Powder Drop Troubles

[Piney]

New Dillon 650 user here--

I cant seem to be able to drop a consistant weight from this thang--

9mm

range brass

Titegroup powder

Trying a 3.2-3.3g load

When I run 10+ through and weigh each drop, I'll get 3.1, 3.3, 3.4, 3.6, 3.2-- all over the place. I figured 10 drops would even out any problems when changing the adjustment.

I've read through here and around some--

Table is stable

Dissambled and cleaned the drop bar

dryer sheet in the bin for static problems

I've even tried sticking my tounge out when puttling the handle !

The only suggestions I havent tried are the aquarium pump to vibrate the bin and aftermarket knob/bar setups.

Suggestions on getting a consistant powder drop ?

[Youngeyes]

When the equipment is good and checks out, you need to check the loose nut behind the handle. I had issues as well which straightened up when I got steadier on pulling the handle. It's kinda like a Mr Miagi thing(classical reference). Breath in, pull down handle smoothly, breath out and push handle smoothly forward. Smooth and steady will help everything from shooting to reloading. Just sayin.

[DWFAN]

bad scale ?

[Piney]

bad scale ?

New scale from Enos shop

Weight calibrate=good

[Jay870]

Is the blue nut at the bottom of the fail safe rod tight enough? Having this adjusted correctly ensures that the powder slide fully "returns to battery" and picks up a full charge.

[Sarge]

When you run the ten to check drops are you pushing the handle all the way to the priming position? This position is what will give the true drop. You have to simulate priming to fully load the powder bar.

[Piney]

Affirmative. Full down and fwd motion

[Piney]

Affirmative. Full down and fwd motion

[Sarge]

Just to add to Jay870's recommendation. I replaced my blue nut with a regular wingnut and another nut to form a lock nut. My blue nut kept working loose.

Also, I adjust mine a little tighter than recommended. Mine slightly pulls down on the measure when I push the handle all the way forward.

If none of this works I would dump the powder and make sure no foreign objects are in the bottom of the measure. Somewhere around here there is a thread about a guy dropping a bullet inside his hopper without knowing it. it gave him fits as well.

Also when you dump it check for clumping or other signs of contamination in the powder.

[Skydiver]

TiteGroup usually meters pretty well with the stock powder bar.

Before you go with the vibrator, or the Arredondo powder bar and/or the UniqueTek micrometer, you can try polishing the insides to the hopper to a nice mirror finish. There is a thread somewhere here about it which also included a recommendation for a car wax to use. I don't think it's necessary to polish the hopper for TiteGroup, though. I loaded for about a year with TiteGroup without doing any tweaks on the hopper. I always had nice consistent drops, as well as small standard deviations for chrono values with my TG loads.

Before following the post above the blue nut, make sure that the powder bar is doing the complete travel from full foward, to the full back on the down stroke, and then back to full forward on the up/foward stroke with a dummy case with a dead primer in station 2. If the distance travelled is inconsistent, you'll have different amounts of powder being fed into the bar, or being dropped out of the bar.

After verifying the travel and the nut position, I would try a slightly different experiment. Instead of putting in a case into station 2, cycling the machine, pulling the case out of station 3, weighing, dumping/recycling the powder from the case, and starting over putting the case into station 2, I would get 12 cases of the same head stamp. I would take out the sizing/decapping die. I'd drop in the 12 cases into the case feed tube and run all of them taking them cases out when they get to station 3. Once I've run the 12 cases, I would weigh each of the 12, but only really pay attention to the weights of cases 2 through 11 -- ignore case 1 and case 12.

[Bob DuBois]

Check the little white block in in the linkage going to the power slide bar. Had that fall out once and cause grief.

[Piney]

Thanks for the info--

Blue nut on the arm is tight-- at least half way up the thread+ some.

I emptied the power container to be sure it wasnt stuck or powder settled funny-- so no forign objects.

It appeared the powder bar is traveling the required path, but I'll revisit that and check for the white thingie to be in position.

Updates later once I get in from the office and after a little recliner time.

[pmclaine]

Is your scale electronic?

My electronic gave me variable weights. I ended up buying the Dillon beam scale and it is always consistent. See if you can borrow a beam scale to cross check your electronic. I dont trust my electronic scale. My beam gets to give the final answer.

[jaredr]

fwiw - my standard titegroup load for 9mm is 4.3 gr of titegroup, and spot checks of my powder drop usually indicate 4.3 - 4.4 gr on my PACT digital scale. I usually see a variation of 0.1 gr at most during normal use. if I have left powder in the measure overnight, the first powder drop will typically be 4.7-4.8 (perhaps it settles?). I usually clear a few charges when resuming loading and then check weight of dispensed powder.

if your target load is 3.2gr, i don't know that it would be unacceptable to have charges from 3.1 - 3.3 gr (i.e. 0.1gr +/-).

[usmc0326]

I am also a new 650 owner, but not new to the game. But I think there are three ways this is likely to happen. If your not getting a full stroke out of the powder measure, the lock out for the powder measure linkage isn't locking it out on the priming stroke, or if your in a dry area and you see powder sticking to the hopper or scale is drifting (don't breathe on it cause it will effect the weight measure, some scales can be affected by neon lights iirc) I loaded 300 rounds of 9 x19 and after worked out the spillage I got it right. Also when your setting the powder measure and checking the powder charges. Don't drop the charges right into a powder tray. For grins shoot a little video of the cycle and post for ease of helping you out.

Edited March 28, 2012 by usmc0326

[Wild Gene]

Which charge bar are you using? Maybe swap that. Not sure how bulky TG is.

As stated, check the blue nut (on the press).

Also, I would never rule out the scale either. I have a 5-0-5 and I have to rebalance it every time I use it. My cheesy little digital would weigh the same charge and assign it multiple weights. I am going to get a 10-10 or what ever the nicer RCBS is.

Good Luck.

WG