Light Red Dot loads from Lee Pro Auto Disk powder measure.

[Trooperdan]

I was setting up to load some 98 grain full wadcutters in .32 S&W Long using Red Dot. I choose a disk that should drop about 2.1 grains from the Lee Pro Auto Disk in my Lee Classic turret. I ran 10 cases through the cycle, only priming and dropping powder. The weight dropped ran from 2.1 to 0.9 grains. Apparently Red Dot at such light loads is not suitable in this powder measure! Has anyone else experienced this using this equipment? What powder runs well at such light loads? I think I'll use the old slow powder scoop method for now, I do like Red Dot for these wadcutter loads.

 

[mwr1]

Red Dot Loads

I use Red Dot to load a lot of .38 Spec. I was getting light and inconsistant metering. Another person suggested that I place some sort of vibrator on the powder measure. This keeps the flake powder moving and fills the measure each time. It worked for me.

 

[StakeOut]

The lightest Red Dot I've dropped out of a Lee Pro Auto Disk on a Lee Classic Turret Press is 2.8gr for 38spl and it dropped accurately.

The Auto Drum may work better for the lighter powder drops.

The only problem I've had is with there being no cavity small enough for lighter than 3.5gr of Tightgroup.I ended up drill/tap for small set screw into the smallest cavity so it can be adjusted to less.

 

[Qc Pistolero]

Like Stakeout says,the autodrum is way more accurate for such light loads;I might even add for any loads.
Qc

 

[Trooperdan]

I tried Bullseye, the lightest disk gave 2.5 grains but only 0.1 grain variance.. just more than the 2.0 BE I wanted.

 

[edonwheels73]

I was setting up to load some 98 grain full wadcutters in .32 S&W Long using Red Dot. I choose a disk that should drop about 2.1 grains from the Lee Pro Auto Disk in my Lee Classic turret. I ran 10 cases through the cycle, only priming and dropping powder. The weight dropped ran from 2.1 to 0.9 grains. Apparently Red Dot at such light loads is not suitable in this powder measure! Has anyone else experienced this using this equipment? What powder runs well at such light loads? I think I'll use the old slow powder scoop method for now, I do like Red Dot for these wadcutter loads.

Did all the cases weigh the same? I only use one case to test powder charge.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

 

[rwsmith]

Or knock the handle a lot......

I use Red Dot to load a lot of .38 Spec. I was getting light and inconsistant metering. Another person suggested that I place some sort of vibrator on the powder measure. This keeps the flake powder moving and fills the measure each time. It worked for me.

I have a Lee Perfect powder measure, then bought an RCBS measure. I'll try the Lee again, but I had wide swings in charge weight with it. Maybe with some powders. Funny thing is that Red Dot seemed to work well in it.

 

[snakeye]

I have had good luck with the powder charge bar instead of the disks for loads that low

 

[Bosquebass]

I have never used Red Dot but I load a lot of Unique and it can be tough to meter in the Pro Auto Disc as well.
I bought an Auto Drum and it works so well with all of the powders that I've used it with that I'll probably never go back to the Auto Disc again. The forty bucks or whatever one costs now is well worth it. Or at least it was to me.

 

[Trooperdan]

Well, I checked the same with Bullseye and didn't have more than a tenth variance... but the lightest BE load is 2.6 and that is more than I wanted with a 98 gr full wadcutter.

 

[Trooperdan]

LOL! Now the rest of the story! Just noticed the fine print underneath the charge table "Warning: Coarse grain powders such as Red Dot and Green Dot may show light loads when using smaller than 0.40 cavity"! Well, there you are!

 

[mtgianni]

LOL! Now the rest of the story! Just noticed the fine print underneath the charge table "Warning: Coarse grain powders such as Red Dot and Green Dot may show light loads when using smaller than 0.40 cavity"! Well, there you are!

Add Unique and Herco to those.

 

[tomf52]

My auto disk Lee sits on a shelf unused for years. The auto drum Lee however is a great measure for the price. Use mine regularly for all powders at very light load settings and have no trouble.

 

[StakeOut]

Large bulky flakes like Trail Boss works really well out of larger disk cavities but small cavities are a problem so I can't use it for my 38spl target loads.

For 44spl,45 Auto Rim and 45 Colt Trail Boss is my go to target load powder.It's also very easy to see it in the case because of it's bulk volume.