jim6918 Posted October 21, 2018 Share Posted October 21, 2018 (edited) How long do most of you keep your powder in the powder tube of your press? I load every couple of days and have yet to completely go through a whole tube of powder. I guess I was a little surprised to see some powder manufacture recommend removing all powder from the tube and putting it back into the original container if it wasn't going to be used in a couple of days. Maybe I should only load 1/3 or 1/2 a tube at a time. Edited October 21, 2018 by jim6918 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiller Posted October 21, 2018 Share Posted October 21, 2018 I never took powder out of my 650, just topped it up when it got down about 1/2 way. That press was in a insulated room (wall, ceiling and floor) with a 2mm vapor barrier on the outside walls and floor in my basement so the temp/humidity was fairly consistent year round. It was located in the north east corner and had no windows. So it never got hot in the summer. Once or twice in January I’d turn on a small space heater if I was just standing around cleaning a gun, but if I was loading cranking the handle was good enough. Thats a long way of saying it depends on where your press is located. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hi-Power Jack Posted October 21, 2018 Share Posted October 21, 2018 2 hours ago, jim6918 said: Maybe I should only load 1/3 or 1/2 a tube at a time. You might get inconsistent powder throws if the tube is only 1/3 full. Better to get it at least 60% full, and then remove the powder if it's going to sit there a LONG time. I feel comfortable leaving powder in the hopper for a few months - no problems yet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warpspeed Posted October 22, 2018 Share Posted October 22, 2018 Lots of variables here. What powder and what powder measure? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toothandnail Posted October 22, 2018 Share Posted October 22, 2018 We have 4 setups for different loads/calibers, they are never emptied, just topped off when needed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MemphisMechanic Posted October 22, 2018 Share Posted October 22, 2018 In an indoor airconditioned room mine always stays full of primers and powder. When it was in the garage I emptied it after each use, unless I knew I’d load more within 2-3 days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SGC Posted October 22, 2018 Share Posted October 22, 2018 My 650 has been full of powder since I bought it a year and a half ago. Tube gets topped off after every loading session so it's full and ready to go when I come back for the next one. Press is located in a spare bedroom so always climate controlled. Might change my habits if stored in a garage.Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Watson Posted October 22, 2018 Share Posted October 22, 2018 I leave my powder measure and primer feed loaded; I load in short sessions every day or two instead of cranking them out by the case in a marathon. I no longer recall which powder it was, but I ruined the cheap acrylic hopper of a Redding by leaving it loaded. My usual powders, HP38 and Bullseye, just darken the Dillon. Guess we will find out what Win 572 will do as I gradually use up my goodie bag can of it. There are Pyrex hoppers, Dramworx.com makes them for most brands. Star loaders had either glass or metal hoppers and I scrounged a scrap of big bore glass tubing as a liner for my AutoCHamp hopper. My Dillon measures throw good charges over a wide range. My normal refill is at the 1/3 mark but when I am running out the last of a lot of powder, I am still getting good loads as the top of the baffle is exposed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jim6918 Posted October 22, 2018 Author Share Posted October 22, 2018 Thanks everybody. Good advice. My 550C is in a heated dry basement. So far I have managed to keep my recipes for 9mm, .380, and .40 S&W to W231. I use separate quick change kits for all calibers, and I have been dumping one powder tube from the caliber I won't be using for a while into the one is will be using to top it off. So far I haven't let a tube drop below 50 - 60%. I run about 15 tests to make sure the powder has settled before I start loading. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max It Posted October 22, 2018 Share Posted October 22, 2018 Hi Ya, i never considered emptying the hopper and didn't know it discolors the hopper. anyway never a problem on my 550 nor my 450 Dillons. Of course I am in SoCal where it rarely gets humid or wet. Oh, its humid today!. well i have one of those vibrating battery Gillette razor handles attached to hopper. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jim6918 Posted October 22, 2018 Author Share Posted October 22, 2018 1 minute ago, Max It said: Hi Ya, i never considered emptying the hopper and didn't know it discolors the hopper. anyway never a problem on my 550 nor my 450 Dillons. Of course I am in SoCal where it rarely gets humid or wet. Oh, its humid today!. well i have one of those vibrating battery Gillette razor handles attached to hopper. I thought I read someplace that the user shouldn't tap or do anything else to the tube to settle the powder; that it should just settle on its own weight? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max It Posted October 22, 2018 Share Posted October 22, 2018 My go to sources in reloading methods are guys with many years practical experience. One was second only to state champion in Bullseye shooting. This is his advise. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joelpend Posted October 23, 2018 Share Posted October 23, 2018 Some powders will discolor the clear plastic if left for extended periods. Other than that and make absolutely sure you have the powder identified (if you use multiple powders) I don't know of any downside. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MemphisMechanic Posted October 23, 2018 Share Posted October 23, 2018 1 hour ago, joelpend said: Some powders will discolor the clear plastic if left for extended periods. Other than that and make absolutely sure you have the powder identified (if you use multiple powders) I don't know of any downside. True. It does. Doesn’t matter, though. Still works fine when tinted yellow. And if it really bothers you, there’s a company out there who makes a glass pyrex one that’ll stay clear... but I have better things to spend money on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L3324temp Posted October 23, 2018 Share Posted October 23, 2018 If the area is dry you can leave it. If it is humid you will find the powder will clamp down where the screws hold the tube to the body. I have personally seen this happen with a powder like WSF. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jim6918 Posted October 23, 2018 Author Share Posted October 23, 2018 54 minutes ago, MemphisMechanic said: True. It does. Doesn’t matter, though. Still works fine when tinted yellow. And if it really bothers you, there’s a company out there who makes a glass pyrex one that’ll stay clear... but I have better things to spend money on. The Pyrex variety are at least $40 each. They are nice, but I agree, $120 ($40X4) will buy a fair amount of supplies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteelCityShooter Posted October 23, 2018 Share Posted October 23, 2018 The powder measure in use on my 650 stays full while the tool head it's attached to is in use. I'll empty it when I change the press over to a new cartridge, say from 9 mm to .38 Special. Then I empty the powder measure that's going to be out of service for a while. I usually initially fill the measures 2/3 full and refill it when it gets down below 1/3 full. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt1 Posted October 23, 2018 Share Posted October 23, 2018 The Pyrex variety are at least $40 each. They are nice, but I agree, $120 ($40X4) will buy a fair amount of supplies.The medium Pyrex hopper from dramworx.com is awesome. I can get 1000 rounds of my 9Major load out of it before it drops much below half full.I don’t see the need for more than one powder measure. I’ve invested in multiple toolheads that are all setup with dies & powder drop instead.Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tdp88 Posted October 23, 2018 Share Posted October 23, 2018 My 650 is in a non climate controlled storage building in Texas and I just top off powder after each session. The only time I empty the powder is if I won’t be loading for a few months or if I clean the press.Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jakobi Posted October 23, 2018 Share Posted October 23, 2018 When all my stuff was in the non-climate controlled garage I would empty the powder measure every time I was done loading. Now that all my stuff is in the house, I've left powder sitting for over a year and saw no adverse effects. It's also really dry where I live. YMMV. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NateTSU Posted October 23, 2018 Share Posted October 23, 2018 I empty the hopper on my 650 after every loading session. I keep my press in my garage and load at least once a month sometimes 3-4 times when I'm shooting a lot. I don't know if the temp or humidity would effect the powder but I'm not willing to take a chance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve RA Posted October 23, 2018 Share Posted October 23, 2018 I leave the powder in the presses, however, they are inside so the temperature and humidity stay within reasonable bounds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mwc Posted October 23, 2018 Share Posted October 23, 2018 The only time I remove the powder is just before I change over the caliber on my dillon press. I have gone many weeks in between reloading sessions and haven't had any problems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilverBolt Posted October 23, 2018 Share Posted October 23, 2018 The biggest reason I see for dumping the hopper is safety. If you are loading with several different powders on the same press you need to make 100% sure that you do not inadvertently mix powders. I label my hopper with the powder and drop weight and verify the drop before starting each session. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wgj3 Posted October 23, 2018 Share Posted October 23, 2018 Stinks when you go longer than anticipated between loading sessions and forget which powder is in the hopper... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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