I have a 308 that shoots really well that for the last two months I've been trying to work up a load using 178 gain A-MAXes. I had it shooting .5 MOA with 43.3 grains of Varget and Nosler brass. I changed to Lapua brass and tried to tweek my load a little and could not find a node anywhere. From 45 grains down to 42.5 and back again. When I first started with the Lapua brass, I also started using a Hornady Auto Charger. This was the first thing that I checked when I started having trouble with the loads. I checked it against the Dillon scales I'd always used. It was right on. Never thought anymore about it. Well last night I finally checked it again. WOW! the loads varied by as much as a half a grain. I'd already loaded up some that I thought were 44.2 grains. I shot those today and ended up with a 1.5 inch group. I came back inside and loaded five more rounds at 44.4 using my Dillon scales again to check and trickle up the loads. My rifle responded with a .75 inch group. I'll be starting over with my development now.
- Thread starter Denny2277
- Start date
I have a RCBS auto dispenser and I normally check it with my RCBS beam scale each time I set it up. I've been getting out of that habit, but your story has convinced me to be a little more disciplined.
Every time I use my chargemaster I go through the calibration steps to make sure its good to go. I dont have another scale, but had my dad's Dillon beam scale for a few weeks when first stared with the chargemaster and was re-weighing every 10th charge through close to 1000 rounds and it was pretty much dead nuts on to the Chargemaster.
I have the Lyman DPS 3 and I ended up replacing al the fluorescent bulbs with incandescent because it would vary .4-.5 grains. works awesome now.
