Berry’s 62gr Bulk 5.56 Reloading End to End: Dillon XL-750 Setup & Optimization

Bulk-loading a 55-gallon drum of Mojo Precision .223 brass takes industrial equipment. With a fully setup Dillon XL-750 and Armanov bullet feeder, loading rounds just becomes a matter of pulling a handle!

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About the Project

Mojo Precision supplied about 45,000 .223 cases in 55-gallon drums for this intense project. Not all of it arrived clean, so preparation started with case cleaning using the industrial Dillon CV-2001 and CM-2000.

Keep in mind that some brass may have crimped primer pockets. These will have to be removed before they can be reloaded and reprimed. I have already processed all of this brass and swaged the primer pockets.

Next came deciding what machine to load on. With so much to do, a progressive was a no-brainer. Looking among the Dillon presses, I settled on the XL-750, which I think is one of the best values. The XL-750 is an updated version of the XL-650, featuring a sliding bar priming system. It has five stations and is suitable for both rifle and pistol.

Dillon XL-750 Setup

I started with a set of Dillon .223 carbide dies, an XL-750 toolhead, and a caliber conversion kit.

You can use any .223 dies of your choice.

Converting the Dillon XL-750 from .22 ARC to .223

I had to do a bit of work to convert the press from the .22 ARC I had previously been loading on it.

I set up the sizing die in station one (+ depriming), priming and powder charge in station two, Armanov bullet feeder in station three, seating die in station four and bullet crimp in station five.

Loading

I returned to my Reloading .223 A to Z story to consult my bullet selection chart.

Lightweight .223 bullets weigh between 35 and 45 grains. Midweight runs between 50 and 60 grains while heavy weight bullets range between 70 and 90 grains. All of these categories have different ideal powders, but CFE 223 works for all!

Adding the Armanov bullet feeder meant I only needed one hand to operate the press.

This accessory is available for a variety of calibers and comes with the bullet feeder assembly, dropper assembly, bullet feeder die assembly, powder funnel and power supply. I had one bullet get caught in the tube. Upon examination, the bullet was flawed to begin with. I also had one bullet get caught on the ramp.

I loaded about 1,000 rounds, approximately 1/45 of the brass from this project, and headed out to test it.

I decided to try Stag Arms’ Retro Rifle, a Vietnam-era M16 reproduction. All rounds functioned flawlessly.

Conclusion

The Dillon XL-750 with Armanov bullet feeder made quick work of my first 1,000 cases, producing 100% functioning ammunition in a short amount of time.