Do you dump your powder measure every time?

[Skip Sackett]

Say WHAT? I must need different glasses!

slam down on a hard-to-seat primer

Sorry, I thought that meant you were slamming down on a NEW, (HARD TO SEAT)primer. Not UNSEATING a spent one.

My mistake, I guess.

 

[sar4937]

I guess in my defense I will say that I load 45acp for matches weekly, but took a couple of weeks off. In my Dillon presses I only use w231, I use one press for 9mm and one for 45acp. And the presses are fairly low mileage. I sweat the small stuff, that how I caught the problem. The Dillon powder containers seemed to be sealed as well as an 8lb container that is opened and closed constantly. If I were using multiple powders I would naturally be putting them away each time. Until I can dissassemble the powder dispenser and inspect it, I can not rule it out completely. The problem only just started this last session. I have a rhythm that I try to stick to for working the handle, and it's hard not to fall into a rhythm loading 200 or 300 rds and checking every ten. I use an RCBS digital scale, calibrated each time. During the last session it was recalibrated three or four times. As I said before, I load the same every week for matches seldom needing to make changes and normally only varied a tenth of a grain. The same over and over, every week. But I will dump my powder from now on.

 

[Dan Cash]

Since you have "low mileage" Dillons, check the new and improved return spring for function as another poster mentioned. Also, make sure that the actuator arm has not come loose and let rthe little square nylon block wedge up in the works. Dillons are great but the new version of their powder measure sucks.

I don't dump powder at the end of a session but I do write the type of powder down on a small card and insert it into the hopper after filling. I then know what I poured in there. Also, a teaspoon of rice wrapped in some paper towell will eliminate the humidity in the measure hopper or in an opened powder canister. I staple the towell like a pouch so that the rice can not get loose into the powder as I don't want any Quaker Puffed product down the line.
Dan

 

[cmj8591]

"If you have a stiff primer, as you likely will if you have a piece of that d***ed Federal "NT" brass"

I just found a case of Federal N/T 45 auto. The cases have small pistol size primer pockets. I also found this on some Winchester 45 frangible brass that came into my possession. All of my other 45 brass is large pistol which means big problems if one of these cases gets mixed in.

One more reason to dump your powder between sessions is that it can react with the plastic in the powder measure.

 

[Joni_Lynn]

I always empty the measure between loading sessions and only have one kind of powder out at a time.

 

[sar4937]

The rice sounds like a good idea. I will disassemble the powder dispenser after the holidays, I am going to change over to Universal Clays for 45acp.

 

[Amici]

Sorry, I thought that meant you were slamming down on a NEW, (HARD TO SEAT)primer. Not UNSEATING a spent one.

My mistake, I guess.

I see how you could have arrived at that conclusion.

 

[Rule3]

. I staple the towell like a pouch so that the rice can not get loose into the powder as I don't want any Quaker Puffed product down the line.
Dan

Too funny! I can hear the William Tell overture now.

 

[Amici]

Too funny! I can hear the William Tell overture now.

Actually, that ad used the 1812 Overture.

William Tell was used for The Lone Ranger.

 

[SW CQB 45]

do you have a running AC or fan blowing when you are doing your powder measure checks.

the scale reading will fluctuate with the directed air flow.

come to south texas in my back yard morgan building. I turn off the fan to check and the sweat starts to drip on checks.

when my dad and I were learning to load in the 80's one of his biggest stresses to me was when you threw a powder charge (whether stand alone or in the dillon) was consistency with each throw or pull of the handle as it will affect the flow of powder into the measure after each throw of pull of the handle.

if you are storing powder in your measure, is it possible that over time and when a slam of a door here and there the powder might be impacting into the measure and your first throw will always be on the high side.

dump your first couple of throws back into the hopper.

just a thought. I sometimes think too much.

 

[Rule3]

Actually, that ad used the 1812 Overture.

William Tell was used for The Lone Ranger.

OOps! You are correct oh classical one. My Dear Mother would be very upset with me.

I was in a Lone Ranger frame of mind as I ate my "shoot from guns" cereal.

 

[OU812]

I agree

I always empty the measure between loading sessions and only have one kind of powder out at a time.

I would also like to add one type of primer and bullet, keeps it clean and makes it much harder to have any mistakes.

That said I think your problems are related to damp powder, just a guess but that is where I would start.

 

[Amici]

For what little it's worth - and against my strict policy of emptying the hopper after each session - I left VV N 350 in my 550 for 3 days. It was the last I had of that powder and I intended to use it all.

The first throw was always dumped anyway; the throws after that were the weight set the day before and variation, which I attributed to the level dropping, was minor; 1/10th grain or so.

The only other variation was from knocking the lever aberrantly; usually due to another one of those bloody NT cases. This is a common issue with the 550 and, I suspect, pretty much any powder drop system. I know my Lyman required consistent throws on my part to achieve consistent throws by it.

 

[Littledragon777]

I always dump all the powder after each loading session even though I have dedicated setups for each caliber I load. I have had trouble with Titegroup clumping from moisture in my basement. I use AA#5 in most of my pistol calibers without that problem. My 550b usually only fluctuates .1 up or down during my sessions which is fine since I can't see it in my shooting and I never load at max anyway.

 

[Skip Sackett]

Great minds, same frequency!

The first throw was always dumped anyway; the throws after that were the weight set the day before and variation, which I attributed to the level dropping, was minor; 1/10th grain or so.

While I have to admit I leave powder from time to time in for extended periods of time, I adhere to your policy without variation. The first throw ALWAYS gets recycled and maybe a few more after that, for consistency's sake.

Usually after that everything is going as last I left it the daybefore.

 

[gbrady]

we use a lot of W 231(60 to 70 k rounds per season) and found that if you leave it in the measure for any length of time it will settle and pack down. Dump it back into the jug and you will have no prob.

 

[campfire]

I always put the powder back in the plastic bottle (cap screwed on tight) when finished then lock it a steel storage cupboard. I do it mainly for safety reasons and also because we have very high humidity here in the tropics. Usually weigh and dump the first three or four throws then start loading.
Campfire

 

[Vulcan Bob]

Boy this one's a toughie, as in a prev. post any open window's or fan's? When I load I only have the powder I am useing on the bench sitting by the measure, and have a piece of duct tape on the measure hopper with the charge weight and powder being used written on it. I usually leave the powder in the hopper except for a few powder's such as Tightgroup that will attack the plastic in my RCBS measure. hope you get it figured out!

 

[flash60601]

I always dump the powder back in the bottle at the end of the loading session. It eliminates spillage and contamination. It also helps prevent using the wrong powder fo what I am loading. I never keep more than one cannister of powder on or near my loading bench, for just that reason. The storage shelf is such a good friend.

Besides, the residual solvents in most powders can attack the plastics of the hopper. I have an ancient and honorable Lyman 55 that the previous owner left full of 4831 for an unknown "while"- (that's how I got it for $5.00), and the inside of the hopper, now 35 years later, is still a little "mushy", though I have cleaned and reamed the inside well.


Safety, cleanliness, accuracy, equipment longevity - what's not to like?

Flash

 

[growr]

In regards to your inconsistent powder charges.....make sure that your slide bar in the powder measure is traveling the ENTIRE distance as regulated by the depth of the powder measure die station.
After setting in a box for over two years I re-assembled my 550B for a run of 1000 .223 for an upcoming hi Power rifle match. Could not get consistent charges to save my soul and even had over 50% with NO powder at all!
Read the manual again and then remembered that that the charge bar MUST travel the entire distance for a proper charge to fall. My measure is now back to throwing charges to within a tenth of a grain again! Even with 4895 powder..
Now I GET to disassemble over 975 rounds and start over again.....yippee!
Pay attention to little things Randy..

Randy