.223 troubles

[justplainbob]

I started out reloading 40 cal. on my Dillon 550B and with the help of this forum recently started to successfully reload .9mm. Now I am struggling to set up my Dillon dies to reload .223. I've got the station #1 sizing die adjusted, cases fit in the case gauge fine. But with station #2 I can't seem to get any bell on the cartridge neck. If I adjust the die down too far it tends to crush the case. The powder measure works fine.

Am I missing something here?

Thanks

 

[PapaG]

If you are loading jacketed, you don't need to bell.

 

[justplainbob]

They are jacketed rounds but they would not set on top of the cartridge so I could seat them.

I think I might have stumbled across the answer. After trimming some over-sized cases to length and then deburring the inside and outside of the necks, the bullets seem to sit on top of the cartridge fine. Maybe I should use the inside deburring tool to put a slight 22 degree bevel on all my cases.

 

[rcmodel]

As noted, you do not bell bottleneck rifle cases.

And you don't have a die to do it with anyway.

If you have Dillon dies, the neck expander button is inside the Sizing die and is pulled through the neck when to case is pulled out of the die.

The second die is the Bullet Seating die, and I think it will also crimp if adjusted down too far.
That would crush the case..

The third die, (if you have the three-die set) is the Taper Crimp die.
If you use it, don't try to crimp in the seating die.

Station 2) Powder drop also flares for pistol rounds.
But it does not flair rifle cases, because you don't flare them.

rc

 

[Grumulkin]

Maybe I should use the inside deburring tool to put a slight 22 degree bevel on all my cases.

Yes you should.

My guess is you're seating flat based bullets. If you were seating boat tailed bullets you could probably get by without chamfering.

 

[gamestalker]

It's really very simple, your kind of over thinking this a bit, IMO.

After trimming, reaming and chamfering the mouths, place a piece of brass in the shell holder, run the press to full extension, thread the seating die down until you feel it make contact with the case mouth, back it out 1/2 - 1 turn, or enough to know it won't crimp.

Then, rather then try to get the bullet to set up on top of the case mouth, cause it generally won't, so instead just guide it with your fingers until it enters the die, and just seat it, adjusting seating depth using the seating stem, not by threading the die deeper / shallower, and it will seat just fine, there is no need for a crimp.

GS

 

[justplainbob]

Thanks guys!

 

[steve4102]

As RC pointed out.

You do not have a Case expanding die like your pistol die sets.

Your second stage is your seating die.

Third stage is crimp die, (optional)

 

[JamieC]

After trimming my cases, I use a 60 degree countersink to remove the primer crimps. Once that is done, I flip the case over, LIGHTLY touch the inside of the neck to the countersink, remove any burrs from trimming.

 

[Kaldor]

I use a Lee Universal Flaring die in my LnL when reloading flat base and coated bullets when loading rifle. I just kiss the neck with jacketed flat base bullets, makes it easier to set the bullet. With coated bullets, its a must so you dont cut coating off the bullet. Lee FCD removes all trace of flare.

I do not chamfer case mouths. I wet tumble with SSTL media which deburrs everything when I tumble after sizing. One less step.

 

[MtnCreek]

If it's like the 650, there are different instructions for the setup of stage 2 for pistol vs rifle. The little square plastic thingy should just touch the back of the metal thingy when loading rifle. Sorry for all the technical terms.

 

[moxie]

FYI, you chamfer the inside of the case mouth. You de-burr the outside.

Then it gets a bit confusing. While tumbling can remove any burrs from the inside of the case mouth, it does not chamfer. Removing the burrs only makes the inside of the case mouth smooth; chamfering produces an angle on the neck to facilitate bullet seating.

 

[joem1945]

I hate flat based bullets for .223.

 

[788Ham]

Thats why I only shoot BTHP's in my .223.

 

[Rangemaster]

I hate them too, but I trim with a 3-way trimmer which allows the flat base bullets to seat better.