Dudedog
Contributing Member
You could just remove the ratchet and move the turret by hand, if you don't need the crimp in station 4.
Drop, advance to seat, retreat to drop....
Powder measure
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Drop, advance to seat, retreat to drop....
kmw1954
Member
I was trying that with my new 4 hole Value press with some 223. After a box I went back to the old 3 hole press and set primers in station1(empty), dropped powder in station 2 and seat bullets in station 3.
Creatures of habit are a hard lot to change to new ways!
snowman357
Member
If stick powder use an electronic dispenser of your liking, if ball powder use a powder thrower and trickler if needed. I still weigh every single charge on my rifles, pistol I use the lee perfect powder measure ( have several I leave them set for particular loads) and check every 8th round.
That cheap lee powder measure works very well probably one of their better products didnt need any tinkering to get it to work.
That cheap lee powder measure works very well probably one of their better products didnt need any tinkering to get it to work.
.38 Special
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This matches my experience exactly. Everybody I knew brought their reloading gear with them to the shoots and loaded right there, often off the tailgate, and they all used lever-actuated powder measures. I never once saw or heard of any of them trickling charges into a scale. The longest distance for those matches was 300 yards, though...
Hooda Thunkit
Member
Reminds me of a place I used to work at many decades ago.
We made small plastic parts. I was fairly new there, and was helping set up the line for a production run. I saw a way to change the setup, and save 10-12 seconds per piece (a very big savings).
The person I was helping had been there for 15 years. When I made the suggestion, she just looked at me and said 'But we've always done it this way..."
And that was the end of it.
Sigh.
kmw1954
Member
Yes, there is the right way, wrong way, old way, new way, your way, my way, who's to say which is the "Correct way"? See this even in the reloading forums everyday.
RKRCPA
Member
This gets a little fuzzy for me.
Step by step- we have a powder thrown ( not exact) then poured into a case that may or may not be the same weight or have the same volume as the previous case. Then weigh the imaginary difference on a scale then pour that remainder into the case that is on the scale or sitting near by ? This is were things get fuzzy......
Why not throw a charge into the scale pan then trickle up to the desired weight prior to pouring into the case?
Yeah, my response could have been clearer.....
I would drop the charge in all of the cases for expediency and then go back and dump a charge from the case into the scale pan and trickle to the actual charge weight. For me it was quicker to dump into the cases while they were all standing in the loading tray than to handle the scale pan each time. Otherwise I would experience a lot of powder splash dropping powder into the pan from the Uniflow.
lordpaxman
Member
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When I first started it was on a 5-0-5, I had a small spoon dropping close to the charge and then a hand trickler to get it exact. Very tedious, very necessary to insure consistency with charge weight. Since I like range time more than reloading time, I ended up with a chargemaster. I still check charges occasionally, but it’s so nice to select a weight and hit DISP. Good luck.
Poper
Member
This ^^^ is true.
I will add, however, EVERY tiny variation will have some impact, no matter how minute, on accuracy.
The super accurate loads I developed for my Browning A-Bolt in .300 WSM eliminated as many variables as possible. The process was not fast by any means! The following procedure was after load development identified an excellent load that was consistently printing 5 round groups just under an inch.
I culled through 700 new Winchester cases to get 200 pieces of brass after having been sized, trimmed, chamfered, deburred, uniformed flasholes and weighed within +/- 1 grain.
Cases were primed with Federal GM205 match rifle primers.
Then I culled Sierra 180 grain Game King bullets to +/- 0.1 grain in weight.
Bullets were then measured with a Stony Point Comparator from the base of the bullet to the ogive and culled to +/- 0.001".
Every powder charge was thrown slightly light from the powder measure (RCBS Uniflow) and trickled up to the exact charge on a RCBS 505 scale.
Bullets were seated long about 0.040" with the RCBS competition seater die and measured with the RCBS Precision Mic. The RCBS PM measures from the base of the cartridge to the ogive of the seated bullet - which is the portion of the bullet that contacts the lands. The PM comes with a dummy round with a hardened steel insert in a nylon sleeve that can be used to determine the distance from the face of the bolt to the lands in the barrel where the ogive of the bullet will contact the lands.
After all rounds were loaded, each round was placed in the press with the Competetition Seater Die's micrometer backed off 1 turn. Raise the press ram all the way, screw the CSD micrometer to firm contact with the seated bullet, remove the loaded round and measure the round with the Precision Mic. Then adjust the Competition Seater Die's micrometer as necessary to achieve the 0.010" distance from the ogive to the lands. Tolerance was held to +/- 0.001".
All of this was very tedious, indeed and not done in a single session or two! In doing so, the result was extremely consistent rounds. The average 5 round group size shrank to just under 0.65" with SD velocities in the single digits as comared to the previous average group size of just under 1.0" and SD velocities in the 20's.
Now, for hunting ammo, the 1" groups were more than adequate, and I shot a little button buck with that ammo that year at 150 yards to prove it. I just wanted to see if all the crazy minutae stuff would have a measurable impact. When all added together, I would say "yes", definitely. How much with each little step? Who knows? I am not willing to go to that extreme amount of testing to find out!
I would like to add this observation: The .300 WSM round has a lot going for it in the inherrent accuracy department and all of the rifles I have worked with in the caliber (Browning, Remington and Savage) have all responded favorably to handloading (as oposed to REloading). This, too, has been my experience with my Metallic Silhouette calibers - .270 Winchester and 6.5x55 SM.
Your mileage may vary.......
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Hooda Thunkit
Member
Poper
Member
I, too, had a chargemaster for a long time. All three of them went whacko after a while. I caught the first one dumping random charges that varied by several grains. The second one did the same and the third one's electronics just quit working altogether. RCBS replaced the first two at no cost but refused to warranty the third one. I don't trust electronics all that much. If they CAN fail, sooner or later, they will.
Mechanical stuff can wear, too. Still, I find I have much more confidence in my RCBS 505 than any of my electronic scales.
Poper
Member
Yes. IME, there are far more reloaders than there are handloaders.
And there is a difference.
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