I am loading 41 grains of 4064 for my 308 and 150 BTSP. I am using a RCBS powder throw and RCBS scale. I have weighed 50+ loads and they range from 40.5 to 41.5 randomly. I think the variation is due to the shape of the powder not flowing evenly in the throw. My question is, how do you get a flat 41 grains every time or is it even possible with this type powder and throw setup without weighing them out one at a time?

Thanks,
Rob

I'm NOT an expert.

What I do is set up the powder throw for 39-ish grains and put a powder trickler over the pan on the scale.

Cycle the lever, pour less-than-full-load into the pan, twist the trickler until the scale hits the line and you're done.

Experience people most likely have a better idea

I don't believe that you can get exactly 41 grains of 4064 (even + or - 1/10 grain). 4064 just does not meter that well so even with a Culver or other top of the line measure you will vary quite a bit, although a full grain is quite a lot. Try Varget or WW748. They meter very well (and are also very accurate in my Rem 700 HB)
Peter.

The JDS (Johnson Design Specialties) meter will get 4064 to measure within .1 grain.

Unfortunately, they are not cheap.

mt Al's system is a good one unless you are loading 500 rounds or more at a time; then the JDS is the solution.

LD

It's awfully hard to get stick powder to meter right on the money. Your technique has something to do with it however. To meter stick powder your strokes up and down have got to be very firm since you have the possiblity of having to shear some of the little logs in two.
As posted, many set their measure to throw close and trickle up. Especially if you are developing a load and want to be very precise. If it is a established hunting load, and not skirting the red line, you might want to throw a few charges and see how much of a variance you have -say within 1 grain or a bit- and then see what that does to your groups from a real world point of view.

A one-grain variance with long-grained IMR-4064 using the RCBS measure (a serviceable, but not highly precision device) is to be expected.

If you were to switch to the much shorter-grained AA4064 you would probably reduce your extreme spread by half. If you are dedicated to using IMR 4064 (poor metering is the reason I quit using it and several similar powders), then drop-and-trickle as others have described is the only way to get precise weights.

All of that said, you may not materially improve the quaity of your loads simply by reducing the variance in powder charges. These charges are + or - .5 grains, which is offset to some degree by the natural variation in the composition of the powder itself. My guess is that you will find little or no consistent reduction in velocity spreads with weighed charges vs. charges dropped with your current powder measure.

quote:

Originally posted by Peter:
I don't believe that you can get exactly 41 grains of 4064 (even + or - 1/10 grain). 4064 just does not meter that well so even with a Culver or other top of the line measure you will vary quite a bit, although a full grain is quite a lot. Try Varget or WW748. They meter very well (and are also very accurate in my Rem 700 HB)
Peter.

Amen.
I have a Culver measure, and there is no way I can get accurate, consistent throws from it using long grain powder. So, I thro lite, and trickle up. Been doing it that way for 60 years of reloading.
Short of buying a RCBS 1500 Chargemaster, you, and I are stuck with either throwing lite, trickling up, or accepting variations in powder weights as mentioned above. You will get variations in weight regardless of the ususal suspect measures are concerned, no matter how much they cost, the measuring system can not deal with 4831 long grain, 4350 long grain or 4064.
I have time to spare, so I will continue throwing light, and trickling up for all of my loads.

Don

quote:

Your technique has something to do with it however. To meter stick powder your strokes up and down have got to be very firm since you have the possiblity of having to shear some of the little logs in two.

I throw everything from ww231 to Lincoln Log IMR5010 in my uniflow with a large micrometer stem. As you outline technique is key. If you try to be all gentle and limpwristed with the throw you'll get NO constancy as granules being cut will hang the dump momentarily.

Operate the thing with a firm quick motion and just discard any throws that actually hang and I think you'll find your uniflow throwing charges with the best of em. Certainly well within a .5

Thanks for the replies guys. I shot the loads tonight and they did rather well from 3 different rifles. Way more than is needed to have a successful hunt if the opportunity arises.

Rob

quote:

Originally posted by stillbeeman:
It's awfully hard to get stick powder to meter right on the money. Your technique has something to do with it however. To meter stick powder your strokes up and down have got to be very firm since you have the possiblity of having to shear some of the little logs in two.

Technique has a big impact on consistency. Stick powders are a pain to meter precisely, but a good powder measure should throw to +/- .2 grain if you're consistent. FWIW, my Lyman and Redding measures do.
As I'm sure you've noticed on occasion one cuts some powder, and dollars to doughnuts says that for every "off" throw you have there will be a charge variance. Ball powders like W-W 296 can be a pain at times too.

Kyrob: The Prometheus power measure will give you almost perfect weight loads every time. Testing has shown the machine's weight variance at +/- 0.03grains of Varget. That's right o.o3
Now the bad news. I don't know if they are still being made. And more importantly last price I saw was just south of $1200.00

As for me I will just short throw and trickle up my loads as mentioned above. And this only for load development. As I don't shoot Max loads any more. The paper targets can't tell how fast the bullet went through.

muck

I've had real good luck with my Lyman #55. It throws RL10X to within 1/10th and 4831 to within 3/10ths even if I feel it cut a granule. It has a little knocker mounted on the side that settles the powder consistently - lift, tap tap, lower.