Powder Charger
I am tired of double checking my powder charges for each round with a mechanical scale. Anyone have advise on a powder charger that mounts to a table edge? Is the Hornady lock-and-load powder measure bench rest good for $155? anyone work with that one? What other good ones are out there?
Or is a electric dispenser a lot more accurate? (money isn't an issue). If so, which one?
I love accuracy so I NEEEEED it to throw consistent loads. I am aware that if I do not check them twice (like I am now) I will not be as accurate, but for my hunting rifles, the deer wont know the difference.
Thanks!
(right now I use a mechanical scale by LEE and LEE powder measures that are scoops, check the charge twice before I load into case).
-JD
Or is a electric dispenser a lot more accurate? (money isn't an issue). If so, which one?
I love accuracy so I NEEEEED it to throw consistent loads. I am aware that if I do not check them twice (like I am now) I will not be as accurate, but for my hunting rifles, the deer wont know the difference.
Thanks!
(right now I use a mechanical scale by LEE and LEE powder measures that are scoops, check the charge twice before I load into case).
-JD
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Here we go again.
I need to figure out a better way to charge my rounds, I'M literally measuring each round via scale and powder scoops. I have been looking at the uniflow by rcbs. Is it accurate? My father has one and checks the load every 10 rounds. Is that good enough? or should it be done every round with a trickler? I want to get a power measuring one, but right now that is way out of my price range. I do want accuracy, they aren't just going to be plinking rounds. i am going to go hunting for deer and varment and now 600 yard shooting so another question is that will the uniflow (measuring every 10 rounds) will give me that accuracy? I just got a new job and I have the funds for about 100 bucks. What do you guys think? Thanks!
-Joe0 -
You need a powder drizzler...less than 10 bucks....put scoop of powder in scale "tray"...use drizzler to drop powder into the "tray" to get to the grains you are looking for (balance the beam)..thats how I started 25 years ago[:)].....my 2 cents....reloader44mag 0 -
RCBS 1500 combo. 0 -
Ok, I have a trickler, just never use it. I guess i have to find it. If throwing it with a charger, would that lose some accuracy? Thanks!
I'll look into the 1500 as well.
-JD0 -
quote:Originally posted by uni82
Ok, I have a trickler, just never use it. I guess i have to find it. If throwing it with a charger, would that lose some accuracy? Thanks!
I'll look into the 1500 as well.
-JD
I use a Lyman powder drop today...I set the drop using a lyman scale....weigh every 10th charge...this is for pistol rounds....my guess is that most who demand exact charges use the method I first described...or close to it....reloader44mag0 -
http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=245121186
Check this guy out , it will meter ball powder almost near perfect each throw , but with the extruded powders you need to be slightly under want you want , then top off the charge using your trickler . Same goes for the auto dispencers .
But if you don't have a rifle that can shoot one hole groups , for lack of a better word , your wasting your time making them " perfect "
Please don't mistake what I'm saying as an insult , its not , just saying that most factory rifles ( out of box )will shoot 1 1/2" @ 100 yards , and if your lucky enough to find one that will shoot 1" or less , you hit the jack-pot .
Anyway the RCBS dispencer may be what your looking for .0 -
If accuracy is what you want and $180 is OK, the best you can get is a Harrell powder measure. This a lifetime tool available at www.harrellsprec.com used by many benchrest shooters. Using this measure I have shot many sub 1/4 MOA groups with 5 different calibers. 0 -
We may be talking different things. If you want exact charges, no measure will do that without weighing and fiddling with individual kernels of powder.
If you want to see what every charge weighs with little or no effort, a digital dispenser is the answer.
If you want to be exact to the absolute dead-nutz tenth of a grain, be prepared to fiddle for several minutes with every powder charge no matter WHAT dispensing system you use.
Or, you can believe what every ballistic expert in the world says and understand that a charge within ?1% of your desired weight is more than adequate because all the other factors involved in a given load's performance completely overshadow such a small variation in charge weight. Exact charge weight may be one of the LEAST important factors in a load's accuracy.0 -
Thanks guys! I think I will get the lyman 55, looks to be pretty well built. I will still use my mechanical scale. Set up the charger, and use the trickler. Thanks!
-JD0 -
RCBS chargemaster. Throws the charge and weighs it. You can't miss, and it's fast and easy.
Get it on sale, and they have a rebate now of $50.00.
Great setup.0 -
Even though you seem to have decided on a drum measure, do re-consider a digital. I use and love the Hornady Auto-Charge, but the RCBS has a good reputation, also.
By the time you fiddle with a drum measure, a scale and a trickler for every load - with both hands involved - a digital would have dispensed and weighed a charge. While it works, you will have seated a bullet in the previously charge case. So it actually works faster than a drum measure.
The drawback to weighing every 10th charge is that you now are sure of only 10% of your ammo. If you are concerned about being right on, note that a digital displays the weight of every charge in big bold numbers.0 -
It depends on the application. For my use...
Bulk pistol ammo gets whatever the CH or Dillon progressive measure delivers after reasonable adjustment and occasional checks.
I load small lot pistol ammo and casual rifle ammo with a rotary measure, preferably with Ball powder but flake or extruded will do ok. I use an RCBS Uniflo but there are others.
I have a PACT dispenser-scale setup for match rifle loads. A friend has the RCBS and we think it a better machine, but my PACT is paid for.
I throw short from a measure and manually trickle to weight for black powder target loads; the dispenser people get nervous about black powder.0 -
I have the Lyman 55 and love it for ball powders,but it's harder than heck to cut stick powders with it,just not enuff leverage on that small handle.I'd get the Hornady or the harrelson and never look back if loading a lot of stick powders.
the followin is/was verifed by 2 diffeent people and 2 kinds of scales:...
With the Lyman's,I give the hopper 2 light knuckle taps in between throws,and the accuracy of the drop improves dramaticlly.This is with ball powders,I dump then drizzle with stick powders WHEN I use them,which I try to avooid.0 -
RCBS Chargemaster! Never had a problem, and for rifle the next charge is ready by the time you seat your bullet. 0 -
Belding and Mull. 0 -
I bought a Lyman 1200 DPS II
Wish I had one long ago. It throws +/-.1gr everytime. By the time you put the powder in the brass and seat the bullet there is another pan of powder there.
A friend got the 1200 DPSIII and it is faster.0 -
Check your decimals there, dcs. I don't think you meant to a thousandth of a grain. 0 -
Thought I'd Update everyone. Just bought a Hornady LNL AP press. Came with a charger 
Great for 45 ACP. Thanks guys for all your input!!!
-Joe0 -
Late reply, but my view.
I try to use 'high bulk' powders when using my (Lyman) powder dispenser. (If it is one of the powders that hits the sweet spot) Dispensing by volume, like all dispensers except scales, a high bulk density powder will give you less variation of total charge weight for small hiccups in the dispenser (low bulk powders are the opposite).
As Rocky had mentioned early on, many times the variation in charge weight may be one of the less sensitive variables. Many of us are already in the area of diminishing returns.0 -
some tests were done by 1000yd benchrest shooters with proven rifles a number of years back. I was talking to some of them at a match, and they stated that they saw no discernable accuracy difference even at 1000yds with a variance of .1-.2gr of powder in their loads. Even their Harrell dispensors would have that much error from charge to charge. 0 -
Considering that many of those 1,000-yard shooters are shooting monster magnums with 100-gr+ powder charges, I would HOPE that a .1 or .2 grain variation wouldn't matter! I'd be willing to bet that a full grain would still produce no or very little discernible accuracy difference. That's why I use 1% variation in rifle powder charges as my benchmark. 0 -
6.5x284 was the most tested round. Most benchrest guys that have skill won't get near a big magnum. Large cases are inherently more inneficient due to internal volume. The stuff being used now is mainly 7-08, 7-08AI, 6.5 creedmore, 6.5 grendal, 260, 260AI, 6BR, 6 dasher etc. I have witnessed the progression from larger to smaller for the last 10-12 years. The main magnums nowadays are the WSM and SAUM offerings, when you see them.
The guys who can actually shoot, know you don't need a magnum, and also know they take far more work to be accurate than medium sized cases. It's only the beginners and guys that lack skill and experience that fall for the "magnum" disease. We all started there, and then we started getting better and moved down to more efficient cases with less recoil and less torque in the stock.0 -
I sit corrected - and am delighted to learn that. Thanks.
Still, the charges in a case that size would run about 50 grains, I believe. So my 1% guideline would allow a half-grain variation before you'd see an accuracy change that is clearly attributable to powder and not some other factor.0 -
quote:Originally posted by Rocky Raab
I sit corrected - and am delighted to learn that. Thanks.
Still, the charges in a case that size would run about 50 grains, I believe. So my 1% guideline would allow a half-grain variation before you'd see an accuracy change that is clearly attributable to powder and not some other factor.
yeah, but you know, new reloaders get all worked up about .1gr variances[:0] (hence me trying to tell them to just let it go). I have learned to pour it in the case and hit the "dispense" button and keep right on rolling. [^] there was a time I tried to trickle off, or in, .1gr variances so everything was purrrfect[V],.....not anymore. The shooter will cause more error on paper than the variance of .1 or .2gr0 -
Your imprecision is precisely right. I think it's because we can measure powder weight so closely that we come to believe we must do so. But in truth it's like sawing firewood to the nearest sixty-fourth of an inch - pointless. 0 -
quote:Originally posted by Rocky Raab
Your imprecision is precisely right. I think it's because we can measure powder weight so closely that we come to believe we must do so. But in truth it's like sawing firewood to the nearest sixty-fourth of an inch - pointless.
Yes, but those of us who want to cut down variables still like to load to the precision of our equipment--that way we can only blame ourselves.
On second thought, I still blame the equipment, even though deep down I know it's me! [:D]0
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