[possum]

I've done a little tinkering today just to see how uniform my powder measure would throw a charge. I was looking for 43 gr so I turned to the dial back and forth a little at a time until I got the desired weight and then threw 10 charges that measured as follows:
1) 43
2) 43
3) 42.7
4) 42.6
5) 43.1
6) 43.1
7) 43
8) 43.1
9) 43.4
10) 43.1
I know this has got to effect accuracy to an extent but to what degree and are these differences normal and/or acceptable?

And no I don't know why I hadn't done this before.

 

[Mr. Chitlin]

For hunting loads, I wouldn't worry about it. Maybe for 600 or 1K yard events, I might. It has been proven before that thrown loads are for the most part just about as accurate as individually hand weighed charges.

Add those 10 up and it comes out to 430.1 grains, or 43.01 average for 10 rounds. I really don't think you have anything to worry about. :biggrin:

 

[possum]

Kinda what I was thinking but wanted to hear somebody else say it. :biggrin:

 

[Sylamore]

What are you using to throw your powder? Pretty darn good if you ask me.

 

[possum]

It's a Lee Perfect Powder Measure. After I made my original post I got to playing around with some bullets and noticed that I could move the bullet around to different location in the pan and get a different weight on the same bullet. So I tried my little powder experiment again and it came out even a little better. This time trying to keep the powder pretty evenly spread in the pan as consistently as possible.

Again I started with 43

1) 42.9
2) 42.9
3) 42.7
4) 42.8
5) 43.3
6) 43.2
7) 43.2
8) 43.0
9) 43.0
10) 43.0

 

[MichaelT.]

With my experience, I think that that much variation is down right unacceptable. I believe you will have far too much variation in velocity and in ft./lbs. of energy. It will most likely move your point of impact significantly, also. I believe it will lead to badly wounded, but not dying animals, and I cannot in good conscience recommend you to continuing a measure that has that much variation. It is just too risky........ So please at your earliest convience, send that powder measure to me...:wink: ....:smack:
Send me your scales too, ..... it would appear they are defective.

Boy, I bet I had some reloaders firing up their keyboards for a reply this time...:biggrin:

 

[Mr. Chitlin]

I was just guessing that you were a little more anal than I was, MT!!

All of my loads are thrown from a measure, I check about 5 - 10 on the scale when I first start to make sure everything is settled down, and then go to town. If I am loading multiple hundreds of rounds, I'll check every hundred to make sure the measure is still on. The progressive I use only takes 100 primers at a time, so that is a good time to check that nothing has drifted. I also pour my loaded ammo out of the catch bin every hundred, so if I detect a problem, that batch gets set aside for further checking.

Heck, the ammo companies use throwers and that stuff is pretty darn good ammo, just a lot more $$ than homebrew.

 

[possum]

I'll probably keep measuring each load individually though. I was just curious as to what might be normal and acceptable.:thumb:

Opps, I started a post and got a call and didn't finish before Mr. C made his. I never really thought about the way the factory loads their's. Has anybody ever thought about pulling bullets and checking theirs?

 

[Mr. Chitlin]

Let's make sure we are on the same page... You measure each individually (drop it from the measure into the case) but you don't WEIGH each and every load on the scale do you??

 

[possum]

From the powder measure to the scale pan, to the scales to be weigh and then the powder goes in the case.

 

[Mr. Chitlin]

Once you get comfortable with your loading process, and it looks to me that your equipment is doing just fine, I would just go from the measure into the case. I have a loading block that holds 60 rounds. When I am loading the stuff that 100 to 200 will last me a year or 2, I'll put the powder in 50 primed cases, have them all sitting in the loading block, and then hold them under a good light, look down the necks and make sure all the powder levels look the same. From there, put the head on it and it's ready to shoot.

 

[possum]

I'm comfortable with the process. I just got to looking at some presses and noticed some had the powder measure on them and got thinking "Now how do they know they getting a consistent load", and that's the first time I've thought to see accurate they were. It makes more sense to me now why ya'll talk about loading hundreds of rounds an hour and I'm struggling to do a box of 20/hour. :smack:

But of course you've got a real machine and I'm still using a single stage, but I have started looking at some turret presses.

 

[Mr. Chitlin]

I'm struggling to do a box of 20/hour.

That's about right when you consider single stage and weighing every charge. When I single stage load, I can probably do 50-100 per hour, which is 1 to 2 loading block trays.

 

[possum]

I don't do as much shooting as you do most likely, but an easier process would be nice. If just not having to change out between the sizing and the seating die would be nice.

 

[tony r]

my dad was telling me yesterday about someone telling him about buying some factory shells that just shot bad. this was not any of the big name guys but i dont remember what brand he said it wasbut the guy pulled a few bullets & measured the powder & it varied 6 grains :smack: tony

 

[possum]

Dang, that makes me feel better about the cheap junk I'm using.

 

[soarkrebel]

Maybe I'm just anal about it but I throw a charge lower than the desired charge and then trickle to the amount I want. Uniflow to the measure pan. Pan on digital scales ,trickle and dump to case.
Rifle rounds I do this on all. Handgun I don't do this. Handgun I throw to the case.

Every case has the same amount of powder.:razz:

 

[Mr. Chitlin]

It's tough to do when you load 1K to 2K at a time. Not saying it couldn't be done, but instead of taking 2 hrs it would take 2 weeks.

 

[Sylamore]

I finally worked my way up to an RCBS Charge Master, powder dispenser and scale and it will trickle powder to the exact measurement it is set on. I really like the comfort of the exact powder charge for each round. However it takes about 20-30 seconds to dispense each charge. :thumb:

 

[possum]

I really think I keep on doing it the way I have, throw and weigh....throw and weigh....throw and weigh....throw and weigh.....:thumb: