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Posted: 11/7/2010 4:50:32 AM EDT
| I've been reloading .223 using my Lee equipment for the last year. I'm looking for a more accurate and faster way to get consistant powder charges. My current method is to manually trickle the powder onto the scale until I reach the desired charge. I pour the shell's contents onto the scale and then add powder manually to reach the desired charge. With the Lee equipment, I tend to get ± .1 or sometimes ± .2 grains. What powder measures are out there that can reach match grade consistancy? What techniques do you use? |
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RCBS Chargemaster
If not that, then I throw a grain short and trickle up. In my experience, and this is a generalization; long extruded powders usually have more variance in throw weight than ball or flake powders. Example would be that H335 throws much better than Reloder 19. Of course there are always exceptions. The Chargemaster has removed most of the problems and does it REAL quick. I had a different brand electronic dispensor that was harder to set up and took way longer to throw charges so I returned it; the RCBS is just so sweet. cheers, Benji |
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Quoted:
I've been reloading .223 using my Lee equipment for the last year. I'm looking for a more accurate and faster way to get consistant powder charges. My current method is to manually trickle the powder onto the scale until I reach the desired charge. I pour the shell's contents onto the scale and then add powder manually to reach the desired charge. With the Lee equipment, I tend to get ± .1 or sometimes ± .2 grains. What powder measures are out there that can reach match grade consistancy? What techniques do you use? You're already there, +/- 0.2 grains is good enough in a tuned load. Use a scale pan. Hold the pan under the measure, then set the pan onto the scale, then trickle. Don't weigh every charge, it's just not necessary. Switch to a ball powder if you're super obsessive about the charge weight. |
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I don't bother hand weighing powder charges for 200/300 yards. I can shoot clean scores at 300 with drop charged Varget @ 24.5 grains and a 69 grain SMK. For 600 yards I think weighing is a requirement.
Hand weighing 22 rounds is a lot easier than doing 88. Don't sweat the short range ammo, it will work just fine without microscopic attention. |
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Thanks for the replies...
I don't shoot past 200 yards so long range isn't a concern. I'm basically trying to get the most accurate and repeatable round I can make. Right now I'm using a stick powder (21.3 gr H4198) for a 52gr Hornady match bullet. One of the problems is the lee powder measure doesn't allow me as much adjustment as I'd like. I've been trying different powders and this is probably one of the worst as far as variation goes. Despite that, I like how it performs. I just don't like feeling that I need to weigh every charge to get that performance. |
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ditto Reddings powder measures. I have the BR-30 which limits you to 50 grains maximum (.30-06 tops) powder charges. The BR-3 will allow much larger charge weights. The largest round I load is .30-06 so I don't need anything bigger. These powder measures are probably the best out-of-the box measures without going custom.
I own Harrell's Supreme measure too, it's over $250.00 now and worth every penny. I would not feel disadvantage if I only owned the Redding BR-30. BTW - H4198 is a very long and very thin extruded powder, but you know that by now. It tends to shoot well in spite of not throwing very precisely. I use 20.6 grains with Sierra's 52 grain Matck Kings seated @ 2.250" and that load combination has been very accurate in a lot of rifles. It's maximum according to my chronograph at 3177 fps from my 26" barreled M70. I think published data shows 3200 fps from 26" barrels, so I'm close enough at 20.6 to leave it alone. |
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Quoted:
ditto Reddings powder measures. I have the BR-30 which limits you to 50 grains maximum (.30-06 tops) powder charges. The BR-3 will allow much larger charge weights. The largest round I load is .30-06 so I don't need anything bigger. These powder measures are probably the best out-of-the box measures without going custom. I own Harrell's Supreme measure too, it's over $250.00 now and worth every penny. I would not feel disadvantage if I only owned the Redding BR-30. BTW - H4198 is a very long and very thin extruded powder, but you know that by now. It tends to shoot well in spite of not throwing very precisely. I use 20.6 grains with Sierra's 52 grain Matck Kings seated @ 2.250" and that load combination has been very accurate in a lot of rifles. It's maximum according to my chronograph at 3177 fps from my 26" barreled M70. I think published data shows 3200 fps from 26" barrels, so I'm close enough at 20.6 to leave it alone. I don't I've loaded a .30-06 case down to 50 grains of gunpowder. I would like to have a Redding measure. I finally bought a Lyman measure. I think they might be about ideal for pistol loads. dryflash3 lives in a awesome gun show universe when it comes to reloading equipment. He would die before finding the hauls he shows us here at the shows around here. |
Powder throwers and the quality of are a diversion of what the real issue is when loading precision.
Consistent and precise powder charges to within one hundredth of a grain are impossible with any thrower. One granule of Varget weighs .002. I've got a Forster Bench Rest Powder drop. It's Lee's PPM only larger. (Here's a tip, PPM is a better drop with certain types of powders) All I require of a drop for precision loads is it drop within 1/2 a grain from my load. I hand trickle to within one hundredth of charge weight. Chrono spread never varies more than 20fps. In fact 20fps is wide when measured to results I've seen. Spend your money on a good pharmaceutical grade scale. |
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I was working with Varget on some 22-250 loads, Varget doesn't meter very well, but it got ridiculous weighing and topping off every single charge, so I did a test, 20 rounds loaded measured out to the exact charge, and 20 rounds through the powder measure, not weighed at all with the exception of keying in on the proper adjustment, then off to the range! The difference in the groups was stunning...stunning referring to the fact that there was NO noticeable difference in group sizes, at least shooting at 100 yards off a bench rest. |
LOL
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