Which powder to use with Dillon 550 for pistol caliber reloads?

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  • wakproductions

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    I am new to reloading and interested in starting 9mm reloads with a Dillon RL 550C. However, I don't know what primers and powder to buy. The salesman in the gun shop wants to sell me a reloading book. Is this the standard way to learn how to do this, or is there a reliable online resource for finding those specifications?
     

    d.kaufman

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    Get yourself at least 1 reloading manual and read it before starting the loading process. Lymans 50th edition is a pretty good manual for that purpose.

    There are lots of different powders available for reloading pistols. I prefer titegroup for 9mm, .380, and .45. I prefer CCI primers as well.

    You would need small pistol primers for 9mm and once again there are several options for primers.

    But once again, read and educate yourself on the process before actually reloading. One mistake could, at the least, damage your firearm, or worse case, injure you or others around you
     

    Michigan Slim

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    Get SEVERAL books on reloading. Then you wont be qualified to WRITE one on Bomb Making 101.
    You will see recipes for many powders. If you want to reload for, say .45ACP later, look for a powder that does both.
    Any primer will work for 9mm. I'm partial to Winchester and Federal myself.
    Dillon has a Forum about the 550. I suggest you read back through that also.
     

    wakproductions

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    Books seem so old fashioned today considering so much you can find online, but I guess that's where all the secrets are at. It sounds like without a book or several, there is explosive potential for a mistake. It makes taking on this hobby a little scary...
     

    red_zr24x4

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    Scary at first yes.
    Check out the ABC's of reloading, it will answer your questions.
    The books give you a little more information than just powder and load data.
     

    mark40sw

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    Learning to reload maybe best on a single stage press. If learning on a progressive, i would suggest running it for a while one case at a time until it is finished, so you can observe every step on that case as it goes thru.

    The 550 is a manual indexer, so watch the powder drop station, for possible no powder or a double charge, before placing bullet on case. An after market LED light that fits the center toolhead hole very useful.

    Using a slower burning powder to increase the bulk per case will be more obvious to an accidental double fill than the quicker powders that have small charge weights. A powder with a bulkier fill will also let you see the powder level easier in the case to spot a non-filled case before placing the bullet.

    Quicker burning powders usually load with a smaller charge and make an accidental double charge less noticeable.

    As others have stated, reloading manual(s) almost a must.
     

    gregkl

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    Scary at first yes.
    Check out the ABC's of reloading, it will answer your questions.
    The books give you a little more information than just powder and load data.

    +1 on this book. It's a good primer for getting into reloading. Powder decision is not based on what kind of press you are using. It is based on the round.

    I do agree with starting on a single stage ( I still load on one), but others have started with a progressive and have done fine. It's too late for you unless you want to buy a single stage to start out.

    Develop a "system" where you have redundant checks (if you can do this with a progressive), get all distractions out of your area and take your time. A progressive will load more rounds per hour than my single stage, but that doesn't mean you have to pull the lever as fast as you can.
     

    VERT

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    I never bought a single stage and learned on a progressive. I have a 550c currently and if I had room for only 1 press that would be the one I would recommend.

    Lyman makes a book little book that covers 9mm, .40, .45 ACP that costs about $7. Buy it. Hodgdon has a nice online reloading resource. On a budget buy one of their powders and cross reference with the Lyman guide.

    9mm I use HP-38/Win231 powder. I shoot with a lot of guys who use TiteGroup. But Win231/HP-38 has been around for years, lot of reloading data and fills the case and works well with most any Bullet. It is dirty though. I am sure better options exist with modern chemistry.
     

    1775usmarine

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    Don't take someones load you see online and use it. It may hurt you or others. Start with the book and then develop the type of load you want.
     

    Hohn

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    To the OP: now that you've been duly advised/admonished on newbie basics, there are several good pistol powders around. I've been using BE-86 myself from Alliant. It's a newer powder and is allegedly the factory powder in many HST and Gold Dot loads (federal and alliant are both ATK companies). I've been VERY pleased with it. Tiny flakes meter very easily and consistently. It's pretty clean. Very little flash.

    BUT-- it seems a little harsh on recoil. Now I've not dabbled with minimum charges much, as I worked up pretty quickly and confirmed max charges are safe in my gun. But I was struck how it seems notably stiffer on recoil than other ammo I've tried, even with middle-range charges. No signs of pressure on the brass or the gun.

    I've settled on an even 4.0gr of BE-86 for my 147s, well below 4.7gr max.

    I can't comment on accuracy since I'm not a good enough a pistol shooter to distinguish between powders in terms of accuracy. (and I suspect VERY few shooters are-- most of us would need a ransom rest to tell).
     

    Steel and wood

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    I started on a Dillon 550 B just used it as a single stage at first watching each stage very carefully and also a lot of YouTube videos.
    With primers on 9 mm you will use small primers just pick one just make sure it’s not for Magnum, you will go to go. I use Vihtavuori powder at first they have a great app. To down load for your weight of Bullet. But have switch to alliant powder now again there website gives you all the info for your kind of powder that you are using.
    But get a couple of reloading books and just enjoy your new hobby.
     

    Fullmag

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    Something that helped very much with a semi-auto, some say you don’t need one, is a case gage for quality control. American made primers are usually better than foreign made in feeder systems from my experience. Curious, what was the salesman trying to sell?
     

    gregkl

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    I never bought a single stage and learned on a progressive. I have a 550c currently and if I had room for only 1 press that would be the one I would recommend.

    Lyman makes a book little book that covers 9mm, .40, .45 ACP that costs about $7. Buy it. Hodgdon has a nice online reloading resource. On a budget buy one of their powders and cross reference with the Lyman guide.

    9mm I use HP-38/Win231 powder. I shoot with a lot of guys who use TiteGroup. But Win231/HP-38 has been around for years, lot of reloading data and fills the case and works well with most any Bullet. It is dirty though. I am sure better options exist with modern chemistry.

    I also use HP-38/231. I have quite a bit of Titegroup as that is what I started with, but I think I like HP/231 better. All are good powders though.
     

    CB1911

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    Starting with a Dillon Square Deal B and now using a 550C, I have used the following pistol powders for 9mm:

    Bullseye, Titegroup, AA#2, AA#5, AA#7, Power Pistol, and VV N320.

    I enjoy having a variety of powders on hand for load development and covering my needs.

    90% of what I reload and shoot will be 147 fmj's over Bullseye or VV N320.
     

    Fullmag

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    Remembered something else. Power Pistol has a softer recoil than Bullseye or W231 at close to the same velocities. Bullseye, W231 and Tightgroup are snappy compared PowerPistol. You might find one type of recoil is better accuracy.
     

    PistolBob

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    Haven't done much small caliber reloading int he last few years....I used W 235 for my 9mm loads...not sure they even make it any more.
     

    crewchief888

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    i started on a SDB in '96 and it's still cranking out rounds,
    loaded 10's of 1000's of rounds in 38sp, 40S&W, 38 super and (mostly) 45acp.

    ive used bullseye, 231, 540, clays, unique and universal. ive pretty much settled on universal, and Winchester primers over the past 20 years


    :cheers:
     
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