Valentine

It's a separate hobby. It's a small manufacturing operation, doing repetitive operations. You aren't using multi-million dollar equipment. Heck who uses loading equipment costing $10,000. It's a hobby of learning consistency, and being able to do the same thing, over and over for each task.

Of course, it isn't a totally perfect setup, but it's up to you to keep errors at a minimum. If it said 35 grains of powder, you better make sure it's not 55 or 20 grains. There are consequences. And some have made it serious consequences, over the years.

And if you can't learn consistency or repetitive actions, you eventually will just get out of reloading. Not everyone can fit reloading. And some do it very, very well.

TUK101

I have the same measure and have found with stick powders that you need to pull the lever at the same speed on every load. If you pull it too slow it seems to weigh heavier, and too fast it could come up a bit light. I like to err on the light side and try to make sure not too go too slow.

nagel_1

I have the same powder measure. I always weigh each charge on the light side, then trickle to where I want it. Have you ever cleaned out tour measure? I did mine and it still had kernals of powder in it.
I use mine for three different powders, IMR 4350, Unique, and R-15. I noticed that there is still unique powder trapped in there. Not much but some.
As the others have said, stick powder does not flow well in this measure. At times Unique will be way off also. Now I just set it low, and trickle in till I get the desired weight. Takes longer, but I'd rather be safe, then sorry.

Vapodog

Your powder measure should be capable of dropping varget to within +/- 1/4 grain or better....If you're not doing that well then something is wrong.

Here's another technique:

assuming you drop and weigh ten consecutive drops and know what the deviation is....lets say it's a total variance of 1/2 grain....(+/- 1/4 grain)....and you want to drop 70.5 grains.....

set the measure to drop 70-70.5 grains....such that the max drop is what you want and the minimum is 1/2 grain low.....

Then just load the ammo.....

I guarantee you that you'll never be able to tell the difference between those cartridges and the ones you weighed 100%.....and at three hundred yards....neither will anything you shoot!

I actually did this with the 22-250 for a prairie dog shoot and it worked just fine.....all the ammo was good to go!

Since then I've moved to the extent possible to ball powders which measure closer to +/- 1/10th grain

Kerrdog

Thanks-

I will trickle the powder to get the precise weights, and I will attempt to be more consistent when dumping the powder. I actually experimented with that already, but I wasn't sure it was the repetition/consistency factor, or the nature of the beast.

Vapodog... I think I actually "backed" into your method in an indirect way. I can't say I was within .5 grains since I didn't check to that extent, but I did check to make sure they didn't exceed the max recommended load.

I think I'd like to reload some of the rounds that I messed up on... rounds that I had crimped. Can anyone recommend a bullet puller?

Thanks,

Kerrdog

fritz1

A RCBS inertia bullet puller works good and quick unless you are trying to pull 22 cal. or any light weight bullets, then I would suggest getting a RCBS collet style bullet puller die.

Prairie Wolf

Get the collet bullet puller. I recommend it over the inertia. I don't remember the cost of either, but with crimped ammo, I think you find it a chore with an inertia puller.

Vapodog

This is my bullet puller.....and I'm not jerking your chain....it is the best I've ever found.....PERIOD

Put the cartridge in your press' shell holder and move the cartridge such the the bullet is just over the top of the press....clamp on and retract the cartridge. It does leave a small mark on the bullet but that mark is completely inconsequential.



Now a little tip on those bullets.....if you have crimped them, put them back into the seating die and seat them about 1/8" deeper. This will break the crimp with ease and make them easier to pull.

Kerrdog

Thanks, Dog! I assume the red handled ones will work!?

Vapodog

Use any color you like...just make sure the jaws don't protrude into the threads of the press as it can and will damage the threads requiring a 7/8-14 tap to restore them.