I've got another thread running here now on this topic...
Extruded/stick powders are notoriously difficult to measure to great accuracy in a volume (powder drop) measure.
Ball powders, because of their shape, pack tightly together. Stick, on the other hand- not so hot...the shape of the powder precludes a great deal of consistency in weight when using a volume measure. "Shaking", or vibrating the press around causes the powder in the meter to settle and results in an increased charge. The decapping/re-sizing dies cause quite a bit of vibration to the press.
There's a small reloading supplier not too far from me, and I was discussing this problem with him. He agreed it's an issue, and said it's best to have the powder drop mounted elsewhere so it's not affected by the vibrations of the press. Not feasible in my mind though, since that defeats the purpose of having a turret or progressive press.
Do any of you
intentionally shake/vibrate the press to "shake down" stick powders when metering to try to get better consistency?