Well, I just wasted $45 on 2 pounds (why can't they sell 1 lb containers like the rest of the world???) of Vihtavouri N550, and am quite annoyed. The grains seem to be the perfect mix of short and fat to stop up both my power thrower and funnel! So before I go around wasting more $$ on powders that are way too difficult to work with, I ask you guys:

What Powders have you worked with that are notorious for causing stoppages/clogs in funnels and powder measures?

I start the list with H4831SC and VN550 from my personal experiences.

It is designed as a "bulky powder", so SR4759 tops my list. Great powder for its designated usage, i.e. reduced loads. Otherwise, the older, slow IMR powders are the usual culprits. Since Hodgdon bought IMR, maybe that will change.

Maybe I'm lucky. I use VV550 quite a bit and have never had this problem with it. However I can't say the same for IMR4064. It drives me to distraction. Unfortunately I can't abandon it because I have 3 rifles where my best reloads come from 4064. Being a long grained powder it's common to get caught in the hopper forcing the cutting of the grains. This forces the hopper to stay open too long so the loads dropped will invariably be too much. To a lesser degree IMR4198 will do the same thing. Best wishes.

Cal - Montreal

any of the IMR powders like 4350, 4064 and 3031 are notorious. I usually have a small screwdriver handle or my finger nail and tap the side of the drop tube or funnel to free them up. also make sure .......depending on your type press be sure to use as big a drop tube as will work for your cases without spilling powder. One other trick that works real well is before you start dispensing powder take a dryer sheet (like you would use in your clothes dryer)and wipe the inside of both the funnel and drop tube as alot of times the powder will bridge badly if there is the slightest amount of static electricity.

You haven't lived until you've tried to get IMR 5010 through a powder measure. I've found it's much easier and faster to use a Lee scoop, which will also work with the slow VV powder mentioned earlier. Btw, the old Ohaus DuoMeasure will handle 5010, but the scoop is faster and about as accurate. ...Maven

Blue Dot and 800x have bridged/hung up in the drop tube for me. Loading pistol cases, this can result in high pressure. One case gets a light charge and the next case gets an over max charge.I would never use bluedot in a rifle case where you could have a double charge and not know it, this requires weighting each charge also. The Series of IMR powers have never bridged for me. These long stick type powders will need cutting by the measure, this is normal. When the measure has to cut/or binds on a piece of powder they will make the charge weight .5 to 1.0 gr heavy or light.Sometimes placing a funnel in the powder reserve, to act as a baffel will help the IMR powders flow better and more accurately. Its best to weight each charge on IMR powders (4350, 4064,4831, 4895, etc.) when loading. Working the measure SLOWLY will give the powders time to flow out of the measure cavity and into the drop tube.

I use a Belding&Mull powder measure and it seems to handle any powder well.

CDH

What type of measure are you using?

I have an old, handed down Redding (model 3??) powder throw. Pretty good unit, all told.

Funnels I can drill out to get things flowing, even if it means differnet funnels for different calibers. I do NOT want to drill out the measure, as I frequently throw directly into cases. It also doesn't look like the nozzle is removable if I screw it up.

The real pisser is that VN550 shot some really good groups, so I feel the urge to use it more, even though it clogged about 1 in 3 times if went through anything. I worry about getting a few grains stuck and not noticing it, then overcharging the next case. Not conducive to safe reloading, as a 3-5 grain overcharge in a 300WSM is not really easy to see unless you check very closely!

Wiping everything down with an anti-static laundry sheet may help to some degree. Additionally, as mentioned above, the Lee scoops may be a solution, but you'd likely have to start trickling for every charge.



If the stuff shoots well for you, I'd make some effort to keep using it, somehow. If all else fails, try Reloder 19.



RSY

XMR4064 seems to flow well thru my old RCBS powder measure.

It certainly does well in my .308.

I also have one of the very old Reddings and it tosses the big stick powders just fine..Not many powder measures today will do that.

I strongly suspect these old measures were made for the stick powders as that is all anyone used when they were in production...It will toss within a tenth every time..but I have been using it for 40 years and that makes a difference with any powder measure..

I wouldn't trade it for any of the expensive measures on the market today, I might have to start weighing charges!
It also handles ball powders and RL-15,19 with uncanny accuracy...

Have you tried calling the manufacturer of your measure to discuss the problem with them?



Also check out: http://schuetzen.net/powder_measures.htm

800X!

CDH: Have you tried calling the manufacturer of your measure to discuss the problem with them?

No, haven't had time. I figured on just avoiding problem powders, but then I get excellent results with VN550, so now I may be working more to improve the equipment I already have. Maybe this week I can fine time to contact Redding about it.....

Red Dot and 800X are problematic in my RCBS Uniflow.

"Maybe this week I can fine time to contact Redding about it....."



Good - PLEASE let us know exactly what they say...should be interesting.



And oh, did you find the article I referenced helpful?

There is an ar ticle in the June 2004 issue of Handloader which does not address the jaming problem but might give you some insight of how to fix it.

The article is about how accurate his powder measure throws charges.

Some suggestions were, a strong heavy stand and a longer handle on the measure.

Yes the article was helpful. I had already figured the accuracy part using a stable mount, but the extended handle was a useful trick I will implement. Nothing really about my original problem, though.

Redding suggested exactly what I didn't want to do, drill out the measure. Maybe I'll try it, maybe I'll just muddle through, banging on the side of the measure and funnel a lot until I get loads to drop.

Here is their reply:

"
Hi Clayton.

Thank you for using Redding Reloading Equipment. Drill the drop tube out in the measure and then use Midway's or Sinclair's extended drop tubes for our measures.

http://www.midwayusa.com/

http://www.sinclairintl.com/

Regards,

Patrick T. Ryan

Redding Reloading Equipment
1089 Starr Road
Cortland, NY 13045

607-753-3331
FAX 607-756-8445
"