Howdy
The point of a drop tube is that the powder falling a couple of feet by gravity tends to pack denser in the case, ergo you get more powder in and it is more densely packed. But it only works if the powder drops directly into the case. Put something in between, like a funnel, and the effect is lost, because the funnel slows down the powder grains before they get into the case.
I know Mike likes to use a drop tube, but for my 45 Colt, 45 Schofield, 44-40, and 44 Russian CAS loads, it is just not necessary. Long range precision 45-70 ammo is a different story.
The key here is not stuffing as much powder as possible into the case. All you have to do is pour in enough so that when the bullet is seated it compresses the powder by between 1/16" and 1/8". No point in stuffing in more than that, it is just a waste of powder.
I agree, the amount and type of lube used is more important than using a drop tube to not need to clean your guns in between stages. It's Black Powder! It is supposed to be messy and cruddy! I use SPG lube and I use Big Lube bullets exclusively for Black Powder in CAS. Keeps my guns rolling through an entire match without needing any cleaning.
I ain't going to comment on Static Electricity and Black Powder. I will only say that I worked in the electronics industry for 24 years, and there is a whole lot more to what static discharge can do than a bunch of photos on the web.
I will tell you that grounding the press is pointless. That is because every time you move, you generate a static charge. So if the press is grounded, every time you touch the press, you discharge a spark to the press from your body to ground. You may not see or feel the spark, but it is there. Every single time. The only time grounding the press accomplishes anything is if you also ground yourself, and the entire work station. Keeping yourself and the press at the same potential is the only way to avoid a spark jumping from you to the press. No, I do not ground my press nor myself, although I do try to limit loading Black Powder to humid days, I try to avoid loading BP on very dry days. Moisture in the atmosphere drains off static charges more than dry air. That is why electronic assembly rooms often have a higher moisture content in the air than outside.
Typical static generators are glass, paper, wood, and most plastics. Anything that will not conduct current will generate a static charge. But static charges that are generated are proportional to the surface area of an object. A very small plastic object such as a powder funnel or a dipper does not generate much of a charge. A large plastic hopper on a loading press will generate a much larger charge. That is why I am the last person on the planet that still refuses to put Black Powder into the plastic hopper on a MEC shotgun press. However I do have a Lyman PB measure mounted on my Hornady Lock & Load. The BP measure has brass innards in an iron body. Don't forget, unlike a static charge, a spark generated by steel striking steel is a very effective way to ignite Black Powder. That's why BP powder measures have brass moving parts, so a spark cannot be generated.
