Hornady lnl powder drop varies day to day.

Schnitzjr · July 11, 2016, 09:13 PM

I loaded 200 .45 last night on my LNL using 4.5 gr Titegroup.
Tonight, I sat down to load some more and my powder drop threw 4.8-4.9 20 in a row. I had to add a 1/4 turn on the meter to get 4.5 consistently.
All I did last session is dump the powder and work the lever arm a few times to get the remaining powder out of the hopper.

I'm new to the LNL so perhaps I'm missing something but I am yet to get this thing to throw the same amount of powder day to day.
It will stay consistent when I spot check though.

I know most complaints are inconsistent drops but in my case the drops are fine, I just can't seem to get them to stay day to day.

Any ideas? My Lee disk drop was good to go from day one, this new one not so much.

egd · July 11, 2016, 10:32 PM

I am pretty new to the lnl too but here is my experience fwiw. I agree that the powder drops are consistent. My experience from one session to the next though is that they stay the same. However, I don't empty the measure between sessions, unless I'm changing powders.
When I first got it I sprinkled some graphite in it and ran that through. Then I just cycled a good bit of powder through also. I believe it takes a really good bit of powder going through any measure before it gets coated with graphite and everything starts flowing freely and consistently. Have you ran a lot of powder through it yet. Maybe that's part of the problem. Just guessing though. Maybe a more experienced user can add more.

reddog81 · July 12, 2016, 12:00 AM

Do you have the baffle in? I was dropping 4.6 grains Unique 2 weeks ago and went back today and it was still 4.6. Tite group should be more consista than than Unique.

snakeye · July 12, 2016, 12:11 AM

I have loaded 2 or 3 days in a row and it never changed. And then there are times when it changes overnight or later that day...I just put that in the " stuff happens " category. That's why we check powder drops when we star loading

higgite · July 12, 2016, 05:54 AM

Same here, snakeye. When it first happened, I fretted over it until I discovered that it's more productive to just make the adjustment and get on with it.

springer99 · July 12, 2016, 06:26 AM

Minor changes in powder drop are most often caused by powder settling over time. Usually it will settle out after dropping some charges to "shake" things up again. Other than that, I would suspect your powder scale, not the measure as being the culprit. I know that even though I leave my mechanical powder scale set at zero, when I come back a few days later, it's not unusual to see that it's changed a .1gr or 2 in the interim. Changes to temp., humidity, static or my bench is the culprit.

Economist · July 12, 2016, 09:39 AM

What Springer said. Day to day variations will happen with any powder measure.

PA-Joe · July 12, 2016, 07:13 PM

Two things
1. baffle
2. You have to be consistent in how you are handling the lever. You have to double tap the handle on both the up and down strokes. One to drop the powder completely into the measure and then the second time to make certain all of the powder drops out. You have to be consistent each time you move that handle/lever.

Schnitzjr · July 13, 2016, 01:35 PM

thanks for the replies.

Ocraknife · July 13, 2016, 03:10 PM

Even with the baffle in mine will drop even on the same day by a grain or so. I just weigh and adjust every couple dozen rounds.

reddog81 · July 13, 2016, 03:17 PM

Once the powder settles to the bottom a 1.0 grain variance would be crazy.

I discard the first couple of throws when dumping in a new powder. After that there is never much of a variance. Maybe .1 or .2 grains. Anything beyond that and there is a problem. Maybe the first couple of dumps will be .2 higher due to settling if I let it sit for a while.

Mike38 · July 13, 2016, 05:56 PM

I load handgun rounds with Titegroup, single stage press, using a Lee "Perfect Powder Measure" and a Lee balance weight. I also have noticed a day-to-day variation of powder drop weight. Not much, maybe 0.1 grains from one day to the next. I never leave powder in the hopper over night, so it can't be absorbing moisture, or on the other side, drying any. I have no idea why it changes, but I adjust accordingly.

noylj · July 13, 2016, 07:08 PM

1) It happens with all powder measures
2) If you are a newbie, verify that you have the pistol (small hole) rotor installed. I can't tell you how many "problems" folks report with powder measures has been from the wrong rotor

rdtompki · July 13, 2016, 10:03 PM

I have a powder measure micrometer on my LNL. There is a slight tendency to rotate (change the setting slightly) over 500 rounds or so. to prevent this I use a small piece of masking tape to prevent any change in setting. Other than that I can load thousands of rounds over 2-3 days with absolutely no change using VV N320.

qrz · July 21, 2016, 01:57 PM

I used the baffle and ptx stop and had fairly consistent drops not including extruded on my lnl. Extruded "log jams or chopping" pile up differently so to speak, so therefore the grain weight may vary. I have since switched over the the Lee Auto Drum measure. It too thorws decently and is much easier to clean up and store w/o worry of corrosion (in high humid areas over a cold winter). I set a drum to desired weight for that caliber and it never is changed. I just buy a different drum for a different caliber and so on. It has been just as precise as the lnl and has no chopping action of extruded.

Schnitzjr · July 21, 2016, 10:23 PM

I've only had to make tiny adjustments my last two reloading sessions. I've been filling the hopper with much more powder than needed and tapping it down a bit.

bfoosh006 · July 22, 2016, 09:26 AM

If this is a "Brand New" still got shipping oil anti-tarnish on it , Powder Measure...

Hornady strongly recommends you thoroughly degrease it prior to use....at 5 mins, 10 seconds... he specifically mentions your issue.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqYalPCf3AU

Carriertxv · July 22, 2016, 04:05 PM

When new clean hopper and body with either rubbing alcohol or Hornady one shot. Then run some powder graphite through the powder measure. After I did that never had an issue with powder measure not dropping consistently.
I do this all the time between reloading as well.

July 11, 2016, 09:13 PM	#1
Schnitzjr Senior Member Join Date: July 11, 2012 Posts: 108	Hornady lnl powder drop varies day to day. I loaded 200 .45 last night on my LNL using 4.5 gr Titegroup. Tonight, I sat down to load some more and my powder drop threw 4.8-4.9 20 in a row. I had to add a 1/4 turn on the meter to get 4.5 consistently. All I did last session is dump the powder and work the lever arm a few times to get the remaining powder out of the hopper. I'm new to the LNL so perhaps I'm missing something but I am yet to get this thing to throw the same amount of powder day to day. It will stay consistent when I spot check though. I know most complaints are inconsistent drops but in my case the drops are fine, I just can't seem to get them to stay day to day. Any ideas? My Lee disk drop was good to go from day one, this new one not so much.

July 13, 2016, 03:10 PM	#10
Ocraknife Senior Member Join Date: March 19, 2002 Location: Nashville Posts: 1,117	Even with the baffle in mine will drop even on the same day by a grain or so. I just weigh and adjust every couple dozen rounds. __________________ "The loudest sound you'll ever hear is a "bang" when you weren't expecting one." -Jimro

July 13, 2016, 10:03 PM	#14
rdtompki Senior Member Join Date: March 15, 2014 Location: San Franciso Bay area Posts: 108	I have a powder measure micrometer on my LNL. There is a slight tendency to rotate (change the setting slightly) over 500 rounds or so. to prevent this I use a small piece of masking tape to prevent any change in setting. Other than that I can load thousands of rounds over 2-3 days with absolutely no change using VV N320. __________________ NRA Life Member CRPA Life Member

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July 11, 2016, 10:32 PM	#2
egd Member Join Date: April 15, 2016 Posts: 73	I am pretty new to the lnl too but here is my experience fwiw. I agree that the powder drops are consistent. My experience from one session to the next though is that they stay the same. However, I don't empty the measure between sessions, unless I'm changing powders. When I first got it I sprinkled some graphite in it and ran that through. Then I just cycled a good bit of powder through also. I believe it takes a really good bit of powder going through any measure before it gets coated with graphite and everything starts flowing freely and consistently. Have you ran a lot of powder through it yet. Maybe that's part of the problem. Just guessing though. Maybe a more experienced user can add more.

July 12, 2016, 12:00 AM	#3
reddog81 Senior Member Join Date: October 16, 2014 Location: Iowa Posts: 1,634	Do you have the baffle in? I was dropping 4.6 grains Unique 2 weeks ago and went back today and it was still 4.6. Tite group should be more consista than than Unique.

July 12, 2016, 12:11 AM	#4
snakeye Senior Member Join Date: July 5, 2013 Location: Arlington, TX Posts: 127	I have loaded 2 or 3 days in a row and it never changed. And then there are times when it changes overnight or later that day...I just put that in the " stuff happens " category. That's why we check powder drops when we star loading

July 12, 2016, 05:54 AM	#5
higgite Senior Member Join Date: October 21, 2010 Posts: 1,025	Same here, snakeye. When it first happened, I fretted over it until I discovered that it's more productive to just make the adjustment and get on with it.

July 12, 2016, 06:26 AM	#6
springer99 Senior Member Join Date: November 14, 2008 Posts: 355	Minor changes in powder drop are most often caused by powder settling over time. Usually it will settle out after dropping some charges to "shake" things up again. Other than that, I would suspect your powder scale, not the measure as being the culprit. I know that even though I leave my mechanical powder scale set at zero, when I come back a few days later, it's not unusual to see that it's changed a .1gr or 2 in the interim. Changes to temp., humidity, static or my bench is the culprit.

July 12, 2016, 09:39 AM	#7
Economist Senior Member Join Date: September 22, 2014 Posts: 163	What Springer said. Day to day variations will happen with any powder measure.

July 12, 2016, 07:13 PM	#8
PA-Joe Senior Member Join Date: June 9, 2010 Location: NEPA Posts: 909	Two things 1. baffle 2. You have to be consistent in how you are handling the lever. You have to double tap the handle on both the up and down strokes. One to drop the powder completely into the measure and then the second time to make certain all of the powder drops out. You have to be consistent each time you move that handle/lever.

July 13, 2016, 01:35 PM	#9
Schnitzjr Senior Member Join Date: July 11, 2012 Posts: 108	thanks for the replies.

July 13, 2016, 03:17 PM	#11
reddog81 Senior Member Join Date: October 16, 2014 Location: Iowa Posts: 1,634	Once the powder settles to the bottom a 1.0 grain variance would be crazy. I discard the first couple of throws when dumping in a new powder. After that there is never much of a variance. Maybe .1 or .2 grains. Anything beyond that and there is a problem. Maybe the first couple of dumps will be .2 higher due to settling if I let it sit for a while.

July 13, 2016, 05:56 PM	#12
Mike38 Senior Member Join Date: December 28, 2009 Location: North Central Illinois Posts: 2,710	I load handgun rounds with Titegroup, single stage press, using a Lee "Perfect Powder Measure" and a Lee balance weight. I also have noticed a day-to-day variation of powder drop weight. Not much, maybe 0.1 grains from one day to the next. I never leave powder in the hopper over night, so it can't be absorbing moisture, or on the other side, drying any. I have no idea why it changes, but I adjust accordingly.

July 13, 2016, 07:08 PM	#13
noylj Senior Member Join Date: October 21, 2007 Location: Between CA and NM Posts: 858	1) It happens with all powder measures 2) If you are a newbie, verify that you have the pistol (small hole) rotor installed. I can't tell you how many "problems" folks report with powder measures has been from the wrong rotor

July 21, 2016, 01:57 PM	#15
qrz Senior Member Join Date: May 3, 2016 Posts: 101	I used the baffle and ptx stop and had fairly consistent drops not including extruded on my lnl. Extruded "log jams or chopping" pile up differently so to speak, so therefore the grain weight may vary. I have since switched over the the Lee Auto Drum measure. It too thorws decently and is much easier to clean up and store w/o worry of corrosion (in high humid areas over a cold winter). I set a drum to desired weight for that caliber and it never is changed. I just buy a different drum for a different caliber and so on. It has been just as precise as the lnl and has no chopping action of extruded.

July 21, 2016, 10:23 PM	#16
Schnitzjr Senior Member Join Date: July 11, 2012 Posts: 108	I've only had to make tiny adjustments my last two reloading sessions. I've been filling the hopper with much more powder than needed and tapping it down a bit.

July 22, 2016, 09:26 AM	#17
bfoosh006 Senior Member Join Date: February 17, 2009 Posts: 1,089	If this is a "Brand New" still got shipping oil anti-tarnish on it , Powder Measure... Hornady strongly recommends you thoroughly degrease it prior to use....at 5 mins, 10 seconds... he specifically mentions your issue. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqYalPCf3AU

July 22, 2016, 04:05 PM	#18
Carriertxv Senior Member Join Date: January 19, 2013 Posts: 268	When new clean hopper and body with either rubbing alcohol or Hornady one shot. Then run some powder graphite through the powder measure. After I did that never had an issue with powder measure not dropping consistently. I do this all the time between reloading as well.