into the channel so when it starts being pushed towards the shell plate it falls over. Not sure what the fix to this is yet but i'm hoping someone that has had this problem before will run across this thread.