Hornady L-N-L Powderfunnel?

[Chris Spiess]

I used Lyman expanders for a long while and was really happy with that setup. However, if you want to go with a bullet feeder you have to combine your expander in with the powder drop. Frankly, I think the Hornady PXTs work ok as long as:

A: not using a U-die to resize and;

B: you're using jacketed or plated bullets.

Edited June 6, 2010 by Chris Spiess

[Jman]

Loading 9 Major and .40 S&W (minor/major) on my LNL AP. The set up is what works for me and is certainly not the only way to skin this cat.

A little apprehensive about range brass since it has bit me once or twice over the years, so I inspect each piece, run them through a

U die mounted on a single stage press and de-cap as well. Accumulating enough prepped brass for my needs is very little effort. When I have

enough done it gets dumped into the casefeeder.

The LNL AP is set up like so...

1. Dillon sizer, less decap pin. This centers things up nice.

2. Hornady Case Activated powder measure with the Powderfunnel powder through expander.

3. RCBS Lock Out die. Love it because the operator drifts off someplace, sometimes.

3.5 My eye balls

4. Bullet Seater

5. Dillon Taper

6. Drop bin

7. MTM ammo box

8. Visually confirm each round for correct primer depth

9. Enjoy perfect loads

10. Repeat

[Jeff686]

My solution to the problem: http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=76573&st=0&p=885720&hl=slider&fromsearch=1entry885720

[Tul9033]

I've got one and am quite happy with it. Mine did have machining marks on arrival, wish it was mirroe smooth like the picture, but hasn't seemes to affect function.

[BN91205]

Another fan here of the Powderfunnel! Since we are sharing our reloading stages with the LNL AP, here's what I do:

1. Resize/Decap with Hornady die

2. EGW U-Die

3. Hornady Case Activated powder measure with Powderfunnel

4. Seat Bullet with Hornady die

5. Crimp Bullet with Hornady die

Brian

[showmebob]

I've been pretty quiet on this forum but I'll share what I found works for me.

My old way. Station 1. Lee size/deprime 2. Powder drop NO expander 3. Lee Powder thru expander die with a homemade powder check system through the die. 4 Seat 5. crimp.

New way (this works best for me) 1. Hornady size/deprime 2.Hornady expander/bell 3. powder drop 4. RCBS powder cop 5. Hornady seat and crimp. This has given me the most consistent ammo.

[moonman16]

I'm looking for Dan at Powderfunnels.com I ordered one in May for my LNL and have not received it. I'm trying to post for MakemineaP99 on the glockforum but no luck posting yet, I just registered. I sent a letter to the Indiana address, no answer, Does anyone have any suggestions or know Dan?

[Duke Nukem]

I didn't get a response to any of my emails so I never sent any money.

My thought was if they don't respond before they have your money they will never respond after.

I'm looking for Dan at Powderfunnels.com I ordered one in May for my LNL and have not received it. I'm trying to post for MakemineaP99 on the glockforum but no luck posting yet, I just registered. I sent a letter to the Indiana address, no answer, Does anyone have any suggestions or know Dan?

[SPDGG]

I'm looking for Dan at Powderfunnels.com I ordered one in May for my LNL and have not received it. I'm trying to post for MakemineaP99 on the glockforum but no luck posting yet, I just registered. I sent a letter to the Indiana address, no answer, Does anyone have any suggestions or know Dan?

Dan at Powderfunnels.com is GTG, Hes a one man operation w/ a full time job. He does PF on the side & he has been BO, but has now caught up. I came across a thread for you, but I just saw you already got a delivery email from PF.

Here is the thread I'm referring to:

http://www.glockpost.com/forums/showthread.php?t=12059

Have a great one

[Jman]

I'm looking for Dan at Powderfunnels.com I ordered one in May for my LNL and have not received it. I'm trying to post for MakemineaP99 on the glockforum but no luck posting yet, I just registered. I sent a letter to the Indiana address, no answer, Does anyone have any suggestions or know Dan?

Thanks for the link. I have dealt with Dan in the past and while communication does lag the funnel performs very nicely. As mentioned it's a one man operation and demand ALWAYS exceeds his production capabilities. Hornady should have agreed to produce this but....

[ardo]

I ordered mine on July 8, to be shipped to my friend in NJ. I was there this past weekend, but the order still wasn't delivered. This morning I sent a request via Google checkout - that's how I paid for mine - and Google showed me that the package was shipped on Aug.5. That's like almost a month since the order date but he DID ship it. And, he didn't charge my card until Aug.5.

Now I have to figure out what to do next. First, my friend is moving out in the next couple of days. Second, I have no idea how soon my next trip there will be.

[raz-0]

Sounds like a fine set up for you.

I like mine just fine too.

Thats just an example of what I'm using and its not about brands.  You could do the same with Hornady, Dillon or Lee etc. The point I was making is I don't think the PTX (of any kind) should be in the powder drop on a Hornady and your better off with a case expander die.  Using one causes all kinds of quirks with reliability and puts a lot of wear and tear on the powder drop and the press in general.  I haven't proved it but I also suspect it effects the powder drops consistancy when its getting banged around.  The biggest problem is when a PTX binds, even slightly, inside a case on the upstoke and it creates enough tension when pulling the PTX and case apart that it slams the powder rotor down.  If I was not using a load that only about 1/2 fills the case it would probably also spill powder.

Keep in mind the PTX was a poorly executed after thought by Hornady.  I don't have any Hornady dies but as I recall they include a case expander in die sets and the press was designed for it.  Now you pay for an expander die when you buy a set and then run out and spend more money on PTX's, powder check dies or other gimmicks.  Chances are half the stuff you buy will end up in a bin unused and the vendors and resellers laugh all the way to the bank.

I hate to tell you, but the powder drop can bind up no matter HOW you set it up. Happened to me frequently when using a  separate belling die. Unless it bound fully at the top of the stroke, it usually wasn't enough to spill powder. If it didn't spill powder, it didn't affect the consistency of the drop noticeably. 

I ordered mine on July 8, to be shipped to my friend in NJ. I was there this past weekend, but the order still wasn't delivered. This morning I sent a request via Google checkout - that's how I paid for mine - and Google showed me that the package was shipped on Aug.5. That's like almost a month since the order date but he DID ship it. And, he didn't charge my card until Aug.5.

Now I have to figure out what to do next. First, my friend is moving out in the next couple of days. Second, I have no idea how soon my next trip there will be.

I'm in NJ. I ordered one in July, it shipped 08-05, I just got it Tuesday 8-10. You probably just missed it. 

Ran a quick test and it seems to work very nicely. 

[ardo]

I'm in NJ. I ordered one in July, it shipped 08-05, I just got it Tuesday 8-10. You probably just missed it.

Ran a quick test and it seems to work very nicely.

My buddy in NJ got it on that same Tuesday, so all is well. Except now I have to figure out how to get it from him - I came back from NJ on Sunday 8-08. Bummer...

[noylj]

The Hornady powder-through expansion powder funnels takes care of case expansion and case mouth flaring and I see NO benefit to "powderfunnels.com." All I see is a case mouth belling/flare and not a case expander. I want an expander that will expand the case to .001" smaller than bullet diameter and the powderfunnel doesn't look like there is any expander section.

If you want to separate case expansion/case mouth belling from powder charging, get the Hornady expander die or the RCBS, if Redding doesn't have them, and use the Hornady universal case mouth flare insert.

[Jman]

The Hornady powder-through expansion powder funnels takes care of case expansion and case mouth flaring and I see NO benefit to "powderfunnels.com." All I see is a case mouth belling/flare and not a case expander. I want an expander that will expand the case to .001" smaller than bullet diameter and the powderfunnel doesn't look like there is any expander section.

noylj

Please bear in mind I have NEVER contented for a "sharpest tool in the shed" trophy...

But these three sentences, especially the last one, make virtually no sense to me.

Please "splain" how one expands something smaller. Thanks!

Jim

[Odawgp]

The Hornady powder-through expansion powder funnels takes care of case expansion and case mouth flaring and I see NO benefit to "powderfunnels.com." All I see is a case mouth belling/flare and not a case expander. I want an expander that will expand the case to .001" smaller than bullet diameter and the powderfunnel doesn't look like there is any expander section.

If you want to separate case expansion/case mouth belling from powder charging, get the Hornady expander die or the RCBS, if Redding doesn't have them, and use the Hornady universal case mouth flare insert.

what is gained by doing this??

Edited September 30, 2010 by Odawgp

[noylj]

I don't quite understand. You have a resizing die, an expander die, and a bullet seating die.

You resize the case. This makes the case mouth too small to seat a lead bullet without swaging it down. Since cases have different wall thicknesses, you can't make a sizing die that will produce the correct case ID. This function is down by the expander die.

So, you use a case expansion die to open up the case mouth to be .001-.002" smaller than the bullet diameter (the resized case was probably 0.005" or smaller than the bullet diameter).

Example: I want to seat a 0.451" jacketed bullet. If all I do is flare the case mouth of a case that has been sized down to 0.447" and seat the bullet, the bullet will be forced to either expand the case ID to bullet diameter. This will be done by expanding the thinnest section of the case and you will have an unevenly bulged case that, if it chambers, will be cocked and not accurate. With the proper case expansion die, you don't even need to bell the case mouth for a jacketed bullet. This is what you do with rifle cases.

Now, you have a lead bullet. It will also be seated cocked and bulge the case if the case isn't properly expanded, but (being much softer than the brass) it will be swaged down in diameter. Now you have a bullet that is cocked and is no longer large enough to fit the barrel. You will have gas cutting and leading.

Thus, the case expansion step needs to increase (i.e., expand) the case ID to be 0.001-0.002" smaller than the bullet diameter. In .45 we generally use 0.452" bullets, so you need an expander that will set the case ID at 0.450-0.451. This will produce a round with good bullet grip.

[Jman]

I appreciate your comments. Still does not explain to me why a single "PowderFunnel" expander with it's range of easy adjustments between 30 and 50 caliber is of "NO benefit". That, compared to a series of Hornady PTX's expanders. The PowderFunnel has made caliber changes and bullet type adjustments an efficient and simple process.

[Waldog]

Powder funnel is great. Works with pistol OR rifle cases, .30-.50 caliber

Edited October 3, 2010 by Waldog

[Jeff686]

If I don't expand and flair the case LARGER than bullet diameter, I get lead shaved from the bullet during seating.

In fact, even with jacketed bullets, I flair the case mouth more than bullet diameter. This greaty simplifies placing the bullet in the brass and seating the bullet without crushing the brass. It might not be hyper accurate, but I'm doing high volume pistol reloading, not precision rifle rounds.

If you want to flair the mouth, the Hornady PTX is very hard to adjust, since it is very cylindrical with a flat shoulder. An alternative funnel is more tapered with a less agressive shoulder, allowing a wider and easier range of expansion and flair to meet each persons preferences.

[Odawgp]

I don't quite understand. You have a resizing die, an expander die, and a bullet seating die.

You resize the case. This makes the case mouth too small to seat a lead bullet without swaging it down. Since cases have different wall thicknesses, you can't make a sizing die that will produce the correct case ID. This function is down by the expander die.

So, you use a case expansion die to open up the case mouth to be .001-.002" smaller than the bullet diameter (the resized case was probably 0.005" or smaller than the bullet diameter).

Example: I want to seat a 0.451" jacketed bullet. If all I do is flare the case mouth of a case that has been sized down to 0.447" and seat the bullet, the bullet will be forced to either expand the case ID to bullet diameter. This will be done by expanding the thinnest section of the case and you will have an unevenly bulged case that, if it chambers, will be cocked and not accurate. With the proper case expansion die, you don't even need to bell the case mouth for a jacketed bullet. This is what you do with rifle cases.

Now, you have a lead bullet. It will also be seated cocked and bulge the case if the case isn't properly expanded, but (being much softer than the brass) it will be swaged down in diameter. Now you have a bullet that is cocked and is no longer large enough to fit the barrel. You will have gas cutting and leading.

Thus, the case expansion step needs to increase (i.e., expand) the case ID to be 0.001-0.002" smaller than the bullet diameter. In .45 we generally use 0.452" bullets, so you need an expander that will set the case ID at 0.450-0.451. This will produce a round with good bullet grip.

that all makes perfect sense, weather or not it is the only way to skin the cat I don't know?

I don't use the expander die AT ALL just a powder funnel all my reloads case and chamber gauge just fine

I don't get any leading so with that said the whole process you explain seams redundant and not needed for the average shooter/reloader

If we were shooting high power rifle or silhouette pistol that process might be necessary

everyone gets into the minutia of it all to some extent or another. For me if it goes bang, hits the target and cost's less than factory that is as far as I let it go

thanks

[Mike in CT]

Well I just decided to buy the Powderfunnel, will let everyone know how fast the shipping is.

I originally looked at one of these and decided against it.

I was running,

1. Hornady Deprime/resize

2. Hornady expander for just enough flare to allow bullet to sit on case

3. Hornady Powder drop

4. RCBS Powder Cop

5. Hornady seat/crimp

I am now looking to add an additional sizing/crimping die (dare I say FCD?) and want to keep my powdercop die (not too often but once in a while it does catch my mistake).

I think the key thing here is everyone has their own needs and with all the products out there we can set things up just the way we like them. I will post back on my experience with the Powderfunnel later,

Mike