Powder measures

[mjbskwim]

Right now I only have my rock chucker kit left for reloading. I do have a digital scale but I only have the original powder measure.
I want to upgrade to one with the micro adjustment on it. I'm thinking like these
Redding Match Grade 3BR Powder Measure Universal Handgun Metering.
What are y'all using? Not really that interested in those electronic ones.
I'm open to all brands me I guess it would need to be able to swap out from large to small thows? Have both drums or have the second one available.
As always,thanks in advance
Mike

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[DizzyJ]

Depending on the powder, the RCBS UniFlow is a very accurate, consistent powder thrower.

 

[fxdc]

Your powder dump can be upgraded to use the rcbs quick change system.

Google this, I have upgraded a couple of mine and got extra QC small and large aka pistol and rifle. .

Once set I can change from a light or standard 9mm load to my major 9mm load Ina a minute..... using the same powder of course.

 

[Crohnos01]

I have been a die hard RCBS fan for years and I have probably the same powder measure you do from them with the interchangeable drums.., works great.
However, I bought a Hornady LNL with their powder measure not too long ago, aND I have to say, I am really impressed. First off, with the Hornady measure, you can throw powder for a much larger range of loads without changing the drums. Unless you are loading for 338 and up, you don't even need to change drums. Secondly, breakdown is super simple and easy. You push a button on the side of the drum to release the metering plunger. If you are so inclined, you can insert a tube to drain the powder from the hopper at this point, but with their bushing system, I usually just pull it off the toolhead of the press and dump it out. The measure doesn't come with a micrometer adjustable plunger on it, but they are readily available for around 20 bucks. Best of all, the dammed thing is nuts on for every throw... very accurate. The only drawback is the packing grease they use on new ones. I had to clean mine 3 times to get it all out otherwise the powder sticks to it like white on rice. I also think that the hopper holds a static charge easier than RCBS but nothing that dryer sheets won't deal with

 

[mjbskwim]

I have been a die hard RCBS fan for years and I have probably the same powder measure you do from them with the interchangeable drums.., works great.
However, I bought a Hornady LNL with their powder measure not too long ago, aND I have to say, I am really impressed. First off, with the Hornady measure, you can throw powder for a much larger range of loads without changing the drums. Unless you are loading for 338 and up, you don't even need to change drums. Secondly, breakdown is super simple and easy. You push a button on the side of the drum to release the metering plunger. If you are so inclined, you can insert a tube to drain the powder from the hopper at this point, but with their bushing system, I usually just pull it off the toolhead of the press and dump it out. The measure doesn't come with a micrometer adjustable plunger on it, but they are readily available for around 20 bucks. Best of all, the dammed thing is nuts on for every throw... very accurate. The only drawback is the packing grease they use on new ones. I had to clean mine 3 times to get it all out otherwise the powder sticks to it like white on rice. I also think that the hopper holds a static charge easier than RCBS but nothing that dryer sheets won't deal with

I can see these locally so I'll give it a look. And ask if they can get the micro adjuster

 

[Tilos]

Right now I only have my rock chucker kit left for reloading. I do have a digital scale but I only have the original powder measure.
I want to upgrade to one with the micro adjustment on it. I'm thinking like these
Redding Match Grade 3BR Powder Measure Universal Handgun Metering.
What are y'all using? Not really that interested in those electronic ones.
I'm open to all brands me I guess it would need to be able to swap out from large to small thows? Have both drums or have the second one available.
As always,thanks in advance
Mike

You can make any measure micro adjust by using a dial caliper like this:


I had to grind the ball off the end of the screw though, on the Uniflow.
I just record the measurement/reference number in my loading log.
And use it to set the measure, to go back to a previous load.
That does not just get you close, but exactly to the proper weight.
Most every loader has a Dial Caliper, works great on a seating die too for setting the OAL

 

[ma96782]

What are you loading for?

If it's just shooting ammo....who cares. Just check charges every __X__ cycles and keep on going (assuming it's right). Decide what's within your personal comfort zone. Adjust as needed if it's off/wandering.

If it's bench rest ammo or for extreme accuracy ammo....I'd be guessing that you'll probably be told to weigh out every charge, exactly.

The way I see it....
A hopper measure is just to get the charges "close enough."

You'll also note that stick powers will cut the sticks (sometimes) when you operate the handle. Lord I hate that. So, I usually prefer flake and/or ball powders.

And technique......you could do well to learn a good technique to throw powder.

Aloha, Mark

PS.....if you need that powder measure because your current measure can NOT measure to the 1 grain level. OK, OK, ok....that might be a good reason to spend $194 on a powder measure.

That being said, 2.8 gr of BE for my .38 Special is about as low as I've ever gone. I guess if you were loading for a smaller caliber cartridge....well, there you are.

And, it brings up the subject of, "How accurate do you expect your ammo to be for a handgun?"

 

[mjbskwim]

@Tilos ,the measure itself isn't worth that effort.
And Mark,I want that in between with my plinking stuff. I don't want to measure each throw but I do want the ammo pretty accurate. And what's wrong with wanting nice things?
Maybe I do need to practice my technique

 

[Tilos]

@Tilos ,the measure itself isn't worth that effort.
And Mark,I want that in between with my plinking stuff. I don't want to measure each throw but I do want the ammo pretty accurate. And what's wrong with wanting nice things?
Maybe I do need to practice my technique

"the measure itself isn't worth that effort"

Sorry to assume you have a Uniflow, but you did mention a rock chucker "kit" and that caliper trick will work with most/any measure, good or bad.

I know baffles are the standard "fix" but I tend to go outside the norm/accepted methods, and recently added a weight on top of the powder in the measure to get uniformity with small/pistol charges.
Some testing with/without that weight has shown that adding it improved the powder amount(weight) consistency, thro to thro.
This guy sells them for the most popular measures, and I read about the benefits of doing this on other forums.
RCBS Powder Measure weight | eBay
Me, I made my own that cost nothing.

Have you tried a baffle??

 

[ma96782]

I use an old RCBS Uniflow Powder Measure.

Try this test.

Using your old powder measure. Using your technique. Throw 10 powder charges (say 25.5 grn. of W748) and weigh each of them. Are they all close enough? You decide what is within your comfort zone. If you aren't happy with the results....maybe you need to work on technique. A new powder measure is seldom the fix for bad technique.

When I think about it. The hopper powder measure is to get the powder charge close enough. The powder measure will only need to be adjusted whenever you want to change the intended drop weight.

The lock screw is there to ensure that the cylinder's capacity doesn't move around. Now, if you decide to change the throw weight....you'll undo the lock and move the screw. In or Out. It's not an exact science. One turn of the screw will NOT always equal 1 grain (or whatever). It'll always be a hit or miss. Thus, you will still have to weigh the charge.....to ensure that it's throwing what you want. Actually, technique again....throw several charges and weigh the __Xth __throw. You want the powder to settle a bit before going for that measurement.

IIRC.....RCBS has two cylinders (large and small) available for the RCBS Uniflow. *OK sorry, also a micro adjustable drum/cylinder.

So anyway, a small cylinder is probably "better" for throwing typical pistol powder charge weights. But, within reason....powder for a typical handgun cartridge can also be done with the "large" sized cylinder.

That large cylinder is for rifle powder weights Hey, rifles use more powder. So, a bigger cylinder is needed. BTW, that was the only cylinder that came with my RCBS Uniflow and I throw both rifle and pistol charges/powders with it.

Like with cooking and measuring liquids.....you can measure much more accurately in a (small diameter) tall cylinder vs. a wider cup. But....it's not always practical, given the degree of "better taste" (accuracy) you're suppose to/expected to gain. Cough, cough...

That being said, how close are you to the optimum that you're looking for? I'd venture to guess that TECHNIQUE will be really helpful here.

And.....in the real world if you're off by say 0.1 grains on a 25.5 grn charge W748.....what will that equal to in inches at 100 yds? Right......using iron sights, drinking coffee before going to the range, a bad sleep night, etc...etc....

Is it really worth the $194 if I have a bad technique at throwing powder to begin with?

As I mentioned....bench rest and extreme accuracy folks will weigh each charge.

ANYWAY, Technique:

Try mounting the powder measure instead of carrying in your hand when throwing charges.
Try a gentle bump (maybe 1x or 2x) on the up stroke....try keeping that bump consistent.
Try keeping the level of powder sort of consistent within the hopper. You decide when to refill it.
Use a baffle.
Try a different powder....yup, some are more difficult to get consistent. Stick vs Ball vs Flake powders
I probably missed more....

Check YouTube.

Aloha, Mark

PS....YES, there is nothing wrong with wanting nice stuff. Or buying, "Superior Bench Rest" Products." Yup, they are super cool....well, cooler that the "cheaper stuff." Because, you know what happens when you spend more money. Rrrrright.

 

[AMProducts]

The Redding/RCBS/Hornady powder measures are all really similar, and I think the frames are probably made in the same factory, and while there are certain differences in the charge drums, that's just a manufacturer thing. I'm kinda curious if you can swap the drums between them (I haven't tried).

That said, I've always obtained sufficient accuracy from the uniflow, however in order to get good consistent results, you need to pull the first 10 rounds or so and weigh the last 5 as it takes a bit for the system to stabilize. I'm not someone who gets super crazy about consistent weight, as what I've found over the years is that accuracy and velocity consistency is often more a factor of charge volume consistency more than weight.

Since you can buy the micrometer adjuster as an after-market part, I don't know that I would buy one going in, just due to cost. However the Uniflow isn't as cheap as it used to be. You may want to look online and see if you can purchase a used one on ebay.

 

[mjbskwim]

"the measure itself isn't worth that effort"

Sorry to assume you have a Uniflow, but you did mention a rock chucker "kit" and that caliper trick will work with most/any measure, good or bad.

I know baffles are the standard "fix" but I tend to go outside the norm/accepted methods, and recently added a weight on top of the powder in the measure to get uniformity with small/pistol charges.
Some testing with/without that weight has shown that adding it improved the powder amount(weight) consistency, thro to thro.
This guy sells them for the most popular measures, and I read about the benefits of doing this on other forums.
RCBS Powder Measure weight | eBay
Me, I made my own that cost nothing.

Have you tried a baffle??

It is the uniflow,btw.
I'll try technique and see if I can come up with a stroke that throws consistent weights. I'm not sure how to measure volume instead. The Lee spoons?
I haven't used the baffle and I don't know why it's not in the silo. I guess I'll try that too
Most of us on here are more than willing to spend each other's money so I thank y'all for trying to find me solutions other than a new setup.
Thank for the responses so far.
Mike

 

[ma96782]

Measuring volume has to do with capacity of the brass case.

You could weigh a bunch of rifle cases and they could all weigh the same. But, if you put water inside the case.........the volume could also be different case to case.

So, besides weight (a quick and easy process to do/check).........well (water capacity) volume of your cases could also affect your final accuracy.

And......

Yes, brand for brand and lot to lot.....both weight and capacity (volume) can be all over the place. Some brands of brass are better than others.

Remember, you're looking for "consistent."

Aloha, Mark

PS....the baffle is an extra cost item as far as the RCBS Uniflow Measure is concerned. Though maybe.....maybe.....things have changed.

 

[Tilos]

It is the uniflow,btw.
I'll try technique and see if I can come up with a stroke that throws consistent weights. I'm not sure how to measure volume instead. The Lee spoons?
I haven't used the baffle and I don't know why it's not in the silo. I guess I'll try that too
Most of us on here are more than willing to spend each other's money so I thank y'all for trying to find me solutions other than a new setup.
Thank for the responses so far.
Mike

Wow, that's a twist I didn't see coming...
I thought you were close to buying that "Match Grade" measure, we all like new toys.
I hope you can get that Uniflow sorted out/working, and can spend that money on more components.
Sometime just taking a measure apart and a good cleaning to get out all the "shipping lube" will get it working better.

 

[ma96782]

To play with your mind even more, read up on spinning bullets (and cases) and orientation of cartridge cases when it's in your rifle chamber.

Aloha, Mark

 

[ma96782]

More Tips....

Dryer sheet wipe down of the Uniflow's hopper (inside mostly).......to cut static electricity.

I forgot where I saw it. But, you can make your own DIY baffle.

Aloha, Mark

 

[ma96782]

So, I was looking at my e-mail and Midsouth Shooters has a Hornady electronic powder scale and dispenser for under $160.

So maybe......if I wanted to spend money......I'd buy that, for my extreme accuracy quest. And just use my Uniflow flow, for pistol loads that don't mean all that much to me.

Aloha, Mark

 

[WWShooter]

My take is that the volume based powder measures are good for pistol (I'm not that good a shot and I burn through a lot more pistol rounds than rifle); and I use an electronic scale with a built-in trickler for rifle.

I think technique does matter. I load pistol on a Lee Classic Turret press. When the powder measure is rotating into place, I give it a gentle tap with my left hand, just to make sure the powder has settled in the hopper and the charge disk. I also weigh initial charges and random charges while I'm loading to confirm the Lee data, as well as to make sure the hopper is dropping consistently.

All of that is a long way around to say that I think with good technique, any volume based powder drop can probably give good results for pistol; and no volume based powder drop will do what I want (YMMV) for rifle.

 

[Certaindeaf]

.As I mentioned....bench rest and extreme accuracy folks will weigh each charge..

That's not the way I understand it.. I believe most competitive/winning accuracy shooters (benchrest etc.) measure their charges and have been doing so for decades.
And as for rifle vs pistol weighing of charges, 1/10gr of 5gr is much more than 1/10gr of 25 or 100 on a ratio basis.
As you can probably surmise, I just throw my charges with a measure. lol

 

[Mikej]

I want to upgrade to one with the micro adjustment on it. I'm thinking like these

Personally I don't see the need for a micro adjuster? Settle the powder by working the handle a few times (Thunk-thunk) How many clicks equals how much powder weight? I'll let my fingers do the work, you got to measure the throw and adjust accordingly anyway?

I use the Uniflow. For pistol I will say that the small drum is mandatory. I started with the large and it was more difficult to dial into perfection. I also use the RCBS 5-0-5 scale, can't bring myself to trust an electronic. I don't bother with baffles or a weights. Usually I'll fill the hopper about half full, "thunk-thunk". Most times I do 100 at a time and with the half full hopper my throws, I believe, are consistently .1g +/-. I eyeball the exact spot where the lines meet on that scale every 10th-16th throw. Consistency with the "thunk-thunk", and as you measure every so many throws the tiniest turn, in-out should keep you really close. Just for the heck of it, when your the line on the scale arm is only half a line above the other, see how much it takes trickling out of the pan to bring you exactly lined up.