Reloading powder thrower
- Thread starter Antikka
- Start date
User technique is the big variable here with any manual dispenser/thrower. Size of powder granule being the other. So be consistent and weigh each charge. Set low and trickle to desired charge weight. Good luck
On the old school crank type there's a school of thought that some work better with some types of powder and some work better with other types. The word types here meaning ball powders, stick powders and cut stick powders. So for example the Lee Perfect with its rubber grommet is said to be poor with ball powder as it migrates past the grommets but good with stick powders such as H4831.
My experience was that the otherwise excellent RCBS Uniflow would "bridge" using H4831, that is the grains of kernels could knit together as they fell. I didn't have these problems with a Lyman 55A. But H4831 is both the RCBS and the Lyman could also feel stiff as the drum when you rotated it would cut some of the grains. N133 is an easy powder to meter and Lee's yellow plastic Popeye's popes with correct technique throw accurate charges too.
The main thing is be the same...like a McDonald's burger...all the time in your technique of how you do work your powder thrower or scoop and scrape you Lee yellow pipes and your charges will also be as near the same as can be. I used to load three hundred rounds of .303 at a time when shooting competitively and uniform consistency in how you work is the key to consistent charges. Always.
My experience was that the otherwise excellent RCBS Uniflow would "bridge" using H4831, that is the grains of kernels could knit together as they fell. I didn't have these problems with a Lyman 55A. But H4831 is both the RCBS and the Lyman could also feel stiff as the drum when you rotated it would cut some of the grains. N133 is an easy powder to meter and Lee's yellow plastic Popeye's popes with correct technique throw accurate charges too.
The main thing is be the same...like a McDonald's burger...all the time in your technique of how you do work your powder thrower or scoop and scrape you Lee yellow pipes and your charges will also be as near the same as can be. I used to load three hundred rounds of .303 at a time when shooting competitively and uniform consistency in how you work is the key to consistent charges. Always.
jthyttin
Well-Known Member
Lee plastic dispenser being available in UK for £25 or thereabouts, and set of dippers half that -> I'd never fiddle with dippers, just get the dispenser (and trickler that you "need" anyway).
Like said, some powders work better in some dispensers. And Lee dispenser throws certain charges of certain powders better than lower/higher charge (have something to do with kernel size and the way dispenser drum gets filled on upstroke).
That said, people like to fiddle with certain aspects of reloading, like powder charge. And use insufficient amount of insufficiently controlled tests (shots at target) to draw conclusions. In older VV manuals, in the foreword there was a notation that (IIRC) up to 2% difference in powder charge was not detectable at the 300m target. That would be half a grain in 223 size and almost full grain in 308 size cartridges. Maybe half a year ago there was notably buzz about similar claims in Hornady podcast (AFAIH they used statistics in somewhat opportunistic matter but at least half a truth there).
Like said, some powders work better in some dispensers. And Lee dispenser throws certain charges of certain powders better than lower/higher charge (have something to do with kernel size and the way dispenser drum gets filled on upstroke).
That said, people like to fiddle with certain aspects of reloading, like powder charge. And use insufficient amount of insufficiently controlled tests (shots at target) to draw conclusions. In older VV manuals, in the foreword there was a notation that (IIRC) up to 2% difference in powder charge was not detectable at the 300m target. That would be half a grain in 223 size and almost full grain in 308 size cartridges. Maybe half a year ago there was notably buzz about similar claims in Hornady podcast (AFAIH they used statistics in somewhat opportunistic matter but at least half a truth there).
Utectok
Well-Known Member
So a baffle made of cardboard helps. I have a cheap lee the thrower with a baffle and whilst it doesn’t throw to within 0.1 of a grain (none do in my experience) if you follow exactly the same routine… in my case lever down tap reservoir twice… leaver up it will throw to within 0.4 of a grain or so which I trickle up. I think around 0.4gn (ie plus minus 0.2 of a grain) is probably good enough for most people in load terms and better than factory anmmo although the ocd rifle people usually go for more accuracy which probably makes no difference!!!
Last edited:
Could you share which On Balance scale you use please?
Fwiw.
I use the cheap, plastic, Lee powder measure on its stand. It is perfectly adequate and surprisingly accurate.
Just because i am anal about these things, i throw a very slightly under charge with the Lee measure, and then trickle the last grain on the RCBS scale.
Ball type powders throw very accurately. I just check every tenth round. Ramshot is a delight to use.
I use the cheap, plastic, Lee powder measure on its stand. It is perfectly adequate and surprisingly accurate.
Just because i am anal about these things, i throw a very slightly under charge with the Lee measure, and then trickle the last grain on the RCBS scale.
Ball type powders throw very accurately. I just check every tenth round. Ramshot is a delight to use.
I agree, Lee one is fine, but I wouldn’t use it without weighing on a beam scale. If you want to speed the process up, get a Target Master, while it’s trickling up you can seat a bullet.
Me too. Works fine with Vihtavuori powders too for me.
Hi.
I am a little anal about this type of thing so i do indeed check on beam scale same as yourself. However, i think i would be happy to just throw the charge using anything but the very course powders.
Do they also come in 40gr ?
I use a powder thrower to throw .2 or so light,
Place pan on Hornady beam scale, press the remote button on my Target Master. It takes seconds to trickle up to finish weight.
I load for .204, .243 and .308, using stick and ball powders without any negative issues.
Target Master is a game changer for accurately dispensing powders.
It is also a relatively inexpensive solution.
Similar threads
