Rifle Powder Measuring?

[deerhunter61]

I was wondering how you all load your rifle rounds...do you measure and weigh each and every round of powder or do you set your powder measure and weigh until it matches the powder load you want and then just trust your powder measure to dispense the powder accurately?

If you just use the powder measure once you have it set where you want it how close will the powder measures be? If you use this means what type of powder dispenser do you use?

How much does the powder play into the accuracy of the load? What if you are off by say a couple of hundreths? A couple of grains difference?

Currently I measure and weigh each and every load and was wondering if there is a way to load my rounds and get the accuracy that I am getting now and be able to do so a little faster? It takes me quite a while to load my rounds.

Thanks,

 

[lgbloader]

I used to trickle charge every single rifle round I assembled using the following methods:

1. Lee dippers directly to the scale pan of my old RCBS 510 mechanical scale trickle with dipper as well exactly needed charge weight.

2. RCBS Uniflow throws a charge lighter than needed recipe and RCBS Trikle charge onto the pan of my RCBS 1010 Scale exactly to needed charge weight.


Now, I normally use the RCBS Chargemaster combo for my rifle rounds, push a button and it spits it out right on the money. Pour into the case w/funnel and then put pan on scale and push a button. By the time you have seated and crimped (if you need to) the projo, and removed the finished round from the press, your next charge is waiting for you to fill up another empty case.

*I still use the other two methods depending on where I am at or the mood I am in.

Pistol is another story alltogether...

Cheers

 

[Ridgerunner665]

I weigh each and every charge...but I am an accuracy freak.

And yes it matters.

 

[armoredman]

I weigh each charge for rifle.

 

[FlyinBryan]

i load on a loadmaster for 223 and use the perfect powder measure.

from what ive heard and read, its not one of the most accurate powder measures, and it usually drops within a tenth or so, with an occasional drop missing by a couple of tenths.

my ar averages about 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 inches at 100yrds with a few sub 1 inchers here and there. all 5 shot groups. not bad in my book for a 850 dollar bushmaster.

accuracy is a relative term however and i know of at least one member here who has already posted in this thread who can practically connect the dots of my 1 inchers to make perfect circles, lol.

 

[ants]

Mine works a little better than FlyinBryan's

My old Lee Perfect Powder Measure is accurate within 5 hundredths of a grain for all rifle powders except a few: 3031, Varget, 4831, and a couple other powders, mostly large extruded tubular powders. [I have a digital scale that is accurate to 0.03 grains, so when I say the powder measure is accurate to 5 hundredths, I mean it.]

I weight each charge when working up a load. Once the load is established, I use the Perfect Powder Measure. It has served me well for a long, long time.

I also use the Pro Auto Disk for 223 and get similar results from Benchmark and other small granule powders.

 

[tbtrout]

When I first started I would weigh every round. It drove me nuts. Since I do not shoot competition and my uniflow has been consistent, I now weigh every 10th round just to make sure nothing loosened up. Been doing this for quite a few years now without any problem.

 

[Walkalong]

I don't weigh each charge. Niether does anyone I ever shot Benchrest with. Set the measure, dump it and go.

Do buy a top of the line measure first.

On second thought. I could win using my BR-30 measure.

 

[jmundy]

I was ready to jump in on this thread, but I think lgbloader has been using my set up. He even has it down to using the RCBS 5-10 scale.

I too use the appropriate Lee powder scoop to dump the bulk of the charge in the scales' pan. Then I either use the scoop to trickle in the remaining few granules or if I'm feeling overly equipment friendly that day I'll use my powder trickler to top off the pan.

After a while you can get amazingly close dipping the powder with the scoop and it takes very little to bring the charge up to weight.

Jim

 

[Griz44]

I use the Lee PPM for 30.06 rifle. It drops within .1g on a 58g charge. That's less that 2 tenths of a percent. Close enough for me!

 

[charby]

I only load 20-40 rounds at a time for my .30-06 so I weight each one. I use AA 4064 so it doesn't meter very well in my powder thrower.

 

[Afy]

Why bother... just pick up any old powder on hand... fill to the neck and seat the bullet. You're good to go.


















Please do not try the above.
In reality...



I use a Lyman DPS III to dispense my powder and cross weight every 5th charge on an RCBS 505.

Then again I am nuts.

 

[BigBlack]

weigh each charge on RCBS Chargemaster 1500

 

[MCMXI]

I weigh the powder for EVERY round ... on second thoughts that's not quite true since I'm not really the one doing the weighing!! The RCBS ChargeMaster 1500 does all the work, I simply push a couple of buttons and then check that the correct weight has been dispensed. I used to weigh each powder charge using a Redding powder trickler and an RCBS digital scale but that was a PITA too. Now I find reloading way more enjoyable and I have the time to focus on other, equally important aspects of making consistent, accurate reloads.

 

[BigBlack]

opps stand corrected my little helper weighs my charges as well. I just confirm each load is dispensed properly.

 

[MCMXI]

How much does the powder play into the accuracy of the load? What if you are off by say a couple of hundreths? A couple of grains difference?

That depends on the load ... 2.0 grains off with the following two loads will have different outcomes.

.223 with 24.0 grains > 8.3% error
.300 Win Mag with 70.0 grains > 2.9% error

No one here has established that +/- 0.1 grains makes a difference let alone +/- 0.02 grains!!

 

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

I've found my LnL powder measure and LnL progressive will load rounds MOA capable all the way out to 600 yards. I've not found a need to reload measure any powder more accurately than that.

Regards,

Dave

 

[deerhunter61]

Thanks all for your comments!

All,

I want to thank each of you for what you have provided. I have been reloading for about 8 months and realized a couple of weeks ago how much I have been doing wrong...mainly it has to do with case preparation. I purchased a lot of new brass and did not measure them therefore I did not prepare them other than running them through the resizing die. I did not trim the cases to the correct length and bring them all to uniformity, I also did not chamfer the brass either. :banghead:

With all I have done wrong I still have been loading and shooting groups of less than an inch with all my rifles;

.223
22-250
.270
7mm08
.280
7mm Mag - I actually shot 3 rounds Saturday that were a 1/2 group!
300 Mag

I am still working on my 6.5x55.

I measure and weigh each powder load of every round and am very precise with it. I was wondering basically how I could have done so much wrong and yet still shot groups below moa.

Now I am going back and measuring and trimming all my cases as I reload for each now. I have done this so far for my 6.5x55 and my 7 Mag because these are the two rifles I intend to take deer hunting with me.

So I was just wondering how much the precision of the powder loads played into the accuracy I have had with all I have done wrong.

Thanks again and please keep the info coming!

 

[33rowdy]

deerhunter61;

That was me too. Begining on a 30-06 I thought I screwed up my rifle. I'm not the most sure what was doing wrong but the fix was cleaning the bolt.

Now I trim my cases, use calipers for leingth (was using a gauge), I improved the lube in the sizing dies, clean the primer pocket. I simply cleaned up my problems.

For powder charge I have alwayse had that good. Lee spoons to the scails.

 

[Shoney]

How I charge my rifle cases depends on which rifle type they are intended for and the powder to be used.

Bolt rifle cartridges are all hand weighted. Both extruded and ball powders are weighed right to a gnats eyelash.

Gas guns (semi-auto rifles) are loaded progressively using either surplus ball powder or commercially produced ball powder. My LNL powder measure is accurate to less than 0.1 grain plus and minus on ball powders.

 

[Strongbad]

Because most of the rounds I shoot use large grain extruded powders, I pretty much have to weight every one. They wont meter through a dispenser for squat. Luckily I've got the Lyman DPS and it does it all automagically. However, when I'm loading for my 500 S&W, and my 22-250 which both use powders that flow easily, I throw them with the dispenser and double check it every so often to make sure that it's still on the money.

 

[dagger dog]

For favorite loads I make my own dippers, (old brass and copper wire)
then trickle into the scale pan to exact weight.!

 

[res45]

If it's just a small amount of Rds. I use a scoop and trickler. If I'm loading allot of rounds I set up the dumper close then use the trickler to finish it up. I use the RCBS Lil Dandy for my pistol ammo I found a few Rotors that work perfectly for my 357.

 

[NotSoFast]

When I am setting up, and when I am working up a new load, I measure every charge. But once I have my RCBS Uniflow Powder Measure (UPM) set where it is throwing what I set it to consistently, then I slow to measuring one in ten times.

The way I measure it is to put a primed case on my electronic scale and zero the scale. Then I charge the case and measure it. If it isn't right, I pour the powder back into the UPM and readjust it closer to what I want.

One additional step I find helps give me more consistent charges is to rotate my Lee Turret through a cycle even if I just want to recheck my charge. That way the UPM always goes through the same cycle. I find it is more consistent that way. Just recharging the case seems to give me less consistent charges. It's like the powder settles (or not) because I am not subjecting it to the horizontal movement.

 

[30Cal]

I don't use ball powders. I shoot primarily NRA Highpower competition.

I sometimes weigh charges for my 600yd loads, but otherwise, I just pull the blue handle. +/- 0.3grs doesn't matter at short range (300yds and less).

For load development, I weigh my charges and adjust them to maximize charge weight variations. I don't see any point on knowing what the load can do in the best of conditions. I'm interested in whether it's adequate in the worst case.