You all asked for it, and here it is! A follow-up to the Dillon RL 1100 Unboxing / Overview / Loading 9mm story– this time with a powder check and bullet feeder added to speed things up. All I can say is: mission accomplished! Let’s Load Up the Stations! Quick Review: RL 1100 Stations as […]
NEW! Dillon RL 1100 Unboxing, Setup, Loading 9mm
2020 has been a CRAZY year for the reloading industry, and that has caused some shortages and delays for components and equipment. And that was the case with the new Dillon RL 1100 reloading press. It’s taken a while longer to get ahold of compared to what I planned, but it has been worth the […]
Dillon Reloading Press Buyer’s Guide
Dillon Precision has a number of presses to choose from. How do you choose? Disclaimer Ultimate Reloader LLC / Making with Metal Disclaimer: (by reading this article and/or watching video content you accept these terms). The content on this website (including videos, articles, ammunition reloading data, technical articles, gunsmithing and other information) is for demonstration […]
THE Progressive Press Shootout (12 presses compared)
Here it is! The long-awaited Progressive Press Shootout! This article and accompanying video is the most exhaustive and most in-depth look at progressive press reloading equipment. My goal is to help raise your level of awareness regarding what’s on the market and also to supply you with the insights, data, and supporting information to make […]
TESTED: Hodgdon’s CFE Pistol Smokeless Powder
If you’re looking for a versatile powder for revolvers or semi-auto handguns, CFE Pistol certainly deserves your attention. That’s the powder that’s front and center in this story! Disclaimer Ultimate Reloader LLC / Making with Metal Disclaimer: (by reading this article and/or watching video content you accept these terms). The content on this website (including […]
Dillon CP2000 Case Prep Machine Overview and Setup
A lot of people use progressive reloading presses for case prep. But what if you want a dedicated machine for case prep, and don’t want to pay for a priming system, powder measure, and other parts that aren’t needed for case prep? Dillon has risen to this challenge with the CP-2000 case prep machine, the […]
Subsonic 9mm with Berry’s 147gr Plated Bullets
Once you start shooting suppressed subsonic 9mm on steel you won’t want to stop! In this story we’ll look at an economical subsonic load using Berry’s 147 grain plated bullets, the Dillon RL 1100 reloading press, and more. Disclaimer Ultimate Reloader LLC / Making with Metal Disclaimer: (by reading this article and/or watching video content […]
Dillon Square Deal B: Overview and Loading 45 ACP
Dillon’s Square Deal B is all about simple and reliable loading for pistol ammunition. Available in 16 calibers, this affordable quality press is the subject of this story! Disclaimer Ultimate Reloader LLC / Making with Metal Disclaimer: (by reading this article and/or watching video content you accept these terms) The content on this website (including […]
Dillon BL-550 Basic Loader: Unboxing, Setup, Loading 308 Winchester
Here at Ultimate Reloader I’ve shown a lot of Dillon presses including the XL-750, RL-550C, and RL 1100! In this story I’ll show you Dillon’s BL-550 basic loader. We’ll start with unboxing, and end with loading 308 Winchester. Let’s get to it! Disclaimer Ultimate Reloader LLC / Making with Metal Disclaimer: (by reading this article […]
SHOT Show 2020: Interview With Steve Dillon
I’ve long wondered about the origins of Dillon Precision and Dillon Aero. While at the 2020 SHOT Show, I ran into Steve Dillon, son of Mike Dillon who started both companies. The following is the fascinating discussion I had with Steve Dillon about Mike Dillon’s legacy, the origins of Dillon Aero, how Dillon Precision came […]
From 223 to 300BLK: Insane Dillon Conversion and Loading Setup
Previously we showed how to set up the DA3000 with the CP2000 and convert 223/5.56 brass to 300 blackout. To load the new brass, we have the Dillon RL1100 set up to load 220 grain subsonic 300 blackout ammunition and some machine guns to test it with. This is going to be FUN! Disclaimer Ultimate […]
Dillon DA3000 Unboxing , Overview, Converting 223 to 300BLK
Today we’re unboxing the new Dillon DA 3000 Autodrive. We’ll combine it with the CP2000 case processing press and give you all the details as we prepare for bulk conversion of 223 brass to 300 blackout brass. Disclaimer Ultimate Reloader LLC / Making with Metal Disclaimer: (by reading this article and/or watching video content you […]
Perfect Primer Seating with Frankford Arsenal
Though priming a large number of cases can be taxing, many prefer handheld priming tools because the handloader can feel the primer being seated into the primer pocket. A properly seated primer is vital for consistency and accuracy. Primer seating on most presses provides so much leverage that “feel” is sacrificed. Some handheld priming tools […]
Double Alpha Academy Gear We Use Frequently
I’ve featured a lot of gear from the Double Alpha Academy, and have more coming, but here are some of our favorites. Disclaimer Ultimate Reloader LLC / Making with Metal Disclaimer: (by reading this article and/or watching video content you accept these terms). The content on this website (including videos, articles, ammunition reloading data, technical […]
Considerations when Loading Hunting Ammo
You’ve made that careful stalk, gotten within range and selected your animal. The crosshairs are steady. You press the trigger and “click!” Ears and tails come up, hoofbeats sound, and they’re gone. Sighing in disappointment, you try to figure out what went wrong. Make sure your ammo is perfect for your hunting trip! Here are […]
Making Perfect — The Story Behind AMP Annealing
A Kiwi father and son set out to solve some seemingly impossible technical problems and built a successful business in the process. How much do you know about Annealing Made Perfect? You can now read the book to find out! Disclaimer Ultimate Reloader LLC / Making with Metal Disclaimer: (by reading this article and/or watching […]
In-Depth: Henry X Model 30-30 Tactical Lever Action
Here at Ultimate Reloader, surrounded by precision bolt action rifles and fast firing semi-automatic and automatic firearms, we found ourselves eagerly awaiting the delivery of our first Henry lever action rifle, the X Model 30-30. Last year we had stories on two traditional lever action rifles, a 45-70 and a 30-30. Shooting those rifles and […]
IN THE SHOP: X-10 Progressive Press from Frankford Arsenal
My near-production-model Frankford Arsenal X-10 10-station progressive reloading press has arrived at the Ultimate Reloader shop! In this story, I’ll give you a preview of what the final shipping model will look like, do a quick 9mm loading demo, and disclose plans for the X-10 here at Ultimate Reloader. Disclaimer Ultimate Reloader LLC / Making […]
2022 SHOT Show: Dillon Precision’s New DA3000 Autodrive
While at the SHOT Show, I had a great conversation with Dillon Precision engineer Chris Kersey about the soon-to-be-released DA3000 autodrive. Here you’ll find a summary of our conversation. NEW DA3000 Autodrive for the RL1100 and CP2000 If you’ve seen my stories on the CP2000, or the RL1100 then you’ve got to check this out! […]
Delayed: Progressive Press Shootout Update and Specifics
Hello everyone! I wanted to provide a quick update as to what I have planned for the “Progressive Press Shootout”, talk about some delays I’ve encountered, and update the estimated date for the publication of this “mega story”. What Happened to Spring/Summer? Originally, I had planned to publish this story in either the late Spring […]
PRIMER-PRO: Unboxing, Overview, Loading Primers
What’s the biggest hassle when loading bulk ammunition? Loading primers. Not only do I not like to load primers, I also don’t like how much time it takes when reloading. The solution? An automated primer loading machine. These machines have been on the market for a long time, but have had some shortcomings: unreliability and […]
Overview: Mark 7 Autodrive for Dillon XL-750 and XL-650 Reloading Presses
Dillon is known for equipment that’s well suited for high-volume reloading. That’s why a lot of pistol competitors use Dillon equipment to load match ammo. Sometimes these competitors load literally thousands of rounds per month. And that that rate, you start to look for ways to increase speed and efficiency. One of the ways to […]
Winner Announcement: Precision Reloading MEC Sizemaster Giveaway
Hello everyone! The MEC Sizemaster Summer Giveaway (which you can read about HERE) has ended, and I have some exciting news: the winner of this giveaway! Congrats Scott! A big congratulations to the winner of this give-away: Scott Hoge of Lancaster California. Here we see Scott with his companion: Max the yellow lab :). We […]
Enter To Win a Complete MEC Sizemaster 12 Gauge Reloading Outfit
OK everyone, it’s GIVE-AWAY TIME! I just started loading with the MEC Sizemaster (see my post here) and absolutely love this shotshell press. So I have teamed up with Precision Reloading and MEC Shooting Sports to put together a complete 12 MEC Sizemaster reloading outfit with pretty much everything you’ll need to start reloading shotshells. […]
