Dippin' and tricklin' vs. Using the Powder Measure

Dave R · January 25, 2006, 08:42 PM

I find that for really short runs of ammo, it takes less time to use the Lee dippers and trickle up, than to dial in the powder measure. For me, the breakeven seems to be around 20-30 rounds. If I'm loading more than that, I'll set the powder measure. For less than that, I'll dip and trickle.

Do you even make runs that short? Have you considered dippin' and tricklin' for short runs?

cdoc42 · January 25, 2006, 09:28 PM

Absolutely. Do it all the time. By the time you set up the powder measure, double checking the volume delivery, you could have loaded 10 of the 20 rounds with dippin' and tricklin'.

scottys1 · January 26, 2006, 12:14 AM

I agree.

I don't have many dippers other than the ones that came with the few sets of Lee dies I have but I'll set up the powder measure to throw light (the actual setting is not critical) and trickle up. Works great for low volume stuff and for incremental changes in powder charges.

Crosshair · January 26, 2006, 12:50 AM

I like the dippers. The only time I would not use them is for "Redline" loads that I so love to create.

Superhornet · January 26, 2006, 08:11 AM

Have used Lee Dippers for many years. They will load low to middle of the road pressures and velocity. For loads that do not fall into the range of available dippers, you can make your own. I make them for pistol out of the .380 or 9mm case by scale weighing the charge I want and then cutting the case down to hold that scale charge. Of course for max, use the scale.

Leftoverdj · January 26, 2006, 11:27 AM

I use the Lee dippers without a trickler on a pretty regular basis. I'm mostly a cast bullet shooter and working at low pressures. If I want to compare three different bullets of about the same weight, the quickest way to do it is charge 15-30 cases with a dipper and then load the three different bullets. Same thing when I want to see which of three different sizing diameters works best in a particular rifle.

When I am doing this stuff, I don't really care what the exact charge is. I do care that it is in a general range and that all the charges are the same. The Lee dippers will do that.

brickeyee · January 28, 2006, 11:02 AM

An RCBS Uniflow with a micrometer head is very repeatable. I record the settings in my loading log for future use. You can always set the Uniflow low and trickle up.

Dave R · January 28, 2006, 01:32 PM

Good point on setting the UniFlow low and trickling up. However, I have not found the micrometer settings to be very repeatable. At least not to within 1/10 of a grain. Maybe I'm too fussy, but I'll throw 10-20 charges trying to dial in that last 1/10 of a grain. Particularly when loading pistol ammo (which I do a lot of.)

My notes on my Uniflow settings say things like "3/4 turns past 2 with the small arbor" or 4 less 1/2 turn on the large arbor." But that still won't get me to 1/10 grain.

brickeyee · January 28, 2006, 04:23 PM

It sounds like you are still using the supplied arbor. RCBS has a real graduated micrometer head you can buy. It has at least 25 graduations per turn or so (both of mine are packed right now). The only down side is that changing rotors ruins the zero of the micrometers. I just have two Uniflows, one with each rotor size and never need to change them.
The other needed item with a Uniflow is a powder baffle. This isolates the measuring volume from the weight of the powder in the hopper.

jsflagstad · January 28, 2006, 05:03 PM

Did the RCBS Uniflow come with a baffle? Mine doesn't have one, and I heard that they are far more accurate with a baffle. I have used it to throw a short charge and the "sneak" it up with the trickler....that works well.

JSF

brickeyee · January 28, 2006, 05:15 PM

RCBS sells tha baffle for a few bucks, or you can just make one from some sheet metal. A circle the size of teh uniflow hopper, a couple of cut outs about 1/2 inch diameter half circles opposite each other, then bend the metal to about 45 degrees. Drop it in with the 'V' formed upwards. Powder enters the two semicircel cutouts and flows into the measuring chamber.

http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpag...eitemid=493217

Dave R · January 29, 2006, 12:31 AM

Brickeyee, that's some good info. Yes I'm using the supplied arbors. Sounds like the upgraded micrometer head goes on my wish list. Good tips on the baffle, too.

scottys1 · January 29, 2006, 10:29 PM

My powder measure is also a Uniflow that I added a micrometer head to. It was definitely a worthwhile improvement.

BILLY D. · January 31, 2006, 04:26 PM

we might want to hark back to the days of yesteryear and recall the buffalo hunters and their ilk didn't use a harrel powder measure in their rifle loads when they were slaughtering buffalo by the thousands. they also peed down their barrels to cool them off.

brickeyee · February 2, 2006, 10:01 AM

"we might want to hark back to the days of yesteryear and recall the buffalo hunters and their ilk didn't use a harrel powder measure in their rifle loads..."

And many were still loading black powder at far lower pressures than modern smokeless develops using nearly pure lead bullets.
The development of smokelss and the high pressures it allows create a need for more caution in load development and assembly.

January 25, 2006, 08:42 PM	#1
Dave R Senior Member Join Date: January 7, 2000 Location: Idaho Posts: 6,073	Dippin' and tricklin' vs. Using the Powder Measure I find that for really short runs of ammo, it takes less time to use the Lee dippers and trickle up, than to dial in the powder measure. For me, the breakeven seems to be around 20-30 rounds. If I'm loading more than that, I'll set the powder measure. For less than that, I'll dip and trickle. Do you even make runs that short? Have you considered dippin' and tricklin' for short runs? __________________ I am Pro-Rights (on gun issues).

January 26, 2006, 12:50 AM	#4
Crosshair Senior Member Join Date: December 16, 2004 Location: Grand Forks, ND Posts: 5,333	I like the dippers. The only time I would not use them is for "Redline" loads that I so love to create. __________________ I don't carry a gun to go looking for trouble, I carry a gun in case trouble finds me.

January 28, 2006, 01:32 PM	#8
Dave R Senior Member Join Date: January 7, 2000 Location: Idaho Posts: 6,073	Good point on setting the UniFlow low and trickling up. However, I have not found the micrometer settings to be very repeatable. At least not to within 1/10 of a grain. Maybe I'm too fussy, but I'll throw 10-20 charges trying to dial in that last 1/10 of a grain. Particularly when loading pistol ammo (which I do a lot of.) My notes on my Uniflow settings say things like "3/4 turns past 2 with the small arbor" or 4 less 1/2 turn on the large arbor." But that still won't get me to 1/10 grain. __________________ I am Pro-Rights (on gun issues).

January 28, 2006, 05:03 PM	#10
jsflagstad Senior Member Join Date: January 29, 2005 Location: Up Nort Posts: 419	Baffle for RCBS Uniflow???? Did the RCBS Uniflow come with a baffle? Mine doesn't have one, and I heard that they are far more accurate with a baffle. I have used it to throw a short charge and the "sneak" it up with the trickler....that works well. JSF

January 29, 2006, 12:31 AM	#12
Dave R Senior Member Join Date: January 7, 2000 Location: Idaho Posts: 6,073	Brickeyee, that's some good info. Yes I'm using the supplied arbors. Sounds like the upgraded micrometer head goes on my wish list. Good tips on the baffle, too. __________________ I am Pro-Rights (on gun issues).

January 25, 2006, 09:28 PM	#2
cdoc42 Senior Member Join Date: March 13, 2005 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 1,687	Absolutely. Do it all the time. By the time you set up the powder measure, double checking the volume delivery, you could have loaded 10 of the 20 rounds with dippin' and tricklin'.

January 26, 2006, 12:14 AM	#3
scottys1 Senior Member Join Date: May 21, 2004 Posts: 316	I agree. I don't have many dippers other than the ones that came with the few sets of Lee dies I have but I'll set up the powder measure to throw light (the actual setting is not critical) and trickle up. Works great for low volume stuff and for incremental changes in powder charges.

January 26, 2006, 08:11 AM	#5
Superhornet Senior Member Join Date: March 24, 2005 Location: florida Posts: 292	Have used Lee Dippers for many years. They will load low to middle of the road pressures and velocity. For loads that do not fall into the range of available dippers, you can make your own. I make them for pistol out of the .380 or 9mm case by scale weighing the charge I want and then cutting the case down to hold that scale charge. Of course for max, use the scale.

January 26, 2006, 11:27 AM	#6
Leftoverdj Senior Member Join Date: October 15, 2004 Posts: 934	I use the Lee dippers without a trickler on a pretty regular basis. I'm mostly a cast bullet shooter and working at low pressures. If I want to compare three different bullets of about the same weight, the quickest way to do it is charge 15-30 cases with a dipper and then load the three different bullets. Same thing when I want to see which of three different sizing diameters works best in a particular rifle. When I am doing this stuff, I don't really care what the exact charge is. I do care that it is in a general range and that all the charges are the same. The Lee dippers will do that.

January 28, 2006, 11:02 AM	#7
brickeyee Senior Member Join Date: December 29, 2004 Posts: 3,351	An RCBS Uniflow with a micrometer head is very repeatable. I record the settings in my loading log for future use. You can always set the Uniflow low and trickle up.

January 28, 2006, 04:23 PM	#9
brickeyee Senior Member Join Date: December 29, 2004 Posts: 3,351	It sounds like you are still using the supplied arbor. RCBS has a real graduated micrometer head you can buy. It has at least 25 graduations per turn or so (both of mine are packed right now). The only down side is that changing rotors ruins the zero of the micrometers. I just have two Uniflows, one with each rotor size and never need to change them. The other needed item with a Uniflow is a powder baffle. This isolates the measuring volume from the weight of the powder in the hopper.

January 28, 2006, 05:15 PM	#11
brickeyee Senior Member Join Date: December 29, 2004 Posts: 3,351	RCBS sells tha baffle for a few bucks, or you can just make one from some sheet metal. A circle the size of teh uniflow hopper, a couple of cut outs about 1/2 inch diameter half circles opposite each other, then bend the metal to about 45 degrees. Drop it in with the 'V' formed upwards. Powder enters the two semicircel cutouts and flows into the measuring chamber. http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpag...eitemid=493217

January 29, 2006, 10:29 PM	#13
scottys1 Senior Member Join Date: May 21, 2004 Posts: 316	My powder measure is also a Uniflow that I added a micrometer head to. It was definitely a worthwhile improvement.

January 31, 2006, 04:26 PM	#14
BILLY D. Member Join Date: February 15, 2005 Location: MINOT (MINDROT) ND Posts: 81	we might want to hark back to the days of yesteryear and recall the buffalo hunters and their ilk didn't use a harrel powder measure in their rifle loads when they were slaughtering buffalo by the thousands. they also peed down their barrels to cool them off. __________________ PLEASE EXCUSE UPPER CASE TYPING I AM HANDICAPPED AND ONLY TYPE WITH ONE HAND. THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION. HANDLOADS ARE LIKE UNDERWEAR.....BE CAREFUL WHO YOU SWAP WITH. HAPPY TRAILS, BILL NRA LIFE MEMBER-1965 THE THREAD KILLER

February 2, 2006, 10:01 AM	#15
brickeyee Senior Member Join Date: December 29, 2004 Posts: 3,351	"we might want to hark back to the days of yesteryear and recall the buffalo hunters and their ilk didn't use a harrel powder measure in their rifle loads..." And many were still loading black powder at far lower pressures than modern smokeless develops using nearly pure lead bullets. The development of smokelss and the high pressures it allows create a need for more caution in load development and assembly.