autodisk dispensing more powder than normal?

Colin

Colin

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Odd thing happened at the reloading bench.

Using Titegroup powder, new container. I wanted 4.4grs for my .45acp, I have used this load many times before. To get it I used an auto disk and set it for .37 as indicated in the book and as I have used before. Normally it dispenses 4.4grs, tonight it dispensed 5.3grs. Checked it on my beam scale (zeroed) Checked every thing again, same thing happened. Took the disk out checked everything, same. Went to .34 and got 4.0 grs

Any reason for the odd change? Temperature? New batch of powder?
 
Colin said:
Odd thing happened at the reloading bench.

Using Titegroup powder, new container. I wanted 4.4grs for my .45acp, I have used this load many times before. To get it I used an auto disk and set it for .37 as indicated in the book and as I have used before. Normally it dispenses 4.4grs, tonight it dispensed 5.3grs. Checked it on my beam scale (zeroed) Checked every thing again, same thing happened. Took the disk out checked everything, same. Went to .34 and got 4.0 grs

Any reason for the odd change? Temperature? New batch of powder?
Click to expand...

i will try to explain,....as you suspected, it's because of that new batch of powder.....

there are variations in the powder density. some batches of powder are more dense than others of the same brand & type. this is normal so long as it is within density tolerance. this means that one volume measure of powder may weigh more or weigh less than another batch of the same brand & type.

so your findings between two different cans of powder (different lots of the same powder) can be normal. so even though they are different density's you still should weigh your loads to check you are not going beyond a maximum load.

this is why you should never assume a new container of powder is the very same when dispensing by volume. ALWAYS check the dispensed amount on a scale . to go a step further even the scale should be proven right by checking it with a "scale weight check set" or as some folks use, a factory jacketed bullet of a listed weight.

i have found the same thing as you,... & find sometime the cavity used for a certain weight listed in the manual is different for the weight i need. this is because of the density of the powder they tested compaired to the density of the same powder i'm trying to load. when dispensing powder into my brass, i will every tenth or so, check the weight of the powder on my scale to make sure it's the weight i want for that cartridge.

when it comes to density, think of it as a balloon being a certain weight,.....whether you blow it big or small it still weighs the same thing. of course the 2 cans of powder weigh the same, taking the lids off & looking in, i doubt you could see the difference in volume, as it is so miniscule...

so the bottom line here is this,.... it is possible to load a given weight of powder with a different cavity than is listed & still be safe.

hope this gives you an understanding of what is going on here....:wave:
 
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that's wierd...it should never be that much off; 20% is way to much. :eek:

was every case 5.3gr or did some have less?

Don't mean to doubt you but since the ".34" cavity was right on; are you sure you used the correct cavity when you got 5.3gr? IMO if the density was off the charge would be off with any cavity NOT just one...
 
That's the werid thing, I thought I had used the wrong cavity, checked and used a different disk also with the same size cavity, it continued to give a larger charge, even tried tonight, same thing.
 
Have you moved your press lately? If so then you might find the cavity was not filling fully before. I'm not sure if titegroup is a flake powder? I try to use ball type and find it more consistent.
 
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