A powder measure requires a very consistent wrist action . I will use the scale with a trickler (RCBS) for the first few until I have adjusted the measure , then check the next few. I record the setting in my reloading log book, so I can get back a lot quicker. The scale is checked with check weights.
Reloading kits??? What to buy?
- Thread starter Otokiak
- Start date
Gotcha. Other than reading the instructions once over I haven't had the measure unboxed yet. It did say the same thing, there's a technique involved to be consistent.
308 win or 300 win mag- any funnel going to work fine? Any better than others? Thanks
308 win or 300 win mag- any funnel going to work fine? Any better than others? Thanks
- Location
- Western Manitoba
I am like downwindtracker2 - in the past I used RCBS Uniflow and now have a Lee brand machine. I found is a "trick" to getting those machines to throw identical weights - was nothing to it with fine ball powder like old time 748 or 760, but I never could get to trust what I threw with IMR 4064 and similar "log powders". Most of my loading was for 243 Win or 308 Win - if I just wanted "blasting away" ammo and knew that I was several grains below Max in that rifle, I would get the powder measure set as desired and throw directly into the cartridge case - even at the worse, I was sure that I was not getting to or over Max loading, but likely every 10th throw was onto scale pan of beam scale and I would weigh it to check.
Set up your powder measure - throw 10 or 15 cycles - weigh each one on your beam scale - you will figure out the plus and minus range that you are able to throw with that powder - might discover alterations to your technique that reduce that spread - tapping it on down stroke; tapping it on up stroke; no tapping, etc. - is what you and it are capable of with that powder - have to load your cases within that capability. That "old days" Lee Loader kit was entirely using volume scoops - was no weighing, ever - except I think those loads listed were pretty mild - might have even been Start level loadings. There used to be old timers like Richard Lee and Elmer Keith that claimed "volume" of powder was more significant that "weight" of powder - or at least "as good as" for re-loading - not sure where that thinking went - does away with "need" for better and more expensive scales - so might be what happened ...
Funnels - currently the one that I use says it is "Herter's, Inc." It is clear plastic. Formerly was RCBS green plastic - not sure where that one got off too. Funnel spout is tapered upper inside end - so it does sit fully on the upright case, "sealed" against various size of case mouth - taper means that powder falling through is centered - smallest I reloaded was 22 caliber - so like .223 Rem and 22-250; largest that I loaded was 45 caliber - like 45-70 and 458 Win Mag - same funnel used.
Powder measures - I am actually set up for two ways to meter powder - for decades, I used the powder measure into scale pan, then onto beam scale and use trickler to bring up to desired weight - so tried to get powder throw 0.3 grains or so less than what I wanted to end up at. Excuriatingly slow way to do it. Once to weight, then dump scale pan into funnel on empty brass - do about 5 like that and then seat bullets. Repeat. I also have an RCBS Chargemaster Light - is a powder measure, trickler and scale all in one - touch buttons to get desired weight - is what you get. When it says 43.2 grains, is also 43.2 grains on the Hornady beam scale - close enough for me and the rifles that I use. When running the Chargemaster, I usually seat the bullet while the machine is dispensing the next load. Many times for batch of 50 or 100 rounds, I will not cross check loads from Chargemaster to Hornady beam scale - I just load what the Chargemaster dispenses. Is typical to go through calibration sequence at start of each session - unlike the previous Lyman that seems to want to re-calibrate about every 5th or 6th load.
Set up your powder measure - throw 10 or 15 cycles - weigh each one on your beam scale - you will figure out the plus and minus range that you are able to throw with that powder - might discover alterations to your technique that reduce that spread - tapping it on down stroke; tapping it on up stroke; no tapping, etc. - is what you and it are capable of with that powder - have to load your cases within that capability. That "old days" Lee Loader kit was entirely using volume scoops - was no weighing, ever - except I think those loads listed were pretty mild - might have even been Start level loadings. There used to be old timers like Richard Lee and Elmer Keith that claimed "volume" of powder was more significant that "weight" of powder - or at least "as good as" for re-loading - not sure where that thinking went - does away with "need" for better and more expensive scales - so might be what happened ...
Funnels - currently the one that I use says it is "Herter's, Inc." It is clear plastic. Formerly was RCBS green plastic - not sure where that one got off too. Funnel spout is tapered upper inside end - so it does sit fully on the upright case, "sealed" against various size of case mouth - taper means that powder falling through is centered - smallest I reloaded was 22 caliber - so like .223 Rem and 22-250; largest that I loaded was 45 caliber - like 45-70 and 458 Win Mag - same funnel used.
Powder measures - I am actually set up for two ways to meter powder - for decades, I used the powder measure into scale pan, then onto beam scale and use trickler to bring up to desired weight - so tried to get powder throw 0.3 grains or so less than what I wanted to end up at. Excuriatingly slow way to do it. Once to weight, then dump scale pan into funnel on empty brass - do about 5 like that and then seat bullets. Repeat. I also have an RCBS Chargemaster Light - is a powder measure, trickler and scale all in one - touch buttons to get desired weight - is what you get. When it says 43.2 grains, is also 43.2 grains on the Hornady beam scale - close enough for me and the rifles that I use. When running the Chargemaster, I usually seat the bullet while the machine is dispensing the next load. Many times for batch of 50 or 100 rounds, I will not cross check loads from Chargemaster to Hornady beam scale - I just load what the Chargemaster dispenses. Is typical to go through calibration sequence at start of each session - unlike the previous Lyman that seems to want to re-calibrate about every 5th or 6th load.
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Buy the big lee press, not the cheap one that the toggle breaks, [ask me how i know].
Don't buy the cheap lee scale, [junk].
I've been reloading since 1964
i've had all kinds of presses including the nice rcbs one.
Get at least 3 reloading books, lyman. Speer, hornady.
And last but not least get a cartridge case gauge
old timer 77
Don't buy the cheap lee scale, [junk].
I've been reloading since 1964
i've had all kinds of presses including the nice rcbs one.
Get at least 3 reloading books, lyman. Speer, hornady.
And last but not least get a cartridge case gauge
old timer 77
Otokiak, it have being several months now , what have you decided upon?
Can you share some details on your quest for others who may soon be looking into reloading?
Black Friday sales have come and gone anyone score a deal on a kit or ....
Rob
I had a plastic Lee Perfect Powder Measure . When I got it, Lee in his book suggested running powdered graphite though it. I just so happened to have some, so I did. It jammed up . I emptied it. I could easily get within 5 IMR 4350 logs all day long. At that level of consistency I saw no reason to weight the thrown charges. I gave the powder measure to my eldest son and now use a Lee Cast one. I liked the plastic one better.
I like using IMR 4350, I found it to be slightly more accurate than H 4350. That could simply be the lot #s . It nice and lineal, which makes load development easier. A lot of powders have narrow pressure sweet spots. When I do my load development and when I hunt the temperatures aren't that much different . I use a Lee powder measure so there is no problem with throwing the charges. As an added bonus, it's lot less messy than ball powders.
I like using IMR 4350, I found it to be slightly more accurate than H 4350. That could simply be the lot #s . It nice and lineal, which makes load development easier. A lot of powders have narrow pressure sweet spots. When I do my load development and when I hunt the temperatures aren't that much different . I use a Lee powder measure so there is no problem with throwing the charges. As an added bonus, it's lot less messy than ball powders.
- Location
- Blaster land, Okanagan BC
Everyone seems to say this but the two press kits I’ve bought (single stage and turret) haven’t had anything I wouldn’t use in them. Possibly the Lee beam scale as I already have an rcbs 5-0-5 and a digital Hornady that works great but I’m sure it works fine, otherwise everything else has been useful. I prime on the press vs the hand primer but it does work as well.
I just bought my first Elmer Keith book, and while thoroughly enjoying reading it so far, there was a quite lengthy disclaimer at the front of it, basically saying do NOT try to reload like Elmer used to.
Thank you to everyone who replied! It's always an evolving process to learn this stuff
I bought a Lee breech lock challenger kit when I started.
Other than a die set and a Lee case length gauge, it had everything I needed to get loading right away.
Have since bought a better scale, but still use pretty much everything that was in the kit.
I've loaded close to 1k 308win, 500 300wsm, and over 1k 9mm.
I had to take the hand primer apart and give it a clean and lube but other than that, it's still going strong.
Sam
Other than a die set and a Lee case length gauge, it had everything I needed to get loading right away.
Have since bought a better scale, but still use pretty much everything that was in the kit.
I've loaded close to 1k 308win, 500 300wsm, and over 1k 9mm.
I had to take the hand primer apart and give it a clean and lube but other than that, it's still going strong.
Sam
- Location
- Western Manitoba
Yep, I think he was usually on the pretty warm side - some years ago, I read an Internet poster claiming he was using Elmer Keith's loading for 285 grain Speer bullets in 338 Win Mag - was WAY beyond any reloading manual recommendation that I had then!!
