Progressive powder charge variance ???

Ares45 · May 18, 2005, 09:22 AM

How accurate is your progressive press powder charge? I noticed last night that my 550B is delivering variances as large as 2-3 tenths of a grain with W231. Just wondering if this is normal?

Not overly concerned at the moment but I'll be getting close to the top end of the load data soon. IF/when I max out the charge .2-.3gr will make a big difference. Sounds like I'm going to have to buy a powder trickler. Any thoughts on the best method for employing a trickler with a progressive? ...Or am I going to have to abandon my brand new 550 and go to a single stage if I want to load at/near the max charge?

30Cal · May 18, 2005, 10:42 AM

That's normal. FWIW, the more smooth and consistant you are with how you operate the press, the more consistant your powder charges will be. I doubt you'll see any problems on paper with what you are getting now.

Ty

Russ5924 · May 18, 2005, 04:14 PM

MY Dillon will do the same use three different powders and they will all show 2to3 1/10 off, at one time bothered me but now I just live with it.I try now to adjust a little on the high side.But the one thing that gets to me I only fill powder dispenser about 3/4 full as it empties you keep getting less and less powder so try to keep it at 3/4

G56 · May 18, 2005, 10:51 PM

My Dillon meters WW231 extremely consistently, one of the things that makes the powder measure consistent is to do the same thing every time, every pull of the handle is just like the last, if you bump around on the press it can make it throw inconsistent charges.

Every time you disturb the press, a little more powder settles into the chamber of the powder measure, that's not a problem unless you vary your rhythm, that messes with any powder measure, including the Dillon.

These shells were loaded on the Dillon, powder thrown by the powder measure and not weighed, just the regular progressive reloading. The group was at 100 yards.

WESHOOT2 · May 19, 2005, 05:36 AM

Gottalotta powder measures for my 650; vary +/-.1g with W231.

Except Unique, 700X and 800X, and Nitro 100; they 'move around' a wee bit more (like, I don't normally use them in my 650).

May 18, 2005, 09:22 AM	#1
Ares45 Senior Member Join Date: May 2, 2005 Posts: 211	Progressive powder charge variance ??? How accurate is your progressive press powder charge? I noticed last night that my 550B is delivering variances as large as 2-3 tenths of a grain with W231. Just wondering if this is normal? Not overly concerned at the moment but I'll be getting close to the top end of the load data soon. IF/when I max out the charge .2-.3gr will make a big difference. Sounds like I'm going to have to buy a powder trickler. Any thoughts on the best method for employing a trickler with a progressive? ...Or am I going to have to abandon my brand new 550 and go to a single stage if I want to load at/near the max charge?

May 18, 2005, 04:14 PM	#3
Russ5924 Senior Member Join Date: February 18, 2005 Posts: 1,874	MY Dillon will do the same use three different powders and they will all show 2to3 1/10 off, at one time bothered me but now I just live with it.I try now to adjust a little on the high side.But the one thing that gets to me I only fill powder dispenser about 3/4 full as it empties you keep getting less and less powder so try to keep it at 3/4 __________________ Russ5924

May 18, 2005, 10:51 PM	#4
G56 Senior Member Join Date: June 10, 2004 Location: Oklahoma Posts: 302	My Dillon meters WW231 extremely consistently, one of the things that makes the powder measure consistent is to do the same thing every time, every pull of the handle is just like the last, if you bump around on the press it can make it throw inconsistent charges. Every time you disturb the press, a little more powder settles into the chamber of the powder measure, that's not a problem unless you vary your rhythm, that messes with any powder measure, including the Dillon. These shells were loaded on the Dillon, powder thrown by the powder measure and not weighed, just the regular progressive reloading. The group was at 100 yards. __________________ John

May 19, 2005, 05:36 AM	#5
WESHOOT2 Senior Member Join Date: February 20, 1999 Location: home on the range; Vermont (Caspian country) Posts: 14,324	fifteen Gottalotta powder measures for my 650; vary +/-.1g with W231. Except Unique, 700X and 800X, and Nitro 100; they 'move around' a wee bit more (like, I don't normally use them in my 650). __________________ . "all my ammo is mostly retired factory ammo"

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May 18, 2005, 10:42 AM	#2
30Cal Senior Member Join Date: December 3, 2002 Posts: 1,264	That's normal. FWIW, the more smooth and consistant you are with how you operate the press, the more consistant your powder charges will be. I doubt you'll see any problems on paper with what you are getting now. Ty