Lee Auto Disk Powder Measurer Loads

[giggitygiggity]

I want to use this thread as an opportunity for you to post what size holes and powder you use for specific loads when using the Lee Auto Disk Powder Measurer. This way, for non-listed loads, people can refer to this thread as REFERENCE so that they do not have to do as much trial and error to find the correct hole/powder combination. Remember, do not rely on the information in this thread. People can type incorrect information. Always verify everything yourself.

With that being said, here are a few combinations that work for me:

.223 Remington
55 grain FMJ CCI SP H335 1.46CC (about 23.5 grains of powder)

.40SW
180 grain FMJ CCI LP Titegroup 40CC (about 4.65 grains of powder)

.45ACP
230 grain FMJ Wolf LP Titegroup 40CC (about 4.65 grains of powder)

 

[Rule3]

Or you could look at the chart. It all depends on you batch of powders VMD.

http://www.leeprecision.com/cgi-data/instruct/AD2302.pdf

http://www.leeprecision.com/cgi-data/instruct/VMD'S.pdf

 

[giggitygiggity]

The chart is useful, but some loadings are not available in the chart. That is what this is for.

 

[1SOW]

My powders are listed, but if they were'nt:

I'd pick a 'best guess' hole and drop maybe 5-10 charges and average them.

Then with that info solve using a ratio for the right hole 'volume".

X.Y grs/volume of first hole as (desired load) A.B grs/?? volume.

X.Y X A.B
vol. . . ??
Then try the hole that's closest to volume you found, and see how it works.

 

[Rule3]

The chart is useful, but some loadings are not available in the chart. That is what this is for.

True. But then you could use the adjustable charge bar or double discs. I usually just get the one that's closest to what I want give or take a few tenths of a grain. Some powders are right on in relation to the chart while some are several grains off. Once I find a good one I write the disc number on my reloads with the bullet and powder info so I do not have to find it again.

 

[LiveLife]

Most of the Auto Disk charges are graduated by 0.2 - 0.3 grain. I tend to use the lower of the two charges if the desired charge fell between the two.

For more exact match load developments, I have used shorter/longer OAL (in increments of 0.005") to make up the lower/higher Auto Disk charges.

For most pistol applications, 0.1 grain won't make that much difference.

 

[squarles67]

I keep track of them in an Excel Spreadsheet. I've also found that the Lee chart is spot on for some powders and off on others. I still check these with a scale to verify before loading. The "adj" is the adjustable charge bar.

2400	16.1	adj 16.1
2400	15.7	1.26
2400	13.5	adj 1.06
2400	13	adj 1.02
Bullseye	7.2	0.82
Bullseye	6.8	0.76
Bullseye	6.5	0.71
Bullseye	4.6	0.49
Bullseye	4.3	0.46
Clays	3.1	0.46
Clays	3.1	0.46
Enforcer	13.1	0.88
Enforcer	12.3	0.82
HP-38	5.4	0.53
HP-38	4.9	0.46
HP-38	4.6	0.43
HP-38	4.3	0.40
Lil Gun	15	adj 1.03
Lil Gun	14.5	1.02
Lil Gun	13.7	0.95
Red Dot	8	1.18
Red Dot	7.3	1.09
Red Dot	6.8	1.02
Red Dot	6.3	0.95
Red Dot	6	0.88
Titegroup	8.7	0.76
Titegroup	8.3	adj .74
Titegroup	8.3	0.71
Titegroup	7.8	adj .7
Titegroup	7.5	0.66
Titegroup	4	0.34
Titegroup	3.7	0.32
Trail Boss	6	1.46
Trail Boss	5.6	1.36
Trail Boss	5.1	1.26
Trail Boss	4.9	1.18
Unique	10	1.26
Unique	9.4	1.18
Unique	8.8	1.09
Unique	6	0.76
Unique	6	0.76

 

[tom357mag]

I put 10 charges through each hole and took the average charge. I was using Unique.
DISK A

SIZE LOW HIGH AVG

.30 2 2.4 2.26

.32 2.4 2.8 2.49

.34 2.4 2.8 2.64

.37 2.8 3 2.91

.40 3 3.3 3.14

.43 3.1 3.3 3.27

DISK B

SIZE LOW HIGH AVG

.46 3.3 3.7 3.58

.49 3.6 4 3.8

.53 3.9 4.2 4.06

.57 4.2 4.6 4.43

.61 4.6 4.9 4.72

.66 4.8 5.4 5.1

DISK C

SIZE LOW HIGH AVG

.71 5.3 5.9 5.63

.76 5.7 6.2 5.92

.82 6.3 6.7 6.42

.88 6.7 7.1 6.90

.95 6.8 7.6 7.33

1.02 7.5 8.2 7.83

DISK D

SIZE LOW HIGH AVG

1.09 8.3 8.9 8.41

1.18 8.9 9.2 9.12

1.26 9.6 10 9.76

1.36 10.3 10.8 10.59

1.46 11 11.5 11.29

1.57 11.9 12.4 12.18

 

[LiveLife]

I don't use Unique, but find tom357mag's charge-to-charge variations a bit disturbing.

Are his variations normal for Unique?

0.6 gr variation for a 5.0 gr charge is too much variation for me, as I wonder what it will do to accuracy of shot groups.

I consider 0.3 gr variation nominally acceptable for plinking/range loads - even Promo's large flakes average 0.2-0.3 gr variation in my Pro Auto Disk.

I consider less than 0.1 gr variation to be mandatory for match/practice loads. W231/HP38 and even Bullseye/Green Dot flakes average 0.1 gr variation in the Pro Auto Disk for 4.0-5.0 gr charges.

 

[evan price]

Large flakey powders measure poorly.

Using any data derived from posts here is misleading and possibly dangerous. Individual manufacturing tolerances in lots of disks and powders as well as variances in scales, humidity, etc means that nobody will duplicate any of Powder X load in THEIR disk every time.

I mean, it's interesting to see, but the data is NOT absolute.

Case in point- I have 5-6 sets of unmolested disks and a handful of custom-modified disks. I sort my disks and mark them so I know that when I need 6.0 of Titegroup there is one specific "B" .53 disk orifice that throws exactly 6.0 (2-B, actually). The others throw closer to 6.2.
I've got lots of "A" .37's that put out 4.2 gr. of Titegroup and one that does 4.4 gr (1-A) unmodified.

I've hand-filed disks to get what I want. For example. 41.0 grains H335. I modified a "D" disk to drop 20.5 grains and double-throw it.

 

[RON in PA]

I am down on threads like this one as I think anyone who reloads needs to have their own balance and needs to determine what their own individual powder measure throws by weighing a number (10) of thrown charges and getting an average. The chart that comes with the Lee Auto Disk has no relation to reality in my experience.

Also I find that relative humidity and different powder lots will affect the weight of thrown charges.

 

[The Bushmaster]

Hummm... Yes. Nothing like internet data...The most trustworthy method of gathering accurate "word of mouth" data.

 

[LiveLife]

evan price and RON in PA, I agree.

Although I have an extra column on my own load data sheet for my pet loads that indicate which Auto Disk hole to use, I always weigh the first few charges to verify that the powder in the hopper has sufficiently settled down for consistent charges and to verify the charge weight.

Bushmaster, yes, that's why I try to always add the link to factory load data page when I quote powder charges.

 

[1SOW]

The LEE chart is 'very' close with ball & small size powders. (Win 231, Vit n320)

ALWAYS weigh the loads as a sanity check. Like bds said, with the Lee disc system after the first few loads, it's very consistent (well within .1 gr) with smaller powders.

With Vit, the discs jump .4grs between some holes.

For $5 I bought a spare disc, successfully modified and renumbered two holes for my go-to loads9 (eg,#51 for 4.2 gr n320). I don't like the adjustable charge bar. It wasn't consistent for me.

For the powders I use, the Lee Pro disc system is super!

 

[jon_in_wv]

I used my auto disk yesterday for the first time and I was pretty leery about using Unique but after measuring the first few charges, then every fifth, then every tenth I finally quite measuring and just loaded up the rest. It was consistently throwing the same charge for me. I did use up the last of my Unique though so I think I'll try some W231 next.

 

[noylj]

For handguns, the guns aren't accurate enough to see any effect from ±0.2gn.
For rifles, the charges are large enough that you will never see any effect from ±0.2gn.
People can be as "accurate" as they want to be, just don't try to convince others that they ever need to worry about ±0.1gn. It just doesn't matter.
People have been throwing charges by volume long before any one decided they needed to weigh the charge.
Anyone can use scoops or some known volume in cc's and reference the Lee reloading manual for safe loads.
For me, I found that all the auto-disks are under the labeled cc's, so I make up my own spreadsheet. When I get a new lot of powder, the vmd changes and I need to re-establish the effective vmd for the powder.

 

[General Lee]

I found the best way to do this is to just measure it out. The charts are close but not precise. My powder was also not on there. I believe for 26.5 grains of Win 748 I use disks .88 and .93. I wouldn't take my word for it without checking it with a scale though

 

[SSN Vet]

Using any data derived from posts here is misleading and possibly dangerous.

I think the intent is to develope a guide for setting up the Auto-disk, and maybe reducing the iterations to home in on your desired charge weight.

The obvious key is to use your scale to measure your loads.... and no one advocated blindly loading off of these numbers.

As long as you use a scale, the data in this thread is no more dangerous than Lee's notoriously inaccurate table.

Yes VMD varies from on lot, humidity, etc... to another.

But Lee's chart seems to be tailored to cover his assets for those who are two tight to pop for his $20 Safety Scale (which is amazingly accurate, when tested agains the $500 electronic lab scale sitting on my desk right now).

"Properly" using the data in this thread, is about as dangerous as getting out of bed in the morning.

 

[SSN Vet]

one technique I've used is to throw and weigh some charges with a particular powder and disk that is in the ball park (i.e. one or two sizes larger than the one on Lee's table), take the average weight for that powder and that hole and then back calculate your own VMD (I call it VMD*).

Then use VMD* with your desired charge weight and calculate the correct volume.... which often won't correspond exactly to one of the options you have. So use your VMD* to calculate a charge weight for next available larger and smaller hole and see which one best fits what you're trying to accomplish.

For ball powders, I don't think the Auto-disk can be beat.... as it can hold +/- 0.1 gr

BUT.... my experience has shown that I need to keep the hopper >1/2 full to hold that degree of precision.

For some reason, I charges get heavy when I let the hopper drain down low.... say 1/4 full

Any body else out there ever notice that?

 

[Uniquedot]

I guess no one reads instructions. You can get the vmd for any powder and from different lots of the same powders by weighing samples, and marking the container for future reference. Then you can use the adjustable charge bar or closest disk to get what you want.