Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Accurate throws on a powder measure?

If 4064 is bad (and I agree stick powders can be a PITA in a powder measure) then Vv n-570 is a disaster.

It's one of the coarsest stick powders I've ever used. It stacks up in my Uniflow, won't flow at all. As posted before, I unscrew the drop tube, dump into a scale pan, tweak the load then use a funnel to get it in the case.

I do love how Ramshot powders meter.

DF

Read before you comment.

Read before you comment.

nowhere in his first unedited post does he mention a baffle. Only AFTER I mentioned it..... So there. Pbbbbbttttt......grin

I don't see how a baffle makes long stick type powder crunch any less or flow any better thru a measure.

I don't think a baffle will make or let n-570 not stack up in a Uniflow.

DF

Very accurate description, I throw low, trickle up to the weight I want.

Chargemaster may be an option, especially for coarse stick powder. Then there are those who complain about fine ball powder “splashing” out of Chargemaster pans.

So, why not save Chargemasters for coarse stuff, use Uniflows for fine ball powder.

Best of both worlds. I don’t have a Chargemaster. Not sure I want one.

DF

Accurate powder "amounts", in a timely manner, have been the bane of my reloading existence since I was first introduced to the hobby about 1966. To get accurate "large" kernel powders to tolerable variations, one had/has to throw, then trickle up to the desired weight.....time consuming. When working with small grained powders one can throw and trickle or simply throw as long as your +/- requirements are not too tight. Then, we have the fine grained powders that are a dream to work with when throwing them but those powder typically have limitations; ie, temperature sensitivity, less than desired velocity or even limitation to lighter bullet weights. I've thrown, measured, weighed and trickled for the past 55 yrs. Last year, I found my nirvana! It's expensive but saves SOOOOO much time and is super accurate; +/- .02 (two hundredths) of a grain in typically 10 seconds or less (except super large charges such as 120+ gr of BlackHorn 209 in my muzzleloader (still +/- .02 gr accuracy). The FX120i with Version 3 autotrickler. It has changed how I load ammo at home and I make a literal living loading/reloading and shooting ammo.

Alan

Great post. Im in the same boat as you. I dont want or need one. I like Alan's suggestion though. If i were to ever buy a digital scale and auto trickler, less than 10 seconds and .02 grain accuracy sounds great to me. If it is reliable without quirks. As for now I will drop the charge and trickle the rest in. That only takes 6 seconds when I want to "get er done". I wouldnt be using ball powder in a chargemaster either. With a uniflow like the op has, that kind of powder should drop out very precisely. If not, something is wrong with it.

IME, a Uniflow (or similar) will meter fine ball powder about as well as you can weigh it.

Not so with coarse stick powder, as you noted; those can be slower to load. I find my self using more and more ball or fine grained powder. Big Game is just about my go to for 7-08, '06 and similar. I'm also playing with StaBALL. I use H-380 in my 338-06, but from what I read, BG does great is that round. I've never been one to wish for one powder for everything, but when one such as BG performs that well, I'll use it where it works.

My latest project is a JES bored .358 Win Pre-64 Fwt. The main performers so far are RL-7, X-Terminator and TAC, depending on bullet weight. Those all meter well.

I'll go with one that meters well if there's a choice.. For example, two powders that perform equally, tie goes to the Uniflow.... And, if I have to use mag primers with ball powders, I have a good supply, in fact more of them than std LR primers.

DF

Harrel is one of the best powder volume measure, otherwise buy a Redding bench rest powder measure. i was always told volume loading is more accurate than weighing powder because powder is not a consistent weight . i have always wondered kinda but off the bench i have always had more consistent groups with volume measured powder and it is much easier too.

How do you know you have the correct volume of powder if you don't weigh it?
If you have to weigh the charge to verify volume then why would volume be more accurate?
Why wouldn't volume differ as much as weight?
Just interested in thoughts. I use both methods but except for high volume .223 loads I weigh my charges, mainly because I use single base stick powders. I've had too many instances of varying charges and bridging when dropping powder and the Harrell's measure wasn't any better than the Lee.

I throw a few and weigh for consistency. Once I have confidence in what I'm throwing, I just keep throwing charges.

I'll occasionally weigh one for grins. Powders like BG and such throw such consistent charges that individual weighing isn't necessary.

Stick powders, I drop a charge in a scale pan, tweak, then funnel into a case.

DF

I have found that using 2 baffles one over the other about 1" above the bottom them spaced about an inch, in opposed directions helps. Then I weighed charges from full to nearly empty. In the 4" of the center of the powder tube I found a "sweet spot" where the charges were fairly consistent, marked the top and bottom used one tap up and two down. Then run them inside that zone. Usually with imr 4350 & 4831. Not perfect but way better than before. The chargemaster is still the way to go if you can.

As its been mentioned, stick/extruded powders can be a PITA through most powder measures. That being said, I have found the Lee Perfect powder measure to be consistently more accurate than an RCBS, Lyman 55, or Dillon 550. In fact, enough so that I picked up 4 of them to use...I rarely even touch the Lyman or RCBS measures anymore.

Interesting about the Lee. Never used one.

My Uniflow is set up where I have half dozen preset inserts that fit into the drum for different load ranges. I still have to tweak, but loads in the 40 gr. range, for example, don’t need that much change. I don’t see that set up currently offered, but I like it. One insert has a sleeve for very light loads, like the ones I drop for the K-Hornet. I made a storage block with labels.

DF

Its worth it to give one a try, I have a Lee set up to do nothing but drop 24.0gr Varget for a .223 load.

You just about talked me into to trying one.

DF

As mentioned there is no single perfect measure. Learning to get the best from what you have helps. In my case getting the best demands a lot of practice and attention. I have a Harrell's, both Hornady in a progressive and RCBS with micrometer inserts and baffles but for log/stick IMR powders I like a Quick Measure from JDS. There have been some strong recommendations for the Quick Measure posted on this board but the strongest advocates have left the range.

Reviews aren't all positive. I'm sure they work well, but I'm gonna stick with my Uniflow, especially the way I have it set up with the Quick Change chambers.

DF

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