Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Mule Deer's Article on Powder Measuring

Fellas, you owe it to yourself to buy the magazine and read the article. Like all of the stuff John writes that I have read, it is certainly worth the time, and it answers a lot of the questions. That was my intent on starting this thread.

Oh I will buy it. But the three magazine racks I visited last night and this afternoon aren't yet up to date for Handloader.

I still take a dump direct from my near 30 year old RCBS thrower. I measure every 10 rounds or so and have never had a problem, up, down or otherwise. 'Course I am more than happy with 1 1/2" 3 shot groups as they do tend to kill critters... Ain't rocket science...

I shoot 2" five shot groups at 300 yards with thrown charges, often with a 6x scope. Dispelling notions at the range is fun sometimes.

Well, for 37 years, I have weighed each rifle charge -- dump it close from the Uniflow and trickle it up on the scale. My handgun rounds I just dump from the Uniflow, and I always got good ammunition. I certainly don't load 200 an hour. I DO size, prime, deburr, reprime etc a larger quantity of brass at a time in preparation for reloading. The last few weeks, I have done up a bunch in 6.5 Swede(140), 30-06(240), 45-70(150), and 405 Winchester(100). I have all my unloaded 45 Colt cases prepped, primed and flared ready to go. The long, cold winter nights pass a little quicker if I have something to do, and then when I get in the mood to stick some together, I charge and seat bullets.

What John's article did for me was to challenge my thinking into trying something different. I load with a fair bit of H414 which meters very nicely. Should prove interesting.

Again, thanks, MD.

Mathman,

My kids buy me a subscription to Rifle and Handloader for my birthday every year. It's a great gift, and I don't have to look on the news stand.

Years ago Kenny Jarrett told me to throw charges and I figured if it was good enough for him, well....

Keith, nothing against John, but many of us knew what he wrote and have been beating that drum on the 'Fire for years. It seems unless many of you see it in print or from a movie stars lips, it just ain't so.

While we're on the subject of efficiency, is there a better mousetrap than an hand primer?

Okay. Got that. I, for one didn't know, and no one told me. John's article was my first introduction to the thought - - not because it was John, but because it made me think . . . . someting that always puts a twinkle in my eye.

I own mostly hunting class rifles, but I do like to shoot groups, so I have been trying to get the most out of my hunting guns. Have done okay for a fat old man with lots else on my plate to keep me away from the range.

I do appreciate your thoughts and expertise as well. . . . . . . you movie star. (thinking about the movie on youtube and the torture test. )

I was somewhat disappointed in the article. JB did not compare results with Lee Precision powder scoops. Perhaps another article.

A friend of mine loaded with them for years, and I tried to get them to work, but I never got the thing down close enough to satisfy myself, and I was always trying loads that I couldn't get with the scoop sets. Just an old dummy, I guess.

....and every time someone said they throw charges, you would have many come back and say they want to know it is exactly right and they think there is some inherent advantage. While a little experimenting on their own would have easily proven different.

My experience with a thrower was that I found variances on the long powders to be closer to 1.0 grains than 0.5 grains. I never could get comfortable with it. I would go through the progression of load development to find that perfect charge, then my thrower would miss it by a full grain. It was more than I could handle. I bought the Chargemaster when it came out (then an updated version) and have used it every since. I modified my loading procedures to the Chargemaster. I admit that I never compared accuracy with weighed loads versus thrown loads.

Within the last several years I have all but quit load development with a new rifle. I decide on a proven load and give it a whirl. If accuracy is acceptable I'm done. I don't sweat the time, money, or barrel life for that .2" better accuracy.

Johns article is not new on me, it just made me re-think it. The thrower definitely sounds more attractive to me now.

Not only that, the discussion here sold a subscription to Handloader. Win/win!

That's what I did. There was a time that I weighed and trickled then I decided to try just dumping, I verified by weighing, didn't see much of a difference and then I went from Lincoln log powders to more thrower friendly powders.

John has always been good at cutting through the BS and not following mantra.

Especially since I load in steps (size all, prime all, etc) the electronic throwers are far too slow for me. I've seen guys spend 2 hours loading 20 rounds, whatever...


A few years ago I was hunting with Bart and his son Brady. He wanted to try the 85gr TSX in his sons 6mm. All we had on hand was a box of factory loaded 100's. We knocked out 10 bullets with an inertia puller. After each bullet was knocked out we poured the powder back in and seated an 85gr TSX. They shot great and the boy killed a buck with them 2 days later.

I'm not a guy that shoots benchrest and I don't pretend to know what they do. Everything I do revolves around hunting and it just ain't that hard to put together a decent load to kill stuff with.

Far better to spend days shooting 'thrown together loads' then a like number of days spend hand crafting 20 rounds of ammo for that golden moment.


I think many folks will go to great lengths to not shoot.

And you know I was busting your balls a bit, even tried to make that post rhyme a bit...

Been thinking a lot about this

I throw charges for my prairie dog rifles. I use ball powder and the thrower is accurate. Loading bulk ammo, throwing probably works fine. For my competition rifles or hunting rifles I weigh exactly. For long range, 1/2 grain variation won't work for me

I've also talked to some of the guys I compete with as to their thoughts and what they do. Two of them are ranked in the top 50 precision shooters in the United States and are heavily sponsored. They weigh to the exact charge as well. One of my friends who competes locally mostly, but would easily be ranked if he competed Nationally, weighs each charge. He has tested simply throwing and has abandoned it because he can't attain the level of accuracy he wants.

Scenarshooter!
You throw only, even for long range competition?

If I can take a Weatherby Vanguard that I've never fired and assemble 20 thrown rounds for it, mount a scope and dust a Crown Royal box at 700 yards with the 6th round ever through the rifle, then this [bleep] ain't that complicated.

John's article acknowledges the need to weigh for long range. If I remember correctly he basically put a 500 yard blanket on thrown charges.

I too am interested in Pat's loading procedure for long range.

Nothing in concrete, I'd think you'd have to shoot to know. If it shoots well with thrown charges at 733 yards, then it shoots well. I've seen very low ES/SD's with thrown, though that ain't the do all to be all.