RCBS Uniflow Combo VS Stick powder!

[Rule3]

I have really nice older RCBS Uniflow that came with a large and small cylinders. I do not use it much as I mostly load handguns on the LCT with Pro Auto disc.

I also do not use much stick or extruded powder.

Loading some 308 Win with IMR 4064 and the darn thing really jams up on those little sticks. I thought maybe because it was close to the max of the small cylinder, I took it apart and installed the large one. It is perhaps a little better but still jams and really have to yank the handle to break the stick that is jammed.

Then weighing each drop, it will of course vary when this happens.

The measure is extremely accurate with ball or even flake powder.

Is it me or is this just the nature of stick powder? I can't imagine a different brand measure would be any better. They all work pretty much the same way.

Or is it time to find a ball powder?

 

[rajbcpa]

I have one of these. Stick powders are always tough.

 

[dogrunner]

Have two of the things.......one older model from the '60's & a new one abandoned by a friend............both do precisely as you describe with IMR stick 4350 & 4064. Still, the charges delivered are accurate it's just that you will have to shear some charges. I know of no way to avoid the issue, in fact I had the older one's barrel nickled years back & while it slicked it's function up somewhat the issue with stick powders remains.

 

[KansasSasquatch]

I own 2 Hornady powder measures that are almost identical. For me it really depends on how big the grains are. Varget always gets cut but Benchmark meters about as smooth as any ball powder. And while the weight might vary by .2gr or so using Varget, there's no noticeable difference when shooting. Of your results may vary a bit. I used to own a Lee PPM. It didn't bind up very often using Varget but the powder measure itself was far from being smooth in terms of operation. If it really bothers you or if you're getting big variances in charge weights, switch to a ball powder or a short cut stick powder like Benchmark. You would think powder manufacturers would try to make all of their stick powders short cut these days, there must be a reason that makes it not feasible.

 

[Rule3]

Thanks for the replies, these days not to many choices, so I need to use what I have.
I will get some ball powder when it shows up. I was weighing every drop so if it was off just a bit I was getting miffed. Was probably only .5 grains, so it was not a major thing considering it was 43 grains+/-. Still had leeway up or down.

 

[cfullgraf]

Is it me or is this just the nature of stick powder? I can't imagine a different brand measure would be any better. They all work pretty much the same way.

Yes, stick powder is a bit more difficult to run in a drum style powder measure but doable.

I use a baffle in my Uniflow, and other drum style measures as well. I place the axis between the holes in the baffle parallel with the rotational axis of drum and it seems to help. The holes in the baffle are not ever directly over the metering cavity.

When I first fill the powder measure, i throw 20-25 charges to settle the powder column before I weigh the first charge.

Also, I try to minimize the vibrations put into my measure. I know this goes against what many folks do but the key is to operate the measure the same way every stroke. So, wrap the measure with each stroke or not, do not vary.

Some cutting of the powder sticks is normal. After a while, you will get use to the feel.

Hope this helps.

 

[Peter M. Eick]

Interesting Chuck. I was on my pro2000 yesterday and was watching how much my uniflow gets shook and bounced around during the cycling of the press. I use a baffle and try and keep the powder at least half full. It does take a few 10 to 15 drops to settle the uniflow but then mine is very consistent.

One observation I made (since I have 4 Uniflows now) is that they get better with use. My best, most consistent one has dispensed more than 200,000 charges and it is really smooth and consistent. My worst is my newest that I bought for Rifle only. It just needs to wear in as I have experimented with dropping the same weight charges from my primary one.

As you point out the key is consistency which I would agree. Mine is just consistently getting shook.

 

[cfullgraf]

As you point out the key is consistency which I would agree. Mine is just consistently getting shook.

Peter, I definitely agree.

My "no vibration" policy came from having the measure mounted on the same floor stand as my press. After charging a batch of cases, i would load them and the measure would get bounced around a little during this period of inactivity. If I needed to redo a charge in a case or charge another batch, the measure was off a little and had to be reset.

So, my powder measures are now mounted to a separate free standing floor stand separate from the press and I minimize the vibration.

A heavy reloading bench may minimize the vibration effect that i found, but if I went back to having the press on a bench, i would probably still have the powder measure mounted separately.

Like your progressive mounted Uniflow, the powder measure on my L-N-L, currently a Redding 10-X, gets jostled around a bit and it throws consistent charges.

 

[Hondo 60]

Varget ( a short stick powder) has the same issue but to a lesser extent.
I have a Uniflow & figured it would be the best charging option.
Not so, I also have a Dillon PM & that one actually works very well with Varget.

 

[Rule3]

Different issue:

What seems "weird" to me is that the powder measure drops on the up stoke of the handle? When I had the small cylinder in it I had it reversed so it dropped when the handle was pulled down.

With the large cylinder the large meter screw will only go in one way and it also must be put in through the powder hopper.

I weighed out 43 grains of the IMR 4064 and poured it into the small cylinder wide open and it filled it to the top so that is the max of that powder it will take. I thought that was the problem.

 

[dsm]

The jam feeling you feel is the drum sheering the kernels of powder. Perfectly normal for extruded powder. The downside is, its definitely not as accurate to meter opposed to ball and flake powder. Different powder measures have a different feel when cutting powder meaning some designs seem to cut better. I have 2 RCBS, 2 Dillon and a Harrells measure. The Harrells works way better cutting powder. All extruded powder, I throw light and trickle up to my desired charge. All flake and ball powder gets thrown...mainly with a Dillon.

 

[R.W.Dale]

I have a uniflow with the large micrometer drum and I'm here to say that with proper technique it will meter anything from a 32acp charge of unique to a 300wby charge of Lincoln log Mir 5010 with +-.1grn accuracy every time.

First off quit babying the handle put some muscle and weight into your throw so grain cutting does not impede the motion of your throw. If it does discard that drop.

Bringing me to part two and a little secret that runs contrary to the instructions from rcbs. Set your handle up so you cut and dispense on the DOWNSTROKE and as a result put the weight of your arm into the motion.

I challenge anyone having dispensing issues w a uniflow to try these changes and come back and say anything other than their uniflow experience has been greatly improved.

 

[Rule3]

Bringing me to part two and a little secret that runs contrary to the instructions from rcbs. Set your handle up so you cut and dispense on the DOWNSTROKE and as a result put the weight of your arm into the motion.

I challenge anyone having dispensing issues w a uniflow to try these changes and come back and say anything other than their uniflow experience has been greatly improved.

Are you saying to just unscrew the handle and turn it the other way? Meter screw to the front and the handle on the right hand side? I have it in the RCBS tall stand.

When I had the small drum in. I had the adjustment screw towards the back of the unit and it would drop on the down stoke. I did not have any difficulty adjusting it as I can not see the lines in the screw anyway, so it was just trial and error. I do not have the micrometer gizmo. Believe me, I did not baby it. I yanked it.

 

[JimKirk]

RW Dale ...has the same setup that I use ... I can throw anything from ball to stick within the normal 1/10 grain allowance ... the only powder I have any problem with is 800X ... but it even meters close enough....

Flip that rotor over and you can change the charge opening to fill when the handle is up and dispensing when the handle goes down ....

Your rotor should have three screw holes for the handle ... the meter stem goes in the back ... but the handle is moved to the other screw hole....

 

[Rule3]

Right, the meter stem has to be in the back. It is easy with the small rotor but no so much with the large as the small can just come out the front with the rotor in the unit.

The large needs to be dropped in through the powder hopper and rattled to fall through. Then I get all dyslexic. Just turning the unit around will then put the handle on the left side and I like to use my right hand on the lever.

 

[JimKirk]

The top photo is setup for right hand use ... I'm RHed too...

 

[Rule3]

Do you have the unit with ONE rotor? I just flipped my LARGE rotor around and it still makes no difference. It still will drop on the up stroke. I can do it with the small rotor as the metering screw can go in from either side of the rotor hole.

I will get some pics tomorrow. SWMBO is calling as I have orders I must obey!

 

[JimKirk]

If you set it up in the manner shown in the top photo .... it will work right handed and drop the charge on the down stroke .... not sure what you have wrong ...but you don't have it setup like the photo or it would work correctly for RH and drop on the down stroke...

You never did answer my question about the three handle screw holes ??

 

[R.W.Dale]

Here's a pic of mine on the stand to further reinforce the "proper setup"

 

[cfullgraf]

Do you have the unit with ONE rotor? I just flipped my LARGE rotor around and it still makes no difference.

Note, to get the powder measure to dispense on the down stroke, the handle will extend on the opposite side from the metering insert as in the photo referenced above.

You can have the handle extending to the rear or the metering insert extending to the rear.

If the handle extends on the same side as the metering insert, it will dispense on the up stroke.

Hope this helps.

 

[GLOOB]

The Lee powder measures have a rubber insert, specifically for stick powders. I've run 4064 and Varget through my Lee PPM. I didn't nitpick the throw variation, but sticking/cutting doesn't happen. Any kernel that is halfway in the measure when it closes will just get held there to drop on the next throw.

 

[JimKirk]

For the Uniflow to work as a right hand setup with the meter screw at the rear ... you would need a powder stand similar to the RCBS Advanced powder stand...

The meter stem will have to have an opening in which it pass through the top of the stand ... the old style stand the stem(Micrometer) will hit before a regular stem does ... thus you need the opening in the powder stand like the Advanced stand .... if you look at the photo you can see where the stem passes through the top of the stand... or you can build one which is what I did ..photo later..

 

[jr_roosa]

Right and left don't matter. If you take the rotor assembly and spin it 180 degrees around the axis of the stem, the handle will now be on the left, the stem still towards the back, and you are good to go. All that matters is that the stem opening is away from you. Everything else will go together left or right handed.

If the stem won't clear, you can also turn your stand sideways 45 degrees or so, keep the stem away from you, and that will let the stem hang out in space with plenty of room to work it. It just looks weird.

I found that without the powder baffle, I had to do two taps on the up stroke to settle the powder in the chamber, chop smoothly on the downstroke, and then tap twice to settle and prevent bridging at the bottom of the stroke. That got me to +/- 0.3gr with I4895 and +/- 0.2gr with VV N-150. I4064 went +/- 0.5 grains no matter what I did.

With the baffle, it seems to work better without the double taps.

-J.

 

[Steve in PA]

I set up my Uniflow to throw a charge a few grains below what I want, then I use a trickler to get the exact amount I want. Hence, I weigh all charges whenever I use extruded powders.

 

[A Pause for the Coz]

I have two Uni-Flows. The best measure I have used for flake powders.
Good with ball powder.
Very poor for stick powder. ( acts like a coffee grinder.)
I use a LEE PPM exclusively for stick powder.