Weighing charges
- Thread starter MattE93
- Start date
billbmcleod
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Back very close to Bruce County
A 15 second scan of the loading block with a light will give you a lot of security. Powder hang ups or missed throws should stick out quite easily.
Yes, but...if you are close to max on a pistol charge, .2 or .4 grain is hard to see on a big bore handgun case.
billbmcleod
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Back very close to Bruce County
I agree it might be hard to see but the real danger is a double or or near double charge. If your gun can't handle a 5-10% over charge maybe you shouldn't be getting that close. If you look at 40 year old reloading manuals and compare the same manual to a current edition you can easily see a lot of charge reductions. Maybe this just takes into account improvements in powders but I will bet there is a lot of plain old "cover your a## " on the part of publishers as I doubt that guns are being made weaker.
- Location
- WMU248 near Edmonton
well I guess I'm one of the odd ones
rifle ammo I am loading is mostly for hunting and I throw each charge then I weigh it on a beam scale and top off with a powder trickler.
some of my loads have been worked up and are slightly past the book maximums but are giving good results.
I use mostly extruded IMR powders and the bigger kernels don't always meter accurately.
if I'm loading pistol or using a ball powder I will trust the powder thrower a little more and once I get the load I want I'll weigh one in ten.
rifle ammo I am loading is mostly for hunting and I throw each charge then I weigh it on a beam scale and top off with a powder trickler.
some of my loads have been worked up and are slightly past the book maximums but are giving good results.
I use mostly extruded IMR powders and the bigger kernels don't always meter accurately.
if I'm loading pistol or using a ball powder I will trust the powder thrower a little more and once I get the load I want I'll weigh one in ten.
I just experienced this. Loaded rifle for the first time with IMR, couldn’t get the measure to throw a consistent weight like I could with pistol ball so I threw a slight under charge and topped up with a dipper. I only loaded 30 rounds so I don’t mind doing this compared to the hundreds with revolver
- Location
- WMU248 near Edmonton
well with the IMR double extruded base kernels I set up the powder throw about 1/2 grain short then set it on the balance beam scale and trickle it up to my load.
I'm using IMR for most of my powders but I know I have a ball powder and a flake powder that I am using I just don't remember which ones as I have not loaded pistol or any of my smaller calibers for about 2 years.
Mostly loading 22-250, 25-06, 300WM, 325WSM, and starting to play with loads for the 458WM and 338WM.
But I need to load up some smaller stuff soon, getting low on the 22 Hornet, 30 Carbine, and 357Mag. Might load up some 310Cadet and 577-450 while I'm at it.
- Location
- Saskatchewan
Quote: "precision of the scale (maybe .05 grains but probably less)"
I think you were offered a lot of good advice already. Nice to see a beginner asking good questions and learning. My only suggestion is learning how your scale and its digital display works. You state that your scale has an accuracy of 0.05 grains. One tenth of a grain ( +/- 0.1 ) is the limit of accuracy that most reloading scales can measure. They may possibly display more, but can't actually weigh more precisely than 0.1 grain. And it doesn't matter. There are more important variables that affect cartridge pressure and accuracy than the last kernel of powder added to a case.
I think you were offered a lot of good advice already. Nice to see a beginner asking good questions and learning. My only suggestion is learning how your scale and its digital display works. You state that your scale has an accuracy of 0.05 grains. One tenth of a grain ( +/- 0.1 ) is the limit of accuracy that most reloading scales can measure. They may possibly display more, but can't actually weigh more precisely than 0.1 grain. And it doesn't matter. There are more important variables that affect cartridge pressure and accuracy than the last kernel of powder added to a case.
Sorry what I was trying to get at was the scale wasn’t levelling off at the exact same point for all loads thrown but was very close. I should probably have said the variation was less 0.1 grains as you are right, under that I can’t really read what the scale is measuring and it’s more of a guess.
I think for pistol I’ll measure every 10 and rifle every charge since I can’t get a consistent throw on the IMR powder
Thats what i do for all my precision ammo. Works well and still pretty fast.
Throw a charge and then manualy top it up on a digi scale
I agree with Chawp-Chawps comments.
Never could get to trust myself with a powder drop.
Things have changed a wee bit with the electronic dispenser.
Still check every second or third one.
And as Ganderright mentioned, scan the filled cases before seating the bullets.
Never could get to trust myself with a powder drop.
Things have changed a wee bit with the electronic dispenser.
Still check every second or third one.
And as Ganderright mentioned, scan the filled cases before seating the bullets.
For my loading it depends on what and how many i'm loading. Doing large batches of 223 or 9mm then the Dillon measure does it all, I will check one or two at the start and again at the end of a batch. Got a powder cop die for xmas, looking forward to using it. Loading 20 to 40 rounds of hunting ammo or test loads it is all run through the RCBS loadmaster which I check using my trusty old Ohaus beam scale.
