Your process - powder measures/throwers/auto chargers, etc.

[Stix]

Well im not sure what the lyman scale accuracy range is, (i also havnt read this entire thread to see what others have said), but with a beam scale you can comfortably see it change with just one granule of powder...so that should be plenty accurate enough for what you want.
I use the redding beam scale & find its good enough.
From memory they are only $125 (im sure under $200 anyway).
Thats just my opinion & what i use...& find i often refer back the beam scale for accuracy.

[sungazer]

Not all beam scales are created equal either. The beam scale really depends on the quality of the pivot point also they have magnetic dampers this is also can affect accuracy. Like a lot of things you do get what you pay for.
I weigh each load I do on a very accurate digital scale, I set the Lee powder thrower to about 0.5 grain lower than the charge I want and then trickle up. Its a pretty quick method really considering the accuracy achieved. I really dont need an automated device, the money is better spent on the scales. The time difference is negligible IMHO.

[SCJ429]

The Chargemaster does better with finer powders, especially ball powders. As soon as you feed it bigger stick powders it throws over weight. I saw some information that said to use a small length of plastic straw at the end of the threaded dispensing rod helps with this issue. I have not had any success with this modification.

[JimTom]

The Chargemaster does better with finer powders, especially ball powders. As soon as you feed it bigger stick powders it throws over weight. I saw some information that said to use a small length of plastic straw at the end of the threaded dispensing rod helps with this issue. I have not had any success with this modification.

Mate I heard that was he case with the older models. I have a reasonably new one and have never had it throw over. AR2208 is the biggest powder I have used in it though. Works a treat with BM8208.

[bigrich]

well fellas, i bought a new scale, seems like it's a qaulity unit, all the bells and whistles. even plugs into the wall for power it normally retails for $208 at rebel gun works, it's on special for $150. that sweetens the deal. initially i had good results with the cheapie scale that came with my hornady reload kit. but it's been a bit sticky and my last reloads for 222 were all over the place. not a good scenario......

[Stix]

Hope it goes well for ya richo...

I do think you'd be better served with a beam scale though due to that one only being to 1/10th gr accuracy...
If you dont get satisfaction from it you know what to do...!!!
(Send it to me with that bludy hornet...!! )

[bigrich]

Hope it goes well for ya richo...

I do think you'd be better served with a beam scale though due to that one only being to 1/10th gr accuracy...
If you dont get satisfaction from it you know what to do...!!!
(Send it to me with that bludy hornet...!! )

ha ha good on ya stix. do you reckon the beam scales have the potential for finer accuracy ? as for the hornet mate, i traded that back where i bought it on a ruger gunsite 308 carbine.(just did a post on it"new toy" ) 222 is just superior in every way to the hornet. much better brass life just for starters. get on ozgunsales and look up browns plains firearms if ya keen on it

[Stix]

Hope it goes well for ya richo...

I do think you'd be better served with a beam scale though due to that one only being to 1/10th gr accuracy...
If you dont get satisfaction from it you know what to do...!!!
(Send it to me with that bludy hornet...!! )

ha ha good on ya stix. do you reckon the beam scales have the potential for finer accuracy ? as for the hornet mate, i traded that back where i bought it on a ruger gunsite 308 carbine.(just did a post on it"new toy" ) 222 is just superior in every way to the hornet. much better brass life just for starters. get on ozgunsales and look up browns plains firearms if ya keen on it

You're just a two timing hoar richo...
You promised it to me & thst you'd love me forever...

Im a hoarder mate...just buy more guns when i csn afford, dont get rid of any...

Yes mate like i said i weigh my charges to the granule (still doesnt seem to help me much) but it can be done.

But if you find the node & load in the middle of it you should be right with those scales

[vmaxaust]

Yes mate like i said i weigh my charges to the granule (still doesnt seem to help me much) but it can be done.


Sorry to go against the grain. I bought Gempro, Frankford Arsenel, RCBS and a few other digital scales over the years. NEVER found one that doesn't drift. Of all I've bought and used the RCBS was the most consistent and drifted least. I had an RCBS beam balance to verify results from every scale over the years. They were all within a tenth of a grain with the Gempro showing 2 decimal points for even more precision. The Gempro unfortunately died after only 3 months use and I was not happy so my final and current scale is the RCBS which has been the most consistent, lowest drifting scale and as accurate as I feel I need.

I still only load on the Hornady LNL Progressive presses using the case activated powder drop. I have a powder drop for each calibre and they perform flawlessly. Every time a new loading session happens I prime a case, zero the primed case on my scale and then drop up to 10 loads into it and weigh them. You have to sometimes do minor adjustments to the powder drop to come back to the prescribed load required. In other words if I leave the powder drop set on say 36.2gr for my 303's when I go to load nine out of ten times it will drop within one tenth of this figure. One step I find important is to fill the powder drop to at least 3/4, toss the powder up and down while holding the powder drop in my hand to settle it and then manually operated the drop about 15 times into the powder bottle so it has a chance to settle and fill all voids.

For me this process gives me very consistent powder loads. I've spent much time verifying this by putting my zeroed, primed test cases and running them through the case activated drop...weigh the load, properly empty the case, run it through again and again to see the variation with at least 50 drops per calibre. The worst I've had was .2gr and that was in my 45ACP and .223 rifle powder drops. I pulled the drops apart, cleaned them thoroughly and reset the dimensions Hornady provides and they came good to vary no more than .1gr each time I use them.

I realise .1gr is not acceptable to many who are benchrest or accuracy people but for me the chronographed results are pretty consistent and since I'm not a high precision rifle shooter I don't care. For my handgun calibres, the accuracy my guns can shoot is amazing on a Ransom rest with my loads. In my hands and with my old eyes the results are reasonable but nothing brilliant so measuring powder manually for me would never happen unless I had a specific important reason.

[bigrich]

Well guys , I tested my loads on the weekend and consistent accuracy has returned . 1/2” at 100 from my 222. Not the one hole groups I was getting, but I put that down to different full length resized brass. The digital scales that I thought were suspect have been proven accurate by the new scales. The only thing I can put it down to is they were sticky cause it was a cold morning. Anyone else ever experience this?

[JimTom]

Mate 1/2” at 100m is pretty reasonable. I have noticed a slight change too when I have full length resized my brass.

[Gaznazdiak]

Well guys , I tested my loads on the weekend and consistent accuracy has returned . 1/2” at 100 from my 222. Not the one hole groups I was getting, but I put that down to different full length resized brass. The digital scales that I thought were suspect have been proven accurate by the new scales. The only thing I can put it down to is they were sticky cause it was a cold morning. Anyone else ever experience this?

I have Frankford Armory electronic scales and they seem to do the opposite. They work fine when they are cold and are unerringly accurate, but if I leave them to warm up they get fidgety and can't decide on a weight.

[bigrich]

Mate 1/2” at 100m is pretty reasonable. I have noticed a slight change too when I have full length resized my brass.

Thanks for your opinion JT. This old 222 Winchester has done one ragged hole groups ,one after the other previously. I do want to get back to that. What blows me away is it’s all original , not even bedded