I'll respectfully offer a dissenting opinion. I often leave powder in my Lee auto-disc measure for days at a time without a problem. In fact I'm sure I have left powder in there for a week or two at times. its not unusual for me to be loading and shooting mostly one caliber at a time...load 150 rounds, shoot 100, etc. Eventually I run out of cases to load and switch to a different caliber. It's got nothing to do with neatness or safety...I still exercise the precautions of having only one powder, one primer type, and one bullet type on the bench at one time, and I've never had any issues with throw weight or caking. I was loading .38 target rounds Saturday and was throwing 3.0 grains of BE and when I go back to the bench tonight or tomorrow it will be throwing 3.0 grains. I keep the lid on the hopper but its not a particularly tight fit.
Do you dump your powder measure every time?
- Thread starter sar4937
- Start date
samIam
Member
I had the same problem as growr.The powder bar was not fully returning after every stroke.I Would'nt recommend Universal Clays,Its filthy in my .45. Is your bench good and solid?If its not ,maybe that could cause problems.
samIam
samIam
Bullseye Smith
Member
I guess I screw up all the time then, I have two dillons and looking at them right now both are half full of power. I only use tite-group and it may be a month in between reloading. If I had any kids around they would be empty, other wise I don't have any problems when I do start reloading.
I like your set up on the roller cabinet. Very neat and efficient. I have mine on a old orginal Black Decker Workmate that weighs a ton but does not roll. What is the black thing clamped on the tool chest? Looks like a scope? Or is the chest a range box?I guess I screw up all the time then, I have two dillons and looking at them right now both are half full of power. I only use tite-group and it may be a month in between reloading. If I had any kids around they would be empty, other wise I don't have any problems when I do start reloading.
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bamacisa
Member
Sometime if you leave the powder in the measurer, the powder will react wlth the plastic in the tube of the measurser. (the part that you can see how much powder you have) It will make the tube frosty so that you can not see how much powder is left. I have seen this happen on a RCBS uniflow powder measurer. I always empty all powder when I am finished with a reloading session.
+1 I have had the same experience with the RCBS measure. The powder seems to react with the plastic and etches the surface and make it frosty if left in for an extended period. Another reason why I return unused powder to its original container after each loading session.
OP
My problem ended up being that the powder bar was not returning completely forward. I cleaned and inspected everything, and no wear was found. I made an adjustment to the rod and I'm back to normal. I am dumping my powder out now though.
Sgt Preston
Member
do you dump your powder measure every time
Sgt Preston here. The short answer is NO. I live in a condo which has A/C & is currently set at 77. That keeps the humidity reasonably low. I have a humidifier that I use in the winter. BUT the bottom line is that I typically don't do all my re-loading in one sitting. I may run 250-350 bullets in the morning & then do something else - like go to the gun range. I may crank out another 250 or more later in the evening & more during each of the next 2 or 3 days. I do however check my powder weights very carefully when I re-start & may have to make slight adjustments of less than 1/10. I typically measure 10 throws in a row before I re-start. If I was going to be away from the machine for 4 or 5 days, I'd definitely dump it out. If my house was humid or I loaded in a garage or outbuilding, I'd definitely empty it each time. Hope this helps. Sgt Preston USMC LLA
Sgt Preston here. The short answer is NO. I live in a condo which has A/C & is currently set at 77. That keeps the humidity reasonably low. I have a humidifier that I use in the winter. BUT the bottom line is that I typically don't do all my re-loading in one sitting. I may run 250-350 bullets in the morning & then do something else - like go to the gun range. I may crank out another 250 or more later in the evening & more during each of the next 2 or 3 days. I do however check my powder weights very carefully when I re-start & may have to make slight adjustments of less than 1/10. I typically measure 10 throws in a row before I re-start. If I was going to be away from the machine for 4 or 5 days, I'd definitely dump it out. If my house was humid or I loaded in a garage or outbuilding, I'd definitely empty it each time. Hope this helps. Sgt Preston USMC LLA
m657
Member
I've been having greatly increased troubles lately as described by the OP.
I've tracked down everything previously mentioned to trouble shoot....finally got to the Dterminator itself.....cross checked it with a beam scale and my Weight Set and found the poor old electronic scale fairy needs to visit my house.....
was getting .4 to .9g variation using Trail Boss and similar with Tite Group and HP38.
Had one load actually read DOUBLE the set charge!!!
The Powder Check die is working properly, and the old beam scale reports perfect charges....
Can't be too unhappy about the Dterminator....it's seen a LOT of use since delivered to me in 1998!!!
Now looking for replacement.....the Frankfort Arsenal for $39 on special seemed like a deal...
I've tracked down everything previously mentioned to trouble shoot....finally got to the Dterminator itself.....cross checked it with a beam scale and my Weight Set and found the poor old electronic scale fairy needs to visit my house.....
was getting .4 to .9g variation using Trail Boss and similar with Tite Group and HP38.
Had one load actually read DOUBLE the set charge!!!
The Powder Check die is working properly, and the old beam scale reports perfect charges....
Can't be too unhappy about the Dterminator....it's seen a LOT of use since delivered to me in 1998!!!
Now looking for replacement.....the Frankfort Arsenal for $39 on special seemed like a deal...
Mule88
Member
Just for saftey sake and I dont trust myself sometimes, I dump my powder measure after every use.
ArchAngelCD
Moderator, SWCA Member, Absent Comrade
Sorry I got to this thread so late and I didn't read all the posts so I apologize if I'm repeating what was already said.
I also dump the powder back into the original jar every time. I've found W231 to be one of the best metering powders I use so a charge range jumping from 5.4gr to 6.0gr is very unusual IMO.
Here's the bottom line, when you emptied the powder measure you had no metering problems. When you left the powder in the powder measure the problems started. The fix seems very obvious to me...
I also dump the powder back into the original jar every time. I've found W231 to be one of the best metering powders I use so a charge range jumping from 5.4gr to 6.0gr is very unusual IMO.
Here's the bottom line, when you emptied the powder measure you had no metering problems. When you left the powder in the powder measure the problems started. The fix seems very obvious to me...
Smitty500Mag
Member
"Do you dump your powder measure every time?"
Yep I do. My memory is not as long as a .380 auto casing and I'm libel to load H-110 powder into something thinking it's HP-38 if I don't.
Smitty
Yep I do. My memory is not as long as a .380 auto casing and I'm libel to load H-110 powder into something thinking it's HP-38 if I don't.
Smitty
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