Checking charges during a loading session.

[Keith G]

New to reloading (2 weeks and 300 rounds in) and just wondering how often you guys check that your charges aren’t creeping up or down. I was pulling every 5th one to check it, then every 10th one and now it’s about every 25th one. Never had to make an adjustment.

Lee Classic Turret press
Lee drum powder measure
Bullseye powder
38 special

 

[TheDomFather]

Its good to have a healthy paranoia when you are starting out. I use a powder cop and watch it carefully not sure if that will work in your press but you may want to do a little research or maybe someone else will chime in here. A powder cop isnt going to tell you that you went from 4.4 grains to 4.6 grains though. Its just going to tell you that you have powder, you dont have powder or you have a double charge. I would also recommend keeping your powder hopper at least 1/3rd full or more at all times. for now every 25th round should be sufficient.

Best of luck and welcome to reloading lots of great help on here from a good bunch of people.
Dom

 

[mgmorden]

I check the powder measure before starting a session . . . then I'll load however many I'm going to load (usually a few hundred) without checking it again.

Generally I keep my equipment setup for a specific load that I'm shooting in volume so I'm mostly just making sure nobody touched/adjusted it between when I last loaded.

 

[Fine Figure of a Man]

With a powder that meters well I might load 500 - 1000 without checking after the initial set up.

Edit: By checking I mean actually weighing a charge, I visually check every one.

 

[JimKirk]

Every 5 charges until (and depending on the powder just say W296 verses 800x ... easy to meter verses Cornflakes) I am satisfied that the charges are what I want .... Once that happens then I'll drop down to maybe every 10 for pistol/revolver except 800x it goes into the check every one section ..... and if it is a really easy powder to meter maybe every 20 ....

Rifles I continue to check every 5th .... and if I am shooting for accuracy every one ....

This has been working for 53 years of reloading ....I don't see any reason why to change now ...

 

[Iroquois]

I handload everything with a single stage press. I don’t load more than 25 rounds without checking the powder levels by sight in each case and then I weight each case. It may seem like overkill, but this has prevented me from double charging any case and has been a great system for me. I do this because I once saw a .357 cylinder and top strap get destroyed by a double charge. I feel fortunate that I was not hurt and the person shooting was not seriously injured. My motto is “ You can never be to carefull”.
I think it’s great that you haven’t had to “ make an adjustment “, but please keep in mind that it doesn’t mean you never will. I think if you check every 10th case you’ll be fine, I’m sure others will chime in with their experiences. The advantage in checking every 10th one is, if you have to make an adjustment you only have to go back and check the last 10 you just loaded.
Find a system that works for you, you won’t believe some of the mistakes you didn’t think you made. I know I have!

 

[Keith G]

Thanks, guys! I am only loading 38 special with 3.2 grains of Bullseye, so I am not making changes between loading sessions. Here’s my process so far:

1. Zero my scale.
2. Set scale for 3.2 grains
3. Run 5 charges and weigh each one before beginning loading.
4. Load 5 rounds and then do a check.
5. Load 10 more and check.
6. Load about 25 and check.
Continue on from there checking every 25 or so.

Sounds like I’m on the right path.

 

[Whiterook808]

I always check the measure at the start of each loading session with the scale. I don't maintain a count, just every once in a while during the run I will random check it against the scale.. If I am using a powder that does not meter well, then I check more often than with something like W231. You chose wisely for your first press.

 

[tightgroup tiger]

I set my measure and run it by hand, around up to 10-15 dumps out of it to settle it in on my progressive.
Then I check it by running the press and fine tune it without loading anything. If all is well I then start loading and check about every 10 rounds, it that goes well I'm good to go.
I also fill it 2/3 full and refill at 1/3. I've found with my measure it holds the best consistency that way.

 

[cfullgraf]

...just wondering how often you guys check that your charges aren’t creeping up or down.

It is good to be cautious and check charge throw weights more often in the beginning. As you get a feel of how consistent your powder measure operation is, you can check weigh less frequently.

I check the charge weights more frequently when I start a reloading session then it spreads out as the session continues. But the longest interval between checks is about every 100 rounds. That is a force of habit left over from my days of loading exclusively on a single stage press.

I verify that powder has been charged in every case before a bullet is seated. When single stage loading, I visually check every case. On the progressive, I have a powder cop die and visually check the stem as part of my scan during loading.

 

[Reloadron]

When using my powder throws like the RCBS Uniflow and similar I would weigh every fifth charge but it also would depend on the powder. Stick powders every fifth and ball or flake stuff maybe every twenty-five or so. When using my RCBS Chargemaster I check the calibration at start and that's it.

Ron

 

[kidneyboy]

I load in batches of 100 or so and check 1 of every 10. When I check the powder I also check OAL. No hurrying at my loading bench.

 

[glc24]

For pistol, I use CFE Pistol, HS-6, Longshot, and HP38. When I start a session, I'll charge a case and dump it maybe 5 or 6 times. Then I'll weigh the next one. If all is good, I just visually look in the case before seating, and don't worry about the powder charge.

 

[lightman]

With a new piece of equipment or when using a new powder I'll check maybe the 5th one, and again about the 50th one and then call it good if nothing changes. If I'm using a proven piece of equipment and a familiar powder I set the measure, check it a few times and load them up. If I'm loading on a single stage press and using a loading block I visually check every case in the loading block before seating a bullet.

 

[Blue68f100]

It all depends on the powder and your dispenser. Some powders meter very accurately and don't require maintenance to keep in on. While others will always be off some amount ±0.1gr or more. On these you check a lot more often, while some are so bad you have to dribble up to your load, or use a auto dispenser.

Your doing fine with what your working with. Always better to error on the safe side.

 

[HDMontana]

With pistol cases and using the auto drum, I check every 10th case. More frequently, at the beginning, if I had to make an adjustment for a different charge level. All my rifle ammo is individually weighed.

 

[Bartojc]

For pistol I weigh every charge until I am sure everything is working properly, usually less than a have dozen throws. Aft r that I weigh roughly every 15-20 throws. I'll Laos anywhere form 50 to 200 per session on a Lee Classic Turret. For every rifle other than .223 for an AR I weigh every throw. I typically load less than 50 at a time rifle. For .223 my routine is similar to pistol.

Jeff

 

[ArchAngelCD]

For handguns I'm using a Pro Auto-Disk and I check the throws a little differently. After I set the charge weight I want I will then throw between 5 to 10 charges and check the average. Charge of 16.8gr W296 get a 5 throw test and 4.0gr charges of W231 get a 10 throw test. Remember, this is after I set the single throw to the charge I want. After that I really don't check the powder measure before 100 rounds.

Rifle charges are done with a Lyman #55 and once it's set there is no drift with that measure. A visual check if every case is all I do after it's set.

 

[otisrush]

For loads I don't trickle (.223, 9mm, .38 Spcl) I charge 50 cases (a loading block) and then seat bullets.

For the first 50 (after calibrating the RCBS Uniflow and ensuring, via 5-10 throws, that is throwing the right amount), I check after 10, the next 10, the next 15, and the next 15.

For every block of 50 after the first 50 (it needs to be the same loading session) I check after 15, the next 15, and the next 20. I also *always* fill up the block using the exact same pattern, so if something goes wonky in the middle of a block I know exactly what cases were impacted.

I used to basically not check in the middle of a charging session, until I read a story by a Uniflow user that had forgotten to tighten the lock ring on the adjustment plunger. With every throw the amount of powder being thrown was increasing.....so by the end he was way over what he intended.

OR

 

[Random 8]

There is no such thing as checking too much, especially when you're new at this. That being said, I usually follow a procedure based on the type of load and safety margins available.

Match and hunting ammo: In my case this is full house max 5.56 NATO mostly. Hunting loads are generally at or near max, and piece of mind is important that I am producing the most consistent ammo possible. I want to blame the wind or the shooter for a miss, not the ammo. I weigh every charge as there is no safety margin. I am also running "stick" powders and they tend not to throw as consistently. I also check the scale with a check weight every 25th round or if the scale has been bumped. I shoot a very limited quantity of max loaded .41 mag with H110. This powder throws very consistently, once I feel the measure is thoroughly dialed in I check every 5th round as it throws about as consistently as I can scale.

Practice/plinking rifle. I have a safety margin on these loads greater than the variance of the measure. I am using stick powders and these tend to wander the throws slightly as the level in the hopper changes. They predictably drift lighter. I check weigh every 5 rounds and every round when the measure takes a walkabout until I feel dialed in again.

General purpose handgun. In my case, this is sub-max 9mm and .38 special that will be fired in a .357. Significant safety margin and I am loading with very consistently throwing spherical powders. I check every 15th round or so, a little more often as I'm getting the measure dialed in.

After any significant disturbance or break in the process, i.e. I need to shuffle some things around on the bench or have a sticky case jar the press, walk away for a few minutes etc, I always zero and check weigh the scale and check the first few throws. Might be overkill, but I've encountered variances in the past due to disturbances that could have been dangerous working with max loads.

 

[santacruzdave]

Loading on a LCT with a Lee Auto Drum. When I first started I'd weigh every 5th or so. Then, like others have said, with well metering powder and a feel for how consistent the Auto Drum is running I move on to checking every 10 or 15. When using Unique I'm more likely to check every 5. Powder and powder dispenser can make a difference. Checking more often until you get an idea what's going on is not a bad way to go. Good luck and stay safe!

 

[PWC]

Set up powder measure with or without baffle; adjust, throw 10 charges into the pan and weigh all 10 together. (Math is easier with 10) The average of the 10 is the accuracy of the measure. Check weigh every 10th for the reasons stated by others above.

I don't trickle, but stay +/- .002 ; good enough fof my needs.

 

[someguy2800]

Once I’ve gained trust in a powder measure I rarely check them. As long as you keep the measure full they don’t change as long as the screw has not moved. The bigger thing to watch for is to make sure all the powder actually came out of the measure. Occasionally powder can bridge in the measure or die and dump out either between cartridges or into the next one. That’s mostly an issue with extruded rifle powders though.

The autodrum is very very accurate when used on the turret press because it gets jostled around moving with the turret head, which settles the powder in the drum

 

[someguy2800]

Always check them at the start of each reloading session, and check them in the same manor they will be used. A measure mounted on a turret press will throw .1 or .2 grains heavier if you cycle the press the whole way round than it would by just dumping charges in a case one after another due to powder settling.

 

[bbqreloader]

as everyone has mentioned, depends on powder you are using, equipment etc. I check about every 50 after getting the die set, but i also have dedicated powder dies for every caliber. The only one I check EVERY load is when doing 30-06 for my garand, mainly because the H4895 meters like concrete flakes thru my lnl dispenser. Also have a powder cop to keep it straight for any double charges as well as visual verification after the powder cop.