550b Powder bar 'creep'?

[fitmk]

im wondering if my powder bar is opening up a little bit during use. i can get it set and weigh out about 10 pulls and theyre consistent and off i go...

after about 10 loads i check it again and it looks good, or maybe its 0.1gr more.

after about 20 loads it seems like its letting about 0.2gr more through.

is this normal or something perhaps that im missing?

unique powder loading 45acp.

thanks for any comment!

Edited January 26, 2010 by fitmk

[Chris Keen]

This is hard to verify whether you are having issues with the powder bar, or the powder itself. Unique is a very fluffy powder. If you experiment a little, you will notice that the charge will increase .1 or .2 if you tap on the powder measure before you pull the handle. What's happening is the powder is settling or compacting, inside the powder bar prior to the handle being pulled.

Try playing with this, and see what kind of results you get. I think you'll be surprised.

Unique-tek has a special powder baffle that goes in the bottom of the measure and helps to distribute the weight of the powder from pushing down on the powder at the bottom of the hopper, but I havent actually tried it yet (have one on order).

[High Lord Gomer]

Wow! Sounds like a creepy powder to use!

[tac_driver]

I have the uniquetek add - on and it works very well. It's not the easiest thing to get in there but with a little patience... Unique works very well for me in my 550B now with the powder baffle.

[Chris Keen]

The powder baffle is cheap and available at lots of great web stores. Try this one

[Flexmoney]

Moved to the Dillon Forum.

- Admin.

[Rufftytuffty]

Its normal +/- 0.20 gr is about right.

You have to work on the timing and feel of your pull...trying taking more than 1 or 2 seconds to complete the pull.

Also, clean the powder system with drier cloth as i'm sure you have read before.

Also, do you have any loose kernals falling on to the shell plate? If so clean the funnel and stop at the bottom of the pull stroke.

My 2c worth....

~Mike

[benos]

Also, 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

Calibrating the Powder Measure using this technique is not only considerably more accurate than the "drop-one-charge-then-adjust-the-Powder-Measure" method, it will save you quite a bit of time, in the long run, as well.

[BMartens]

Also, from my "Which Dillon":

Calibrating the Powder Measure using this technique is not only considerably more accurate than the "drop-one-charge-then-adjust-the-Powder-Measure" method, it will save you quite a bit of time, in the long run, as well.

I have your small electronic scale and I use 4 aluminum cases that I keep on hand. Turn on the scale, sit the 4 cases on the table and zero it out. Drop powder in one case at a time until all 4 are back on the scale. Same as zeroing for the pan and you don't spill any transferring to the pan. Leave the cases on the scale, filling one at a time and returning it to the scale, and you can see each powder drop increment to the total. I also don't have to thump each case to make sure that I get all of the powder into the pan. When finished with that pass just dump them back into the hopper and then tap the cases on the bench to clean them out for the next round of drops.

[fitmk]

thanks VERY much everyone. im getting it down now...

im gonna try the powder baffles as well. and probably change powders.

[COMATZD]

I started doing this right away when I was setting up my press. I usually go a step further, I throw 10 charges before I even try to check the average of 4. I figure that way any creep or whatever in the bar should be stable enough for an accurate throw over any number I want to average.

Danno

[wide45]

I quit using Unique years ago because I was never happy with the inconsistent metering. Just about anything else works better.

[freakshow10mm]

I use ball powder for everything I load. My 550 PM experienced creep when running W231 in .40 cal. Target was 4.8gr and it crept to 5.3gr incrementally. Figured out the screw would turn freely after a couple dozen rounds, so I drilled and tapped for a set screw in the side of the bar. Now I get my setting and tighten the set screw to secure the adjustment screw in place. Now 4.8gr stays 4.8gr forever.

[fitmk]

ok after shooting a couple hundred rounds of unique-loaded rounds thru my razorback i can totally see what you guys mean. ive never had a weapon get so filthy with only a couple hundred rounds in one trip.

would anyone recommend a good clean moderate powder (ball?) for me to try with plated bullets like berrys or rainers? (10mm rounds)

thanks everyone for your time and thoughts.

EDIT: freakshow THATS what i was afraid of. that very concept. it seems like i have to keep tightening it back in. im going to mark the bolt and see if its turning. thanks.

Edited February 17, 2010 by fitmk

[freakshow10mm]

For 10mm I love WSF, Longshot, HS6, and #9. All meter very well and perform very well.

My 10mm is my carry gun, hunting gun, woods gun, working gun, and competition gun. I carry one gun for everything and use it whenever I can to hone my skills. I only shoot IDPA with it for competition, as that's all the UP has to offer. My IDPA load is a 175gr LSWC at 1300fps (227.5PF) so I'm not shooting gamer loads. I don't think I can help you with power puff loads in the 10mm as I'm on the medium-heavy to heavy loads 100% of the time. The lightest handload I've ever shot in my 10mm, any of them, was still 195 PF or more.

For my "plinker" loads during practice, I run a 180gr plated at 1100fps or so using WSF. That's about the lightest I've gone in the 10mm, which is right around 198 PF from my commander. HP38/W231 is a decent powder but is better for the 9/40/45. The 10mm is the bastard of the service pistol calibers and just different enough that some powders for the "big 3" aforementioned cartridges won't work as well in the 10mm. Longshot, HS6, and WSF will work well in all four of them.

Edited February 17, 2010 by freakshow10mm