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Hornady Lock-N-Load Auto Charge.

elkkid3

Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
Sep 26, 2009
903
1
33
Tonto Basin, AZ
Got a Hornady auto charge today. It is the first auto charge I have used. For the first day it seems really nice. Cutting the reloading time down a lot. I can seat a bullet and check the OAL when I am finished I have a new powder charge waiting for me. I have not done the straw trick yet. Without the straw trick it still doesn't do to many overthrows. Can't wait to try it with the straw. I loaded some 223's (25.5gr Varget) and some 308's (42.5gr Varget). It seemed to give more overthrows doing the 308. I was loading both on slow speed. All together it seems like a really good product for the money. I would be happy to answer any questions.

IMG_1516.jpg
 
Re: Hornady Lock-N-Load Auto Charge.

Can you have it throw 10 charges and give a timed, average time to throw a charge?

Do you have a good mechanical balance that you can double check the accuracy of the thrown charge?

I'm thinking about getting an auto-thrower and I REALLY like Hornady products, but this hasn't been out long enough that I'm ready to commit without a little more feedback from guys that have it.

Thanks in advance.
 
Re: Hornady Lock-N-Load Auto Charge.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: bohem</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Can you have it throw 10 charges and give a timed, average time to throw a charge?

Do you have a good mechanical balance that you can double check the accuracy of the thrown charge? </div></div>

I would like to see the same as bohem. Could you also zero the scale with a piece of brass on it or something and then an hour or so later check the scale with the same piece of brass to see if the zero walked.

Thanks!
 
Re: Hornady Lock-N-Load Auto Charge.

+1, please trow 10 charges of 45.5 grains, and time it, I will do the same and see if my CM1500 is faster or slower.
 
Re: Hornady Lock-N-Load Auto Charge.

I don't have a mechanical balance scale to check it on. I will throw 10 charges of 45.5 grains and time it. Will also do the test with the brass.

Rhett
 
Re: Hornady Lock-N-Load Auto Charge.

All loads thrown on Normal speed.

45.5grn Varget

1. 19.69 sec
2. 21.86 sec
3. 17.41 sec
4. 15.90 sec
5. 18.08 sec
6. 16.52 sec
7. 18.20 sec
8. 17.58 sec
9. 21.47 sec
10. 18.78 sec

Average: 18.579 sec
 
Re: Hornady Lock-N-Load Auto Charge.

How do you know what actual weight you are receiving without checking it with another source?
 
Re: Hornady Lock-N-Load Auto Charge.

I got 2:34 for 10 drops of 45.5gr of RL22 which is a average of 15.4 seconds per drop.

I have done the reprogramming to my CM1500 and also done the straw trick, but I didnt use a straw, I rolled up some printer paper so its 3 times the thickness of a McDonalds straw. Without the rolled up paper, I assume I would be a lot faster.
 
Re: Hornady Lock-N-Load Auto Charge.

Hunt- Thanks, I'd like to see if the zero walks and how accurate those were, but from a straight speed standpoint, that's great.

I timed myself, I hand trickle on average 17s a round if I'm focusing on the deal, but those sit +/- 0.025 grains

For 99% of my shooting an auto thrower would be really nice.

USMCj that difference in speed is worth it to me over the long haul, I might just get an RCBS unless Hornady wants to tempt me with free bullets for buying one of these things.
 
Re: Hornady Lock-N-Load Auto Charge.

I timed some loads on Fast speed. They where Average: 14.74 sec.

USMCj, I tried the rolled up printer paper. It seems to work well. Does the paper work better than the straw for you?

Thanks,

Rhett
 
Re: Hornady Lock-N-Load Auto Charge.

I wanted to close up the tube to a smaller diameter more so than the straw would. seems to be working well. I may get 1 or 2 out of 10 charges that are over. With long extruded powders it is 10 out of 10 on the money. But with Redloder powders, which are cut smaller, it will give me a .1 grain overcharge once in a while. Ill try it with a McyD's straw and compare.
 
Re: Hornady Lock-N-Load Auto Charge.

what is the story on the McDonald's straw. sorry to change the subject, but I cant find info on it anywhere.
 
Re: Hornady Lock-N-Load Auto Charge.

Just wanted to add my experience as well.

I got one of these this morning. I just did 50 308s with 45.0 grains of varget. I'm getting a fair number of overcharges. The unit does not alarm for .1 grain over. I have it set on slow, and to start trickle .6 grains early. About every 5th drop or so, the trickle will drop about .2 or .3 at once and send it over. The scale is very consistent, the zero does not seem to wander at all. The pan reads 140.1 grains on the unit, and after letting it sit for 30 minutes, taking the pan off showed -140.1 every time, then immediately returned to zero when the pan is replaced. 45.0 on the unit does read 45.1 on my beam scale though.

Even with the slow setting I'm using, speed is no issue. By the time I dump the charge, seat the bullet and place it in the box, the next charge is done nearly every time. If it holds me up, it's only 2 or 3 seconds.

I'm going to try the straw thing. The Varget gets stacked up on the threads in the tube and drops in clumps sometimes, so I think it will help.

edit: I didn't think to check to see if the shelf was level before I tried it the first time. It was leaning forward a bit. After leveling, I'm getting far fewer overcharges. I loaded 30 more, and only had one go over more than .1.