What's the threshold for large flake powders through Lee Auto Disc?

[1KPerDay]

I love my LCT and find the PAD throws very consistently AS LONG AS I stay above about 3.5 grains Red Dot/Promo/American Select/Herco.

I am occasionally having an issue where, set at 3.3 grains it will throw a light charge, say 2.5 grains or even 1.8 grains. And then the next couple throws it will also throw light. I've tried tapping the side of the hopper, etc. I'm using the standard discs.

I noticed because I taped a light to the side of the press so that I could better see every charge in .38 special cases (I always check every charge, but it's really hard to see way down into the bottom of those .38 cases). One didn't look quite right so I weighed it (I way about every 10 anyway) and it was 2.5 grains.

The visible difference between 3.3 and 2.5 grains isn't very large... so I think I'm going to have to start scooping each charge for these lighter loads of the big flake powders.

I switched to HP-38 after catching 3 or 4 light throws yesterday with Promo... but I'm down to my last half pound or so of HP-38 with no hope of resupply in sight, and all my other powders are big and flaky.

Guess I'll just try the scoop/dump method unless the powder situation improves.

In .380 and 9mm and other auto pistol calibers it's much easier to see the proper powder level with these bulky powders.

 

[SFreed]

I'm with you all the way. Recently ran out of HP-38, so I've been using Unique and having the same issues. I too like my Lee equipment (soon someone will be along to tell us to switch to Dillon), but Unique I tend to weigh each round. No big deal, since I'm not in a race, but it'd be nice to score some HP-38 (or AA#2, or Ramshot Zip, or IMR 7625, or...) Until then, Unique is the best .38 spl / .45 acp powder ever!

 

[Schwing]

I don't have a fix for you but I have noticed that it does vary some from one powder measure to the next. I have 2 lee perfect powder measures. One of them has issues with any flake powders under about 3.5 grains. The other is good with anything above 3.0. I used some spray graphite lubricant to coat all of the moving parts on both of them and it did help some but it wasn't a 100% fix.

 

[ch84]

With every powder I've tried in it so far unique,2400, an 296 they all throw low just move up with the disc size. You can also take a metal deburring tool an ream them out slow an check to make them throw what you want

 

[stavman11]

Thats a Big difference in drops

In my 3 Systems with Lee Auto Disks... Most i have seen is maybe .3gr, but thats usualy on the 1st couple drops only...

Check yer setup... Be sure when the Disk is Lined up to Drop it is Lining up the disk and the drop tube... The Black ring adjusts the travel i guess you would call it on how far the disks move Out.... Turn it all the way in tight and that should get it lined up pretty good

Also... try the good old Dryer Sheets inside the Holder and all the drop shoots..

Something seems goofy.... be sure and check it all....

 

[nevadabob]

There's a thread from last year: "Aquarium Air Pump Taped To the Powder Measure". The air pump vibrates the powder tower so as to insure uniform powder settling.

 

[sexybeast]

For Red Dot/Promo I will only throw 4.5gr or more and I still get .2gr deviation, can't stand it and won't use it for 9mm. Borrow some HP38/titegroup from a friend! Barter!, Beg!

 

[1KPerDay]

For Red Dot/Promo I will only throw 4.5gr or more and I still get .2gr deviation, can't stand it and won't use it for 9mm. Borrow some HP38/titegroup from a friend! Barter!, Beg!

I get very accurate and repeatable throws with Red Dot/Promo. I have weighed 10 throws in a row several times and they were all within .05 grains.

 

[1KPerDay]

With every powder I've tried in it so far unique,2400, an 296 they all throw low just move up with the disc size. You can also take a metal deburring tool an ream them out slow an check to make them throw what you want

The point isn't that they don't throw what I want. I'm aware that the Lee chart is conservative and you generally have to step up one size to get the charge you want. The issue is that with large flake powders the charges get inconsistent below about 3.5 grains. For me.

I doubt you're throwing 3.3 grains of 2400 or 296 in anything.

 

[OrangePwrx9]

I've got the same problem with flake powders, 1K. Been experimenting with 3.0 gr. of e3 (similar to Red Dot) for .38 wadcutter loads. Out of 50 rounds loaded, I got a half-dozen that were very light. A couple were 1.2 gr., most were 1.8 to 2.0 grs. Think I was using the Lee .46 cavity.

I had loaded a box of 50 when I caught a light one with a periodic check. Didn't know how much junk I'd created, but they were light enough that I could pick them out by weighing every round with a digital scale. When I pulled the bullets and weighed the powder, they all had light charges.

I then tried a run of several rounds where I tapped on the measure with a screwdriver handle for each round and weighed what it dropped. Stopped that experiment after about 8 rounds with the first light (1.2gr.) charge.

Went back to pulling each case from the press and charging with an RCBS Uniflow. The Uniflow is generally +- 0.1gr. but sometimes I'll catch a 0.2 gr. variation. Slows things down considerably, but with the cost of components, I don't need to be assembling junk ammo.

 

[sexybeast]

I get very accurate and repeatable throws with Red Dot/Promo. I have weighed 10 throws in a row several times and they were all within .05 grains.
__________________

Nothing but frustration when I used it. Do you have the fish-bubbler thingy attached? I tried tapping the hopper between rounds, then I bought another one [new] and still got swings that were too much for me to have confidence in it.
I think thats what it comes down to, confidence! I've dropped some light loads that I can really feel.

 

[1KPerDay]

Thanks for your feedback. Yeah, tapping the side of the PAD didn't seem to preclude the occasional light charge for me either. I hadn't considered pulling from the press and charging each case with a separate measure. I have a Redding and that might actually be faster than scooping, leveling and dumping each charge. Assuming I can get the Redding to throw consistent light charges of Red Dot. I've only used it for rifle reloading so far.

 

[stavman11]

Big Reason i dont get any Flake Powders... they meter like peanutbutter:banghead:

I still have 3/4lb of varget because of it.....

Ill stick with my w231...h110...Tightgroup... WC844... H335 and CFE223....

 

[Potatohead]

You can tap dance all over the thing IMO and it wont help much if your dealing with a low weight of a flaky powder. Dont always have the choices we want in powder though, or i dont anyway.