Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters JB, do you weigh charges?

Lee scoops, drug through a Speer plastic bullet box full of powder, and then carded off with a business card.

Precise and consistent - just lacks a little fine tuning capacity for velocity.

But they have generally been extremely precise.




GR

I have shot a lot of Federal Gold Match 308. I have managed to load ammo that was as accurate as the FGM but have never beat their average accuracy across multiple different rifles. I know at the volume they load they can not be weighing charges. Does any one know how they they manage their boring consistency with dropped powder charges??

by the way I am sure they use IMR 4064 a stick powder that is not known for being powder measure friendly ??

Well developed loads assembled into straight cartridges aren't hypersensitive to charge variation. If you have several other ducks in a row and start to shoot long range, then you may see vertical dispersion from charge variation.

Yeah, just dump powder in there until it looks right.

Hilarious!!!!

My take on it is that I want good accuracy with the equipment and components I choose.

I use a Chargemaster for most stick powders and a Uni-Flow with baffle for powders that meter well. Whatever the precision of my equipment may or may not provide, I seek combinations that DO work and are compatible with my methods. If I shot over 500 yards, I might change up my methods and techniques (or maybe not) but until then I discard the combinations that don't work and go with those that do seem to work. I'm happy with my results.

well that is just what bench rest shooters do and you may laugh but you will never beat them for group size .

What makes you so sure ?

Of course not

I have several cases soldered to a spike, cut/ground until they throw the charge i want. Start with a weighed charge, dump it in the case, mark the top, and cut right above that. Fine tune from there.



Have balance and digital scales.

Balance is more dependable, and much quicker for checking weight.
You aren't really weighing it, you are just looking to hit zero.


Digital is the schiz when you want to know what something weighs.

Zero it.
Set the object on,
Bingo, what it weighs.
No sliding weights, turning adjustments, waiting for it to settle after every
adjustment, before making the next.

What the Average Joe misses —-

Precision (consistency when you throw) is WAY more important than precisions.. Because you sight in with what ever ammo you are shooting, and re zero every year…

The VERY best thing you can do here is to throw 25 tho 30 rounds and then weight those charges to see how consistent you are….

- If you use a dispenser to throw cartridges you will find your first 18 or so throws will vary from the rest because the friction from the powder column moving as you start to throw hasn’t stabilized yet…. Especially with a progressive like the Dillon - throw 15 cartridges and dump the powder back in the measure.. Then start loading..

- Realize how long the powder measure sat impacts your throw…
- Realize how you move and what you do between throws impacts things.

- With a electronic scale, where the powder / powder cup sets on the scale impacts it’s ability to measure.
- Realize that electronic scales drift over time - so load it all at one time vs days.
- Leave them plugged in a LONG time before you measure.
- MD was dead nuts on… better measure mechanisms are now available.

Like I said - throw powder and measure it in quick succession to avoid drift on your scale, and be consistent about where you put the cup and powder in the cup.


Accuracy wise - have good certified weights…. And or keep a powder charge (reference weight) to double check your scale.


Full disclosure - I’m upgrading from an RCBS powder scale / dispenser to an Autotrickler that has .001 accuracy.

Why do we keep living in the 90’s?

Because 2 shot groups don't mean a lot....

I weigh everything, rifle, pistol, shotshell, every bullet, every primer and every case. I even weigh my rifle after each shot.

Can't be too careful.

Well, I don't actually do that, Trixie does all my reloading and she does, without fail.

Forgot to mention, Trixie anneals them cases, rifle and pistol, every time they're fired. Shotshells, every other.

nice video ,i would like see 5 cases used for group instead of the same case . use the 6 BR cartridge, Lapua brass which is more common in America. but thanks for posting this neat video ,Pete53

Federal Catridge blend their powders we can not do that safely, nor can we buy what powders they use . Federal volume loads all their ammo they sell to the public.