hello all got a few more questions on some new purchases i would like to make. i picked up a used setup with some components and dies for a pretty good price and got started. ive only been working on it for a week or so and have only loaded a couple hundred rounds so far. ive found a few things that i think will make things much easier and more accurate. i currently have a lee setup with lee safety scale and lee perfect powder measure. the lee press is working fine and i have no complaints about it ive already deprimed 2500 or so cases and loaded a couple hundred on it. i have an issue with the scale though it is not very precise you are somwhat geussing with it those that have used it probably understand. when you set it for say 4.6gr you have a slide that you have to line up to see 3 white lines and the middle should be on the 6 but im not satisfied with that i want to know that when i set it at 4.6 im getting 4.6. also the powder thrower doesn't drop all the powder you have to tap the side so that all the powder falls out. it is minimal but i don't trust it. i plan to work up some rifle loads once im a little more comfortable and want accuracy. im planning on getting the rcbs 505 balance beam and probably the rcbs powder thrower the two are about $75-80 each and seem to be what i need. can anyone else wheigh in on this. thanks and sorry for the long winded post.

I recommend Harrell's powder measure. Here's the website http://www.harrellsprec.com/

Use your 505 or 1010 to set a powder weight equivalent to the "clicks" on the powder measure. After that work in "clicks".

The Lee scale can be calibrated. Just set all the sliders and things to zero. Then with the tip of a small, flat-blade screwdriver, rotate the knurled brass thingy until the pointer hits the "balanced" mark on the opposite end of the scale. This knurled brass adjustment thingy is really the only weak link in the scale. It's resistant to breaking but I found that brass thingy can move, which throws off the calibration. I went with the RCBS Rangemaster 750 digital scale. Cost about a hundred bucks, but there are digitals out there now for about thirty. Per the powder measure, I just developed a quick tap-tap routine. I tap-tap the side of the measure before I drop and after the drop. Makes sure I get it all out. I mounted my measure on a high platform/arm such that I can drop powder into .30-06 cases with the cases in a loading block. Makes for fast charging. Base has a single bolt through it and through the table to allow measure to rotate out of the way when it's not needed. Paper inside the hopper tells me which powder, how much will throw and for what cartridge...

Both

quote:

Originally posted by homebrewer:
The Lee scale can be calibrated. Just set all the sliders and things to zero. Then with the tip of a small, flat-blade screwdriver, rotate the knurled brass thingy until the pointer hits the "balanced" mark on the opposite end of the scale. This knurled brass adjustment thingy is really the only weak link in the scale. It's resistant to breaking but I found that brass thingy can move, which throws off the calibration. I went with the RCBS Rangemaster 750 digital scale. Cost about a hundred bucks, but there are digitals out there now for about thirty. Per the powder measure, I just developed a quick tap-tap routine. I tap-tap the side of the measure before I drop and after the drop. Makes sure I get it all out. I mounted my measure on a high platform/arm such that I can drop powder into .30-06 cases with the cases in a loading block. Makes for fast charging. Base has a single bolt through it and through the table to allow measure to rotate out of the way when it's not needed. Paper inside the hopper tells me which powder, how much will throw and for what cartridge...

i got the scale zeroed but the problem is its not all that precise. when you see 3 white lines in the little windows the middle is what your supposed to get. i just dont care for it i know there is better. i may actually go ahead and buy the rcbs rockchucker master kit and just have 2 presses. either way i definatly want a better scale and thrower and for the price i think the rcbs is gonna be my best option but wanted to see if anyone had other suggestions with comparibly priced items that may work better. thanks and keep the replys coming.

The 505 and the powder will work for you. Regrding the powder thrower. To do your best work, you have to develope your stroke. And it has to be consistant. I tap twice at the top of my stroke to settle the powder into the chamber and then tap twice at the bottem of the stroke to ensure that all of the powder had dropped out of the chamber. Also, your movement of the handle up and down should be rather abrupt. Don't ease it up and down.

wasbeeman says,

quote:

To do your best work, you have to develop your stroke. And it has to be consistent. I tap twice at the top of my stroke to settle the powder into the chamber and then tap twice at the bottom of the stroke to ensure that all of the powder had dropped out of the chamber. Also, your movement of the handle up and down should be rather abrupt. Don't ease it up and down.

EXACTLY my method. Flip that powder handle like you slap the bolt on your rifle or smack some punk-ass kid who deserves it across the face. The rapid dropping of the powder into the measuring tube compacts it, insuring equal charges. You'll get it, shooter. No worries...

quote:

Originally posted by Buliwyf:
I recommend Harrell's powder measure. Here's the website http://www.harrellsprec.com/

Use your 505 or 1010 to set a powder weight equivalent to the "clicks" on the powder measure. After that work in "clicks".

Ditto. My set up too. I have the Harrell's Culver measure, and the neat thing about it is using "clicks", as opposed to grains of powder.
The tolerances of the Harrell's mesaure are so tight that repeatability is guarnteed. It is one of THE best measures made today. I know that Neil Jones and Les Bruno make good measures too.

Don

quote:

Originally posted by wasbeeman:
The 505 and the powder will work for you. Regrding the powder thrower. To do your best work, you have to develope your stroke. And it has to be consistant. I tap twice at the top of my stroke to settle the powder into the chamber and then tap twice at the bottem of the stroke to ensure that all of the powder had dropped out of the chamber. Also, your movement of the handle up and down should be rather abrupt. Don't ease it up and down.

are you saying thats what you do with the lee perfect powder or do you also have to do that with the rcbs uniflo?

I don't have a Lee nor a RCBS but powder measures are pretty generic as far as operation is concerned. You have a powder tower and a revolving drum that collects powder on one stroke and dumps it on the next. You want your movements rather abrupt to keep the powder shook down and moving along.
FWIW, my powder measure is a old Pacific that is no longer made under that name. (I think)

ive definatly got to replace the powder thrower. either it is just junk or my heavy hands have taken a toll on it quick. i noticed when i was loading up another 50rds that every stroke or two a flake or two of powder was actauly coming out of the side of the drum. the lee is completely made of plastic where as the rcbs and others are metal housings with plasit hoppers.

sks, if powder is coming out of the side of the measure, that means the screw that holds the drum to the body is a bit loose. All ye need do is take the rotating drum apart, clean out any squished powder granules, wipe the neoprene wiper down with alcohol to clean it and put it back together. When adjusting the screw, turn it in until the drum is tight and won't rotate. Then back it out in 1/8th turn increments until it rotates smoothly. I have had my Lee Perfect Powder Measure for almost 15 years. I have taken it apart, cleaned it and put it back together dozens of times. Never fails and it continues to work for months afterward. If you really want to go hardcore, you can even get the wiper thingy from Lee to have one on hand as a spare. I have one-- have never needed it.

homebrewer your killing me ive been trying to get someone to agree that the rcbs is the way i should go so i would get it. but you keep telling me how to fix things. i geuss if i buy a new one ill have to send my lee to you haha

HB is rite. Every so often, you've got to take any of them apart and clean them because of the powder "dust" that works it's way into the moving parts.
You understand in reloading you don't have to justify every purchase. You can buy something simply because your WANT it.

quote:

Originally posted by sksshooter:
homebrewer your killing me i've been trying to get someone to agree that the rcbs is the way i should go so i would get it. but you keep telling me how to fix things. i guess if i buy a new one ill have to send my lee to you. haha

I bought my Lee stuff years ago when I didn't have a pot to piss in or a window to throw it out of. Poor grammar, but that's the phrase we all know. I have never seen reason to replace it with something that costs twice or thrice, so I just keep using it. I treat it with care and it just keeps doing what I want it to do...

homebrew i understand what your saying and i believe i could do as you have said and get the lee functioning properly but taxes are here and the rcbs is what i really wanted in the first place. i messed with a buddies and it just seems to be so much more solid and that leeds me to believe more consistant. that may not be the case but i wont know unless i try it. plus if i dont think it is worth the extra money reloading equipment doesn't seem to lose its value.

On the Lee Perfect Powder measure, did you run some powder or graphite thru the measure to reduce static? Also, dryer sheets rubbed on the inside should help.

This measure has a reputation of metering extruded powders well and of leaking a little with fine powders. All agree that it is ugly and cheap looking. If you decide to keep it, you should hide it when friends visit.

sks says,

quote:

...leads me to believe more consistent.

I always trickle my premium ammo. For plinkin' ammo, I use the Lee and have never given its accuracy a second thought. Once you set that little o-ring thing, it will never change as long as you do your tap-stroke routine consistently. And that's easy enough...

You didn't say what calibers your reloading for, but with a 4.6gr charge I'm guessing a pistol cartridge.

I have a couple RCBS powder measures, and they are okay for rifle cartridges, but I don't like them at all for pistol cartridges.

What I really prefer for pistol cartridges is the RCBS Little Dandy. The rotors are a little expensive, but it throws a consistent charge, every time, and the powder doesn't get hung up in it.

If you get the 5-0-5 and the Uniflow from RCBS you should not have any more of these problems. Regarding the technique of tapping, etc on the stroke of the powder measure, when my brother was a design engineer at RCBS, they did a study to determine what effect, if any, user technique had on the accuracy of the Uniflow. They had different employees throw a set of charges and then weighed each charge. The testers ranged in experience from people who had never reloaded (like the receptionist) to folks who were BR and silhouette competitors who had been reloading for years. The results of the study were that it made no difference in the accuracy of the charges thrown with various techniques or experience levels as long as your technique is consistent. They typically got consistency of .1 gr except with powders like IMR 4831 which does not meter well. If you want to tap the handle or whatever it's fine as long as you do it every time. All of my competition loading was done on a progressive press RCBS 4X4 and the press just cycles the Uniflow so when I'm loading small quantities with a single stage press and the Uniflow I just throw the handle and go.

Not to discount what Blacktailer said, but I have seen for myself that not doing a consistent tap-stroke routine will definitely give you differing charges. Just passin' along what I've seen. Everybody just keep your shootin' irons in your holsters...

as for the calibers ill be loading for 9mm, 45acp, 223, 270wsm, .444. the pistol and 223 will be done with the thrower. the 270 and 444 will be all weighed individually. im gonna get the scale for sure and give the lee thrower another chance.

As BT said, "consistancy". As I said, my powder measure is an antique w/o the baffles and such and on a couple of occassions (amongst thousands and thousands of charges thrown ) I have had coarse powder bridge and not drop the full charge into the pan until I made my little tap-tap move.

To grow pedantic for a moment for the new guys, had I been dumping directly into the cases, I could have possibly had a squib load on the one hand (maybe the bullet would not exit the bore which makes for excitment on your follow shot) and/or a double charge in another cartridge (which can also make shooting not as much fun as it used to be). I never seat bullets as I charge my cases. I charge them in blocks and then inspect them under a strong light to make sure the powder level looks kinda even amongst all of the cases before I seat my bullets. (another reason why I don't like progressive presses)

thats the way im working into my routine. ive had a couple people ask why i didn't get a progressive and that is the reason i give. i want to know exactly what is going on. ive got a flashlight at my bench and after i charge all the cases in the block i check and make sure they all look about even.

Damn, Son. You're catching right on.
Next thing you know, you'll be arguing with HC about Che and Pre and gopher Pee.