Home Forums Reloading Varmint Rifles I need a new powder measure

My uniflow came with my rcbs kit I bought 14yrs ago. When the px up here used to sell reloading stuff. I lost the inserts for the different case mouths oh well. Only thing I done to it was put the baffle in it.

Same here. Added a baffle about 20 years later.

Taint no pharmacist. Drug rep.

Pharmacists just count by fives all day. Pffft.





P

Contact RCBS and they will probably send you the inserts for free. They have the best customer service I've ever experienced- but haven't had to use them much over the years...

My Redding BR works great with ball powders. I’m out of town now, so not close to my bench. I bought the measure in the early 90’s so I don’t remember the exact model. I’ve been using TAC in 223 for a few years now. I don’t think I’ve ever had a powder that measures as well.

How does it do with stick powders? I was reading on another site that the BR-30 Redding hangs up with powders like Varget. I don't know how your Redding compares to the BR-30, or if it may be the 30? I've thought about replacing my uniflow a few times with something that is better with stick powders, but I've gotten used to just dropping a charge and trickling the rest in. The perfect powder measure would drop every kind of powder with .1gr consistency every time. What powder measure is that? Harrels maybe??? The funny thing is I see guys with 3 or more powder measures set up. One for this powder and 2 more for this kind. To me that is not KISS. The method I much prefer...

From an old thread:



When I do weigh charges, rather than deliberately throwing short and trickling up I've found it faster to set the measure to throw right on with most deviations occurring on the high side. Then I just dump out what I believe to be an appropriate number of kernels and put the pan back on the 10-10 for confirmation. Most of the time I hit it right on the money. I've used that scale for over forty years and I've built up a pretty good feel for correcting charges to make the pointer line up just right. On top of that I reap the benefit of having a lot of the charges throwing right on instead of deliberately setting myself up to trickle up every one of them.

Good post mathman. I think in reality, we all do things a little differently. Your way may take 6-8 seconds, as does mine. No one really wrong per se. Its about finding a routine that works for you. I am not one to dilly dally when it comes to reloading, I like keeping things sweet and to the point. Efficiency and accuracy are key. The funny thing is I am not nearly as critical as I used to be because of guys like you (mainly you) and your point of letting it go a tenth one way or the other. That essentially speeds up the process and you don't lose much, if any in terms of accuracy..

With respect to handloading techniques, I see it as "horses for courses" and what the shooter/rifle reasonably expect to resolve.

Erik Cortina isn't dipping powder with Lee scoops for 1000 yard F class matches, but a guy with a Savage 99 and a vintage Weaver 2.5x with a post reticle isn't netting any practical advantage from a Prometheus scale either.

I read an article on weighing charges quite some time ago written by some reloading guru with a reputation of knowing what he is doing.... in any case, he suggested a technique to make your Uniflow work best with stick powders like H4831, which I use a lot, is to make quick, up and down movements and always in exactly the same motion so the charge bar would load the same each time and the drum would cut any kernels half in the opening without hanging up. I tried it and it works very well and I have continued to use this technique ever since. I can usually throw stick powders within about .2 grains if I pay attention, but I check them anyway and adjust if necessary.

I have found a weak point in my system quite a while ago though. My Ohaus 10-10 is a very good scale but I found it wasn't always settling like I wanted and I wasn't sure of my loads a few times. I looked in the cradle where the pivot rod sets and I realized there was a bit of dust in there. I used a qtip and a bit of alcohol and cleaned it out and the arm worked much better and settled more consistently. I still tap the arm once it has settled to make sure it settles in the same place before dumping my charge if I'm not comfortable with how it is acting but this usually takes care of the issue. I did buy one of those little electronic scales you can get on Amazon and ebay for about $20 just recently to check my 10-10 when I need to just as a back up.

Bob

Good post buddy. I agree. I noticed the same thing with my 5-0-5 and do keep an eye on that piece of the scale. Works much better when it is clean.

I don't know about you guys, but I see a lot of monkey fu cking the foot ball idiots on youtube trying to operate a powder measure and scale. A lot of hand switching and fumbling going on. The way I have mine set up is about optimal. Based on some pictures I've seen here, I wonder how some of you do it. Some set ups look like knuckle busters and inefficiency. Not how I roll... I took some pictures the other day of my new set up. Just like the other one I had in Oregon. The funny thing while on the subject of using a powder measure. This is how far off I was in my initial setting with the regular ol uni flow:


I was doing some load development for my 30-06, trying some Big Game powder, which drops like water out of a faucet. I counted how many adjustments I needed to get dialed in. 1 adjustment and I was "zeroed". Perfectly dialed for that powder. Then the next jump in charge weight was 1/2 grain. That took 2 adjustments. Check with scale and then reconfirm a couple times just for the hell of it. Next 1/2 grain increment took 1 adjustment, went like that for the next 3, 1/2 grain increments.. Pretty easy schidt, which I have found does not require the micrometer adjustment. That reminds me, I should sell that bastid. Its called the "UPM Mic Adjustment Screw LG". Part #98901. I don't need it.

That you HAD in Oregon?

you didn't move on us did ya Lawrence?

Redding for me, for over 30 years.