Shootin' Nats with 550 rifle loads
Me, Bobbie, and Glen shoot nats (for those in Yorba Linda, that's little dots on paper). Seldom will our targets be set at less than 200 yards with shot groups of less than one inch demanded. Every now and then a deer, turkey, or coyote gets between us and the berm. How hungry and / or intolerant we are feeling determines their destiny.
I have heard and read on occasion that such exacting requirements cannot be dealt with in the use of the 550. Here is one who can tell you, it's not so. Cartridge over-all length (ogive) tolerances of .001 and less can be maintained easily enough. If not, then something needs fixing either in the setup or the equipment.
But, there is one area we have found to be a legitimate problem is the exacting requirements we have on powder weight measurement.
"How can we assemble multiple loads expediently on the 550 and weigh every powder charge?"
Here is the arrangement we find that works best.
As shown above you will need:
1. Powder Die
2. The appropriate caliber powder funnel
3. A Saturn Tin Powder funnel
(Obviously you may only need to buy the tin funnel.)
After the Dillon die and funnel are mounted, drop in the tin funnel, insert the cartridge brass and adjust the die to a point the tin funnel 'barely' lifts from its seat with the shell plate lifted to its extreme.
Proceed to load your cartridges as usual, but stop mid-stroke or each cycle (with shell plate lifted to its extreme) and pour your measured powder into the tin funnel.
If one of you had already thought of it, why in Sam Hill hadn't you told us about it?
Larry