Metering IMR 4350

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grandpawj

grandpawj

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I am loading some 30-06's using IMR 4350. I have read the threads on using the powder measure to do it and the, "it's like trying to grind coffee" posts. I am trying to use the RCBS Uniflo and I can't make myself Power-through lifting the lever to dump the charge. Do I need to worry about my powder hopper going BOOM!!! when it tries to shear pieces of the extruded powder?
 
No, you don't need to worry. Just use your measure the same way for each charge. Practice if you need to learn what technique works best.

With a 3/10ths to 4/10ths spread in charge weight, you won't see any significant difference in accuracy through 300 yards. And very little difference up to 600 yards.

Sierra Bullets meters powders like that to the same spread in charge weight getting 1/2 MOA accuracy at 200 yards in standard and magnum cases shooting match bullets.
 
Near impossible to get accurate drops out of the uniflow, I've beat that horse already too.
I invested in the RCBS auto-charge just for this purpose. Double-and triple checked by a Lyman digital scale, and my 505 every so often
 
To answer question, NO, I have ground 4350 to coffee, forcing handle back and forth. It's not gonna explode, but your drops will vary.
 
Thanks guys. I will use elbow grease till I can afford the Chargemaster. What I will do is throw light loads and then top off with the trickler, now that I don't have to worry about combustion.:D
 
Do you have the handle setup to dump powder on the up stroke or do you have it to dump on the down stroke?

I have been using a Uniflow since 1969 and never had any problems getting charges within acceptable variances ....

The only powder that I have trouble with is 800X ...
 
grandpawj said:
Thanks guys. I will use elbow grease till I can afford the Chargemaster. What I will do is throw light loads and then top off with the trickler, now that I don't have to worry about combustion.:D
Click to expand...


Yes this is the way. All my IMR 4350 30-06 loads were done this way until I got my RCBS Chargemaster this year. Even now, I do the "straw trick" on You Tube for stick powders like IMR 4350.

BTW - move the handle consistently and you will drop charges that are pretty close. When you feel you are cutting a powder grain firmly power through it. It is still pretty accurate.
 
Simple solution. Switch powder to WW760. Very consistent metering and burn rate is similar to 4350.
 
From my perspective metering of IMR4350 thru a powder measure is another over stated problem. I've been using IMR4350 for thirty plus years distributing the powder thru a Belding&Mull measure to begin with and at present a Redding measure. There is an acceptable variance. Accuracy has always been satisfactory.
 
I have always had success using a Lee PPM (perfect powder measure) for the difficult to meter IMR powders (logs). Very consistent, repeatable and only $20.00, or so. I made a baffle from flexible plastic and it works even better now.
 
I've only loaded about 20 rounds with IMR4350 (just started with it when H4350 and AA4350 were hard to find) and I didn't have too much of a problem with it metering. Like kerreckt, I'm using a lee PPM with a patented high-tech baffle made from a prescription bottle lid. I have no problem with any of the IMR powders as long as the baffle is in there. IMR4064 is my main powder in most of my loads and it meter's that very well, considering the size of the kernels. Without the baffle, it's a crap-shoot. I cut kernels occasionally, but it doesn't seem to affect the thrown weight too much, again, as long as the baffle is in place.

Matt
 
I made an extended handle for my RCBS powder thrower and while it helped power through the crunch it (the RCBS thrower) as not up to the level of drop accuracy I was satisfied with. I got the Lee thrower and it is leaps and bounds more accurate and no annoying crunch. Honestly it is as accurate as a Redding thrower I had many years ago.
 
I really hate to see folks give up on the RCBS Uniflow so quick ...

They will work ... or either I must have got the only one made that works like it should ...
 
You could buy 3-4 Lee PPM for the price of a Uniflow Jim. Mine throws IMR 4350 spot on everytime once I set it to correctly throw the charge I want. Its cheap and works as good as any powder measure on the market.

I read up on every powder measure before I even considered buying one and for $20 I got a powder measure that looks and feels cheap but performs as good as the $100+ or better.
 
Having the measure on a RIGID stand helps immensely. I currently have it on a Hornady LNL stand which is pretty rigid (and well mounted to a very sturdy / hard bench surface) and it works well there. The worst is to use the flat metal bar thingy that came with the measure - not suitable for coarse powder. You can also screw it directly into the press which will work really well but access can be an issue.

Quick wrist snap with a rigid mount and the measure works flawlwssly with all powders. Quick wrist snap on the flat bar thingy and you have powder flying out of the top of the measure and the rotor will hang up regularly. It's a night and day difference.
 
JimKirk said:
I really hate to see folks give up on the RCBS Uniflow so quick ...

They will work ... or either I must have got the only one made that works like it should ...
Click to expand...


Nope Jim, mine works just fine too. ;) :cool:

It's all in your technique on the handle.

IMHO, if you've got a slow, "POWER THROUGH IT" type stroke, you're doing it wrong. In my experience, the best way to work a Uniflow or whatever color you prefer drum type measure, is with a quick "flip" type motion. You want to quickly get the speed of the drum up, so that it easily shears any powder grains that get trapped between the metering chamber edges and the body of the measure. With this technique, you will rarely ever get the drum stuck on a kernel of powder... and if you do, just pour it back into the hopper, and drop it again.

Once you get your technique refined to the point that you're doing it exactly the same way for every throw, you can throw any IMR powder or any extruded powder for that matter to within .2 grains... usually within .1 grains... which, in a case the size of the '-06 family, is perfectly acceptable... you will see no noticeable effect in accuracy or muzzle velocity with that small of variance in charge weights.

Even the benchrest guys don't weigh every charge... no reason for us to either.
 
A common load I use is 56 grains of IMR 7828(the big grained one) ... like 300 Whsrp said ... I see less than .2 grain variance between charges ... most of the time even less 90% of the time ... .2 grain is .00357% !!!
 
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