Question about Lee Auto Powder Disks & using the "MIcro-Disk".

[1SOW]

I have the Lee 4-hole turret press with the Lee Powder Disk system but want to make small powder adjustments for 9mm loads.

EG. Win 231 in hole #40 gives 4.3 grs, and hole #43 gives 4.6grs..
If I stack the Micro-Disk on top of the other disk, can I make .1 0r .2 gr adjustments? Other?

Because the powder has to feed 'through' the Micro-Disk first, does that cause problems using such a small hole?

The Micro-Disk instructions are non-existant. I appreciate any experience you can pass on.

 

[tunnug]

replace the micro-discs with this,
http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=150005
It'll give you a better way to control your drops.

 

[1SOW]

tunnug: Thanks. Looks like the answer I need

Does that go on top of the numbered disks? Does it cause any powder flow-thru problems?

ADDED LATER: I like the disk system if the Micro-disks will work stacked with another disk.

 

[benzuncle]

replace the micro-discs with this,

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct...tNumber=150005
It'll give you a better way to control your drops.

The Charge Bar is a stand alone piece; you won't need the disks. Just weigh your charges until you get exactly what you are "shooting" for.

 

[Daniel1120]

In my experience, the charge bar sucked at weighing small amounts of anything. I couldn't ever get consistant drops, I think its because of the shape of the opening for the powder to fall in. Its a circle on the disks but on the charge bar its an awkwad shape untill you get heavier charges. Look at the pic of the charge bar on midway to see what i'm talking about.

 

[RandyP]

I reload with 231/HP38 on the same system. The adjustable charge bar will be just fine over 4grs. When I reload .380 I switch to the microdisk because the bar won't throw that light a charge.

 

[jfh]

I have both older aftermarket ACBs and the Lee ones. Generally, my loads run from about 4-gr. on up--and with 231, #5, R. Silhouette, R. True Blue, and Vihtavuori powders they work fine--easy and precise. Neither of these bars work well, for me, below about 3.4 grains, but it does depend on the powder being dropped. Above that, I do get repeatable results, +- one-tenth grain.

Another variant for repeatability can be how full the measure is--so I simply keep mine topped up, at least above 2/3 full.

Finally, I would not bother with one-tenth grain increments in a load workup--except maybe at the very top. The retail measures we work with really are only reliable to about plus-minus one-tenth--for a two-tenths spread, IOW.

Jim H.

 

[1SOW]

OOPS

 

[1SOW]

With VIT for a CZ75:

Does the micro-disk work as advertised, or is it too much trouble?

Jumping from 4.0 to 4.3 is a pretty good jump when I'm trying to get about 1050- fps to comfortably make 124 gr minor power factor year round.

Because of the disk hole 'jumps', I'm finding myself adjusting COL to get speed. I'd rather adjust powder for a given COL. I need small adjustments. I like the way the disk system works. It's fast and reliable.

I'll be loading at least a thousand rounds when I hit the best combination of COL, speed and cleanliness. If it works as I hope, then a lot more will follow.

 

[RidgwayCO]

To answer your question, the Adjustable Charge Bar and the Micro-Disk are used by themselves, and not stacked with the other fixed cavity disks.

The Adjustable Charge Bar is used to get a more exact powder drop that may not be available from the fixed disk cavities. If I need to sneak up closer to a max load, the Adjustable Charge Bar may help me do that, assuming the powder I'm using meters well (your Vihtavuori powders should be fine).

The Micro-Disk is used to measure very small amounts of powder. For example, I use the .21cc cavity to drop 2.4gr of Titegroup for lead bullet target loads in .380 Auto.

In my experience, the Micro-Disk work great for very small powder drops because they reduce the depth of the cavity, not the diameter. Using deep cavities of small diameter when metering some powders is just asking for the powder to bridge, resulting in the occasional very light powder drop. In my experience, Hodgdon Clays bridges badly at the lower charge weights, and I've stopped using it in .380 Auto. Since this doesn't seem to be a problem with heavier charge weights, I'm planning to use up the rest of my Clays in lead bullet target loads for the .44 Special and .44 Magnum.

 

[1SOW]

Ridgeway: Thanks that the info I needed.
So I'd have to add to the Powder Disk load (4.0 gr)manually with the microdisk (maybe 1.2gr?)for each rd I load? Sorry for dumb questions, but is it hand-held?

 

[RidgwayCO]

Nope, sorry I didn't explain very well.

If a load you wanted was "between cavities", then you'd take out the fixed disk and replace it with the Adjustable Charge Bar. Then you'd fine-tune the adjustable cavity size with the thumb wheel until it dropped the amount of powder you needed. I also should have mentioned that the Adjustable Charge Bar is really only for handgun rounds (and maybe something small like the .22 Hornet).

The Micro-Disk cavities are used in place of the normal disks when the smallest cavity size (.30cc) is still too big. The Micro-Disk cavities are approximately half the depth of the regular cavities (with a spacer to make up the difference) and are not adjustable. The sizes are .12cc, .15cc, .18cc, .21cc, .24cc, and .27cc. In actual use, they only vary a couple of tenths of a grain or so from the next size up or down (depending on the powder). The Adjustable Charge Bar can't be adjusted small enough to take the place of the Micro-Disk cavities.

 

[1SOW]

RidgwayCO: Thanks--makes sense.--unfortunately.

Well, I may end up buying an extra DISK and carefully drill the bottom of the hole to be enlarged to custom fit VIT and the load.

 

[RandyP]

FWIW the adjustable charge bar costs about $10. It takes less effort to put the charge bar on and leave it than it does to swap disk holes.

Look at the pics on the Lee website, the adjustable bar has a brass "micrometer' screw that you use to dial in the charge.

 

[1SOW]

I just chrono'd 4.0 Vit n320 at 1098avg under a PD 124gr FMJ at 1.143"
( Vit 4.0 uses Hole # 49 on the disk)

I want to slow it down to 1050. What do you recommend?

 

[RidgwayCO]

Since the .49cc cavity gave you 4.0gr of VV N320 and 1098fps, the .46cc cavity should drop about 3.8gr of VV N320, giving you just about 1050 fps. I'm assuming your COL is 1.143" and not the stated 1.43".

 

[RustyFN]

Since it won't cost any/much more for shipping I would also order the micro disk. Most people including myself have had bad luck trying to throw light charges with the charge bar. Once you get over 4 or 5 grains the charge bar seems to work fine.
Rusty

 

[1SOW]

ridgeway: I loaded some 3.8 Vit loads this afternoooon at 1.42 and 1.32 to test tomorrow---I hope.

Your right, #46 lists 3.8grs Vit. I was used to 231 where each hole is .3grs.

I hope they still burn clean.

Thanks to all for the education on the Micro-disks and Chargebar.

I wish that Micro-disk was stackable. With shallow same size holes it could be!