powder + or - ?

[Spinaltapls1]

I have the Hornady lock and load powder measure and the Hornady bench scale. Lets say im going for 4.3 I get in dialed in but it seems to be either 4.2 4.3 or 4.4. im just starting out in reloading and figured the powder measure would be the same every time. Am i being to picky, should i just go ahead and use the ones the are a little bit off

 

[Mgderf]

I just started loading last year and I ran into something similar with my Lee Perfect Powder Measure.
Came to find out a slight tap on the measures mount after dumping the charge knocked loose a few grains that had not fallen free of the measure.
I was getting .1 or .2 grain difference before tapping the measure.
One drop would be .1 or .2 low and the next drop would be .1 or .2 over.

A gentle tap took care of the issue.
My measure seems to throw almost perfect charges once set properly, with a tap that is...

 

[bocefus78]

.1gr variance either way is normal for a volumetric powder thrower. Some powders meter better than others. What powder are you using?
If you want perfect 4.3 everytime, they will have to be weighed.

.1gr will more than likely have no measureable effects on accuracy from my experience, unless we are talking match ammo, but I'm guessing we are not.

 

[SSGSAD]

If you are NOT loading MAX., or accurate target loads, don't worry about it .....

 

[Leo]

unless you can hold your pistol more steady than a Ransom Corp. Machine rest, you will never see +/- .2 grains on the target. Relax a little. If you really want to have fun, buy some top of the line factory target rounds and carefully take them apart to weigh the powder. You will be surprised. Your measure is doing fine.

 

[m_deaner]

I had better results after upgrading to the micrometer pistol powder measure insert.
Also, make sure that your press is mounted so that it doesn't wobble or vibrate, and keep the powder hopper more than a third full.

 

[Thegeek]

Have similar experience with Titegroup and a RCBS Uniflow.

 

[ArmyADub]

Agreed on all.
If it helps put your mind at ease, one thing I did was weighed several (i.e. 8 or 10) throws to ensure my average was right where I wanted it. If it's for pistol, and you're not a nationally ranked bullseye champ, you won't notice. My load data for USPSA is 4.3gr of Titegroup. When I check, I accept 4.2-4.4 If you keep changing/tweaking it, over the course of many rounds, you will be MORE inaccurate, as you are introducing another variable into the system. Load it up and shoot it! Trigger time is a great teacher.

 

[Mgderf]

Agreed on all.
If it helps put your mind at ease, one thing I did was weighed several (i.e. 8 or 10) throws to ensure my average was right where I wanted it. If it's for pistol, and you're not a nationally ranked bullseye champ, you won't notice. My load data for USPSA is 4.3gr of Titegroup. When I check, I accept 4.2-4.4 If you keep changing/tweaking it, over the course of many rounds, you will be MORE inaccurate, as you are introducing another variable into the system. Load it up and shoot it! Trigger time is a great teacher.

^Now there's a quality post...

 

[Flyingbrian]

.1gr variance either way is normal for a volumetric powder thrower. Some powders meter better than others. What powder are you using?
If you want perfect 4.3 everytime, they will have to be weighed.

.1gr will more than likely have no measureable effects on accuracy from my experience, unless we are talking match ammo, but I'm guessing we are not.

Agree I have always had a similar variance

 

[Spinaltapls1]

well last night i got everything together and loaded 2 10 round batches going to test them today.

 

[singlesix]

well last night i got everything together and loaded 2 10 round batches going to test them today.

What are you loading, all the good advice was already given ....

 

[jonny4523]

I load on a Dillon. With ball powder, I accept +/- .1 grains. If I'm using a stick powder like Varget, I have to use a fish tank air pump to get that same consistency. You'd have to trickle the powder to get much tighter than that.

I'd say load 'em up!

 

[ol' poke]

I load on a Dillon. With ball powder, I accept +/- .1 grains. If I'm using a stick powder like Varget, I have to use a fish tank air pump to get that same consistency. You'd have to trickle the powder to get much tighter than that.

I'd say load 'em up!

Just curious, but is the air pump for vibrating the measure so that the powder 'settles' better? Or....?

 

[jonny4523]

Just curious, but is the air pump for vibrating the measure so that the powder 'settles' better? Or....?

That is exactly it. I zip tie it to the outside of the powder measure. It's very quite. I only do it with extruded powder though. It actually makes my powder throws a little more erratic with ball powder. The Dillon does great with ball powder as is.

 

[ryknoll3]

I have the Hornady lock and load powder measure and the Hornady bench scale. Lets say im going for 4.3 I get in dialed in but it seems to be either 4.2 4.3 or 4.4. im just starting out in reloading and figured the powder measure would be the same every time. Am i being to picky, should i just go ahead and use the ones the are a little bit off

If you're charging cases for the press make sure your stroke on the powder measure handle is consistent too. A firm click all the way to the top, and a firm click to the bottom. Establish a cadence and stick with it. That said, .1 gr variance is well within the tolerances of the powder measure and the scale. Don't sweat it.

 

[Gluemanz28]

That is exactly it. I zip tie it to the outside of the powder measure. It's very quite. I only do it with extruded powder though. It actually makes my powder throws a little more erratic with ball powder. The Dillon does great with ball powder as is.

I have a Dillon 650. The powder measure has an aluminum base. I took some 0000 steel wool to it the polished it to a mirror finish with some flitz. My powder drops are almost perfect on every case.

My my buddy has a Hornady LNL progressive on my bench too. He went to clean the base out with brake cleaner and softened the baked on finish. It never did harden back up after a couple days so the dremel had to come out to polish it up. The Hornady was a pain first to remove the finish then to polish the casted part. It drops consistent measures though.

When I'm setting up a load I add five to ten drops to the scale before dumping to get an average like way posted up thread.

 

[jamesb]

I have the hornady powder measure. The accuracy depends on the powder I use. I also use a small fish tank bubbler strapped to the measure. Using trailboss, which is little doughnuts, I get about .2 variance either way on average. I am loading cowboy rounds with that so it fine for what I need and I am not near the max load. With bullseye I get about .1. With that again is is just plinking/steel match rounds so it is fine for what I need and I am not near the max load. I have the normal meters and the micrometers for the measure and the micrometers do make it easier to adjust when you are dialing in. I have several of the normal meters that I have set up for the specific loads and I keep those with the dies for that round.

 

[NKBJ]

Same as with ammo manufacturers, how well a powder works in your throw can be as much of a consideration as how it works for the intended load.

 

[Mycroft]

I have a Dillon 550B and conducted a series of four tests using Tite Group, combining minimum/maximum target weights with full/low powder hopper levels and a minimum of 30 repetitions for each. I used a Lyman 1000XP digital scale for the measurements. Since the Lyman scale only reads to 0.1 grain, it isn't possible to determine how much of the variation is due to the the measurement error.

Minimum target weight of 2.2 grains
Low Hopper: 2.2 +/- 0.09 grn with range of 1.9 - 2.4 grn
Full Hopper: 2.4 +/- 0.14 grn with range of 2.1 - 2.6 grn

Maximum target weight of 7.1 grains.
Low Hopper: 7.1 +/- 0.13 grn with range of 6.7 - 7.5 grn
Full Hopper: 7.1 +/- 0.11 grn with range of 6.9 - 7.3 grn