EliteGuard Posted January 31, 2019 Share Posted January 31, 2019 I am wondering whether I am doing something wrong before I put loctite on the adjustment screw. I am reloading .223 using H335. When I start reloading, I throw 4 powder charges. I throw out the first powder charge then average the next 3. When I start reloading, have 24.5 gr, but last couple of times when I ended I was at 24.8 gr. Last time this happened, I adjusted it back to 24.5 gr and it eventually walked back up. Any ideas? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rondog Posted January 31, 2019 Share Posted January 31, 2019 Are you averaging the middle 3 rounds also? Or the last 3? Or just looking at the last round loaded? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AHI Posted January 31, 2019 Share Posted January 31, 2019 powder measure should be set by average of ( 10) throughs and with the rhythm you load with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hi-Power Jack Posted January 31, 2019 Share Posted January 31, 2019 56 minutes ago, AHI said: powder measure should be set by 10 throughs with the rhythm you load with. And, all of your stations filled. Set the charge - throw 5 charges and put them back into the hopper. Then throw ten charges into your scale, and weigh the ten - take the avg. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dwbsig Posted February 1, 2019 Share Posted February 1, 2019 Mark your adjustment knob/bolt with a marker so you can watch it to see if it is moving while loading. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M1A4ME Posted February 1, 2019 Share Posted February 1, 2019 How many rounds are you reloading in one session? I've had my uniflow (with some powders) start off where I set it (adjusting, weighing, adjusting, weighing - till I get it right) and then part of the way through the hopper the charge weight will increase. Doesn't do it will all powders, in fact, it's more apt to do it with flake/IMR powders. It seems to need some use to settle the powder down uniformly in the hopper. I never let the hopper go below the halfway mark. Adding powder back to the hopper then gives the "fresh" powder time to settle/compact by the time it gets to the rotor. I learned this years ago and was already in the habit of it when I started using H335 and BLC2, so I can't say how the uniflow would have done with them if I let the hopper run almost empty before topping it off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RiggerJJ Posted February 1, 2019 Share Posted February 1, 2019 Powder is compressing in the hopper... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmtyndall Posted February 1, 2019 Share Posted February 1, 2019 Yes, I believe this is commonly observed with Prima V also. The powder needs some time to settle in the hopper and once it does, if you keep it from getting empty then you're good to go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rustybayonet Posted February 3, 2019 Share Posted February 3, 2019 Why would you locktite the adjustment screw? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarge Posted February 3, 2019 Share Posted February 3, 2019 20 minutes ago, rustybayonet said: Why would you locktite the adjustment screw? I found my stock Dillon powder adjustment bolt would turn on its own over extended use. I can see where blue loctite or even Teflon tape might help. I personally switched to the Uniqutek unit for ease of adjustment and the fact it does not move unless I turn it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EliteGuard Posted February 4, 2019 Author Share Posted February 4, 2019 (edited) On 1/31/2019 at 3:22 PM, rondog said: Are you averaging the middle 3 rounds also? Or the last 3? Or just looking at the last round loaded? I average the first 3 then check 1 at the end, but I checked the 3 on the next reloading session later that day and it was higher. Reloading sessions was 300 rounds. On 1/31/2019 at 4:40 PM, Hi-Power Jack said: And, all of your stations filled. Set the charge - throw 5 charges and put them back into the hopper. Then throw ten charges into your scale, and weigh the ten - take the avg. I'll try that. I am guessing this will help with the powder settling the later post are talking about. I have been loading 9mm and .40 using N320 and have never experienced the powder charge walking up unless it was so small that I didn't notice, which is possible. On 2/1/2019 at 7:41 AM, RiggerJJ said: Powder is compressing in the hopper... Any recommendations on how to compensate then? On 2/3/2019 at 7:22 AM, rustybayonet said: Why would you locktite the adjustment screw? I thought the adjustment screw was changing, which doesn't appear to be the case as I tried the marker recommendation earlier. Edited February 4, 2019 by EliteGuard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmtyndall Posted February 4, 2019 Share Posted February 4, 2019 I thought the adjustment screw was changing, which doesn't appear to be the case as I tried the marker recommendation earlier.Leave powder in the hopper. Refill when it is 1/2-1/3 full. Should keep the bottom portion compressed and give the fresh powder time to settle before it gets to the bottomSent from my SM-G892A using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RiggerJJ Posted February 6, 2019 Share Posted February 6, 2019 At the time of primer refill, I add primers, powder, bullets, and brass, and dump the finished round hopper into a bucket. This keeps the powder compression pretty even all the time, which keeps the powder throw consistent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ddc Posted February 6, 2019 Share Posted February 6, 2019 2 hours ago, RiggerJJ said: At the time of primer refill, I add primers, powder, bullets, and brass, and dump the finished round hopper into a bucket. This keeps the powder compression pretty even all the time, which keeps the powder throw consistent. and if something gets messed up you only have 100 rounds to deal with... lol! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Almo Posted February 20, 2019 Share Posted February 20, 2019 I'm having the same issue on both of my 550's. After loading 50 to 100 rounds, I check the throw and it's increased. If I let it go another 50 to 100 rounds, it increases more. Typically, after 100 rounds, it's increased by 0.1 grains. I have to keep readjusting it. It doesn't decrease; it's not just variability. I throw either 5 or 10 rounds to check the weight, so it isn't just random variation. I'm using VV N320 in both powder measures. Dillon says N320 is one of the better powders for consistent throws, but I'm starting to wonder. I don't remember this happening until about 6 months ago, but maybe I wasn't checking often enough back then. I also wondered if it was a settling issue. But, as EliteGuard said, how do you compensate for that? I don't want to have to throw 100 rounds to settle it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pskys2 Posted February 20, 2019 Share Posted February 20, 2019 Yes the Dillon Powder Measures will increase, don't know if it's compression as the bar is course threads or if the screw is just vibrating in I'm pretty sure it's the vibration though as my solution has seemed to solve the problem for me. I drill and tap the powder bar so a set screw will impact the adjustment screw. When I get the charge I want I lock it down. It usually stays pretty consistent. Though different lots may also show a slightly different variation, but then I've noticed if I leave it as set the velocities are the same even with the slightly different thrown weight. I always use an old case and run a couple drops, then drop 5 and weigh that and divide by 5. I'll do it several times before I lock it down and then check it one more time. I may then check it at the start of a session if I haven't been using it recently. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Almo Posted February 20, 2019 Share Posted February 20, 2019 On 2/3/2019 at 7:46 AM, Sarge said: I found my stock Dillon powder adjustment bolt would turn on its own over extended use. I can see where blue loctite or even Teflon tape might help. I personally switched to the Uniqutek unit for ease of adjustment and the fact it does not move unless I turn it. Sarge, are you using the Uniquetek micrometer on the Dillon powder bar or do you have the complete Uniquetek powder bar with micrometer? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blueorison Posted February 20, 2019 Share Posted February 20, 2019 On 1/31/2019 at 4:12 PM, EliteGuard said: I am wondering whether I am doing something wrong before I put loctite on the adjustment screw. I am reloading .223 using H335. When I start reloading, I throw 4 powder charges. I throw out the first powder charge then average the next 3. When I start reloading, have 24.5 gr, but last couple of times when I ended I was at 24.8 gr. Last time this happened, I adjusted it back to 24.5 gr and it eventually walked back up. Any ideas? I recommend throwing 10 charges when you first adjust. The last 3 should be very uniform. Then check it again after 10 rounds. The first few throws after adjusting usually isn't consistent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarge Posted February 20, 2019 Share Posted February 20, 2019 11 hours ago, Almo said: Sarge, are you using the Uniquetek micrometer on the Dillon powder bar or do you have the complete Uniquetek powder bar with micrometer? I installed it on my Dillon bar. You get everything needed and very clear instructions. It was a breeze Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Almo Posted February 20, 2019 Share Posted February 20, 2019 Thanks, Sarge. I think I'll give it a try. Anything to keep from re-adjusting my powder bar every 50-100 rounds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarge Posted February 20, 2019 Share Posted February 20, 2019 21 minutes ago, Almo said: Thanks, Sarge. I think I'll give it a try. Anything to keep from re-adjusting my powder bar every 50-100 rounds. It will stay were you set it. I use a fine point sharpie to mark the barrel and it makes a good visual reference to verify it stayed put. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CPD7119 Posted February 21, 2019 Share Posted February 21, 2019 You might try one of those Prairie Dog perfect powder baffles. I tried one a while back and now I don't load without one. Helps keeps the powder weight consistent at the end of the reservoir. May help with the issue you're encountering. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Almo Posted February 21, 2019 Share Posted February 21, 2019 Those Prairie Dog baffles look interesting. For the price, it might be worth a try. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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