Powder Measure

[Tx gun runner]

I throw from measure to case , no ticker needed .

 

[Ruber]

Here goes,I load .38 or .45Colt,the powders are Unique for the Colt and Bullseye for the .38.It varies after each drop between .4gn to .9gn I use a digital scale.I use the.38 in my S&W 66 for target shooting,and the .45Colt in the Blackhawks for hunting.Maybe I'm being anal but I want to be safe.Oh yeah I don't keep powder in the uniflo I always put it back in the container and keep that in a wooden box under my bench off the floor.

Sorry your having bad luck with the uniflow. Here are a couple of tricks and lessons I've learned:
That spring loaded lock nut... make sure it is tight!
Every powder change and before loading, I run about a third of the column of powder through the measure and pour it back in, that gets things settled down a bit.
When you make an adjustment, it affects the powder in the cam as well as the powder right above it. I'll pour three charges and put them back in the column before I even check the weight after an adjustment.
Ya, consistency is key with any powder measure, even dippers. Like Contender said, if you are particular, trickle the last bit of each charge.

However, with these methods, I've been able to keep the uniflow to within .05 grains with any of the powders I've used, so .4-.9 sounds really extreme to me.

Good Luck!!

 

[sourdough44]

For handgun I use a 'Little Dandy' RCBS powder measure with a custom adjustable rotor. The rotor was made/sold by a guy screen named 'Bailey Boat' on the firingline(and the high road) forum. It gives me +/- .1 grain on the charge & my excessive weighing is over. I still weigh often enough to know what I'm dropping.

 

[gregs45auto]

The reason for the dump powder back into cantainer is twofold: The plastic will react/change the chemistry of the powder and confusing which powder you think is in the hopper and reloading bombs. :shock: hth greg

 

[WESHOOT2]

Once sixteen, now only eleven powder measures in my shop.
Some have held the same powder for over ten years (or longer).
The solvents used in the powder manufacturing process can etch the plastic hoppers; BFD, ay?

I write the powder and charge weight on a small card, and stick it right in the measure. Acts as a dessicant, and informs me what's in each.

Weight of a charge can change from environmental conditions, but volume doesn't......

 

[GDLT31]

It's been awhile since my last post,and in doing so I have been doing so tests in that using different powders and have a different outcome.That using Unique,or Bullseye it throws a different weight on each throw,now 231 within .2 grains every throw and that was about 40 throws.So it looks like 231 is going to be my go to powder.Thanks to all for getting me to look at different avenues.

 

[revhigh]

It varies after each drop between .4gn to .9gn I use a digital scale.

I think your scale is garbage. I've used an RCBS uniflow for 30 years, and have NEVER had a charge vary by more than .1 grams, and very rarely even that. It is so precise that turning the adjuster an eighth of a turn makes the charge vary on my RCBS manual scale. In my opinion, using a cheap digital scale in reloading is a very dangerous proposition. Every weighing is an independent electronic occurrance, affected by battery charge, air currents in the room, etc. Gravity is a constant. Get a REAL scale and I bet your variances become less. Also, certain powders meter better than others. There's no issue with mainline powders like Unique, Bullseye, 231, 2400, H110, 4227, Clays, Power Pistol, etc. Powder tha is 'rod-ular' in shape can't really be used effectively in a powder drop from what I've experienced.

REV

 

[Ruber]

I'd agree that something is still wrong. You should be getting way better precision than that.