Dillon & Benchmark

[gunsaregood]

I bought my Dillon over a year ago, and have yet to load a round because I have spent all this time researching the .204.

By spending hours here, I have narrowed my potential ingredient list to: Rem 7-1/2 primers; 32 H Vmax/35 Berger/39 Sierra BK; and H4895 powder.

With a PD shoot coming up in 3 weeks, I have to get some rounds through my Dillon. So, with all my cases prepped, and my ingredients handy, I filled up my press. That's when I realized that H4895 will not meter accurately through a Dillon. My charges would go from 27.8 to 28.3 on back to back throws. I started to cry.

I have some Benchmark that I used instead, and, it meters pretty well, but, I have now spent time on this board looking for Benchmark data and I see that very few people use it. That's not a good sign.

So, with my time running out fast, can anyone give me a recommendation for a powder to go through a progressive? My goal is a PD, not an Olympic gold medal.

Thanks

[Keith in Ga]

I'm using 27.3 grs of Benchmark with a 32 gr Blitzking in my .204 Cooper. It really shoots well, was also shooting Benchmark in my .223 load.

[Vartarg]

Great results in my .204, and meters very very well....just a thought

[Gone Ballistic]

gunsaregood
If you want to stick with the H4895, you can switch powder measures. Johnson Design Specialties (JDS) in Spokane, WA. offers a radical new design in quick throw measures and it will adapt to your Dillon press. He claims to have .1 grain accuracy and from what I've seen with mine, it's probably true. It won't cut the large tube kernels of powder like 4831 and works on an all together different principal than the rotating cylinder measures. If you want to check it out go to: http://www.quick-measure.com
They're a little spendy (about $180) but changing to different shells and powder throws takes litteraly seconds instead of many minutes.

D.H.

[Hotshot]

Me and my shooting friends use Benchmark very successfully, 27-27.8 gr with 32 bkings should be 4000 to 4150 fps in a 26 in barrel. 25.7 gr with 39 & 40 gr bullets will be just under 3700 fps and we also get great groups. My friend who owns HSM in Stevensville, MT. says they use Benchmark almost exclusively in 204 & 223. The only thing you give up to use BM is a little velocity on the heavy bullets. Stick with it, you don't have a very big problem.

[acloco]

From my range test posted previously.

32 gr Hornady VMax under 26.1 to 28.0 grains of Benchmark DONE 2/6/07
26.1 1x
26.2 1x
26.3 1x
26.4 1x
26.5 1x
26.6 0.5
26.7 0.5
26.8 0.5
26.9 0.5
27 0.5
27.1 0.4 1 flyer opened group
27.2 0.4 to one inch, rest under 1/2
27.3 0.4
27.4 0.4
27.5 0.4
27.6 1.5x
27.7 1.5x
27.8 1.5x
27.9 1.5x
28 1.5x


40 gr Hornady VMax under 24.3 to 25.7 grains of Benchmark
24.3 3362 1x 3@0.25
24.4 3377 1x 3@0.25
24.5 3467 1x 3@0.25
24.6 3480 1x 3@0.25
24.7 3468 1x 3@0.25
24.8 3476 0.5 4@0.3
24.9 3500 0.5 4@0.3
25 3486 0.5 4@0.3
25.1 3507 0.5 4@0.3
25.2 3527 0.5 4@0.3
25.3 3551 1x
25.4 3598 1x
25.5 3582 1x
25.6 3606 1x
25.7 3672 1x

[gunsaregood]

Hotshot thanks for the words of encouragement. I'll dry my tears.

acloco would you say the 27.3 was the way to go with the 32's? What kind of velocity were you getting.?

Thanks Gone Ballistic for the tip on the powder measure. The web site seemed convincing. May be worth a closer look.

Thanks all for the info.[/b]

[Keith in Ga]

I ran my 27.3 grs of Benchmark with 32 gr bk thru a chrony last Oct. My average vel. was 3850 fps. Bumping the charge up to 27.6 grs. of Benchmark produced vel. of 3900 fps. Accuracy was close to the same with both loads, so I decided to go with the 27.3 load to shoot pd's. I hope it won't heat up quite as fast and the bbl will last longer. I need to run a few thru the chrony again before my trip to see if the temp affects my loads. Will keep you posted.
Note: I did chrony some Hornady 32 gr v-max factory loads, same date and they averaged 4135 fps. Bolt was hard to lift, marks on the base of the case...they were "hot" in my gun.

[gunsaregood]

Not sure I'm happy with Benchmark. Accuracy is OK, but, I can't get the velocities I wanted. It's not just the fact that I'm addicted to speed, but that is why I went to the .204.

For example, I shot some factory Hdy 40 Vmax, which was around 3800+. I'm having a tough time breaking 3600 with 39 BK's with Benchmark. I'm already over published max, and I can't make 1 grain less of a bullet go faster than factory. Same sort of problems on the Hdy 32Vmax. I can't match factory. And actually, I was hoping to beat factory.

So, the H4895 is not Dillon friendly (although I did bookmark that other powder measure thing as mentioned before).

How would you guys rate other powders, like 10x, BLC2, H322, (all of which, according to the charts anyway, can be loaded to higher velocities) for their ability to meter through a Dillon?

Thanks.

[Hotshot]

Benchmark is a little too fast burning to get top velocities with the 39 & 40 grain bullets I think. I have gotten some great groups with BM and the heavy bullets, but only 3600 fps in my Savage. That's not why I bought the 204. When I started on this forum Silverfox and others were reporting good results with R10X, so I gave that6 a try. My rifle likes 24.8 at 3790 and I've stuck with that load. I may try H4895 the next round of experimenting, but I probably won't change unless 10X gets hard to find.

[WHISTLEPIG]

gunsaregood, I am getting 4047fps. with 27.4 of 322 and a 32vm. Just loaded one pound as an experiment to test the metering. Think I will stick with H4895. It shoots well with the 32 and 39 bullet and I do not want to mess with two powders.[/b]

[hozz57]

gunsaregood, If you want something that'll give you some real zip and also meters well then try some Blc-2. With 30 gr. under 39gr SBKs I averaged 3960Fps on a 10 shot string last friday. This load is very exciting in dogtown I use benchmark and the 39gr sierras to embarass my 6mm BR shooting buddy, I don'get near the velocity (about 3600fps) but I do get a lot of sub .25" groups.

[gunsaregood]

That looks like just the p-dog medicine I need.

The H4895 gave me good velocity and good groups, but, I think I it would be easier to get rice to flow through my Dillon.

Benchmark had great groups, but the only group size I'm interested in on p-dogs is the distance between the pieces. And, missing a shot at a dog is not quite the emotional shock as missing a shot on that 10 point elk. So I can afford to trade a little accuracy for speed.

Just bought a BLC2 today. It looks like it should flow like water.

Now, my shooting will be interrupted with a business trip until next week. Darn I hate when work always gets in the way of what's important.