I just started reloading using a Lee Classic Cast Turret press after using a single stage for a couple of years. I'm looking for help in speeding up the process. I believe powder charging is my bottle-neck right now. I'm currently using an RCBS Uniflow Measure and an RCBS 505 balance scale. I'm reloading for rifle cartridges mostly 30-06 (M1 Garand) and 303Br. Right now I'm weighing every charge, as I'm cutting alot of powder grains (IMR 4064) and charges are up and down a little. I'm about to try some Win 748 to see how it measures. Ideally I would love to get a dispenser/scale combo, but that's not in the budget. Looking for feedback on what others are doing. Thanks in advance. fwm
Turret Press Help
- Thread starter fwm
- Start date
(((Echo)))
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Old Man Land, AB
I used to use the Lee powder thrower bolted to a piece of wood. Now I find it's faster for me to scoop and trickle with my electronic scale. No more crunching as the long grains get mashed, no more leaks from the flake powders.
(E)
(E)
RCBS Uniflow Measure
I use the same one, I'd suggest you work on working the lever with the same consistancy every time. When you get it set check your 1st few load weights, I think you'll find they are well with-in limits for a hunting cartridge. I would suggest there is less than 1/10th variance even with short cut stick powder.
Do yourself a favor & carefully make up 9 carefully weighed rounds & 9 RCBS thrown rounds, when you shoot them in 3 shot groups I'll bet you can't see a difference. I throw my loads right into the case.
Yes you can go to a ball powder for less variance if you think you need too.
For years I threw ball powder right thru the RCBS measure for a number of 22-250 Varmint rifles & never once proved myself an improvement in accuracy by weighing each load.
Hint: keep powder level close to the same all the time when throwing powder.
My method is to keep it at roughly 1/4-1/2 full, if it gets down to 1/4 I fill it back up to 1/2. I never really checked if the additional weight off a full reseviour would change load density thus load weights it is just simpler to keep levels close
I use the same one, I'd suggest you work on working the lever with the same consistancy every time. When you get it set check your 1st few load weights, I think you'll find they are well with-in limits for a hunting cartridge. I would suggest there is less than 1/10th variance even with short cut stick powder.
Do yourself a favor & carefully make up 9 carefully weighed rounds & 9 RCBS thrown rounds, when you shoot them in 3 shot groups I'll bet you can't see a difference. I throw my loads right into the case.
Yes you can go to a ball powder for less variance if you think you need too.
For years I threw ball powder right thru the RCBS measure for a number of 22-250 Varmint rifles & never once proved myself an improvement in accuracy by weighing each load.
Hint: keep powder level close to the same all the time when throwing powder.
My method is to keep it at roughly 1/4-1/2 full, if it gets down to 1/4 I fill it back up to 1/2. I never really checked if the additional weight off a full reseviour would change load density thus load weights it is just simpler to keep levels close
Thanks Senior, I will try that little experiment. More specifically I'm looking for feedback from guys using or having tried the Lee Pro Disk with the double disk upgrade or the Perfect Powder measure mounted on the press. Also I've heard somewhere that RCBS makes a linkage for the Uniflow Powder measure for use with one of their progressive presses. Is this right? Could I buy the linkage and mount the Uniflow on my Lee Turret press? Are the results I get from any of this worth the effort, or should I settle what I'm doing now?
- Location
- Somewhere on the Hudson Bay Coast
Switching to a ball powder like 748 will solve a big part of your problem, it meters very uniformly. You might find that BLC-2 or AA-2520 is closer to the burn rate of 4064 and 748 is closer to 4895.
I tend to check every 5th rifle and every 10th handgun load as the measures tend to throw differently as the powder column in the measure drops, even if you use a baffle. The micrometer adjustment makes finding a load and returning to it much easier than with the standard adjustment on the Uniflow. After years of crunching extruded powder, now I only use ball powder in my measure, and scale or use my electronic dispenser for extruded powder.
Perhaps a little off subject, bit if you ever load flake powder, it's a pain in the ass regardless how you do it. It gets hung up in the thrower because it's bulky and light, so perhaps the best solution is the Lee spoon measures with a scale then trickle once you're close.
I tend to check every 5th rifle and every 10th handgun load as the measures tend to throw differently as the powder column in the measure drops, even if you use a baffle. The micrometer adjustment makes finding a load and returning to it much easier than with the standard adjustment on the Uniflow. After years of crunching extruded powder, now I only use ball powder in my measure, and scale or use my electronic dispenser for extruded powder.
Perhaps a little off subject, bit if you ever load flake powder, it's a pain in the ass regardless how you do it. It gets hung up in the thrower because it's bulky and light, so perhaps the best solution is the Lee spoon measures with a scale then trickle once you're close.
just as a note- your lee discs, according to the sheet, throw 21.6 of 4064 with the biggest(1.56) hole- you double that for your double disk kit,for 43.2 and i don't think you'll have enough CAPACITY for the '06 or maybe a light(er) load- i even tried it for a while with 748 in a 223, had to go to the double disk kit to get 25 grains of 748- consquently switched to a DILLON powder measure and been happy since
PerversPépère
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Shawinigan (Quebec)
In any case, make yourself a powder baffle; you'll see an improvement with your measuring. Use a simple nibbling tools (I bought mine from Radio Shack) and a thin aluminum sheet.
Here's a template:
Here's a template:
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