Powder throw loading

4dds

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Minuteman
Dec 15, 2017
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I was curious if anyone was using a powder drop/throw to dump charges. I’ve been playing with it in my 223 and it has been surprisingly consistent using varget. Couldn’t seem to get it very consistent with H4350. This is a lee perfect powder measure. What have you found to work. I would like to find something consistent enough to load match ammo.
 
Ball powders work great in the Lee. Stick powders are hit or miss. If your staying inside 300 yards it won’t matter if your off .1 grains either way.
 
I use a rcbs uniflow comp measure with ball powders in 223, it is extremely accurate. I have a harrel custom 90 that use with h4895 and h4831sc, very consistent. I do have a trickler, but it gets used about 50% of the time when loading the extruded powders. I weigh to the .1.
 
My electronic scale was out of adjustment... given the risks, suggest double-checking charges regardless.

Been meticulously weighing for a half hour or so each day to get ready for some testing tomorrow. Noticed the cases on a batch seemed a bit too full last night. Went back and pulled a bullet from each batch, powder is all wrong - off by 0.25-0.75 grains. At least I didn't shoot them... Gemini electronic scale. Going to buy a 2nd scale and double weigh before filling each case from now on. Maybe a Chargemaster Lite and then double-check on the Gemini.
 
My electronic scale was out of adjustment... given the risks, suggest double-checking charges regardless.

Been meticulously weighing for a half hour or so each day to get ready for some testing tomorrow. Noticed the cases on a batch seemed a bit too full last night. Went back and pulled a bullet from each batch, powder is all wrong - off by 0.25-0.75 grains. At least I didn't shoot them... Gemini electronic scale. Going to buy a 2nd scale and double weigh before filling each case from now on. Maybe a Chargemaster Lite and then double-check on the Gemini.
What Cartridge is off by .25 or .75 grains. I doubt it will make any difference for plinking ammo.
 
^Yes, working up a load for 308 and 223 with TMK's, and doing Berger's recommended seating test for VLD's with a static amount of powder. I thought being off by that much even at 200 yds could lead me in the wrong direction. Both rifles shoot ~5/8" @ 200 with SMK box ammo.
 
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I don't believe powder drops are anywhere near consistent enough for match ammo.

Practice ammo, you bet, but I wouldn't go to a match and try to shoot stuff at 1400 with ammo loaded using a powder drop.
 
I doubt if my OCD would allow me to load match ammo from a throw without weighing. I know there are a few that load their match ammo on a dillion using their powder drop but it would take a lot of rounds down range to confirm accuracy. I loaded up 50 rounds the other night dropping Varget into the case without weighing and will test them as practice ammo. Tonight I threw 10 of several different powders and only one ball powder was as consistent as i'd like. My original thought was if your right in the middle of a node that is .5 wide will it really matter if the throws are off by +-.1 it would still be in the middle of the node.
 
Well, if you find a powder and bullet combo that has a wide enough "node", then you could drop and go. With my Lee Perfect Powder measure, I'm able to drop ball powder within .15gr every time with my Ramshot Magnum for my 7mm RemMag and with stick powder such as H4350, Reloder 16, 17, 23, and 26 I'm able to drop within .25 each time... usually 0.15gr or better on 80% of throws.