Author Topic: Do you weigh or throw your rifle charges? (Read 2229 times)

lakota · « **on:** June 18, 2008, 12:19:19 PM »

I currently weigh every single charge for my .204 Ruger, but I have been reading that this may not be necessary because powder measures are quite accurate and repeatable. It would be nice not weighing every charge but if throwing is not very accurate I will stick to weighing. What is your opinion on this subject? Who do you think makes a good measure? I am looking at Redding's BR 3 and 30. What do y all think?

Scott.

warrior1 · « **Reply #1 on:** June 18, 2008, 12:24:52 PM »

rifles i do a combo throw then weigh. dan

stimpylu32 · « **Reply #2 on:** June 18, 2008, 12:34:15 PM »

I have one powder dispenser that is set just for my 223 GO-TO load and have used it for a few years so I know its right on , all the rest I weight .

stimpy

Drilling Man · « **Reply #3 on:** June 18, 2008, 12:55:33 PM »

Quote

Do you weigh or throw your rifle charges?

Both! It depends on what powder and what measure i'm using...

If i "throw them", i still weigh one coming out of the measure every so often, to make sure they are accurate...

DM

moosie · « **Reply #4 on:** June 18, 2008, 01:08:17 PM »

I do not shoot as much rifle as I do pistol and revolver. For rifle, I always throw a little light and then trickle to exact weight for each charge, but I throw all the handgun rounds and weigh every 10th throw just to make sure nothing has changed. Most of my friends think I am way too anal about my handloading, but I have never had a hang-fire, flattened primers or other excess pressure signs, stuck case, etc. Also never had to pull bullets and start over on a reload run. (knock on wood!)
Moosie

j104wd · « **Reply #5 on:** June 18, 2008, 01:48:54 PM »

like drilling man said depends on the powder. IMR3031 comes to mind doesnt throw even enough for me to just let it go without weighing. plinking loads for my pistols I throw directly to the case. Full house 45 colt each one gets weighed to avoid any unpleasantness.

j104wd · « **Reply #6 on:** June 18, 2008, 01:55:28 PM »

sorry missed the rifle part I weigh all charges for my hunting rounds will crank some for practice that I dont weigh individually. I have been happy with my redding also have a rcbs powder measure that does an excellant job.

rbergum95 · « **Reply #7 on:** June 18, 2008, 02:45:18 PM »

i weigh all my rifle charges. not always neccessary for all my shooting needs but it just soothes my meticulous nature.

Tom W. · « **Reply #8 on:** June 18, 2008, 03:00:41 PM »

Me too. My rifle charges get weighed. My pistol and revolver charges are usually Bullseye, 2400, or H110 and they throw wonderfully well, but I still weigh about every 5th charge just to keep me happy...and with all of my fingers.

PaulS · « **Reply #9 on:** June 18, 2008, 09:32:42 PM »

I used to weigh individual charges for my rifle cartridges but I found that with double base, ball propellents thrown charges are more consistent than weighed charges.
When I use single base powders I throw a charge that is within .2 grains and then trickle up. I have a measure that will throw the stick powders but I just never learned to trust it.

LaOtto222 · « **Reply #10 on:** June 19, 2008, 01:00:50 AM »

Bench rest shooters throw their charges. I think this mostly because of the wind factor. They do a lot of their loading outdoors and it is very difficult to get an accurate weight on a scale if there is the slightest breeze. I believe they like the better Redding for this and use powders that can be thrown consistently. Ball powders and short stick powders like H322 are very popular. When I first started out I did not even own a trickler. I set the thrower and then weighed it on a scale. I would adjust the thrower until I got the proper weight and happily go on. I used only ball powders, mostly WW 296 in the hand guns and 22 Hornet and BLC2 in my 222 Rem. I weigh mine now. All of the major houses that have loading data use weight. I can not think of a single one that uses volume. I used to throw a charge slightly under weight and trickle in the final little bit. Now I have an electronic thrower/scale and I use it now for every thing. To me it is the easiest way to get there. I just punch in the weight I want and it dispenses it out. If it makes a mistake, I just dump it back in and start over. If I get a lot of errors, I set it under weight and tap the spout until I get enough. I can use course stick powders this way along with the finer ball powders and every thing between.

nilescoyote · « **Reply #11 on:** June 19, 2008, 02:41:20 AM »

I weight rifle charges and throw handgun charges. Throwing charges greatly depends on how meter friendly the powder being used is. Most benchrest guys I know use harrell and/or sinclair measures which are well out of my price range.

gypsyman · « **Reply #12 on:** June 19, 2008, 03:35:45 AM »

Ball and flake powders I throw, once the measure is set.(I have a BR-3 by the way, excellent powder measure!!) Stick powder I set it up about a grain light and then trickle to amount I want. I have a RCBS electronic scale, that has just enough area next to the pan that my trickler sits, so as fast as I can seat a bullet, the measure stops, I trickle in some powder, dump in case, throw another charge, set it on the scale, seat a bullet, and on I go. Once I get a rythem going, 300-400 cases in a setting is no problem at all. gypsyman

Glanceblamm · « **Reply #13 on:** June 19, 2008, 05:08:34 AM »

I always check every tenth charge on the scale when throwing but go one step farther. If you shine a light over your charged cases before seating any bullets, any inconsistancys will readily show up.

STUMPJMPR · « **Reply #14 on:** June 19, 2008, 06:12:10 AM »

If I'm loading for accuracy i weigh every charge...If i'm loading some for a not so accurate gun such as my 9mm i weigh every 5th-10th just to make sure i'm not getting a dangerous round....

BBF · « **Reply #15 on:** June 19, 2008, 06:55:01 AM »

Weigh every charge t w i c e from an electronic scale but then I am not in a rush and don't load more then 50 at a time. It is a hobby not a production line

and the wife stays out of my( what is left) hair.

corbanzo · « **Reply #16 on:** June 19, 2008, 07:27:51 AM »

I wish I could say the same!

But usually I pull the trigger a few too many times for it to be just a hobby....

With hunting loads, I weigh every one. With plinking/practice loads I throw them, and check... well, not as often as I should, but I find my powder measure stays on pretty well.

SHOOTALL · « **Reply #17 on:** June 19, 2008, 07:53:54 AM »

weigh hunting loads
throw plinking loads
combo on target loads

davem270win · « **Reply #18 on:** June 19, 2008, 08:28:11 AM »

Weigh most rifle loads. For some high volume stuff, esp using ball powder, I throw.

beemanbeme · « **Reply #19 on:** June 19, 2008, 08:58:59 AM »

If you are using a ball or fine powder like H414, H380, H332, H335, maybe Varget if your measure is any good at all, you can set it to throw a certain weight and be good to go. IF YOU HAVE A GOOD CONSISTANT MOTION when you make your charging stroke and keep the powder level in the reservoir kinda consistant. FWIW, I do: Position the empty case, lift the handle, two light taps, lower the handle, two light taps. Set the filled case aside, position the new, lift the handle, two light taps, etc. weigh every 10th charge.

If you are loading hunting ammo with large cases (30-06 and larger) and using stick powder, usually the PERCENTAGE of variance from the desired charge will be small enough to be a non factor for hunting purposes.

Of course, if you're the sort that is shooting your stuff at red line charges, everything should be weighed and double checked, IMO.

Savage · « **Reply #20 on:** June 19, 2008, 11:34:43 AM »

I'm loading mostly .223 in rifle calibers these days. I charge 60 cases directly from the powder measure, weighing the first, last, and one random charge. I keep a Lee "Perfect" powder measure full of 4198 just for the .223. Just got thru a run of 800 or so without more than a tenth of a grain or so variation. This is range ammo, and is loaded a full grain under max. These are not match loads, but shoot an average of 1.10 groups in my ARs, and ring the steel at 200yds just fine. Precise enough for my applications!
Savage

Hook686 · « **Reply #21 on:** June 21, 2008, 01:24:55 PM »

Yes. I weigh the load when I first set up the press for a particular reload. I observe the amount of powder in the shell case. I watch each throw of powder as I seat the bullet. If one looks a bit off I weigh the charge. I accept +/- .5 grains for my 2400 loadings, as I am typically in the middle of the range of loads listed in the manuals I've checked. If I'm loading 16.8 grains of Alliant 2400, I've typically found my loads run 16.5 - 17.1 grains ... once in a blue moon I'l get + or - .5 grains on the scales vertical scale. I don't get too excited, as Alliant might show 18.7 grains as the maximum load.

So yes, I throw and I weigh, but I throw a lot more than I weigh.

charles p · « **Reply #22 on:** June 21, 2008, 04:03:23 PM »

I use an old RCBS powder measure and it is scary how consistent it is. I used to weigh, but my powder measure drops perfect loads so it is a waste of time once it is set up. I like ball powders best. They seem to be very consistent.

john keyes · « **Reply #23 on:** June 21, 2008, 05:10:43 PM »

I used to hand dump em all out of an aspirin bottle when i used the old IMR 4350,4064 and 4831.

Now I use all the Hodgdon equivalents and they meter perfectly.

just like someone said be consistent and deliberate, and dump a few out everyonce in a while and check em on your scale.

dpe.ahoy · « **Reply #24 on:** June 22, 2008, 02:14:11 AM »

Have a DPS 1200 that I love. When it's done with the powder dump, I'm ready to seat another bullet. If I'm using one of my powder measures that I have pre-set, I do check about every 10-12 throws or if one looks wrong. I use the DPS 1200 scale to check the weight, if you don't have an electric scale, get one. Even if you use regular powder measures, the electric scales are so much faster and easier to use, I haven't used a balance beam scale since. DP.

nodlenor · « **Reply #25 on:** June 22, 2008, 02:38:34 AM »

It may not be nessasary but I weigh every load. I just feel more comfortable doing it that way. I still get variances in my loads when I use my chrony though. I'm not sure what it would be like if I just used a drop without weighing.

drdougrx · « **Reply #26 on:** June 22, 2008, 03:11:22 AM »

Pharmacist here....weigh all powders like I was taught!!!!

R.W.Dale · « **Reply #27 on:** June 22, 2008, 04:07:14 AM »

I throw everything through my uniflow equipped with a micrometer stem. I'll weigh the first couple throws, but with the easy reference the micrometer provides I'm usually dead on. Accuracy is outstanding, the other day I shot a 0.258 with my 7.62x39

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.

stimpylu32 · « **Reply #28 on:** June 22, 2008, 06:56:38 AM »

Krochus

You bring up a very good point about the percentages of rifle verse handgun case capacities , also most of your benchrest shooters load by volume and not be weight .

This is something that most of us don't think about given that we have become acustom to just throwing pistol charges and calling them good enough .

stimpy

AtlLaw · « **Reply #29 on:** June 22, 2008, 09:39:57 AM »

Quote from: stimpylu32 on June 22, 2008, 06:56:38 AM

This is something that most of us don't think about given that we have become acustom to just throwing pistol charges and calling them good enough.

I weigh everything. I even took my powder measure off my bench 'cause I just couldn't bring myself to trust it and weighed ever charge it through anyway. At most I would use it to through a charge just under the desired weight and then trickle it up on my balance beam. But then I don't load more'en 10- 20 rounds per caliber at a time and those usually have different charges. Now I do load more pistol cat-a-ges at a time, but as Stimpy says, if I don't trust the machine when it's throughing 50 or 60 grains, I'm darn sure not gonna trust it throughin' 5 or 10!