Powder Check

[seniorlefty]

Humming along on my Dillon, loading some .40's and noticed the balance beam on my scale was in the wrong position. I had done a routine powder charge check as I do every 25 rounds or so and forgot to dump it back into the case. As luck would have it, there were only 15 rounds in the bin as I had just transferred them to the big storage bin. I will take those 15 rounds to the range and wait for the suprise dud (maybe it will help me see if I'm flinching) A senior moment or a brain cramp??seniorlefty

[Gun Geek]

Hey Lefty-

I wouldn't say that is necessarily a senior moment. It does bring up a good point.

How often does the charge come up wrong when you do those checks. I used to check very often and found that after the first 25 or so rounds the charge weight bounces around +/- 0.2gn. I set-up for the desired weight and get rounds that are +/- 0.1gn.

My point is that you may be introducing more chance for error by doing the check than if you just leave it alone and load it up. The safety check for catastrophic failure is a powder check die or visual check of the powder.

Thoughts anybody?

[TBF]

I have done the same thing.

Found the round by weighing, pull the lightest one, if thats not it try the next lightest.

Easier with electro scale, but IMHO, even with balance beam easier than a squib.

Travis F.

[seniorlefty]

TBF and GunGeek, You are probably right about checking too often, all the time Iv'e been doing it I never find any discrepencies(s) worth worrying about.(+/- a tength of a grain) With the fudge factor for loading to major, I won't get into trouble at the Chrono table. It's just that old habits are hard to break.seniorlefty

[DogmaDog]

Yeah,

Weigh those 15 rounds, and the lightest one is probably the squib (depending on how variable the bullet weights are).

I throw about 10 charges right at the start of a loading session, and average that, and adjust and repeat until I have the desired charge weight. Then I'll load and check again at the end of my loading session (~300 rounds later?). I've seen the average weight of 10 charges differ by as much as 0.03 gr after loading several hundred rounds. Charge to charge variation seems to be within +/- 0.1 gr all the time on my 550, so it just doesn't seem to need too much worrying about.

DogmaDog

[SmittyFL]

It's only 15 rds, I'd trash them all. Or just pull them all for the bullets and brass.

[John Dunn]

Squibs ain't no thaing but a chicken wing, I've seen Sam get a squib out so fast it was scarcely longer than a TRB. If your TRB skills are hardwired, I'd probably just toss the 15 rds. But then, I'm really lazy.

[CenTX]

There are advantages using a powder like VV 3N38.

My USPSA major load, 9.9 gr. is as close to idiot proof as I can get.

If I double charge, it is real obvious, powder overflows the case.

I look at the case when I place the bullet and it is easy to see if there is powder.

If I think I may have screwed up, when I weigh them it's real obvious if there is powder or not.

It uses a lot of powder, but it works great for me.

Bob