Range Shoot Rifle Loads: hand or feed load

Huddles10

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I will assume the answer is to use a good powder digital scale /dispenser for range/target loading over a drop loader (ie Lee powder drop connected to my 4 hole loader/press but can someone pls confirm if there is any preference?

Will be loading 6.5 creedmoor and 9mm/45acp/357 mag
 
I will assume the answer is to use a good powder digital scale /dispenser for range/target loading over a drop loader (ie Lee powder drop connected to my 4 hole loader/press but can someone pls confirm if there is any preference?

Will be loading 6.5 creedmoor and 9mm/45acp/357 mag
I’ve used a Lee powder dump set to just under what I want into the pan of a Lyman powder scale then using my ancient RCBS powder trickler, dropped in enough granules of powder to top up to exactly where I wanted to be. At times the scale read 1/10th of a grain high but for me that’s acceptable.

My brother on F-Class Team Canada has a very accurate electronic dispenser and basically does the same thing. He dispenses low, powder trickler to top up and uses tweezers to remove individual granules of powder to “exactly” hit his number.

I don’t see why he needs an expensive dispenser to kick things off, do you? His dispenser holds a larger volume of powder so there is that lol. When using the inexpensive Lee dumper I drop a charge at intervals into the pan of the scale and check it. Always been perfect as long as you keep the dumper at least 1/2 full or what the instructions say (old brain zzz). From .223 Rem to 300 RUM never a hiccup.

As a newbie (1985ish) most of us used either Lee scoops, powder balance scales and a trickler or something improvised. I used Lee scoops to fil the Lee scale pan close then trickled upto my number. So what’s really changed since decades before I started? There’s only so many ways to skin a cat and only so few ways to achieve a volume or mass of any substance.
 
For 9mm, 45 acp, 357. I just use a auto disk on my 4 hole turret press, or I use my lyman 55 powder dispenser. That use a scale to calibrate, or figure the AVG.

RCBS 505 or 1010 are good beam scales. Dad gave me a FA digital scale. That is +/- 0.2.

With the auto disk, what it tells you isn't true. Mines either .2 gr less or more. I custom sanded some to drop exactly what I wanted.
 
OP, the above are all good answers to your query.

The system you have is acceptable, especially for the pistol cartridges.

It's also fine for your 308Win, unless you're loading to precise recipes.

The powder throw will give you loads that are within +/- .2 grains as posted by OKayshooter, but if you're getting into precision shooting, then it's time for you to use the beam scale, provided with the kit, or get a digital scale, and hand weigh every individual charge, then hand pour it into your cases.

With most hunting rifles, 1/10 grain doesn't make much, if any difference to accuracy, unless you're shooting a small caliber bullet, such as the 223, in a small case, like the 223 Remington.

Most rifles, chambered for cartridges with case capacities similar to the 308 Win, don't show a lot of accuracy gains/losses, even with .2 grains +/-, until you get close to maximum pressures for a particular rifle.

Usually, an "accuracy node" for a primer/case/powder/bullet combination recipe is what you're looking for.

Once you've found that "accuracy node," nothing usually goes seriously wrong, unless you're close to maximum pressures.

+/- .2 grains will give you acceptable loads that will be consistently accurate for most "reasonable" hunting purposes.

1.5-2 inch groups are fine for shot out to 250yds on Deer size and larger game animals. Tighter groups are nice, but some rifles and some bullets just aren't capable of anything better.

You will also have to determine when it's time to clean copper jacket fouling from your barrel's bore. For most rifles, it's around 25 rounds. Some never seem to need it, but most do. This bit is off topic, but if you're new to the game, it's something you need to know when looking for accuracy issues.
 
Throwing powder consistently has a lot to do with the operator. Consistency of the up stroke and down how hard you tap the stops at the end of each stroke. Ball powder not so much, stick powder a lot.
 
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