Dillon XL 650 First Reload Comments/Observations

As the title suggests and as mentioned in another thread I just finished setting up my Dillon XL 650 and put together a few rounds.  Not everything went smoothly but I can't say it was overly difficult either.  Here are my comments and observations for anyone interested.  Please feel free to point out any mistakes made and suggestions for improvement. 

Putting the system together was straightforward.  I followed the manual to the letter and wasn't surprised by anything except adjusting the dies.  I didn't have a problem with the first die but the one following was a real pain.  The powder fill wasn't difficult but getting the proper bell on the case required a lot of trial and error.  I messed up a couple of cases in the process.  I thought this die was adjusted properly initially but found out otherwise while actually loading cartridges and powder was in the hopper.  Unfortunately I had to empty the hopper and adjust the die again for the proper bell.  It would've been much easier if powder could've remained in the hopper or an easier way to remove the powder without having to remove the entire assembly.

I ended up weighing each powder load and in the process found small variations, usually more than required.  How much under/overage is acceptable?

My dillon generally throws within a tenth of a grain of my target.  I don't take my hopper off to adjust the expander die, I just loosen the clamps for the hopper make my adjustment.  I just index the brass out and dump the powder back into the hopper.

I try to be consistent with the speed and force of each stroke.  I also like to bump the ram a little at the top and bottom of each stroke.  I think this helps the powder to settle and be thrown more repeatably.

I think the variation per throw is somewhat dependent on which powder you are using. Fine grained powders usually are more consistent.