Powder charging multiple cases: thoughts?

[VanGoghComplex]

Up til now, when my brass has been tumbled, sized, belled and primed, I would charge, seat and crimp each bullet individually. In an effort to streamline bench flow, I've got a couple new pieces of equipment coming in so that I can do those first few steps right out of the tumbler without changing setups.

What I'm thinking of doing is setting all my casings mouth-up in one of those Lee universal shell trays, and holding the tray as I run them all underneath my powder measure in one operation. Then, seat and crimp in a final operation.

My powder and charge is such that a double-charge will be immediately apparent as it will overflow the case, and I can check the whole lot of them for missed cases under a light. I'm pretty confident in the repeatability of my Hornady powder measure. Given those things, what's your knee-jerk reaction to this idea? Is it worth trying if I'm careful, or am I inviting disaster?

 

[Blue68f100]

Some do it that way. Once I do the powder drop I seat the bullet. No dought that way. As with some powder/cases it's hard to see down into. Then you also have to deal with bumping the tray or loosing you spot if some one interrupts you.

 

[rangerphil]

You save a lot of time charging all the cases at once. Also, in my opinion, it is easier to recognize an overcharged case when you have the other cases right beside it for a comparison.

 

[Reefinmike]

Pretty standard way of doing things on a single stage. Thats why lee produces those trays.

 

[VanGoghComplex]

Awesome, thanks for the feedback. I've reloaded about 1,000 rounds so far, so I feel comfortable with most of it, but I approach any change in my routine with (a healthy, I hope) amount of apprehension. =)

 

[Jim Watson]

I learned to start with a basket of primed cases, powder charge each one until a 50-60 hole cartridge block was filled; then go down each row under a good light to be SURE they all contained one and only one powder charge each.

When I got my PACT dispenser, I thought "Why not seat the bullet while the dispenser was making up the next powder charge?" I ran for a while like that but did not feel quite comfortable; 30 years of block checks was a habit just tough to override. I went back to the batch process.

Either way will work once you are used to it.

 

[Trailduster79]

with my rifle loads I charge them all at one time. There is no risk of me double charging as it would overflow. I then inspect each with a flashlight before moving on.

With my pistol rounds I prep all the cases and prime, then I do charge and seat for each bullet individually.

 

[JonB]

That's the way I do it too. I drop powder into 50 cases with Lee PPM weighing every 10th one. After each case has powder I put it into a loading block. Once the block is full I shine a flashlight into each case checking for obvious double or squib rounds, then seat bullets.

Also, just for a safety I 'dump' each case right before adding the powder. So if it already had powder, it would be empty when adding more. I haven't had an issue yet as my empty brass is in a ziplock bag, powder added, then onto a loading block.

 

[TimSr]

Is it worth trying if I'm careful, or am I inviting disaster?

Its the safest way to do it. Once all cases are charged, you can eyeball them and easily spot a significant under/over charge by comparing them. It's saved me from squibbing a few times.

 

[joem1945]

To eliminate the possiblity of a over charge, I put cases ready to load in a food saver plastic dish, take them one at a time and charge them, then put the charged case in a loading block. No way no how can you forget and over or under charge a case.

 

[VanGoghComplex]

Its the safest way to do it. Once all cases are charged, you can eyeball them and easily spot a significant under/over charge by comparing them. It's saved me from squibbing a few times.

Hadn't thought of it that way. Makes sense. Thanks!

 

[CZ9shooter]

That sounds about how I do it on my single stage.

My clean cases start off in a coffee can usually. They get resized and deprimed and go into the block upside-down. Then I flip them over one by one as they are belled and primed. Now all of them get charged. After a quick inspection with a flashlight, a bullet will be placed on top of every cartridge. Most of the time the fit is good enough that the rounds can be picked up by the bullet without falling apart when going to the seating stage.

 

[Mauser69]

As most other folks have said, this is a very common method. In fact, with a single stage press, I cannot imagine any other reasonable way at all.

I load all my .44s on a Rock Chucker, using the shell blocks. Decap/resize all as first step, placing them base up in the blocks so I can do a quick inspection of the primer pockets before step 2. Next, I mount the powder measure under the case flare die and use the prime arm of the press to seat the new primer as I pull the flared case out of the die. Then, when removing the case, I simply rack the powder measure and place the charged case back in the loading block. Since I am not handling the case an extra time after flaring the mouth, this takes almost zero additional effort, and it then lets me inspect ALL charged cases with a light for same volume of powder before the final step.

After looking up and down all rows of charged cases in the blocks, I simply place a bullet in the mouth of each, which "seals the deal", so-to-speak. After this I make the final die change and quickly run all the rounds through to seat and crimp.

This process is so quick and effortless, I often prefer it for just loading several hundred rounds instead of going to the trouble to switch over the dies and powder in my progressive press, and the visual check of all the charged cases is actually an added benefit from just relying on the progressive to do it all right.

 

[otisrush]

I have a single stage press.

In general my brain does better doing one, maybe two, tasks on a case at a time. I've considered doing the charge / seat bullet immediately process but for me that's too much. It gets easy for me to get lost.

I use a process similar to joem: I have a bunch of used plastic yogurt containers that are perfectly sized to hold either 50 .223 or 100 9mm cases. This is how I store my primed cases. So when I'm charging I'm picking up from the yogurt container, charging, and then placing the charged case in a loading block. I weigh every every 10th charge to be sure my powder measure isn't creeping out of what I want. I also weigh a throw from the measure after my last charge - to be sure the last 10 cases are in spec. And, like others, I get a flashlight and look at all 50 cases prior to seating bullets. I've also noticed I can see the powder (pistol cases) when the charged case is in the shellholder on the press. I try to remember to visually confirm powder there as well before I actually snap the bullet onto the case.

I've also tried to develop the habit of LOOKING into the case before I charge. I'm not particularly worried about having powder in there - given how I handle my primed cases and they're not in a loading block. But I have had a couple of situations where some impacted tumbler media is at the bottom of the case and I've had to scrape it out. That works well for 9mm and .38 Spcl. I haven't loaded .223 in a while and I imagine it'll be harder with such a small mouth.

OR

 

[Malamute]

Hmm, interesting. It never even occurred to me to charge the cases one at a time before putting them in the loading block. I fill the block, then charge them all at once in series, carefully look at them all with a good light, then take one, put a bullet in it, put in the shell holder, and seat.

I think charging one at a time would seem pretty slow, and not any advantage that comes to mind. If I'm missing anything I'm open to suggestion.

From many comments, I'm wondering if some may be missing something. I think the chance of a double charge is near zero (I've never had one in any event), but the chance of the powder bridging or hanging in the measure, a partial charge in one case, then more than a charge in the next case, not an actual double charge is more likely. It wouldnt take much of a short charge then heavy one to cause a problem, and is one reason I look at the entire tray of charged cases at once, not charge a case and seat a bullet (I do that if weighing every charge). Theres nothing side by side to compare to. Even a small variation in powder level should show up with a side by side comparison. The Lyman measures have a knocker on the side of the measure to help prevent a charge hanging or bridging. I usually use the RCBS and try to operate the lever fairly sharply and with enough force to drop any charge I'm throwing.

 

[GRIZ22]

I do about the same. However, empty cases in tray to right, charged by powder measure in the middle, charged cases to tray to the left. I use a small flashlight to visually check charge before bullet seating.n

 

[PJSprog]

Same as everyone else here. Load up a tray of 50 primed cases, charge them all, check them all, then seat one at a time on my single stage. I still use the Lee Dippers and a funnel. I start at the top left, and move the funnel methodically across each row of cases (move funnel-pour-tap-repeat) until I get to the bottom right. Should I get distracted, I have the funnel on the case to remind me where to check before I restart.

Never thought to do one at a time.

 

[oneounceload]

Like others, I use a single stage and have batch loaded everything from 32ACP through 45 and from 223 through 7Mag. I have lots of the old wooden US-made Midway blocks - works great.

 

[vaalpens]

My single stage routine I feel most comfortable with is loading using three trays.

-Place all cases primer down and inspect the mouth of each case under a light.
-Flip the cases using second tray and inspect all primers
-Charge/weigh one at a time and place in second tray
-I normally charge about 15/20/25 a time, all depending how quickly the charging is going
-Hold the tray at an angle under the light and compare the charges.
-The bullets are then placed and seated. Seated bullet are placed in third tray
-Repeat from charging through seating until all 50 done
-Change to Lee FCD die and crimp all rounds

 

[mdi]

Yep, your method will work, but I prefer to charge cases individually. I use 2 loading blocks and pick up a case form the "empties" block, charge it and put it in the other block. I then look in every case, with my Mini-Maglight, to check charges...

Reloading methods are pretty much personal choice. As long as you make safe ammo, you can use just about whatever methods you choose. I don't believe there is a completely right or wrong way to reload, and I don't worry about the Reloading Police kicking my door down and confiscating my ammo 'cause I made it "wrong"...

 

[Crashbox]

When I'm in single-stage mode, I also charge cases one at a time and place them in the block. When I get 50 or 100, I then set the bullets on top whilst checking the powder content just before. After this is done, they get seated and crimped.

 

[BCRider]

For the handgun or casual rifle loading I do in a single stage I use a Lee flaring/powder through die with an Auto Disc measure on the top of the die. So it flares and charges with the one lever pull.

I prefer to do the work in batches of 50 for this sort of ammo loading. I use that universal tray just as you're thinking of doing.

What you're doing is certainly safe. Especially using a powder where a double charge will overflow the case. But with the powder level inspection and by using the cases turned alternately mouth up and down to signify the status of each process the 50 at a batch can be just as safe. The flashlight inspection is the key to this. It's your final assurance that there's no mistake.

Cases from the cleaning step are sized and decapped in one pull and set into the loading block mouth up. Then a hand priming tool is used to prime them and the cases are set back into the tray primer up. Next is the mouth flare and powder charging. with the cases set back in mouth up for the obvious reason. With the case flipping as described it's easy to see where you are on the block. Up then is a flashlight check of all the cases to confirm the powder presence and level in all 50. And finally the cases are inserted in the shell plate and the bullet set and seated. Typically they are crimped at this point too. But if you need to separate the crimping from the seating a fourth pass with the factory crimp die can be done.

With a 3 die/3 lever pull process I can start with clean brass and do a batch of 50 in around 20 minutes without rushing. So 150 per hour. And with the flashlight powder level checking there's no real risk of an accident even if you're using a powder which uses a smaller size charge volume.

 

[maxxhavoc]

I didn't think there were so many ways to do it.
-I work with 1 tray.
-I load prepped brass in the tray mouth up.
-As I prime them, I put them back mouth down, making it painfully clear they all have primers. I finish the whole tray.
-Then I pick them up one at a time (no powder since they are upside down), fill, and put them back mouth up.
-When I am done with the tray, I inspect all rounds in the tray with a light, and put a bullet in each mouth.
-After seating, I put them back, bullet down.
-When the tray has been seated, they come back out, FCD, and into whatever container I am putting them in.

 

[gamestalker]

I tumble them, then prime them all, and then charge all of them while working with a loading block. After they've all been charged, I then inspect each case with a bright light to make sure all of them have a charge, and to check for any that might look unusually light or heavy. Then I move onto the seating step.

For me, this seems quicker and also a bit more organized. IMO, when we try to perform multiple functions of priming, charging and seating as a single step, the probability of missing a step, or making a mistake in the process is increased to some degree, once again, this is IMO.

GS

 

[cfullgraf]

You save a lot of time charging all the cases at once. Also, in my opinion, it is easier to recognize an overcharged case when you have the other cases right beside it for a comparison.

This is what I do, particularly when loading handgun on a single stage press.

Frequently, with smaller batches of rifle rounds, I will pull a case from one case tray, charge the case and set it in another case tray. Once finished charging the cases, I still inspect the powder level.

Once finished charging the cases, then i seat the bullets.

Basically the same as what many others are doing.