Beginner Powder Measure

[bnewt3]

I'm looking to build a setup to load 6.5CM & 308, I've already got a poll going about presses. No surprise, Rockchucker is leading, Forster Co Ax is in 2nd.

This one is about powder measures.
I'd love to get something like the Hornady Auto Charge.

Should I? Are there legitimate skills & experience I need to build with a more manual setup? I suppose a backup option is a good idea in case the tech dies.

If I should, which should I get? Should I have a beam style scale or is an electronic scale fine, if so which?

I'm hoping I can use the collective experience to put together a setup with the things I need and nothing I don't.

Thanks!

 

[rayporter]

none of the manuals, such as a Harrels, are as accurate as an electronic.

for every hornady i probably see 50 chargemasters loading at the range.

but the manuals are substantially faster

 

[Koda_]

Are there legitimate skills & experience I need to build with a more manual setup?

With an analog beam scale you can "see" which side of the line your on for best precision, down to adding a single granule of powder making a difference.

If you go electric they are generally +/-0.1grain that you cannot see where your at within that 0.2 spread. They are often affected by things like flourescent lights or other electronics.

 

[bnewt3]

ok, here's a better question, I think.

with a manual measure, how consistent can you get charges?

Let's assume i need 40gr of staball 6.5

I assume the idea would be to get close enough to 40gr but never throw a charge over 40gr. Then trickle the difference.

So what kind of variations do typical measures have? +-1gr, +-.1gr, +-.05gr?

 

[Koda_]

ok, here's a better question, I think.

with a manual measure, how consistent can you get charges?

Let's assume i need 40gr of staball 6.5

I assume the idea would be to get close enough to 40gr but never throw a charge over 40gr. Then trickle the difference.

So what kind of variations do typical measures have? +-1gr, +-.1gr, +-.05gr?

With an analog beam scale you will get the most consistent charges because you can see the line alignment perfectly centered. Its way more time consuming, but its the most precise if that consistency is what your after, its way more accurate than +/-0.1 grain.

To give you perspective, this is my scale set at zero:



Next, here is my scale set at 0.1gn...


Using a common big game powder IMR 4831 it takes about 4 granules to level that difference so roughly each granule added to your desired amount gives you 1/4gn control of your charge weight precision.

 

[TaperPin]

Should I? Are there legitimate skills & experience I need to build with a more manual setup? I suppose a backup option is a good idea in case the tech dies.

The nicest thing about manual (non electronic, non automatic) gear is you can pack it away for a decade, pull it out and it’s as accurate and reliable as the day it was made. You almost can’t wear out good quality reloading gear, so no matter whatever other flashier/faster/cooler stuff you buy, there’s always a backup and someone can buy it from you at the estate sale and use it for a second lifetime. The best flat screen tv won’t make it a decade, so any electronic gear will fail, it’s just a matter of when and it will probably be late in the night before a big trip. A nice thing about powder measures is they are all roughly the same when you’re trickling the last few grains. Get one with a color you like.

Should I have a beam style scale or is an electronic scale fine, if so which?

Any of the major brands beam scales are super reliable and not that expensive. I think they are a nice compliment to an electronic scale since you can double check weights and it’s always there as a backup. To show our kids how little the scale matters, I bought a really old beam scale with oil poured in an open cup instead of magnets to dampen it. A used 10-10 ($100) or 5-0-5 ($50) RCBS scale is what I’ve always recommended, but any color will work fine.

 

[mtnbound]

I'm looking to build a setup to load 6.5CM & 308, I've already got a poll going about presses. No surprise, Rockchucker is leading, Forster Co Ax is in 2nd.

This one is about powder measures.
I'd love to get something like the Hornady Auto Charge.

Should I? Are there legitimate skills & experience I need to build with a more manual setup? I suppose a backup option is a good idea in case the tech dies.

If I should, which should I get? Should I have a beam style scale or is an electronic scale fine, if so which?

I'm hoping I can use the collective experience to put together a setup with the things I need and nothing I don't.

Thanks!

I have the Hornady Auto Charge, and it's very nice. I use it for a scale as well when I am using my Hornady powder thrower on my Progressive press. While I like to reload, I reload to shoot, not spend endless hours screwing around. Get the AC, it's the easy button.

 

[blacktailcentral]

Rcbs chargemaster was a great starter set up! Until you get the reloading bug and step up to an autotrickler

 

[A382DWDZQ]

If you’re going electronic, splurge, otherwise go analog. I only reload single stage and haven’t been able to justify moving to electronic. I just throw and trickle and I’ve gotten good enough with the thrower that it is minimal trickling. Using stick powder, I can clearly see when a granular of powder falls into the pan. I don’t have enough space in my work area, so it’s nice to be able to just put the scale away and get it back out quickly. I also like having a setup that doesn’t rely on electricity.

 

[rayporter]

once i weighed every charge i shot in competition loaded with a jones measure [manua], which is considered a top of the line measure.

i would zero a case and throw the charge then weigh the case with powder. every one went into the load block and went to the line. hundreds of rounds were weighed.

plus or minus .2 would be an average variance----but many times .3 would creep in. the numer of times a plus .3 was followed by a minus .3 was scary.

sitting at home and practicing [ a lot] can get me to .1, but leaving the house and shooting at the range was a whole new matter. so if you are in a controlled environment you might see .1 with a lot of practice.

 

[HandgunHTR]

ok, here's a better question, I think.

with a manual measure, how consistent can you get charges?

Let's assume i need 40gr of staball 6.5

I assume the idea would be to get close enough to 40gr but never throw a charge over 40gr. Then trickle the difference.

So what kind of variations do typical measures have? +-1gr, +-.1gr, +-.05gr?

It honestly depends on the measure and the powder that you are using. Ball powders meter much better in throwers and can be adjusted more precisely. Large granule powders like H4831 don't like to throw consistantly or can bridge in the measure (depending on the type).
For beginners, if your goal is to learn, then get a decent powder measure, a good beam scale, and a manual trickler. Set up the measure to throw just under your desired load and then trickle up to where you want to be. This will be time consuming, but you will start understand the differences between powders and cases pretty well. If you are only going to load 100-200 round per year, that will last you for years and years.
If you plan to load a few thousand rounds per year, then once you have the basics down and understand what drives variability in your process, then you can upgrade to one of the "better" systems. There are systems that are fast, but not that accurate, ones that are accurate, but not that fast, and ones that are both fast and accurate. Of course the latter are the systems that are north of $1000, but they are very good for volume reloading with minimum variability.

Only you can decide how much you want to spend and what things are most important to you.

 

[Caseknife]

I still have my RCBS 5-0-5 beam scale that I have been using for 40+ years. Also have two electronic scales that never get used. Simple beam scale with these https://www.midwayusa.com/product/101284828?pid=943305 and a manual trickler will work wonders.