What powder measurer do you use for stick powders?

[MrOneEyedBoh]

Im on the last stage of building my reloading setup. I was going to go uniflow but by the time I add the micormeter adjustment and baffle Im around 120 or so. I can get the chargemaster for another 80 bucks ( no scale ) and use my 505 and trickler if need be.

Would the CM be a better bet, or go cheap and use the Lee perfect powder measure. I hear the Lee PPM is damn near spot on with stick powders..

 

[MtnCreek]

Re: What powder measurer do you use for stick powders?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I hear the Lee PPM is damn near spot on with stick powders..</div></div>

Larger stick powders Bridge Badly w/ the PPM.

 

[MrOneEyedBoh]

Re: What powder measurer do you use for stick powders?

Okay, so chargemaster with the scale then?

 

[former naval person]

Re: What powder measurer do you use for stick powders?

My vote is YES for the Chargemaster. I had a few glitches early on, but bought a inexpensive uninterruptable power supply and leave the sucker on all the time. I cannot do better with my balance beam and trickler no matter what else others on here might say. Some use a scientific balance that will allow you to cut one stick of 4064 into twelve pieces. Unless you are realllllly OCD or realllly that good with your rifle, I think that is silly. Get within +/-.1 grains and practice more. JMHO

 

[The Mechanic]

Re: What powder measurer do you use for stick powders?

Spoon and a sheet of paper folded in half for trickling.

 

[rusty815]

Re: What powder measurer do you use for stick powders?

My Lee Pro Powder Measure is within .1gr. with stick powders, about the same with spherical powder. It can't meter worth a damn with flake powder though.

 

[Greg Langelius *]

Re: What powder measurer do you use for stick powders?

I accept that stick powders will be an issue, and I've altered my process accordingly. My measure is the Dillon Automatic Powder Measure, clearly not one of the most reliable ones with stick powders.

I adjust the measure so that it will always consistently drop a slightly heavier charge than I require. Then, each charge is dumped from the case into the scale pan. I take a pinch out, and trickle some back slowly until the charge in the pan comes up to the desired weight. The excess is returned to the measure, and the charge is returned to the case using a drop rube.

I don't trust measures, and I only reluctantly trust digital scales. I would be weighing my charges anyway, no matter what measure I use.

Greg

 

[Beef82]

Re: What powder measurer do you use for stick powders?

I use a Uniflow, if my motion is consistent my charges are fairly consistent generally within .1-.2 grain range with coarse stick powders. I rarely charge stick powders directly into the case, generally I set the measure to error light and trickle up, goes pretty quick.
For high volume loading I prefer to find and use an acceptable ball powder load. However some of the short cut sticks are changing my thinking.

 

[Deadshot2]

Re: What powder measurer do you use for stick powders?

I go through between 30 and 40 lbs of Varget per year. I won't run it through anything but my Chargemaster. The Uniflow "cuts" the "rat turds" or at the minimum just jambs the rotor enough to interfere with a good rhythm.

The Chargemaster does a great job and while I'm seating a bullet, measuring the finished round, it dispenses another charge.

Add a McDonald's straw (they're bigger than BK's and Jack in the Box straws) to keep the larger stick powders from clumping at the end of the tube and then dropping the pan for an over weight charge.

 

[MZ5]

Re: What powder measurer do you use for stick powders?

Lee's Perfect is highly consistent, IME. It will bridge with certain geometries (I find bridging to be more of an issue with Re-17 than with IMR-4895, for example), but a tap on the side has always released the bridge for me.

I've considered purchasing various massively-more-expensive powder dispensing systems over time, but my scale and some distributed comparative testing over the 'net tells me there's no good reason to do so.

 

[20Incher]

Re: What powder measurer do you use for stick powders?

I adjust my Dillon to drop just under and throw it on the scale and pinch trickle.

 

[Ballistic Artist]

Re: What powder measurer do you use for stick powders?

Lyman #55. Try it...

 

[leadbullet]

Re: What powder measurer do you use for stick powders?

RCBS chargemaster for those pesky extruded powder, all the spherical stuff is thrown out of my dillon powder measure.

 

[Force_Multiplier]

Re: What powder measurer do you use for stick powders?

Smartreloader ISD... only 1 it over throws is H4350... Varget, Reloader 15 it's dead nuts on

 

[lethal93ta]

Re: What powder measurer do you use for stick powders?

I use a lyman DPS3 then dump it on to my dillon beam to double check it and adjust before I put it in the case, by the time I weight the charge and put it in the case the DPS3 has the next charge sitting there for me. its farly accurate, I set the DPS3 .2 lower than what I really want it to be then tap on the end of the despensor tube to get the last .2 out of there.