Reloading .45.ACP w/ Lee Autodisk

[ol' poke]

I've got a 1911 that I'm going to reload some .45 ACP for. This is the first time using smokeless powders. Prev. experience has been reloading .45 Colt and .44 WCF with blackpowder. I have even loaded up the occasional .45 ACP with blackpowder, but that's another story.

My question surrounds my equipment and load measurement. I am using Lee dies and measures, and Lee's Autodisk powder measure and beam balance scale. My load is for a 185 gn. Golden Sabre bullet using Clays. During my setup, I wanted to be sure that the Autodisk was dropping the correct measure of powder, so I dropped powder into 50 cases and measured them on the balance scale. According to Lee's data sheet, the .66 disk will drop 4.5 grains of Clays. After dropping the 50 rounds, I started to measure them on the balance scale and they were all measuring 4.3 to 4.4. Should this be a concern, as the minimum load is posted as 4.5 gns.? I can always go up to the .71 disk, dropping 4.9 gns. but that's the max load listed for this powder/bullet combination. Lee has an adjustable measure, but I've read mixed results the usefulness on those. Am I doing something wrong here?

Thanks in advance, ol' poke.

 

[8th SPS USAF]

Lee autodisk

Most of the time it will be off a little one way or other. If less you can
open the hole a little at a time till you get the right amount. Can you use the amount that it is dropping? You may have to change bullet wt? Before
opening the disk, see if you could buy a replacement disk, incase you open
it to much.

 

[ANeat]

I would try the load at the weight its dropping, 4.3 to 4.4 You may like it

 

[jblomenberg16]

If you can't find a disc that gets exactly what you want, you can try the double disc. I've used it a bit on some 9mm reloads and it seems to do ok, although there are some things to watch out for with all of the powder making it into the two wholes (one small, one large).

 

[wolfman]

During my setup, I wanted to be sure that the Autodisk was dropping the correct measure of powder, so I dropped powder into 50 cases and measured them on the balance scale. According to Lee's data sheet, the .66 disk will drop 4.5 grains of Clays. After dropping the 50 rounds, I started to measure them on the balance scale and they were all measuring 4.3 to 4.4. Should this be a concern, as the minimum load is posted as 4.5 gns.? I can always go up to the .71 disk, dropping 4.9 gns. but that's the max load listed for this powder/bullet combination. Lee has an adjustable measure, but I've read mixed results the usefulness on those. Am I doing something wrong here?

Thanks in advance, ol' poke.

The way you worded your post, it's not clear to me, but are you weighing the powder in the cases, or are you dumping it out in the pan to weigh? If you are, weighing the powder and cases together, you are not getting accurate weights.

 

[ol' poke]

The way you worded your post, it's not clear to me, but are you weighing the powder in the cases, or are you dumping it out in the pan to weigh? If you are, weighing the powder and cases together, you are not getting accurate weights.

Sorry for the confusion. I dropped the powder into empty cases, then dumped the case into the scale pan. I measured the powder only.

I'll try this lighter load, and watch for stuck rounds. I'll also try another at the next size up - still under max. See what I like and go from there. I'll go thru these bullets and then get some 230 grainers and start all over. (These 185's were a gift from Santa )

 

[Bshaw]

Auto Disc

I ran into the same problem with the Lee I had, I found a happy medium with one and used that .