GregJ

@m700 and @Yondering Great info and suggestions. It is crazy sometimes no matter how long you have done something, like reloading, then you look at something a little different and want to slap yourself for not thinking of that before!! Forest and trees kind of thing I guess. I've had my AB driven 1050 for 2 years, and this is just the second load workup I have had to do on it. But lesson well learned. I took a 308 case and cut the shoulder off, deprimed it and filled the flash hole and primer pocket with glue, as this make a perfect powder holder. It holds 5 charges of 3.8gr very easily, so I only have to fill it twice to get 10 drops to weigh. I also took a 2" long screw to hold the powder arm and the lock out together, as the screw provides a handle of sort (screw only to be used for this purpose). I have the powder measure knobs from Range Panda, and they work quite well. While no real references, I do have a pretty good feel for how much to adjust to get into the ball park. Thanks again!!

Duh. Thanks.

My 1050 is automated with an Ammo Bot and a shortened handle. This means manually cycling it is a PITA due to the handle as well as working against the resistance of the motor. Getting the powder measure to drop the desired amount means cycling it 50-100 times. A normal 1050 this would not be an issue.

Curious, how did you arrive to 1.120 ? Mine plunk tests fine at 1.2, but hangs in EGW gauge due to bullet profile. 1.100 seemed to be a good compromise.

I've run E3 in 45 as well as 9mm minor. Better for 45. It was pretty snappy in the 9, but worked well. Metered ok. Advantage of the large flakes, wouldnt leak through if a primer was missed.

Thought I would share my load data from recent work up. Switching from Zero 124/Win231 to BBI 125/Sport Pistol. CZ Shadow 2, BBI 125 RN @ 1.100 Chrono was Caldwell G2 with BT app (love this chrono), powder drops via RSBS ChargeMaster 1500 (unreliable), or via Ammo Bot driven Dillon 1050. Typical caveats apply, use with caution and at your own risk. The non-shaded rows were powder drops from my RCBS ChargeMaster 1500. I soon found that the weights of the powder dropped via the CM were very questionable and unreliable - so I would take those with a grain of salt. The shaded rows were from my AB driven 1050. Powder measure was adjusted until I could get 10 drops to weigh the desired amount (e.g. 3.8 gr drop x 10 drops = 38.0gr), then a short loading session was run and 10 rounds were pulled from the middle of the run. This turned out to have much more reliable results, though a PITA to do. For my setup, I will be going with 3.8gr. Hope this info proves useful for some.

Ah yes, I recall that now. I dont have any of ballast style lights in the basement. Just recessed flood lights in the ceiling, and two desk top style lamps on the bench. I think my CM is beyond hope. The scale when used by itself continues to prove to be accurate, but when used in conjunction with the powder dispenser, that is when things go south. I will try and call RCBS and see if they have any suggestions. tks.

Thanks, will give this a shot.

You missed an important part of my original post. Using loads from the CM resulted in a big difference in SD and PF versus tweaking loads from my Dillon press. And yes, I am well aware of the precision requirements for this sport, being a certified RO for the last 3 years, and have actively participated in it for over 10.

Yeah, that was my next direction. I have a Hornady SS press I use mostly for pulling rounds apart. I will probably look at an RCBS manual powder drop.

Mixed headstamps. Uh, USPSA, 9Minor. No, just trying to get consistent chrono results. When I chrono'ed rounds loaded from the CM they were way lower in both SD and PF from supposedly same chage weight dropped from the press.

What is everyone using to get accurate powder drops when working up a new load? Background: I am in the process of cutting over to BB 125 bullets and Power Pistol powder (9Minor). I load on an AB driven Dillon 1050, and use an RCBS Chargemaster 1500 (with straw mod), primarily to weigh/verify powder drops from the Dillon powder measure. I calibrate the CM before each use, bench is solid, and in basement. To work up a new load, I would manually cycle the press until the case leaves the power drop, I would pull the case, empty the powder back into the jug, then place the primed and expanded case on the loading tray. After accumulating a number of cases, I would then set the desired charge weight on the CM, auto dispense, and empty the powder into the cases. Then place each case back into the press, under the bullet drop and cycle the press through (bullet drop, seat, crmp). However, I have noticed my CM powder drops have not been as accurate as I had believed them to be. I noticed in this latest load workup, that rounds with charges dropped via the CM have had SD in the double digits and PF much lower than expected. The same charge weight from the press during a load run, the SD was 4-5 and avg PF was more realistic. On the CM, I have tried default config settings, as well as adjusted the settings, and have gone back to default. Testing further, from the CM I had dispensed 10 charges of 3.8gr of Sport Pistol, and weighed the total, and they may come out +- .5 or more (e.g. 37.6-37.7 to 38.4). I suppose this may be within acceptable limits for the CM, but it is apparently playing hell with getting consistent chrono results. For grins, I have also set the auto dispense load to be 3.6gr, and used the trickle function, as well as manually tricked up to 3.8, with similar results. The weight of the 10 charges from the CM were verified with my 505 beam scale. Using the scale by itself seems to be accurate, if I drop 10 charges from the press and weigh them on the CM, the weight seems to be accurate, as I have double checked it with the 505 beam scale. It only seems to be inaccurate if I auto dispense powder. I have even double checked each charge auto dispensed on the CM by swishing the powder around and placing back on the scale. The charge weighed correctly, but when I checked all 10, they were either low or high. Adjusting the powder drop on the press is a real PITA, and is very time intensive, which is why the CM is very helpful, but it is proving to be less than reliable. I know RCBS is coming out with their Matchmaster auto dispenser next month, so I suspect they will be less than enthusiastic to help. I see a manual powder drop in my future used solely for this purpose.

Only problem with my SRO so far, I noticed the zero had shifted about 2 1/2" low and to the left. This is after about 4 mth / 4500 rounds. I indexed the adj screws and will keep an eye on them.

MecGar hard chrome 17 rnd mags, with CZC basebpad, follower and spring. A little tweaking on the follower and I get 23+1 reloadable.

Awesome workaround. Thanks for sharing. Yet another reason to process brass first. The Judge die is fantastic, and will find stepped brass, as well as junk inside the case that the deprimer pin would punch through.

4 mths / 4K rounds, so far so good. Only issue I've had so far is I just noticed the zero had shifted low and left about 2-3". Not sure exactly when this happened, probably fairly recently. Some have put a dab of clear nail polish on the elevation screws. I just indexed mine with a small line of while paint so I can pick up on this sooner.

It's not if a (slide mounted) RDS will fail, but when. I have 2 DPPs that I used on my S2. Between the two, they have been back to Leupold 4 times. Last time my DPP failed was in the am of the first day of a 2 day Brandon Wright clinic. I was sooo pizzed. Fortunately I brought my backup. I am now running an SRO on my S2. 4K rounds and counting. If it fails, I will send it in, and probably buy another one, and rotate those like I did the DPP.

Just got a G2, light years ahead of my CED M2. App is awesome. Love the G2.

Finally got to chrono some rounds today with my G2. I love this thing!!! Super simple, quick to set up, the app works wonderfully. You can set up templates in it, open a template, chrono a load, save that as a group, then you can text or email that group. I really like being able to email the data (also sends it via CSV file), so I can print it off and put it in my binder. No more hand scribbled notes. You can also input the bullet weight, and it will calculate the PF. This thing is light years ahead of my CED M2. Below is a load I was testing (tested in 3 guns, S2, 75, and MPX). Created: 09/10/19 04:41 PMDescription: CZ Shadow 2 - Sport PistolNotes 1: 4.0 gr SP, BBI 125gr @ 1.100, Fed SPPNotes 2:Distance to Chrono(FT): 10.00Ballistic Coefficient: 1.000Bullet Weight(gr): 125.00Temp: 68 °FBP: 1023.00 inHgAltitude: 0.00# FPS FT-LBS PF10 1074 320.21 134.25 9 1083 325.60 135.38 8 1083 325.60 135.38 7 1081 324.40 135.12 6 1086 327.40 135.75 5 1082 325.00 135.25 4 1086 327.40 135.75 3 1079 323.20 134.88 2 1061 312.50 132.62 1 1080 323.80 135.00 Average: 1079.5 FPSSD: 7.4 FPSMin: 1061 FPSMax: 1086 FPSSpread: 25 FPSShot/sec: 0.2True MV: 1080 FPSGroup Size (in): 0.00 Attached is a screen shot.

I just got a Caldwell G2, so far I have been very happy with it. My CED M2 had become totally unreliable.

Plus, if you get a bullet jammed in it, you can simply drop the insert without having to re-adjust everything. If you were changing bullets a lot, then a mic seating die might be worth it. I have a Redding comp die, it lives in the drawer. The Dillon die just works. YMMV

Yes. I only swage when loading, no issues swaging all brass on my AB driven 1050. I use a primer probe during processing to detect pull backs, ringers, etc. Just make sure you are not over-swagging, will eventually break the rod. Take a case, cut it in half, then cut a V section out of the bottom. This allow you to see and adjust the swage rod without having the expansion on the backer rod interferring with what you are seeing and feeling. I started using a Lyman M die instead of the backer rod, l like the results better. Or get these. https://www.ammobrass.com/product-page/ammobrass-swage-setter

Should be arriving today, looking forward to chronoing new loads with it. Already have the app on my phone. I got fed up with my CED M2, with the IR sun screens. I've had it for several years, last few years it became totally unreliable with E0 and E1 errors. Some time ago I sent it back to CED, of course they found nothing wrong. Even got a new sensor recently, and swapped it around, still get errors. Tried a paper target in front as a blast shield (yeah, for 9 minor ) , change distances, etc, etc, etc. Some times it wont even store a string. Some times it works great for a string, or part of a string, other times it acts up from the get-go. Some times I get E0/E1 error with the velocity, other times just the error. Yes new battery, several times. I am so done with it. Rant off - sorry. Will post feedback once I get some time on it.

Yes, it a Lee die reworked by EGW to make it undersize, from what I recall. Lee - EGW, same thing when referencing it as undersize die. It should say somewhere in the instructions, or maybe a stamp on it, that it is a U die. I assume you mean what my setup is for processing. Below is how my processing head is set up. #2 - Lee Universal Decapper die with Berdan primer sensor #3 - The Judge die with sensor #6 - Dillon sizing die minus decap pin. #7 - EGW-U die I use the standard Dillon sizing die just to reduce the amount of stress on the EGW-U die. Probably an insignificant amount, and probably unnecessary, but it works for me. And yes I lube my brass when I process it.

My first DPP held for about a year and a half, probably 15-20K. Then it started acting up, sent it in, found a refurb DPP for a great price on Natchez, and ever since seems like they never went more that 5K before I had to send it back in. I think every time it was due to the center contact slipping because of the cheap azz way they secure it with tape - I would expect better from a company like Leupold. One is an AE and the other an AD, IIRC.