Do you weigh or throw your rifle charges?

[Drilling Man]

You guys who throw for handguns but not rifles really need to reevaluate. The percentage of error is going to be much much larger on a handgun round that only holds 12grns of propellant vs a rifle cartridge that holds 50 grains. So logically if you're reluctant to throw charges for something you should be throwing for rifle rounds and measuring for handgun ammo.

  True BUT!  Pistol powders almost always will run through a powder measure more accurately than rifle powders do...  That easily makes up for the difference...  You just need to check the measure "before" counting on anything...

  DM

[dscp]

SENIOR PHARMACIST HERE ! (41+ years practice ) . The fellow that talked about being consistant in your movements has the real story . I CAN DO IT ! I weigh the first 5 or so then only if it does not feel right . Your load DENSITY comes in here . IFIN you can see the powder , then see that all are the same level full and double check any that is not . AND I use an RX balance ( would not have most of their junky balances anyway ) .
      IFIN you have more time in than me , I will apologize !
IT works for me !
dscp

[R.W.Dale]

True BUT!  Pistol powders almost always will run through a powder measure more accurately than rifle powders do...  That easily makes up for the difference...  You just need to check the measure "before" counting on anything...

 I disagree with that assessment. In my experiance all powders pistol or rifle  charges throw within the same +- .2grn margin of error. My uniflow will meter 50grns of IMR4831 just as accurately as it does 6.5grs of unique

but still let's keep things in perspective

.2grs is only 2.5% of an 8grn charge

.2grs is only 00.4% of a 50 grain charge

 Do you guys think factory ammo has individual charges weighed? So throw charges, seat shoot and rejoice there isn't a target in the world that'll tell a difference

[Drilling Man]

True BUT!  Pistol powders almost always will run through a powder measure more accurately than rifle powders do...  That easily makes up for the difference...  You just need to check the measure "before" counting on anything...

 I disagree with that assessment. In my experiance all powders pistol or rifle  charges throw within the same +- .2grn margin of error. My uniflow will meter 50grns of IMR4831 just as accurately as it does 6.5grs of unique

  Well, you can disagree if you want, BUT i have several different makes of powder measures, and stick powders do NOT "generally" run through any of my measures as accurately as "most" pistol powders...  Your welcome to come by and see for yourself.

  DM

[fastbike]

For the folks that weigh every charge, do you weigh every bullet? I have found much more variation in bullet weight than I ever get out of charges thrown by my Autodisk. Then again, I don't load to maximum either.

[SHOOTALL]

For my 2506 and only my 2506 i weigh the bullet , the brass and the powder . I only use BR primers . Trim to length etc. every time !
It will make one hole at a hundred yards every time for 3 -5 shots if  I do my part . Maybe its over kill but it works !

[lakota]

thank you all for your opinions. I'm thinking that I'll stick to weighing every charge. I see a lot of these measures are accurate to +/- 1/10 grain. I have noticed that with some of my favorite .204 Ruger loads that a tenth of a grain one way or the other can make a big difference in it's performance.

thanks again,
Scott.

[Glanceblamm]

That powder charge is important but I dont think that it goes at the top of the list?

For myself I would say case prep with uniform primer pockets and flash holes but most importantly that the primer stirrup just does touch the bottom
Of the pocket. This can be done with the Lee auto prime or perhaps the RCBS model as the compound leverage allows for a great feel.
I have not got around to weighing any cases or bullets yet and probably wont considering my overall years of reloading. I do like to use the appropriate powder that fills, or nearly fills the rifle case and to
Experiment with the overall lenght first at the spec and then at or slightly behind the rifling.
If I can tailor those loads to shoot five shot moa with a production rifle I am usually quite happy with it for hunting situations.

[Tn Jim]

Depends on what I'm loading. My old RCBS Uniflow meters very well. So if I'm loading 45 ACP (w231), 44 spec (Unique) 44 mag (2400) or 223 (H335), 45-70 (Re7) I throw the charge and weigh every tenth charge. Always seems to be right on the money. BUT, if I'm loading 7-08 or 30-06 (IMR-4350) I throw the charge a little lite and trickle in the last 2 or 3 grains. Both the IMR loads I use are max, by the way. I don't want to take any chances with them. They both work the best in my guns after carefully working up the loads. My handgun loads are well below max. This method has worked for me for 17 years with no problems.

[Freezer]

    For plinking ammo in my pistols I throw the charges.  For rifle ammo I throw a short charge then trickle the remainder.  The short charges seem to be exactly the same everytime but I annal when it comes to reproducing identical rounds for my hunting rifles.  Someday I should really set up the chronograph and see if there a difference between the two. 

[gooser]

Both actually, I set my powder measure very close to the desired charge,but on the low side ,and then trickle in the remaining powder.

[beemanbeme]

Freezer, never mind the Chrony.  If you're talking about hunting ammo, set up a target. Let the target tell you what you want to know. 

[Freezer]

   I agree to a point. The chronie will tell the velocity difference between loads.  I'm just curious if the difference between thrown and trickled charges is negligible.  Though there might not be a big difference in accuracy there could be in velocity thus the trajectory will change at longer distance.  Knowing what the trajectory is or the bullet drop at extended range will give me the confidence to take an animal that I might otherwise pass on if I don't know the cartridges performance.

[SHOOTALL]

confidence is both built and confirmed at the range ! not on paper ! IMHO !

[Tom W.]

Just for S & G's  I  loaded up 50 30-06 cases with 160 grain cast gas checked bullets with 36 grains of IMR 3031, using my RCBS Uniflow with a micrometer adjustment on it. Out of the 50 charges thrown, I had 7 that were 36 grains, the rest being from 35.7 to 36.5 with two going as high as 36.8. I'll save it for the ball powders, thank you.

[Freezer]

  Thanks Tom, that's why I trickle charge, it eliminates one variable.  Shootall, though the general rule is correct knowing how a cartridge can be expected to perform means allot.  I own a 99f Savage in 308.  On a hunt two years ago I had to barrow a gun, it was a Savage 99f in 300 Sav. firing a 180 grain round nose Rem corelok bullet.  A nice deer showed itself at 281 yards. I knew what the trajectory was so I took a neck shot.  Knowing what you can expect from a cartridge builds confidence.  By the same token I saw the biggest buck I'd ever seen in my life at 425 yards just a half an hour before and cursed because I didn't have a gun capable of taking the shot.   I feel good, I knew better than to attempt the shot.  Knowledge is a powerful thing.

[TXSPIKE]

I weigh them all.If you get your measure set up right it will dump them real close,but there is that every once in a while when you may get one that's off.I load only for rifle and I want to make darn sure my ammo is consistant.

[gooser]

I weigh them all.If you get your measure set up right it will dump them real close,but there is that every once in a while when you may get one that's off.I load only for rifle and I want to make darn sure my ammo is consistant.

exactlly right in my opinion, keep your ammo as consistant  as possable, your rifle,well,should be the same, then it's only up to you. Aim small..........miss small.     

 It can make a difference at long range.