Mistakes I've made
With the uniflow:
1. Worst- not cleaning it properly. RCBS packs it with a very greasy oil; it needs to be disassembled and cleaned thoroughly. This by itself will cause huge inconsistencies.
2. Metering valve set so that it fills when sitting still. I think it's far better to have the handle opposite the valve, and the valve chamber empty until you purposely fill it and then discharge it.. Settling is avoided this way. Throwing a charge seems best if practiced!
3. Baffles.. I ended up making a set of baffles for my smaller uniflow.. Used a metal measuring spoon...
With an electronic scale:
1. Not leveling the table good enough.
2. Trusting that all electronic scales are "good". I had a RCBS that would not stop incrementing values & could not be zeroed. I had a hornady pocket scale that was, at best, good for 0.2 grain resolution and its results showed that.
3. Assuming that the factory batteries were good. Most of mine weren't.
4. Not getting a weight check set. Check the scale with weights about the same weight as you intend to throw. Who cares if 771 grains is close to 771 grains - if I'm throwing a charge of 25 grains, I want to know that the scale is accurate at, yes, 25 grains. Yes, calibrate it according to the manufacturers instructions, but to check a 10 grain throw, check the scale with a known 10 grain weight! If scale A shows 10.1grains, and scale B shows 10.2- which is right ? Or if scale B shows 10.3 ? Weight check set is the only answer I can come up with.
5. Assuming that you need exacting accuracy! The more that your charge weighs, the less that 0.1 grain matters- unless you are towards max loads or seeing signs of excessive pressure. It is more important when throwing smaller loads- I would guess.
Other mistakes: Not trying out the Lee el-cheapo powder thrower. It works quite well.. Guess I should also be using the balance scales more , but that I'll address later on. The uniflow measures well for larger throws, but for smaller throws, the lee seems a bit better. Just my opinion.
