Rifle question:

[PecosRiverM]

It's hard to word this question.

I just learned how to reload on a 30+yr old Herter single stage and bench mounted powder measure weighing each load.

My question is which is more accurate a bench mounted Powder measure or a press mounted one?

We're loading Hunting ammo that we also use for target so accuracy is important.

I was looking at getting a Lee Turret press if the press mounted one works otherwise I'll probably get a single stage.

We'll be throwing between 20.0grs and 87.0grs.

Thanks

 

[rcmodel]

Assuming the powder measures are equal quality, or the same measure, and operated consistently every time, there would be no difference.

But, if the press mounted powder measure is allowed to clang & bang differently every so often while reloading, then the powder would pack differently in the hopper, and the next charge would be slightly different. (probably slightly heavier)

Even with my bench mounted powder measures, if I goof up and operate the handle different one time, I dump the charge back in and have a do-over.

If I bump the measure hard somehow by accident, I throw several charges to get the powder column pressure back in order again before I resume reloading.

rcmodel

 

[Grumulkin]

I weigh all charges for the vast majority of cartridges I reload. The only exception would be reloading some handgun rounds with ball powder that I wanted to reload a large quantity of. If you're interested in target shooting, nothing can beat weighing each powder charge.

 

[30Cal]

For work inside of 300yds, you're going to be hard pressed to show that anything better than +/- 0.3grs makes a bit of difference. If you've got time to weigh charges, then have fun, but typically, it's not adding any value to your loads.

 

[Grumulkin]

For work inside of 300yds, you're going to be hard pressed to show that anything better than +/- 0.3grs makes a bit of difference.

Quite true for the average guy who is satisfied with the proverbial "minute of deer."

 

[rodregier]

30Cal has the right idea. 100yd benchrest guys use volumetric powder measures, so lots of accuracy possible w/o weighing each powder charge.

 

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

You're going to hear millions of opinions about volumetric measurement vs. weighing the powder, so I won't get into that. My personal experience with powder measures is the powder measures, when mounted on a press where they're operated "automatically" by a mechanism tend to provide more consistent charges than I can do myself with the same measure mounted on the bench.

I've had this experience with two measures: The Hornady LnL powder measure, the RCBS Uniflow. I also had the experience of the Hornady measure being more consistent than my Redding bench rest measure, which is a known good quality bench top measure.

As far as accuracy goes, I've had no problem getting minute of angle accuracy with 10 five shot groups out of rifles I own that were capable of that sort of accuracy when I loaded cartridges with automatic powder measures. All I had to do was my part, which typically was the problem part - me.

Most good high power shooters I've seen, a good many of whom are on or were on the Georgia Rifle Team that competes at Camp Perry in the Nationals, load all their 300 yard line and less ammo progressively. Most of them, who admit to wanting to "feel good" about their long distance cartridges, load the 600 yard line cartridges by hand.

The experiments I've done while not competing indicated to me the progressively reloaded cartridges were as accurate at 600 yard line as the hand loaded cartridges.

I personally feel a good crown, a trigger job, free floating the barrel and lots of shooting practice will be better for your accuracy than sweating the variance you see with powder measures.

Just my .02,

Dave

 

[NuJudge]

Some thoughts

There are some powders that I use that do not measure accurately with any powder measure, probably the worst being IMR 800X, but also long stick powders are difficult.

There are some powders that measure so accurately for me that using a powder measure, then scale and trickler is a waste of time, because the charges are always right on. All Ball/Spherical/Globular powders are in this category.

I use difficult-to-measure powders when they give me particularly good performance, or when the application is difficult and I trust them. Stick powder pressures are supposed to be less temperature sensitive, and have less ignition problems in cold temperatures.

 

[30Cal]

For work inside of 300yds, you're going to be hard pressed to show that anything better than +/- 0.3grs makes a bit of difference.

Quite true for the average guy who is satisfied with the proverbial "minute of deer."

Inside 1 MOA is what I meant.