“ Looks like a portion of this post drifted off into powder measure reviews. Maybe that subject is a topic all by itself?
Tom”
Per Tom’s suggestion I’ve started a thread specific to powder measures.
Do you trust your powder measure and at what point would the inaccuracy of the powder charge device affect accuracy? Thanks, Bill Cook.
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I trust mine for minute of white tail accuracy. For 1000 yard shooting, each charge is hand weighed. Do you trust your scale?
Mu Dillon is getting a bit erratic I think. The return to zero is hit or miss.
With rifle in hand, I confidently go forth into the darkness.
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Be careful on two counts regarding electronic scales:
Their “tare setting” can drift.
The unit of measure selector can get “bumped” and you can be looking @ grams and not grains. I made that mis-step just once. Fortunately the gun’s action was strong!
Powder measure setting? The micrometer adjuster on my Reddings is quite repeatable. Find a setting, throw (10) consecutive charges and divide that accumulated weight by 10. Does it align with your desired single charge weight?
Some powder granule shapes and sizes can vary and impact your desired single charge weight.
Tom
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Digital scales are great for weighing bullets or cases; but the wandering tare has meant I only trust my old fashioned balance beam Redding for charges. I agree that I can't trust any of the three digitals I have used.
Scott Ingle
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As a reloading tool collector, I have been through many powder measures. The Redding and RCBS measures with micrometer stems are just fine for me. Ohaus was another good one, but at the present time I am running three Harrell's Brothers measures. Small and larger chambers and they are very accurate, as in 0.01's of a grain with fine powders. Technique is just as important as the tool.
For an electronic scale, I am using a GemPro 250, sadly now out of business. When I was on the drug lab raid team, the biggest and high class drug dealers all used GemPro scales. Never an issue with wondering tare as I leave it pluged into 110V outlet 24/7. On battery power, you might as well use a measureing spoon.
Having only shot cast bullet bench rest matches, I can't see that a 2% difference ever made an impact difference for me.
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“….. at what point would the inaccuracy of the powder charge device affect accuracy?”
For 100, 200 yard BR, would +/- .2 grain be seen in the group size? Bill.
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I do use the RCBS digital for powder but not for dribbling, only for dumping a charge into the pan. Scale gets zeroed for each weighing. I also use the RCBS Uniflow Micrometer powder measure backed up by the scale. Repeatability of the measure varies a lot by powder types. Fine granulars like 2400 seldom vary by .1gn. Large tubular powders can vary as much as .5gn. I never rely on the micrometer setting alone since I find it doesn't repeat reliably enough to satisfy my OCD. I do know some who use powder measures exclusively, no scales.
John Carlson. CBA Director of Military Competition.
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I’m on my 4th digital scale.
I use small charge weights in large capacity cases. For weighing each charge, I use a Redding set a couple of grains light and trickle up to the desired weight using a RCBS “trickler”. Then after a block of (50) are done, use a small dowel as a dipstick to check for any empty or double charged cases.
Overly cautious but…..
Tom
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I have two RCBS measures and three drums. The small drum does almost all rifle loading including match loads. The modified "extra small" drum throws a max of 20 grains of 2400 and does all the pistol loading including match loads.
I check measure settings on a RCBS electronic scale. I have a set of standard weights and use one in range of the charge to check accuracy EVERY DAY. You must check any digital scale, they can lie! The calibration weights are NOT sufficient.
Over the years I have used measures by Lachmiller, Lyman, LEE, and Redding. I seldom miss them.
Steve
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I use my Lyman 55 and an old Ohaus electronic from Midway. I need to check it against my beam scale.
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I'm a pretender here, since I don't do the serious accuracy stuff, but for my competitions and field use I measure from a Redding to a Lyman (Ohaus) balance, then to the case. I don't think I'm wasting all that much time doing it this way, since all but a few charges usually are good.
From a safety standpoint I prefer doing it this way. If using just the balance, it can't be all that difficult to set a balance with the poise 5 gns off where it is meant to be, especially with old eyes. Going from a preset measure to the balance acts as a check on the setting of the balance.
Even with ball powders, 748 and LVR, the occasional measured charge will come along .2 or .3 gns off - I dump the heavies and adjust the lights. These variations are probably not important.
Flake powders such as Unique and Red Dot, both of which I use or have used in reduced loads for .30-30, are another matter altogether. In loading 50 cartridges I will quite often encounter one or two really light charges, say 3 gns when the intent is 5 for instance. This appears to be from bridging as the chamber fills. I have not encountered bridging in the drop tube. Going from measure via the balance to to the case saves me from the squibs.
My flirtation with electronic balances was brief.
You are only as good as your library.
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Not with the Military rifles I shot for 20 years.
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Lyman Accumeasure's are incredibly accurate for handgun loads. Even with known troublemakers like 700X. The RCBS uniflows depend on the powders. Long kernel powders can and do bridge,irrespective of rotor bore size. I weigh all rifle charges on a Lyman beam scale. It is tuned to a kernel or two of 4350. I'm not in a hurry,and actually like handloading.
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John Alexander
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Aaron
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MP1886
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Wilderness
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Tom Acheson
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TRKakaCatWhisperer
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Wm Cook
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longhunter
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Urny
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delmarskid
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