How do you return powder from hopper back to container when finished?

Status
Not open for further replies.

Eddy19

Member
Joined
Nov 4, 2019
Messages
130
Location
California
Hodgdon gives this warning on their site,
http://www.hodgdonreloading.com/warning

I don't mount the measure/hopper on the press so it's easy to take the hopper and stand, invert it to return the powder into it's container.

Was wondering how those of you who have the measure mounted on the press and setup for auto-drop, do you just leave the power in the hopper for extended periods of time?
 
I never leave it in the hopper for more than a couple of hours if I'm not reloading. I remove the measure (or just the hopper if it will come off separately) and use a funnel to transfer it back to the original container.

That warning has been around for decades.
 
I only have one can of powder where I reload. When I leave, I empty my throw back into the can after looking inside both to make sure the grains of powder look the same. Never have two types of powder near your reloading setup.
 
I close the hopper by twisting the bottom and then open the bottom again over the jug of powder.
Any powder spilled or leaked during charging gets put into a marked container (marked "bad s#!+" ) that gets disposed of as fire starter. Works for me. Anyine loading from a container marked only with "bad ****" would have a date with Darwin , it would not be pretty. Luckily no one goes near my reloading bench, the wife hasn't even laid eyes on it in years ( thankfully)
 
I pop the top off my hopper and pour it out into the container with a large funnel. Then I place the container beneath the drop tube and run the arm until nothing comes out for a dozen strokes. Then I take an air compressor and blow into it to make sure it's really, really empty. I occassionally see an errant flake that refuses to budge but I don't think a single flake really impacts my loads
 
I use either a Lee Auto Drum of Auto Disk that has a swivel screw fitting on the bottom or I just give a slight twist to the turret head and lift it out.
 
I would no more leave my powder in the measure for an extended length of time than I would unscrew the all the lids on my powder containers and just go off an leave them for an extended period of time.
 
If it's a Lee plastic hopper, I dump it when I'm done running the press. For my RCBS Little Dandy and a Dillion 1050 powder measures I use Dram Worx glass replacement powder hoppers. I also have Dram Worx hoppers on my Chargemasters but the body of the measure contacts the powder so they are emptied after use.
 
Yeah, long ago, I used to leave the powder in the Uniflow until I noticed the plastic hopper turned frosty. Now every single time I pour the powder back into the container.
 
My powder measure is on a Lee charging die which is on a Hornady lock and load insert in my Lee classic press. So I just take the die out with the powder measure attached, dump the powder, and put the measure with die attached in a drawer ready for the next use.

bottom line is, I really like my single station press after I put the Lock and Load bushing in it. much better than a turret press for me. Dies stay adjusted and did I mention they just snap in and out?
 
Last edited:
With the Hornady and RCBS powder drop dies on their respective progressive presses, it is easy to remove the powder measure and dump the hopper at the end of a reloading session. I have an Hornady L-N-L, RCBS Uniflow, and a modified Redding 10-X for use on the Hornady case activated powder drop die. I empty the powder measure back into the original powder container at the end of the reloading session each day. Remove the return spring and unscrew one end of the activation linkage and the measure comes right out.

For single stage reloading, I use a separate stand for the powder measure. I have to unscrew the measure from the stand when emptying the hopper but it only takes a few extra seconds. I do no leave powder in the measure overnight.

The MEC shotgun loaders are kind of the biggest pain to return powder to the storage bottle. They have a nice tip over feature on the shotgun loaders but you have to make sure the bottom plugs are in the powder and shot hopper bottles. Then, unscrewing the bottles from the press take some care to prevent dropping the bottle when it releases from the threads. Cleaning up shot or powder is no fun.

I have an RCBS Uniflow that I bought around 1980. Even with religiously removing the powder at the end of each days reloading session, the hopper has become difficult to see the powder level due to etching and graphite coating.
 
I remove the powder measure from the stand, holding the throw arm so that it doesn't move, and dump it back into the correct jug using a large funnel. For safety, I only keep one powder on my bench at a time. I never leave powder in the hopper after I finish loading.

My ChargeMaster has a dump valve and I scoot it to the edge of the table and dump in back into the proper jug, also using the funnel. I assume other electric chargers have dump valves?
 
I would no more leave my powder in the measure for an extended length of time than I would unscrew the all the lids on my powder containers and just go off an leave them for an extended period of time.
Well, when you put it that way.... that is essentially what you are doing when you just leave it in the hopper.
 
If I'm not actively loading, there is no powder in the hopper. I fill the hopper just prior to starting the run, and it's the first thing I dump when finished with the run. If I'm not at the press, the hopper is empty.

I use a Lee AutoDrum. I twist the hopper to close off the flow, just lift it out of the base, transfer it over to the bottle, open the flow again. It falls right in the powder bottle.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top