Erratic powder drop

[buddy_fuentes]

I am loading American Select for a forty cal. minor load. I am shooting for 3.8, but get 3.5 to 4.0 with very few hitting the same thing. I am using the small powder bar and the bench and press are rock solid. I have tried the dryer sheets; thinking it may be static electricity causing a problem. (I don't have trouble with 231, 320, 310, and a couple of others) The American Select looks like little flat dots and I know there must be a fix somewhere.

Before I abandon a good steel load.......does anyone have a suggestion?

Thanks, Buddy

[Hoofy]

Every time I find a consistancy problem in my reloading, I find it best to blame myself....

I try to step back and ask "what am I doing different?" Usually a cup of coffee and a few

minutes of walking myself through the process mentally and visually on the press yields the answer.

So that's where it's binding, that nut's a little loose, that needs to be polished, etc.

Yen reloading... the answer is within yourself.

When that doesn't work, I just buy some new snake oil.

Edited January 24, 2008 by Hoofy

[Chuck Merriam]

look at static charge......and then look at the powder bar return safety.....my wing nut started backing off and it caused very erratic charging......another thing could be short stroking......some powders just reach a charge and like to try and bridge in the bar, just twisting the nut a fraction can change the consistancy. Hope this helps.

[Action Pistolero]

I don't have any experience with American Select powder but I recently had a problem similar to yours. I was loading my match loads on my 1050 and the powder check die suddenly started going nuts. I checked how much powder the measure was dropping by hand and it was fine. I had a few pieces of loose hardware so I tightened that up and put the measure back on the press. Same thing. Installed another measure and same thing. I finally removed the powder funnel and found a piece of white styrofoam that is used to seal the can of powder. It apparently fell in the powder when I opened the new can and went through the powder measure and lodged itself in the funnel. I am very thankful for the powder check die as that could have been disasterous. I hate pulling bullets but I probably never would have known it until I started shooting the ammo.

Take the measure off the press and cycle it by hand and see if the problem still exists. I have found that my measure had a burr in the channel that the powder bar slides in that was making the powder charge erratic. If all else fails check the measure with one of your other powders and see if the problem goes away.

Good luck,

Kevin

[dillon]

Suggestions: First, be sure the powder bar is consistantly travelling the full distance BEFORE the handle bottoms out. Cases should be flared at least .010" to ensure that cases of all lengths are fully activating the powder bar. Next, push forward on the handle as if seating a primer, and hold it there. Now, tighten the blue wing nut at the bottom of the failsafe return rod until the coil spring above it is partially compressed.

Start with the powder measure at least 2/3 full of powder. Throw 15 charges and just dump them back into the hopper to settle the powder under the baffle before you begin weighing charges.

[XD Niner]

All the above are good suggestions. I've added a doubled up rubber band that is wrapped around the narrow base of the cone beneath the powder storage cylinder and the metal piece that extends upward from the rear of the powder bar. This helps "snap" the powder bar back into position and has made my powder throws very consistent.

[KeithB]

i wipe my measure down with a dryer sheet every time before i start

[cnjaxx]

The people at Dillon told me that their machines meter best with ball powders.