How did I do for purchasing local?

[tightgroup tiger]

I'm not getting into a brand war here with any one but if I had that experience I would have hard feelings also.

I can tell the OP that with my autocharge and my electronic bench scale, if I'm running it with my cell phone on my belt, both of them will start acting weird.

If I move it 6 feet away from my scales, they go back to normal. I'm a maintenance manager and am on call 24-7 so my phone never gets turned off.
Just moving it 6' away seems to be all it takes, and they run normal.

My $1200.00 laser lever on a tripod at work goes bonkers also if I'm wearing my cell phone.

Fluorescent lights never seemed to affect my scales. I have T8 lights and T12 lights both over my loading bench and I've never experience any kind of trouble from the scales.

 

[roval]

my bolt action likes cfe 223 with 55 gr v max. it's also very easy to meter.

 

[Bfh_auto]

Bfh_auto
I do live in the sticks, it’s an hour + to get anywhere to purchase ANYTHING locally. I’ll look into the CFE223 for 30-30 for sure but I honestly shoot my ar way more than the 30-30 and picked up a wide variety of (to me) powder to play around with. I was trying to find powders that would work for plinking, varmint hunting (coyotes here and even some eastern coyotes & groundhog digging under my outbuildings and in the pasture) possibly deer as my furthest safe shot is 150 yards. If I reload for the 30-30 I want something that can sit up for years as I’ll only reload around 10-20 rounds a year for it.

I read a lot of posts here and tried to find a selection of powders that would suit my needs. Availability was a huge factor and being able to buy locally for near online prices pushed me over the edge. Varget was the most expensive at 39.00 a lb but thought it would work great for the 170gr jsp 30-30 rounds and probably wouldn’t have to buy more in my lifetime just to reload a few 30-30 rounds a year.

Dave

I understand your reasoning. I live 45 minutes from the closest reloading store. I can save 7 dollars a pound if I drive 15 minutes further.
I love stopping at your BassPro. Even if the prices are high, it's worth seeing the gun museums and the atmosphere is great.

 

[DRAINSMITH]

The trickle approach tuning isn’t the problem.

The computer failure which aborts all function after about 4 throws (my first one which I paid to replace 3 months out of warranty) isn’t fixed by the instruction manual.

The same computer failure which befell my SECOND Autocharge a few months before the 1yr warranty ran out also is not fixed by info in the instruction manual.

The dispenser drive motor burning out in my THIRD Autocharge about 6 months after the 1 year warranty also is not fixed by something in the instruction manual.

The same computer failure befell 2 other guys in my rifle club, both within their 1 year warranties.

Three failures in 3 machines, each in 18months or less of service is a pretty poor track record to me. Two more of the same failures in machines owned by my compatriots, out of a small handful of guys I know owning them...

Now... compare that to my Chargemasters - one is ~12yrs old, nary a hiccup. The second (addition, not replacement) is now 5yrs old, also, nary a hiccup... I also have a 3yr old Lyman which has also never given me any heartburn whatsoever.

So in a period of about 4yrs, I had to go through 3 Hornady machines and was left needing a 4th, whereas I have not gone through a single Chargemaster in 3 times as long...

I’ll respectfully decline your offer to “assist” me in tuning the trickle approach setting on my burned out motor. Hopefully that satisfies your need for self validation as to my justification of my statements. With equal hope that your ears aren’t too full of fanboi wax to hear firsthand experiences of poor performance by your beloved gear.

Had you put this instead of just saying "The Hornady Autocharge is junk" I would have offered you a hug instead of an attack. I just hate it when someone hears something negative and must repeat it with no personal experience. And that goes for everything fro reloading equipment to vehicles to our president.

You will never be able to fix my "self-validation" but your "justification" is well noted and excepted. Now, do you want your hug? Here it comes. Sorry about your bad experience. And I would have felt the same as you.

 

[Varminterror]

I’m a big fan of Hornady. But the LNL Autocharge is junk, unfitting for the rest of their product lines. So out of respect for Hornady’s OTHER products, I don’t belabor every thread asking for advice on the Autocharge with the details, until some self-riteous attitude demands validation. It’s obviously much more to the point to recommend - the auto charge is junk, get a Chargemaster - than to type or force someone to read the wall-of-text details of my experience with the piece of junk.

I’m happy to answer any asker who might reply - why do you find it to be junk? I suppose I find myself obliged to answer others who thump their fanboi chest to prevent an inexperienced and obviously biased opinion from encouraging a bad purchase by some unsuspecting victim.

 

[kwg020]

kwg020,
I have been keeping my eye out for quite a few of the powders you mentioned, I was pretty happy to find the 1lb of h4895 and Varget, both seem to be go to powders for many. All the others would have to be an online purchase for me as the selection around here is slim. I am considering picking up some AA2230 as I read many good reviews for it here and elsewhere on the net...

When you say CFE223 is better for heavier .223 bullets, what weights would that be? I’m interested in working up loads using heavier bullets in my ar, 16 inch 1-9 twist. It shoots 55gr and 62gr quite well and I’ve picked up some heavier Hornady 68gr bthp to test. I understand that anything heavier may or may not stabilize with the 1-9 twist rate so haven’t picked up anything heavier to test just yet. CFE.223 is a powder that’s listed in most of my manuals for numerous weights of bullets but I think testing was in 18-20 inch barrels so obviously may not be optimal for my needs to plink... just grabbed it cause it was there and hardly ever see anything suitable for .223/5.56 or 30-30 around here cause someone always snatches it up before I can.

I have a Hornady powder measure that came with my starter kit but have never really used it cause it couldn’t throw a charge small enough to reload for pistol without spending the money on a different drum but might pull it out and see if I can work it in to reloading for rifle. It would be nice to put it to use honestly as it’s spent the last decade in a drawer...

Dave

Slow powders allow you to get more velocity out of heavier bullets without pressure issues. I just loaded up some 62 grain soft points with the CFE.223 and I have yet to try them. (crappy weather) But, based on the burn rate chart CFE is slower than Winchester 748 which is the slowest powder I have tried with 62's. I also have loaded some 68's with 748 and in a 1/9 twist barrel they did OK but with a 1/8 they did better. I suspect the 68's and CFE will shoot well with an 18" barrel. But, I rarely shoot 68's. I doubt I will ever buy anymore CFE or 748 unless I start shooting heavier bullets. It does meter well through my powder measure.

I don't have a chrono so I cannot give you much information about velocity. The faster powder may not deliver maximum velocity but I prefer accuracy over velocity. The AA2230 and 2460 has been great for 55 and 62 grain bullets in various barrels. The most accurate powder I have found in several different barrels is IMR 3031. That is a fast powder compared to the AA2230 and 2460 but it made for some accurate bullets. 24.6 grains of 3031 delivers a great 55 grain FMJ or soft point plinker round. I have not shot them more than 100 yards so I cannot tell you how well they deliver over that distance. AA2230 and 2460 meters well through my powder measure and 3031 meters OK. 3031 and 4895 are stick powder and meter very much the same. I understand Varget is stick powder too.

When powder was hard to find we all had to take what we could find. I would get on Brownells or Midway USA mailing list and take advantage of their online specials which includes free shipping and no hazmat fees. Download several Burn rate charts and plan some loads with that information. Everyone finds their own sweet spot with powder and bullets. Getting what you could find is OK but I think you will want to focus on a bullet and powder choice to get the best results at the lowest cost. I find my best powder prices at a local gun show that happens every 2 months. I'm also within a short distance to a Sportsman's Warehouse and Brownell's Grinnell store so I have plenty of options.
kwg

 

[Toprudder]

How did I do???

I think you did pretty good! Rifle powder for less than $25 per pound is generally a good price.

I haven't noticed any problems with cell phone interference but where I'm at I have at best 1 bar.

FWIW, the possible interference from a cell phone will be the worst when you have a weak signal. Sounds counter-intuitive, but true. The number of bars indicate the signal strength from the tower, NOT from the phone itself (which is the interfering source). The phone will increase its signal to the tower when the link is weak. Sometimes the phone will drop back to the analog CDMA 800MHz range (Verizon and Sprint) when it can't find a tower, and the lower frequency is even more likely to interfere. Even so, the cell phone would have to be fairly close to cause problem. I always have my phone in the reloading room with me, but I just don't place it anywhere near the scale.