Help with Lee Auto disk pro!

[Frankl03]

I'm having trouble with a Lee Auto Dusk pro. I'm using it with a Lee Classic 4 hole turret. I'm trying to load 308 rounds using 42.3 grains of IMR 4064. The largest load I'm getting out of the Auto disk is 35 gr. I'm using the two largest disks stacked together with both disks on the 157 hole. This should give me a load around 42 gr.

Not sure what I'm doing wrong. please help if you can.

Thanks

 

[prickett]

What do you mean when you say "This should give me a load around 42 gr."? Is that based on Lee's charts? If so, I found them to be only a ball park approximation. You'll have to actually weigh the charge to see what it really equates to.

You may need to ream out the cavity (or cavities) to increase its capacity if you can't get the weight you need.

Make sure no powder is getting "stuck" (like if a large cavity was stacked on top of a smaller cavity - the resultant ledge would retain some of the powder).

 

[Bear2000]

Prickett is right - you should weight the charge several times to make sure it is throwing accurately, as Lee's measurement chart usually isn't spot on (at least not in my experience).

Your best best in my opinion is to load single stage when loading rifle with the Lee Classic Turret. Prep your brass, prime with the hand primer, throw with the cheap but pretty good Lee Perfect Powder Measure, and then seat and crimp.

 

[Highway_Star]

I've had best luck with my Lee turret press and Auto disk using it for pistol loads. I use a single stage press for rifle loads.

 

[floydster]

Get the adjustable charge bar for rifle loading, it works great.
Floydster

 

[evan price]

What I do is pick the best combination to get me half the charge, then throw it twice. If you disable the autoindex it's not a problem.

 

[Phil A]

Stick powder such as 4064 can be a problem on the auto disk. Ball powder or short cut stick meters better. However it's hard to beat 4064 (or Varget) for the .308. I use a Hornady powder measure for large rifle on the classic turret and manually index the turret. - Phil

 

[Oldcoyote]

With two 1.57 disks and H4350, my Pro Auto Disk throws aprox. what Lee predicts - 43.31 gr.

I ran powdered graphite through it when it was new.

 

[SSN Vet]

Double Disk on my LCT and ball powder is doing it for me for .30-30, 7.62x39 and .223 Rem.

When I finally set up for .30-06, my plan is to get the unniversal charging die and to mount the perfect powder measure and mannually actualte.

I've yet to find anyone who has set up the PPM on the unniversal charging die and figured out how to achieve case activated charging with it.

 

[Redhat]

Check to make sure your powder measure is fully activating when you pull the handle...it may need adjustment. If the disk hole doesn't move all the way under the drop tube it won't work properly.

Good luck!!!

 

[rondog]

Interesting info. I have the same press and setup, but haven't tried loading rifle yet. I have everything I need, just haven't started yet (need to finish my bench building project). I'll be doing .30-06 and 7.62x54R.

Oldcoyote - can you explain this a little more?

I ran powdered graphite through it when it was new.

 

[Oldcoyote]

Rdog

It isn't my original idea and I probably got it from here.

On a new powder measure, manufacturers often recommend running a hopper of powder through to lubricate it. An alternative is to run a teaspoon or so of powdered graphite through it. I used a small tube for car door locks purchased at an auto supply store.

 

[Oldcoyote]

SSN

I called Lee and they said that the Perfect Powder Measure was not fully automatic when used on the Lee Classic Turret. I think that means you have to manually reset it eact time.

DaveInFloweryBranch (my neighbor), successfully used a Uniflow with their automatic linkage.