Any Problem Trickling Powder By Hand?

I take it a step further. For stick powders, I count the number of full length sticks and replace all non full length broken sticks.

That is the only way to ensure each round has the same exact amount and type powder. A short stick will not burn at the same rate as a full length stick.

In 223 for 65 grain bullets, each round will have 873 full length sticks of IMR-3031. I’ve done it so much I can Rain Man powder. 256. 256 sticks.

I use the RCBS trickler and the Lee dipper (and my own dippers) when I do load development.

Basically what I do is decide on my load range, calculate the CC using the powder VMD, then use the correct dipper (or my own) to get close to the weight, then trickle the rest.

I assume you can tricle by hand using a case, but the RCBS trickler works very well for me.

Ru4real said:

I take it a step further.

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That’s how I do heifers at the ranch.
Count all the legs as they run by, then divide by four.
It works, as long as I don’t have socks on.

Some people seem to be MUCH more thorough than the rest of us.

The_Savage said:

Hi all,

I was just wondering if putting my brass and primer on my scale, zeroing it, then throwing powder into it and then removing or adding powder to reach my desired grain weight on the scale while wearing gloves is a valid method of weighing charges. Thanks in advance!

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In a word; NO
To expand, each case and primer will have slightly different weight total then adding powder only adds an additional layer of complexity.

I have the Lee funnel. I cut the bottom half of the lower part off enough so I could hold a 22 Hornet case up and all the propellant would go inside. That part was less than 1/2 inch long. Then I mounted it by the hole to the edge of my bench. Use my left hand to hold brass up against the funnel and right hand to dump the pan or a scoop this works great for me.YMMV

I guess I didn’t read the OP, I was thinking manually not actually “by hand”. My first thought...

It took almost 2 pages for someone to point out that not all cases weigh identically the same?

Howland937 said:

It took almost 2 pages for someone to point out that not all cases weigh identically the same?

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Wouldn’t matter for what the OP was intending to do.

I was just wondering if putting my brass and primer on my scale, zeroing it, then..

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jmorris said:

Wouldn’t matter for what the OP was intending to do.

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Ohh... zeroing each time. Ok, yeah. Guess not

I’m not following the OP. Why weight cases and primers. ?
Other than spot checking powder charges thrown by a powder measure, I haven't weighed out individual powder charges in decades. The scale is used to arrive at a powder charge the used to spot check thru the reloading process.
I do understand not every one uses a progressive.

PS Why the gloves?

The_Savage said:

putting my brass and primer on my scale, zeroing it, then throwing powder into it and then removing or adding powder to reach my desired grain weight on the scale

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OP didn't mention electronic or beam scale. I use this method and an inexpensive +/- 0.001g electronic scale for precision loads. Over the chronograph, .40 and 9mm loads at ~1000fps have s.d. of 9. Very consistent.

An electronic load cell is a quartz crystal with mechanical equilibrium. It must be "settled" before zeroing, and again when weighing. To "settle", I lightly tap the primed brass until the same number [+/- 0.001g] consistently appears. Press TARE only when the reading is consistent. I also use a "shock absorber" - a piece of card stock between the brass and pan.

It's easier (for me) to slightly under-load the powder and trickle-up. For a trickler, I fill a piece of primed brass with powder and gently tap it into the brass on the scale.

There are places that can be cut back on but powder measureing equipment isn't the place to cut back on in my oppinion.

When starting out if you don't have the money for a decent powder measurer but the Lee Dipper Set.
Then buy the Lee Viborator Powder Trickler for $40.
A regular hand trickler will cost you around $20. Turning the hand tricker gets old very fast.
With the battery powered Viborator tumbler a push of the button and you are done.

Howland937 said:

It took almost 2 pages for someone to point out that not all cases weigh identically the same?

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Go figure

Sure you can but why. I'd do it if it were the end times.

I was watching Alaskan Bush People or maybe Life Below Zero and they poured some powder on to a table and scooped it up using a table spoon and a funnel. I was pretty horrified but they all still have all their fingers.

[QUOTE="Johnnyd, post: 11758223, member:

I was watching Alaskan Bush People or maybe Life Below Zero and they poured some powder on to a table and scooped it up using a table spoon and a funnel. I was pretty horrified but they all still have all their fingers.[/QUOTE]

Only belive in half of what you see and nothing of what you read.
Same with a lot of advice written on internet.

Highland Lofts said:

[QUOTE="Johnnyd, post: 11758223, member:

I was watching Alaskan Bush People or maybe Life Below Zero and they poured some powder on to a table and scooped it up using a table spoon and a funnel. I was pretty horrified but they all still have all their fingers.

Click to expand...

Only belive in half of what you see and nothing of what you read.
Same with a lot of advice written on internet.[/QUOTE]

I don't believe any of it but the tablespoon was over the top for me.

I zero my scale with a primed piece of brass, then drop powder close to target charge, then trickle directly into the case.

My advise is to do what works best for you and your setup. Everyone has their own favorite methods and they are all different. Just read the posts here for proof of that. I have used the method of zeroing to the case weight and then dumping powder into the case and reweighing it. It works just fine and it doesn't seem to slow me down at all. But again if you find something that works for you and you are sure it is safe go for it.

sequins said:

I zero my scale with a primed piece of brass, then drop powder close to target charge, then trickle directly into the case.

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Do you re zero each time ?

South Prairie Jim said:

Do you re zero each time ?

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I don't re-verify with check weights each time if thats what you mean, but after my initial calibration and testing I'm very confident warming the scale up an hour before I get started, zeroing it, weighing a primed case and setting my tare to 0, then throwing a charge of powder thats less than but close to my target charge, weighing the primed, charged case and noting the powder weight, and then removing the case from the scale, trickling a bit, and then weighing again and repeating until I hit my target weight.

I find trickling directly onto the scale causes a wander so thats why I remove my case when trickling, but I see no difference from measuring a zeroed tared pan + powder vs. zeroed tared cartridge casing + powder.

Im pretty happy with this method.