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Old October 31, 2009, 04:06 PM   #1
Farmhand
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Help please - Redding 3RB Powder Measure

I am getting ready to try my hand at reloading. I have been trying to come up with equipment as I see quality at a fair price. My local club is giving a day long reloading class in January and I want to have most of what I need by then. Pistol mostly for me - 45 ACP, 10mm, 41 mag maybe some 9mm.

Today I went to a gun show. A guy there had some used reloading stuff. I picked up an RCBS Rockchucker press that looks to be in very good used condition for $70. I need to find a primer catcher - it was missing that - I have seen mostly plastic but I think they also made metal ones which are nicer.

He also had Redding 3RB Powder Measure in a box marked 3BR Universal. It looks like it was never used - I offered him $50 for it. I think Redding generally makes good equipment. He seemed a little reluctant but said okay. However, I think I may need to get a smaller micrometer for loading pistol ammo the instructions talk about a Pistol Micrometer and a Universal micrometer. I assume it has the Universal with it - not sure - but seems logical based on the box marking. Does anyone have any experience with this Powder Measure - how do I know which micrometer it has and do I need to get the pistol micrometer? Is it a good accurate measure?

Thanks for the advice.
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Old October 31, 2009, 06:36 PM   #2
Tex S
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Great buy for $50.

Check out Reddings website. It will have all the info you should need.
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Old October 31, 2009, 07:11 PM   #3
jepp2
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I switched from the Lyman 55 to the Redding 3BR many years ago, and couldn't be happier. I probably never quite adjusted the Lyman correctly, but the Redding is so EASY! I built Excel charts for various powders, and using regression analysis, plotted my line for various charges. Very repeatable.

The Redding is very easy to use. You do get some shearing with the long grain stick powders, but that's just part of it.

Do you realize the MSRP for the Redding is $225?
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Old October 31, 2009, 07:12 PM   #4
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I don't have that particular measure, but I do have an RCBS Uniflow. It's pistol micrometer is part of a separate drum, though I believe the Redding uses an insert rather than a completely separate drum? Either way, you get a narrower diameter charge cavity. That allows for finer adjustment because the micrometer head has to move further to change the charge volume any given amount, and also because it allows a taller charge column for a small charge. That taller column improves consistency because the errors tend to occur in the last millimeter or so of charge column where disturbance from leveling as the drum rotates introduces much of the metering error. Having the taller column makes that effect less significant to the total charge and also less sensitive to the height of the powder in the hopper as it gets low. The only drawback is lower maximum charge capacity.
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Old November 1, 2009, 06:49 AM   #5
Farmhand
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Thanks

I looked at the Redding site. I think it is the universal and not the pistol based on uncles response it seems like the pistol would be more accurate given the column height and smaller charge area. Looked on-line and it looks like the pistol micrometer is about $40 bucks - I guessed about $20 but I should have known since it seems like Redding is not cheap. Can't compliant since it seems like the powder measurer is over $125 on-line.

As for the shearing on long stick powder I guess I just avoid those powders if I can. Is that correct.

Thanks for all the help getting me set up.
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Old November 1, 2009, 05:15 PM   #6
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To determine which insert you have, remove it and check diameter of opening in insert. The opening for powder in rifle/general insert will be approx 1/2 inch while opening in pistol insert will be around 1/4 inch. These are just guesstimates but you should be able to determine simply by observation. Another way is to open the insert to its max position and throw a charge of some powder. If it weighs 60-70 grains or more then it is the rifle insert. The max charge of pistol powders is closer to 10-15 grains I think. A check of their website should give you more specifics on max charges for the two inserts.

Edit: I am referring to the diameter of the actual powder chamber opening in the insert, not the outside diameter of the insert. Sorry I didn't make that clearer.
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Old November 1, 2009, 06:05 PM   #7
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The rifle insert is 3/4 inch diameter. the pistol insert has a body 3/4 inch diameter and a smaller diameter chamber, about 5/16 inch. One of the best powder measures made. As far as cutting long stick powders. don't worry about it it's more important to develope a good operating rhythm. If your sloppy in operating any measure powder chargers will vary, keeping movements and consistant keep powder charges the same.
You have good tooling it will serve you for a lifetime.
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Old November 1, 2009, 09:48 PM   #8
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I have the Redding large chamber and just bought the pistol chamber insert.
Using W231 (HP-38) you can meter4.0 grs all day long with the LARGE chamber. What I found was powders like Unique were all over the place.
A 6.0 gr setting for Unique with the large chamber threw a spread of .9grs
from high to low. With the small pistol chamber the charges got a lot closer but NOT REAL ACCURATE. Unique @ say 10.0 grs would probably hit dead on.
Blue Dot in the large chamber would throw accurate charges from 8.0gr and up. Teh smaller chamber is much better with it.
You are going to be a lot happier with both chamber meters but you will have to experiment to see what the different ranges are in different powders. The Redding takes 30 seconds to switch out, I don;t know about yours. I would say any charge of 10 grs or more will be right on with the big unit. I haven't done much with the small one yet. It will meter HS-6 dead on at a 7.0 gr charge-(done today)
hope this helps
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Old November 1, 2009, 10:10 PM   #9
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thanks guys

I will take the micrometer out tomorrow and look. If it is the universal I will order the pistol one for it. Glad to know I have good equipment - I would rather buy once than twice.
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Old November 1, 2009, 10:28 PM   #10
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Farmhand,

Don't give up on stick powders out of hand. Even with some charge weight variation they can often beat spherical propellants simply because they are a lot easier to ignite consistently. Hatcher reported working up a load for National Match ammo (which was once provided by the military) and had a fine cut version of IMR1147, which was similar to the formulation of modern IMR4320, but with grains only about .045" long. His arsenal loading equipment could meter it +/- 0.3 grains. He had a similar powder with the grains cut twice as long. The arsenal dispensers could only throw it +/- .75 grains. That's a 1.7 grain extreme spread. An awful lot by modern standards. Yet tests in the machine rest showed the groups with the coarse powder were consistently more accurate. He believed the ability of the coarse grains to ignite more easily accounted for this.

I think the effect Hatcher observed must be common for stick powders. Otherwise, I don't see why the market for stick powders would continue to be there. That goes double for Unique, which is always erratic in measures.
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Old November 2, 2009, 05:28 PM   #11
sophijo
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Redding

Call Redding and talk with a tech. They will do everything short of send a guy out to the house in a chopper. I tried to pay for a part I screwed-up on my T-7and they would have none of it...sent replacement free
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