Adjusting Hornady Powder Thrower

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kbm6893

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I am new to reloading and am getting ready to prime the brass and throw the powder. I have read the owner's manual for the powder thrower but it isn't very clear. If I want to set the thrower to 3.0 grains, how do I do that? There are no markings on the thrower to determine the amount of powder. It does day one turn will dispense about .5 grains, so I guess if I start from all the way closed, if I turn it 6 times, that will give me 3 grains, and then I lock it with the ring. Should I use a Sharpie to designate zero so I can see how many times it turns?
 
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The amount of powder thrown depends on the powder used as well as the micrometer setting.
Select a starting point on the micrometer, then you MUST weigh the powder charge thrown. Measure more than once. Then adjust the micrometer in or out depending on if you need less or more powder. After adjusting the micrometer, throw a few charges to let the powder settle, returning the powder to the hopper. Then throw and weigh a charge.

Repeat the process until you consistently get the weight you desire.

Be sure to periodically check the weight thrown during your reloading activities to verify you are really getting what you want.
 
LoadEmUp said:
The amount of powder thrown depends on the powder used as well as the micrometer setting.
Select a starting point on the micrometer, then you MUST weigh the powder charge thrown. Measure more than once. Then adjust the micrometer in or out depending on if you need less or more powder. After adjusting the micrometer, throw a few charges to let the powder settle, returning the powder to the hopper. Then throw and weigh a charge.

Repeat the process until you consistently get the weight you desire.

Be sure to periodically check the weight thrown during your reloading activities to verify you are really getting what you want.
Click to expand...

Oh, don't worry! I will be checking and rechecking the weight before I seat a bullet. So should I close the micrometer to "create a zero", mark the zero with a Sharpie or something, then turn 6 times to get me in the ballpark of 3 grains, throw the powder, weigh it, then return powder to thrower and keep tuning it until it consistently throws the same amount?

Thanks.
 
You adjust your measure according to the amount of powder thrown. Once you find the proper adjustment, you still need to check it and perhaps make fine re-adjustments if you decide to throw the same charge, and same powdere on another day. Small changes in humidity and temprature can affect the amount of powder thrown from day to day.

Hopefully, you have an accurate powder scale. If you don't than you need to immediately buy one. Also read the "how-too" section of a good reloading manual.
 
Harrison said:
You adjust your measure according to the amount of powder thrown. Once you find the proper adjustment, you still need to check it and perhaps make fine re-adjustments if you decide to throw the same charge, and same powdere on another day. Small changes in humidity and temprature can affect the amount of powder thrown from day to day.

Hopefully, you have an accurate powder scale. If you don't than you need to immediately buy one. Also read the "how-too" section of a good reloading manual.
Click to expand...

I have the digital scale that came with the Hornady Lock and Load kit. Accurate with the test weight they included in the kit. Should I get another one? I prefer digital.

Again, I am SUPER careful and triple check everything I do. I will never assume anything when it comes to reloading.
 
Did you clean it per the instructions? It will not work correctly if not.

The manual does not give instructions for zeroing it??

Even so or with a micrometer adjustment it is still mostly trial and error.

You can get close but any brand still requires "fine tuning" each time.

Mess around with it an you will get the "feel". Start with it closed ll the way then open 1 or 2 turns see what that gives. All depends on the powder.
 
I have two older Hornady powder measures that I have installed the new style meters. Here are a couple of things that make for more uniform powder throws. First add a powder baffle. Next, after filling the hopper, tap the measure to compress the powder and remove air pockets. I would get an old fashioned beam scale to measure your weights.
 
Rule3 said:
Did you clean it per the instructions? It will not work correctly if not.

The manual does not give instructions for zeroing it??

Even so or with a micrometer adjustment it is still mostly trial and error.

You can get close but any brand still requires "fine tuning" each time.

Mess around with it an you will get the "feel". Start with it closed ll the way then open 1 or 2 turns see what that gives. All depends on the powder.
Click to expand...


Yes, disassembled and degreased it. The manual gives instructions, but they're kind of vague. I just don't get why the meter doesn't have some sort of mark. It says to turn it one full rotation to get .5 grains, but if it isn't marked, how would I know if it was one complete turn, or 3/4? Or 1.5? Just wanna double check before I do anything.
 
I'm not sure I would completely TRUST the Hornady ELECTRONIC SCALE.

I use an ELECTRONIC RCBS 1500 (DISPENSER/SCALE) and another

ELECTRONIC scale from BRIAN ENOS (both checked each loading

session with RCBS CHECK WEIGHTS) to verify the charge and each other.


I COMPLETELY cleaned the DISASSEMBLED POWDER

MEASURES with HORNADY "ONE SHOT" CLEANER AND DRY LUBE.

THEN, I give the measure a SMALL BIT of Powdered Graphite and cycle a bunch,

this kinda pre-lube the internals, you can do the same by cycling a pound of powder,

THE GRAPHITE METHOD IS QUICKER!

I place a cut clear plastic SHEET PROTECTOR inside my measures as they

protect the clear plastic tubes from discoloration.


I use POWDER BAFFLES inside the tubes.

I use a POWDER MICROMETER ADJUSTER, but you can also use the standard powder adjusters AS DEDICATED ONES,

set them, mark the charge, box and store, they are not that expensive and you can have several.


NOTE!!!!If your adjusters do not have a MARK, they are the STANDARD ADJUSTERS, an OPTIONAL

"TRUE MICROMETER" is available from Hornady, about $30.
 
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kbm6893 said:
Yes, disassembled and degreased it. The manual gives instructions, but they're kind of vague. I just don't get why the meter doesn't have some sort of mark. It says to turn it one full rotation to get .5 grains, but if it isn't marked, how would I know if it was one complete turn, or 3/4? Or 1.5? Just wanna double check before I do anything.
Click to expand...
It isn't marked for two reasons: (1) They sell an add-on micrometer meter that *is* marked, though most of us can't really see the tny marks anyhow lol and (2) the marks are essentially useless anyhow.

USELESS(?) you say? Yes . . .well . . . OK . . . just essentially useless. After you use it for a while, you'll understand that any markings would shift in meaning based on the powder, the volume previously set, the humidity/static electricity/load in the hopper (use that baffle) etc.

Throw some powder, weigh it, compare to your target, twist dial around a few times, throw powder, weigh again, rinse/repeat, fine tune. A single mark with a sharpie - or perhaps two 180 degrees apart is more than sufficient to satisfy your curiousity about how far you turned it :)
 
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My RCBS just has a metal screw with lines and some numbers (they mean nothing) I had one with a Micrometer and it was no better, just some nicer white lines, Still a guesstimate.

My RCBS also has two metering cylinders small and large, so its just a WAG when you want measure say 4 grains and the hole goes up to 20 and more in the large one,

I just write down the largest whole number and then adjust from there. it from there.

I tried some of my Wife's craft white paint to mark some reference points.
 
I tried using the micrometer for a while and recorded the settings for what powder to give what drop. It works but after a while I just quit using it.
 
I use the same press. I bought several pistol powder meter and will lock down the load when i have one i like. One meter one load.
 
My old Pacific has four small lines per unit and you soon learn
that you can set it to the amount of a powder by making
a note on what marking it is on.

I put a label on all my powder cans and bottles.

4.7grs of w231 is at 1.4
20grs of SR 4759 is at 5.35 etc etc.

Do you have a picture of you powder thrower.........
it may need a small adjustment ?
 
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