The Accurate Reloading Forums
Measuring each charge
25 February 2007, 06:07
jyMeasuring each charge
I'm reloading 22-250 and 7mm RM. I use a Belding and Mull powder measure. Then I weight each charge on a RCBS 10 10 scale. Is there a need to weight each charge?
THANKS
Jerry
25 February 2007, 06:25
Ackley Improved UserI do it for full-bore loads. I believe its safer.
25 February 2007, 06:30
Ol` Joequote:
Originally posted by jy:
I'm reloading 22-250 and 7mm RM. I use a Belding and Mull powder measure. Then I weight each charge on a RCBS 10 10 scale. Is there a need to weight each charge?
THANKS
Jerry
Nope, but I do

Of course I`m a bit anal about my reloads.....
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25 February 2007, 06:52
vapodogit depends on your charge and the accuracy of your powder measure!
Do this.....weigh precisely every charge for ten consecutive throws of the powder measure.....if the variance is +/- 1/2 grain, then if you're 1/2 grain under max you can load without weighing every one. If you're loading to the max for your gun you might want to weigh every one.
Using ball powders I weigh only one in ten just to confirm my measure hasn't changed as ball powders meter extremely well.........If I'm using IMR-4831 I usually weigh every charge regardless!
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25 February 2007, 07:08
FjoldWhat I do is set my powder measure and throw ten loads into the weight pan and weight that.
This magnifies any error by ten times and makes it easier to see. Then I adjust the measure again and as long as the measure is consistent you can get pretty small errors this way.
Frank
"I don't know what there is about buffalo that frightens me so.....He looks like he hates you personally. He looks like you owe him money."
- Robert Ruark, Horn of the Hunter, 1953
NRA Life, SAF Life, CRPA Life, DRSS lite
25 February 2007, 07:10
GSP7For rifle reloading, I throw my charges right into the scale dish and way each one, trickle in whats needed. It might be 10 powder charges before I get my powder charger adjusted any way. Usually Im working up loads so I weight each one.
25 February 2007, 08:03
ireload2I use the old and "obsolete" Autoscale. It is a power trickler that runs powder into the pan of a beam balance. Basically it can automatically dispense and weigh each charge. The beam appears identical to the Ohaus/RCBS with the poise that travels on a screw. While some have said it is slow it will dispense most charges in the time I handle the case. It is as visible and dependable as a beam balance but much faster. If you need more speed just use two of them set for the same charge.
25 February 2007, 08:07
doctorxringFor me it depends on the powder I'm throwing.
Ball powders measure smoothly and accurately.
Large stick powders don't. I throw them
low and trickle them up. Or I used to.
I now have an RCBS Chargemaster.

Happiness is a tight group
25 February 2007, 09:40
flacoJerry-
My boss is an old-timer--Trinidad, '58--and meticulous.
He has a couple of Belding and Mulls, and says they're the best powder measure ever.
Congratulations.
flaco
25 February 2007, 09:47
doccashWeigh the charges and you donot have to worry about it. Large numbers of reloads, as for a varment shoot, cannot be hand weighed as a matter of practicality. I always use a ball powder in this case when bulk reloading. If shooting a cartridge loaded with extruded powder I always weigh each load, as even in the best powder measures, there is a more than acceptable variation in charge weights.

At Home on the Range-Texas Panhandle
25 February 2007, 10:48
Catfish HunterI weigh each of mine on an RCBS 5-10 scale. I usually set my powder measure to about a half grain or so below what I need then trickle in the rest.
The problem with dumping ten measures into the pan and weighing them together to magnify the error is that it may actually hide the error. Yes, if it's consistently too much or too low, it will magnify it. However, if it drops 5 charges that are 1 grain too little and 5 that are 1 grain too much, it will appear that you have 10 charges that are perfect because it'll still total out the same.
25 February 2007, 12:38
MarkHWhen it comes to creating controlled explosions close to my face I always weigh each charge.

Mark
Hunting is getting as close as you can, shooting is getting as far away as possible.
25 February 2007, 13:31
JALAll good stuff, but don't forget to eyeball the level in the case . . . just in case.
25 February 2007, 17:10
ELKMAN2DITTO on the chagemaster. I weigh everything except the 223, high volume reloading. I usemy Pacific measure on it.
25 February 2007, 18:42
jstevensI weigh virtually none except in working up loads. I can positively guarantee you no decrease in accuracy from throwing them in a good measure with a practiced stroke. The only difference will be that you'll spend more time loading ammo and if using a standard scale, the knife edges will get rounded sooner. I have a Ruger RSM in .416 Rigby that has shot eight groups, from .253 to .640 consecutively with thrown charges of 105 grains of H4831, which is not the cleanest metering powder. As for max loads, if you are within .5 grains of being too hot, it should be backed off or hot weather will cause a problem. It is OK to be anal with regards to reloading, but there are much better places to refine your loads that actually will make a difference in the shooting. I'll agree, it would seem that weighed loads should shoot better, but the proof is at the range. It is just one of those cases where the time is better spent doing something that will actually improve your load, or what the hell I'd rather spend another hour shooting or hunting than weighing charges. ELKMAN, it is strange to me someone would weigh everything, but a .223 a varmint round. Notice any difference in how it shoots?
A shot not taken is always a miss
25 February 2007, 19:07
phurley5Like ireload2 I use the old Lyman Autoscale, in fact I have two of them, each with it's own powder that I use weekly (one has H-1000 I use with several rifles the other RL-22 that I use with several rifles). I also have a Lyman 1200 Digital scale and dispenser with another powder (RL-15 that I use with my .416 Remington) used often. When I use a powder not in the Autoscales or 1200 I have either beam on the Autoscales or a Lyman 1500 Digital scale with trickler that is fantastic. I have a buddy that shoots thousands of .223 rounds per year that throws 99% of his loads and is as accurate as the bench rest boys, and we debate this often. Nearly all my rifles are Magnum hunting rounds which I shoot 3000 plus per year, and try as I might with throwing loads, I always go back to measuring them, call it what you will. Like someone else said, with that much powder burning that close to your face, it just bring peace of mind to be sure.

Good shooting.
phurley
25 February 2007, 20:18
BlackHawk1I throw slightly low, trickle as necessary, and weigh every charge. Anal, yes, but consistent.
BH1
There are no flies on 6.5s!
25 February 2007, 20:29
woodsI used to do it like Catfish Hunter and Blackhawk which is to throw 1/2 grain lower and trickle in. There are enough variables in accurate reloading without adding powder charge to the list.
Now I have an
RCBS ChargeMaster 1500 and I'll never go back. I have checked it repeatedly and it always measures to within .1 grain of the balance scale (who's to say which is right?).
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