RCBS Powder Baffle

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I have various models of Reddings; four in all. The newest is more than thirty years old. Two have baffles, two don't. My results using all these measures regularly ( I loaded seven boxes of .45 ACP earlier today) have been inconclusive as to whether a baffle really matters.

I suspect if someone took the time to do an incredibly tedious comparison and used a variety of powders, baffled would win out over non-baffled, but the difference would be slight, if there was a difference at all.
 
I don't know about RCBS, but I have used home-made cardboard baffles in both of my Lyman dispensers for a very long time. If you always keep at least an inch or more powder level in the reservoir, you probably don't need a baffle.
 
I also have powder measures with and without baffles. My understanding from an article years ago that consistency was improved when the "hopper" was over half full and negligible when under half full!

Meh! :)
 
I've purchased a couple or 3 new measures in the last year or two, one shipped with baffle installed the other one is still shipped without one.

I believe baffles improve consistency. The Lyman came with one standard. The twice the price RCBS doesn't.

I knew before ordering, using the same baffle I've been using the last 25 years in my old Uniflow that is suffering internal rust. My fault for using it in a garage building. Environment took its toll.

The Lyman was an impulse purchase. Price sells! I'm quite happy with the Lyman Victory series. It's smaller but heavier construction. Son of a gun was on sale for less than $50 with baffle and other accessories included. Like others, degrease/oil it. Run graphite and about a half lb of powder through it and it dispenses powder as accurately as others that cost much more.

Baffles should be standard equipment.
 
I use them in each of my four RCBS Uniflow PM. Also have one for my Dillon PM. I can see that they maintain a consistent flow of powder to the PM powder cylinder and therefore a consistent weight/volume of powder charge. They work and are worth the price, which isn't all that much.
 
I also made a baffle out of aluminum flashing. I noticed a little bit better consistency between full and almost empty hopper.
My experience is the same.
Regardless of the baffle, I've found that fully settling the powder will always yield the most consistent results.
Once tested two batches of .357 magnum.
One with thrown charges, the other individually weighed.
The thrown batch had a slightly lower SD.
Good enough for me.
Note added: This is using a Redding micrometer powder measure.
 
Something that has worked well for me with pistol powders...throw about twenty charges to settle a full hopper before you start throwing charges to load. Doesn't seem to matter whether you have a baffle or not.

I do this with some rifle powders. With the coarse one like H4350 and H4831, I weigh every charge anyway, so powder needn't be settled in the hopper.
 
Baffles

I just tap the cylinder every throw to settle the powder, mostly HP-38. My
loads when I spot check are very consistent. Willyboy
 

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