I recently bought some Longshot powder to reload 40S&W ammo. The Longshot powder seems to have a lot of larger flakes of powder causing inconsistent powder drops. Is there anything I can do to the powder to make it meter more accurately? It occasionally has large flakes that cause up to a 1 grain difference in the actual powder drop when using the on press powder drop. Is this just the way it is with Longshot??
Longshot powder and inconsistent charges with Lee Charge Bar
- Thread starter sfed
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RealGun
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Do you mean 1.0 grain variance or 0.1 grain? The former is unacceptable to say the least, but the latter is typical of most any powder or attempt to automate powder charge measurements.
frankenstein406
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Try the disks, the charge bar doesn't seem to like big flakey powder.
Yes Sir I was saying 1.0 grain difference, I agree with you on the .1 grain difference. That is within most anybody`s tolerance unless they are loading a really fast burning powder and are loading 3 or 4 grain max charge. Thanks for the input.
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Astroangler
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I was reading this thread and didn't understand or know what a disk is. Is that another type of powder dispenser and if so who makes it? Thanks
KansasSasquatch
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KansasSasquatch
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I don't know much about the Lee powder measures (I've owned a PPM in the past) but a 1.0gr variance sounds like there's something wrong besides the powder. I don't know about the bar but if the disks give you that much trouble with Longshot too, I think you need to try using a powder baffle and rule out static cling, as well as rule out the possibility that the powder measure needs to be cleaned. Is the powder measure new or has it been awhile since you've given it a good cleaning? I know the Lee powder measures are mainly plastic but there's a chance that it could have come with oil on metal parts that are causing powder to stick, like most metal powder measures come with. Longshot is a somewhat large flake powder but it's not near as big as Unique or 800X. I've had no trouble keeping within 0.1gr with Longshot (and most other powders) while Unique usually stays within 0.2gr, 800X is a whole other story.
Lennyjoe
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I am using Longshot with .40 cal out of a Lee Autodisc and it is no more than .1g variance on every throw. I'm loading Berry's 180gr Plated Flat Point with 7.2 gr of Longshot. Shoots well out of my FN-40, Taurus PT840, G23 and Beretta pistols.
stubbicatt
Member
Man, Hodgdon must have changed the formulation of the powder or something, but the 8 pounder I bought in 2008, and was using last week, is flattened ball powder, not flake powder at all, and it meters perfectly from my measure. 5.5 grains each throw I verified last week. It is the delux auto disc with the adjustable charge bar.
I'm sorry you are having issues.
It did take several, I mean several, like 15 cartridges or powder throws before it settled in on the measure setting, but after that it was very consistent.
This is as weighed on the little Hornady electronic scale.
I'm sorry you are having issues.
It did take several, I mean several, like 15 cartridges or powder throws before it settled in on the measure setting, but after that it was very consistent.
This is as weighed on the little Hornady electronic scale.
KansasSasquatch
Member
No, you're correct. Longshot is a flattened ball powder. To my naked eye it looks like a flake powder but Hodgdon lists it as a spherical powder, they list all of their flattened ball powders as spherical.
Brand new 4 pound jug just opened this week, some of the flakes of powder are about 1/2 the size of a pencil eraser in diameter. This is the first time I have used Longshot and wondered if this is normally the way it is? I wonder if I shook the jug a few minutes if it might break up these flakes to the point it will meter better? I weighed every charge just to make sure it was at the weight for the charge I wanted. Also these flakes, the bigger ones, would cause it to drop a light charge and I could tap the side of the hopper and the next charged case would have the large flakes. Being new to Longshot I just wanted to ask the professionals!!!
I shook this 4 lb jug for about a minute and the flakes are all the same size basically, at least non are the size that were causing the problems yesterday when I loaded the 40 S&W cartridges. Looks as if the problem is fixed and will see on the next batch I reload if it meters like it should. Wish I had thought of shaking the jug like I just did yesterday!! I see no flakes near as large as they were to begin with!! Thanks for the suggestions!!
The Powder was the problem
After a full minute of vigorous shaking of the 4lb jug it now meters like water. If you get a new jug of Longshot and the flakes look like mini sized corn flakes, shaking the jug for a good minute will break the larger flakes into very similar sized flakes similar to ground black pepper. Works excellent now!!
After a full minute of vigorous shaking of the 4lb jug it now meters like water. If you get a new jug of Longshot and the flakes look like mini sized corn flakes, shaking the jug for a good minute will break the larger flakes into very similar sized flakes similar to ground black pepper. Works excellent now!!
stubbicatt
Member
Oh. Your powder was clumping I guess.
Glad you were able to figure it out and all is well in North Central Florida.
Glad you were able to figure it out and all is well in North Central Florida.
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