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Video - Loading black powder .44-40s on a Dillon 550B


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Super Duper Mike. I enjoyed the video. I also load 44-40 and on a Dillon, but I use a XL650 and it has an extra station of course. So, I size and prime, then bell and my next station I use a Lyman measure with a powder through die and drop my powder there, then seat a bullet and finally crimp and clang, that sweet sound of a finished round traveling down the chute into the finished bin.

For your consideration I do some other things that work for me. I take my cleaned cases and at about a hundred or so, put them in a plastic container (actually an old tupperware cake saver top that is like a bowl) and add my case lube right there. I use a brand that goes on wet and then dries out. I agitate the cases and then when they are dry (about 5-10 minutes) I drop them into my case feeder on the top of my press. Then it is off to the races and I can easily load a couple hundred or more and hour that way. I love your case check with the old cylinder, but I don't have a spare, so I use a case gauge as I wipe my rounds off and put them into plastic 50 round MTM boxes. I wipe anyway because I pan lube my Big Lube Mavs and there is lube residue on the bullet above the crimp groove from the pouring in of my lube enough to make sure I have enough in the tray to fill the big lube groove. Fast enough for the likes of me. I also use a Dillon tool head like you do and my dies are RCBS and instead of factory crimp, I roll crimp. I sure picked up on the neck sizing you use and that has been an issue with me. I size my bullets at .429 and my die neck sizes at .427 and that makes for a tighter fit and sometimes too tight if not square and I will get a wrinkled cartridge. It does not happen much, but when it does, I am sick because of having to pull the bullet and losing an expensive piece of brass. I am taking your advice and am going to set up my sizing die like you did. RCBS can do that for me. The deal with using my Lyman 55 is that I have always used it and I have never had any issues with accuracy at my load, which is similar to yours and I let the bullet compress my powder, since I only shoot 44-40 for CAS. I do however use a 24" drop tube on a single stage press when loading long range bullets like 45-70 and 38-55.

So, once again pard, thanks for the videos, they will help a lot of folks, especially those getting started and they help me and I have been loading ever since I got into BP about 10 years ago. It is never to late to learn a new trick and like you, I like to experiment. Thanks also for the great atricles you write in Guns of The Old West magazine. Keep 'em coming. :)

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Whoa nellie

 

Unless it happened fast on the last one you didn't do a powder drop, or did I miss something? Station 2 up in the die at about 13:18 in the video

 

Great vid though, thanks!

 

Grizz

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Dave,

 

You didn't miss a thing. I got caught up in making the video and didn't drop a powder charge. I realized it right away and fixed it off camera.

 

One benefit of loading B-P is you can see at a glance if you missed a powder charge...of course a double charge would just spill out of the case.

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Howdy,

 

I spray lube my cases with One Shot. I do 50 in a batch, so they don't get too dry. That is still fast enough for a slow poke like me. Typically I'll load a couple of hundred rounds of .44-40 in as session.

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howdy

 

i also load my BP round on a 550 but i use a slightly different method

i have the normal settings as i would have loading nitro

differance is that i fill the powder hopper with grits

 

i start with sizing the case and setting a new primer

take the primed case out of the press and give it to my wife(its faster to do it with 2 this way)

she fills the case on a Lyman BP powder measure with drop tube(15grs of swiss 2)

i set the filled case in the press and TURN THE SHELL PLATE

set a new case to be sized and primed and the first gets 15grs of filler

 

then it is just like loading nitro,

you only have to remember to take the primed case out and replace it with one filled with BP, BEFORE you turn the shell plate(it is better to prime 3 or 4 rounds first before you start rotating the shell plate, then you don't have to wait for the case to be filled)

 

we load about 250BP 44-40 or 45lc rounds an hour on the 550, i know another Dutch shooter uses a 650 with 2 powder measures, 1 for BP(specialy adepted) and 1 for filler.

 

Dutch Bear

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Dave,

 

You didn't miss a thing. I got caught up in making the video and didn't drop a powder charge. I realized it right away and fixed it off camera.

 

One benefit of loading B-P is you can see at a glance if you missed a powder charge...of course a double charge would just spill out of the case.

 

I kinda figured as much, but didn't want you to wind up with a squib. Great video I enjoyed watching even though I don't load or shoot BP or own a 550.

 

Grizz

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Nice vid Mike....after shooting BP and subs for 6 years, I just cheat and use 777 in the Dillon, save BEAUCOUP steps, lube,and material, since it meters like smokeless...Just call me ...older and less ...

...tired. B)

 

I really enjoy your contributions in GOTOW... ;)

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BDM,

Thanks for the vid Mike..I reload a number of cartridges, 38WCF and 44 WCF the most. I've developed quite a choreography with two diffent single stage presses (rockcushers), lee dippers and separate priming stages and equipment. Must be karma for you to show me how to load on a Dillion, that I want to switch to. So I can reload more and spend less time doing it...

Thanks Again

Texas Red

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Long Jim, Where did you learn that Beaucoup word in your post? The last time I checked we Cajuns in Louisiana were still on the Gulf Of Mexico and not the upper Pacific. Maybe some canuck came down from BC EH!

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Thanks for the video - I only shoot 45 Colt though...anyway, is a drop tube really necessary for a pistol cartridge?

 

Best regards and keep 'em comin' ~

 

GG ~ :FlagAm:

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I hope that's a typo. 777 FFFg should never be used for cartridge loads. Says so right on the bottle.

 

I've used it in .38 and .45 colt for years (as well as hundreds of other FC shooters)in cartridges...downloaded recipe as well.

I DO use ffg in shotshells...

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Long Jim, Where did you learn that Beaucoup word in your post? The last time I checked we Cajuns in Louisiana were still on the Gulf Of Mexico and not the upper Pacific. Maybe some canuck came down from BC EH!

 

Im from the South originally...and well known for stealing ANY word I think is usefull regardless of origin ... :lol:

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