American Select and Dillon XL650

[oh58driver]

I'm new to reloading and I bought a Dillon XL650, at the instance of my brother. I'm very happy with the press. I'm using American Select powder, of the choices I had available it was recommended as the best. It's a circular flake powder. The powder throws I'm getting vary by plus or minus 0.1. I've tried several different quantity settings with the same result. Is that normal/ acceptable, or am I doing something wrong?

Thanks

[D. Manley]

I'm new to reloading and I bought a Dillon XL650, at the instance of my brother. I'm very happy with the press. I'm using American Select powder, of the choices I had available it was recommended as the best. It's a circular flake powder. The powder throws I'm getting vary by plus or minus 0.1. I've tried several different quantity settings with the same result. Is that normal/ acceptable, or am I doing something wrong?

Thanks

American Select is actually quite good in some calibers/loads. It is not among the best metering powders but is still perfectly adequate in the Dillon PM. I've found that it's "fluffy" nature requires a little bit longer to fully settle in the measure but once it does, meters fine.

[benos]

From my Which Dillon:

Powder Scale/Powder Measure Calibration Tip

Take a minute to read this and you'll save yourself hours of fiddling around, calibrating the Powder Measure over the course of your "reloading life."

In a nutshell - throw four individual charges in the scale's pan before adjusting the Powder Measure. Especially as you're coming close to your target charge weight.

Here's a technique that works well if the cartridge case will hold two charges of your target powder charge. Clear all the empty cases out of the Shellplate, and remove the Locator Buttons from the powder dropping station and the bullet seating stations. Put an empty, primed case in the powder dropping station. Cycle the handle so it drops one charge in the case. Remove the case, place it back in the powder dropping station and cycle the handle again. Remove the case and dump the (two charges of) powder in the scale's pan. Repeat that procedure. Now you have four charges in the pan. Say your target powder charge is 4.0 grains; your scale should read 16.0 grains. You might make a sticky for your reloading bench that has 4x totals for your favorite charge weights. Example:

4.6 = 18.4

5.2 = 20.8

[oh58driver]

Thanks for the info Guys. I've tried benoes idea, I actually as many as 30 cycles and the loads still vary 0.1 but never more. I haven't tried letting the powder settle for while.

[TISCHLJ]

I've found variance as you describe to be the norm on the 650 using powders such as 700x as well as Clays and E3.

I get better metering with VV powders in the 650.

Mostly I load .40 and .45. USPSA major.

Nevertheless, I meter testing charges with all stations loaded with like headstamps and full powder measure in "production mode" testing every 5 or 10 charges for an average until the desired charge is reached.

I'm using the Dillon digital scale, properly calibrated and set to "click over" the the next .1 as the scale "decides" the weight. The proper weight being the lesser. . . Check at range with chrono to be in proper power factor as well as checks for overpressure.

It goes without saying that the powder bar and all allied equipment be properly adjusted, but I still see the variance with the "disc" powders as well as more ES.

Fiddle with the cartridge "belling" , OAL and be smooth and consistent, figure your average for proper PF and go get em. . .

Make sure you can factor in the variance and still make PF as applicable. . .

[oh58driver]

Thanks TISCHL3. I also have been checking the powder weights as I'm loading, every 5 charges. I'm nowhere near the max loads and don't own a chrono yet, it's enroute. If .1 is within the normal tolerances I'm happy for now. I've started looking for some different powders to try , once the American Select is gone.

Thanks again for the help.

[TonyT]

American Selct is one of my favorite powders for light loads in 38 Special, 40 S&W and 45 ACP. I use a Dillon 550 and the powder drops are very uniform. The ball powders such as WST, W-231 and WSF meter most uniformly without any detectable variation.

[dillon]

Keep in mind that powder scales, whether analog or digital, are accurate to within +/- .1 grain. So that is the limit of accuracy available using the typical powder scale.

[D. Manley]

Keep in mind that powder scales, whether analog or digital, are accurate to within +/- .1 grain. So that is the limit of accuracy available using the typical powder scale.

Yep and all the more reason to use the "averaging" method as per Brian, above. I fine tune in 10-drop averages and you can bet if you're looking for 4.0 grains and your 10 drops = 40.0 grains that your actual, individual charges will be as close as the measure is capable of.

[oh58driver]

Thanks for all the info guys.

[njl]

I've got a Lyman digital scale, and I'm convinced it's just not accurate at the low end...i.e. weighing a single 4.3gr charge for my 9mm load, it always reads low by a few tenths. I keep 5 reject cases by the press (crimped spent primers intact) that I use only for powder charge calibration. I'll weigh either 5 or 10 charges together and divide appropriately before adjusting the powder bar. i.e. if 5 throws combined gives me within a tenth or so of 21.5gr, I figure I'm close enough to 4.3gr.

[Joe4d]

I drop ten charges and take the average, I let the Chronograph decide it is an accurate load or not. I played around with American select in .40 behind a couple different moly bullets and it was ok but not any better than the tightgroup I have been using. I have about 12 lbs left and will probably switch to WST Moly loads.

[Flexmoney]

When I am wanting to fine tune a load, I make sure to throw the first few (3-4) cycles and toss them back into the powder measure. Then I'll throw 10 and measure then all and get an average.

If I make a change, I'll throw the next few back into the powder measure to get the machine settled. Then, back to 10 for an average.

[kmitchl]

I use the multiple throw method to set up my powder measure. Anytime I adjust the charge bar I throw two charges and weigh the third charge.

I also tywraped an aquarium air pump to the powder reservoir of my powder measure. When using flake powders that tend to bridge and not drop consistent weights I turn on the air pump. The vibration tends to consolidate the powder in the powder bar so the powder charges are more consistent. Since the air pumps don't come with an on-off switch I added an inline switch so it's not a PIA to use.