Posted: 11/21/2015 10:40:51 AM EDT
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I'm using IMR4831 to load 300WinMag on a Dillon RL550B. The powder drops are frequently inconsistent and powder will frequently spill on the up-stroke. Adjustments are all spec. Is it the stick powder 4831 that just won't meter correctly?
I've loaded thousands of rounds of pistol ammo with never an issue. Thanks for any advice. |
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Yes, sticks will have trouble being consistent with many measures and there's no good consistent way around it I've ever found. Good powder measures tend to cut grains on stuff like 4831 and other IMR sticks and less good ones throw wildly inconsistent (like 1.5gr) charges. If you're using 300WM try a ball powder or use a scoop and trickle up. +/- .2grain precision is more than enough consistency.
Hybrid 100v, US869, H414 and win 780S all worked for me in magnums that I wanted smooth metering in. US869 is a little slow for the 300WM but works wonders in a 7mm Rem Mag. |
| what you said is technique error partly. Try running the case up fully to charge case, hold for a second, with press handle in down position tap the ball on the handle with a knucke 2-3 quick times. Thick kernel powder takes a second to pass through the drop die, if you dont wait it will end up on the shell plate and not in the case. The tapping keeps it moving through the drop die and do this consistently each time, this also helps the powder measure load up for the next case to be charged. If you do this you will have more consistent drops and less mess. |
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The general consensus is that the Dillon powder measure is not compatible with extruded powders.
YMMV. I love the Dillon powder measure for all ball powder, except for maybe H110/W296. But for extruded powders, I got a chargemaster 5-6 years ago and use it for all of my loads with extruded powder. |
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Quoted:
The general consensus is that the Dillon powder measure is not compatible with extruded powders. YMMV. I love the Dillon powder measure for all ball powder, except for maybe H110/W296. But for extruded powders, I got a chargemaster 5-6 years ago and use it for all of my loads with extruded powder. I don't know of any volumetric dispensing system that works well. RCBS, Dillon, Redding, Lee... all have been the same for me. The tapping actions and other measures to increase consistency are just as useful on all of them. One item of note, even super short cut and ball powders can deliver these sorts of results. I just had a neat experience of my RCBS powder dispenser tossing benchmark (super short grains, almost like ball powder) charges with +/-.5grain disparities despite all of the usual counter measures being taken to keep consistency (a weight on top of the powder column, full strokes, tapping at the top and bottom of the stroke, clean hopper, etc...). I think it was just the humidity since Benchmark usually throws with .1 grain accuracy for me. Those rounds also threw MV variations that were pretty nasty and they had to be pulled down. |
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The waiting a few seconds and tapping the handle thing - this is really only applicable when you see a lot of spillage on the shell plate under the powder measure.
If you don't wait long enough for the powder to clear the case neck (often happens in .223 because of the small neck) and not all of the powder drops while the case is up in the die, you will see some residual on the shell holder below. If you're not seeing spillage, then waiting/tapping will probably not help. |
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IMR-4831 is a course grained extruded powder and will probably never be thrown by any measure with any degree of accuracy. Technique be damned.
Simply throw charges slightly lighter than intended and trickle up to the desired charge weight. I know ball powders can be thrown to plus or minus 1/10th of a grain, I still prefer the single base extruded powders because they fill the case better. I get better accuracy in general using extruded powders and don't mind the extra effort involved in hand weighing each charge. Good Luck. |
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You can get 4831 SSC which is cut in shorter kernels and will meter better. Of course work back up on your load when switching to a new powder even if it is a short cut of the same power type. This. Still extruded and same burn rate, just shorter. I just throw a bit short and trickle the last couple tenths. I do have an electronic dispenser (Lyman Gen 6) for larger batches, but for load development when batches are small and I don't want to set up the Lyman, I just throw short and trickle. |