powders that are difficult to meter

[Halo]

Until recently all the powders I have used are fine grained spherical powders that meter so smoothly I can get my RCBS Uniflow to drop the exact charge consistently.

Well I just bought a pound of Unique because I am always seeing it in such a variety of loads, and I have made up a few test batches. It's rather difficult to meter, and every so often the rotor on the powder measure feels like it is trying to plow through sawdust. Those drops are always off by several tenths of a grain.

For my test loads I have used a powder trickler to bring each and every charge up to the exact weight. But once I settle on a load, it will be rather impractical to do this for several hundred rounds of pistol ammo. I am used to just weighing every 10th charge to make sure I'm not getting any drift.

How do you guys handle powders that are difficult to meter out consistently? Am I going to be pretty much stuck with having to individually weigh every single charge?

 

[nambu1]

Flake powders are harder to meter than the ball powders. I use a "6 inch personal vibrator" that you can buy at any Spencer's store at a mall. I connect the vibrator to the powder measure with rubber bands. It keeps the weight to +/-.1 grain.

 

[Otto]

I use a "6 inch personal vibrator" that you can buy at any Spencer's store at a mall. I connect the vibrator to the powder measure with rubber bands.

You've got to be kidding!

 

[joneb]

You've got to be kidding!

The end is near my friends... the end is near.

 

[lgbloader]

nambu1 says: I use a "6 inch personal vibrator" that you can buy at any Spencer's store at a mall. I connect the vibrator to the powder measure with rubber bands. It keeps the weight to +/-.1

Well that's an interesting method, right there... does your press scream out it's own name or just yours??

This takes foreplay to a whole new level... I wonder what the vibrator is thinking??....

I think I'll go have myself a drink...

 

[Halo]

Well that's an interesting method, right there... does your press scream out it's own name or just yours??

Not to mention the fact that smoking a cigarette would be a bad idea around all that powder....

 

[jhansman]

Excellent. I do suggest, however, that you tell your measure it's a "personal massager." Using the v-word will only upset it.

 

[WNTFW]

No not for me, I don't want to explain it to:
The check out guy or girl.
My wife.
My kids.
My mom.
My dad.
My brother.
My neighbors.
My shooting buddies.
Or anyone else.

 

[Racktracker]

Now there is some advice you won't find in any reloading manual.

 

[skinewmexico]

This is one of those threads that truly needs pics.

 

[Floppy_D]

... or is better off without them.

 

[Shoney]

C'mon Halo, if we put a tape on that 6" vibrator, I'll bet we find it's actually a 3" vibrator.

 

[Halo]

As I've seen before:

The Man's Ruler

|-----------------6-----------------12

 

[PotatoJudge]

Sorry for the thread drift back on topic guys, but have you tried a powder baffle or tapping the handle on the downstroke?

Are you using the small or the large drum? If you have both, have you tried them both?

http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=493217

 

[Halo]

I do have a powder baffle, and I make sure I get solid contact with the handle on both up and down stroke. The powder in the hopper is flowing down nicely, especially after adding the baffle.

When it does this, the handle puts up a good bit of resistance and you can just literally feel like it's having to plow through some flakes that are halfway in the cylinder.

Now I was wondering about the rotors. I have seen Hornady offers different ones for their powder measure, but wasn't sure about RCBS. One designed for throwing small charges would probably work much better for me.

 

[PotatoJudge]

The smaller drum only goes to about 60 grains and has a smaller surface area (cutting) per total volume, which should help. Since the small cylinder assembly alone is $33, you're really better off looking for a used Uniflow with the small cylinder (they can be had for $40-50 shipped usually).

 

[pinkymingeo]

I quit using Unique because it meters so poorly. While it's extremely versatile, there are other powders that out-perform it in most applications, and meter better besides. Most of my loading these days is done with AA2/5/7/9. They meter beautifully, and one of them will beat Unique in everything I load.

 

[Galil5.56]

I found 800x to be about the worst I ever tried... Sticky hockey pucks would meter better. This was almost 20 years ago, and perhaps 800x has been changed to meter better nowadays

 

[Slamfire]

How do you guys handle powders that are difficult to meter out consistently? Am I going to be pretty much stuck with having to individually weigh every single charge?

There is no reason to weigh out every charge. At least not with handgun loads that are not maximum.

I load all my handgun rounds on a Dillion. I have no idea what the charge to charge consistancy is with Unique. Probably .2 or .3 grains. I will set up that powder measure based on the average weight of 10 throws.

My ammunition is very accurate. Or at least accurate enough that I know, when I miss or have a way out flyer, its not the ammunition's fault. In my experience, plus or minus a couple of tenths of a grain of Unique do not make any difference on target, offhand, out to fifty yards with 38 Special, 44 Special, 45 LC, or 45 ACP ammunition.

One time I weighed my ammunition. It was with 44 Mag ammo, a lever action, and H110. I was doing load development. Heck I even trimmed the cases and reamed the pockets. Nothing I saw on the 100 yard target justified the extra time and effort.

There are probably better shooters out there who might see a difference when they bench rest their pistols, and use scopes. But I don't shoot that way.

 

[loplop]

I feel that "plowing through" feeling with my Hornady meter. I don't worry about it, though, because if I'm using the thrower I'm not loading "max" loads. Thus, a few tenths of a grain of Unique difference isn't going to do any real harm.

I find I get this "difficult throw" with Unique about 2 or 3 times every 50 rounds... So if it really bothers you--just dump those and throw again.

There's something about Unique that's just so... Unique. I really like the versatility and performance. Right now, it's my favorite powder in 45ACP. And if I'm working up a new load in a new bullet weight or caliber, just about every load book lists Unique so that's where I'll often start. Add to that there's a great safety margin with Unique--it really fills the case, so no real risk of double charge... And it's a winner in my book!

 

[Dave P]

Real men don't need no steekin' vibrators!

800x is still one of the worst!

But the OP should look hard at the $15 lee powder measure before spending money on sex toys. The lee uses a plastic wiper, so it can never cut any kernels.


I use a lee, and tap the handle religiously: once up and once down. Real men don't need no steekin' vibrators!

 

[Jim Watson]

I use a $6 acquarium air pump strapped to the hopper to settle large flake 700X into the Dillon bar. That helps meter small charges adequately, if not great. I learned that from the Cowboy shooters who like tenderfoot loads. And I don't have to buy batteries like nambu1 does.

 

[highlander 5]

Have you tried taking the measure apart and cleaning the rotor and the internals? I use Universal clays for my 45 loads very close to Unique in burning rate and cleaner. I use a 650 for my reloading.

 

[mkl]

I generally keep the small cylinder in my Uniflow and it seems to hold Unique to +/- 0.1 grain. Also have a baffle in the hopper.

I use a method I'll call the "double bump" for lack of a better word. On the up stroke bump the handle twice at the top. On the down stroke bump the handle twice at the bottom. This seems to settle the powder more uniformly than just one up/down motion on the handle.

 

[Walkalong]

I like the aqaurium pump idea. I have been using the baffle and tap tap method with 700X.