Dillon Powder Check

[ramcphee]

I would like some information on the Dillon Powder Check alarm. Just how accurate is this thing? I have an RCBS lock out die that does it's job, but the powder charge can be off by a 1/2 grain or more before it locks up the machine. Really I'm wondering how sensitive this alarm really is, for instance does it alarm when the powder charge is off by 2/10th of a grain?

[Thomas Moore]

it is designed to sound an alarm when you have a double charge or no charge at all. I doubt very much it will let you know if you're off 1/2 a grain.

[Skywalker]

No, it won't set off for a difference of .2 grs, unless youre using a VERY bulky powder.

It is meant to set off for no powder or a double charge, but not for slight differences from the nominal load.

Edited January 29, 2008 by Skywalker

[dillon]

There is far too much volume variation from one piece of brass to the next to be able to detect a +/- .2 grain variation.

We initially played with that, the alarm went off every time we cycled the handle. It will detect errors in excess of about two

to three grains, depending on the case diameter. The larger the case diameter, the greater the variation needed to set off the alarm.

It is designed to go off in the event of a very light powder charge, excessively heavy charge, or if a foreign object is inside of the case,

causing a decrease in the case volume.

[Action Pistolero]

I was recently loading some match ammo and the powder check die really saved my bacon. As I was loading the alarm suddenly started going off. The load I was using was 4.7 gr of WST. I noticed that there was some powder in the case but not all of it. I removed that case and tried again. This time there was too much powder. I thought it was the powder measure and had the same results when I swapped it out. It turned out to be a piece of styrofoam that came from the seal on the powder container. It had fallen into the powder can and worked its way through the measure and lodged in the funnel. This is the main reason that I will not get a KISS bullet feeder. I had loaded 300 rounds when this happened. I went to the range and fired each round with no problems. As far as I'm concerned the powder check die is the cat's meow.