Volume or weighted ?

[BuckRub]

Which do you prefer, weighted or volume ? Most like to weight their charges but alot like volume better.

[Mike / Tx]

There are a few cases where I will weigh out the charges individually, but after shooting for a couple of seasons at a range that had several BR shooters there all the time I started throwing my charges.

I set up a dedicated Uniflow for range work, as well as a couple of small presses. That way I could weigh out the charges ahead of time, jot down the numbers on the threaded stem that corresponded to which powder and loads and go to the range for the work up.

I adjust in 1/4 or 1/8 turn increments depending on which powder I am using. It makes it a ton faster than loading up cases with different charge weights and shooting until I find one that I like and have to pull the rest. One trip tot he range and I am usually done.

[flashhole]

I love using Dipper Cups.

[Misssissippi Dave]

With flake powders, I find I need to weigh them to get any type of accuracy. Ball powders work quite well measuring by volume. It depends on the powder used. I use a lot of ball powder so I am able to load much faster.

[4runnerman]

Weigh everytime and all the time. I just can't bring myself to throwing charges.

[rebs]

I use an RCBS powder dump and only weigh the first few loads to get the dump set and after that I weight about every 10th one.

[Nathan]

I like weight better, but there is not an economical way to dispense pistol powder by weight.

[serf 'rett]

Use scales to set the Uniflow volume. Throw 50 charges into pistol cases. Use scales to check 1 or 2 of the thrown charges. Throw another 50 or 100 and recheck.

I suspect loading rifle will be different.

[dahermit]

but after shooting for a couple of seasons at a range that had several BR shooters there all the time I started throwing my charges.

Mike, did those bench restors use only ball powders when throwing charges? I cannot imagine some of the stick powders going through a measure accurately.

[jimbob86]

I have not had good consistancy metering flakes ...... best metering has been with ball or short extruded powders ....

When weighing loads, I meter or use a dipper get to just a grain or so light, and trickle up .....

[AllenJ]

It really depends on what powder I'm working with. Ball powders meter so well once the Uniflow is calibrated weighing each charge is almost a waste of time. I'll weigh every 10th round or so just to satisfy my OCD. When working with long extruded powders like 4350 and 4831 each and every charge is weighed since in my experience only about 1 in 10 metered charges are correct.

[schmellba99]

Use the scales to get the correct volume adjustment on my case activated powder drop. Once I get 3-5 that are consistent throws with the charge I want, start loading. I check every 100th round to verify nothing is too far off. I load pistols and my AR plinking rounds in the middle to 3/4 max of the spectrum of powder charges, so as long as my checks prove to be within an acceptable range off median, I'm a happy camper.

I pretty much use flake and ball powders exclusively on the LnL progressive.

With my rifles, the ChargeMaster tosses the exact weight every time. Most of the time the powder I use with rifles is Varget, with my .243 using H414, which is a semi-flattened ball powder that meters absolutely awesome.

[Sure Shot Mc Gee]

Since I have the time I take my time. I Scale everything I intend to shoot..

[Brian Pfleuger]

For handgun rounds, I use volumetric dispensing. No need to be fussy about a 1/10th here or there for accuracy purposes and it's not going to blow up my gun. Besides which, handgun shooting is comparatively high-volume and I simply do not have time to weigh every charge.

For rifle rounds, the process takes longer and I use an RCBS Chargemaster Combo. By the time I'm finished processing the case, the dispenser is done dispensing. No reason not to use it.

[lll Otto lll]

Black powder is measured volumetrically and smokeless is measured by weight on a scale.

[Bart B.]

It's been known for decades by top ranked competitive shooters that metered charges of extruded powders measured by volume to a 3/10ths grain spread is typically more accurate in the ammo than exact charge weights of ball powder for ranges up through 500 to 600 yards. At greater ranges, extruded powder with a 2/10ths grain charge weight spread's good enough to shoot good stuff into no worse than 3/4 MOA at 1000 yards. No ball powder I know of has ever done that well at that range. That's what the most accurate long range benchrest rigs do with the ammo shot in them.

Benchresters have been metering extruded powders in their ammo for short range matches for decades. But their powder measures are good enough to meter charge weights to 3/10ths grain maximum spread.

Sierra Bullets meters all their exturded powders loading ammo to test their bullets for accuracy. Their best match bullets shoot into no worse than 1/2 inch at 200 yards.

[Louca]

Throw 50 charges into pistol cases. Use scales to check 1 or 2 of the thrown charges. Throw another 50 or 100 and recheck.

I am not saying this should not be done, and I do it too, but has anyone EVER seen a volumetric thrown charge change in the course of loading? I have not. I have see variation in thrown charges, especially for extruded powders, but never anything that needed correction.

Lou

[Louca]

Which do you prefer, weighted or volume ?

For which kind of cartridge? For handgun loads, volume. For most rifle loads, volume works. During experimentation and accuracy pursuit, weighted.

Sometimes the extruded powders get me frustrated when trying to throw them, so I just weight and trickle them.

Lou

[serf 'rett]

Louca - Yep, I've seen the volumetric change.

From the 1st thrown charge of the 50 round loading block to the last round there was a change of 1.2 grains (siginificant when loading Power Pistol in 9mm). I was really scratching my head until I found the rotor bushing was backing out of the rotor.

[Bart B.]

Without baffles in the hopper to keep the powder atop the metering chamber the same pressure on it, charge weights typically get lighter as the powder in the hopper gets lower.

[HiBC]

Brother has one of the Lyman auto setups.Its a pretty slick deal,a slightly light dump goes in the electronic scale pan,then an auto-trickler brings it to final weight.

It requires a warm-up time and it is a bit finicky,but,it works.

I use a scale to set and monitor a volumetric measure.

I'm using a Hornady measure .Not claiming it any better than the other brands.I just loaded a hundred loads of 30-06 with the only can of IMR 4350 I had.There was just enough in the can,maybe 3 tablespoons extra.

As the powder level got low,I started weighing each dump.Each charge brought the scale to zero as the powder dropped below the clear reservoir.

Eventually,I got a short charge,but it was running on "E"


I used to load dipper,scale,and teaspoon,one at a time.It made ammo.

A good volumetric powder measure greatly increased my production efficiency.

More ammo = more practice.I am the largest factor in my group size.

IMO,more shooting with pretty good ammo is better than less shooting with perfect ammo.

[Boomer58cal]

When weighing loads, I meter or use a dipper get to just a grain or so light, and trickle up .....

Same here. I trickle up every load one at a time. No exceptions!

IMO,more shooting with pretty good ammo is better than less shooting with perfect ammo.

That's what the cheap surplus stuff is for

Boomer

[RC20]

Kind of interesting (admittedly I weigh not dip) but the comments on pistols not making any difference vs rifle.

1/10 of a grain in say a 30-06 at 55 grs is zip point nothing percentage wise.

1/10 of a grain in a pistol at 4 grs is a great deal higher percentage wise.

Granted rifles are more accurate than pistols but....... take some math to figure out the equal variance but it would be a lot (I can't handle it tonight, maybe tomorrow!)

It would seem more prudent to weigh the pistol for both safety and get more accuracy and not hte rifle (though I will continue to weigh all, fine powders be they ball or flake that meter nicely I weigh only every 10 or so, the stick powders each one get weighed as they meter out all over the map in my admittedly ancient and likely antiquated RCBS dispenser.

Ok, off to bed and see if I am enlightened when I read the mornings comments (gring)

[Hammerhead]

Handguns all get volume metering, visually checked and every 10th charge weighed.
Most rifle charges weighed unless I'm loading plinkers with Trail Boss, then I use volume as above.

[wpsdlrg]

I used to weigh every charge...and I still do (mostly) for rifle loads. I don't load lots of rifle ammo anymore, though. For handguns, since going to a powder dispenser (and finding out through experimentation that the dispenser I use is almost as accurate as my scales and never seems to vary more than 0.1 grain) - I now mostly throw charges with the dispenser. Speeds things up enormously.

I have used dippers, specifically altered for a particular charge weight with a particular powder - but I never fully trusted them.

I am, as I have always been, meticulous about checking for double charges, empty cases (missed charges), things that just don't look right, etc. But now, I only weigh about 1 in every 15 to 20 charges (for my handguns) - sometimes only 1 in 25.