Lee turret press - The Firearms Forum

ryanv64089 · 03-04-2011, 11:26 PM

Hello, Ive been loading some .38 special rounds for a while now using aliant bullseye powder. I set it up for .303 british today using aliant reloder 15, i did a few test dispensing powder and i kept getting numbers that was from .2 - 1 grain off. I wasnt comfortable with that at all so i measured out the powder before i put in the brass. What i did notice is that this powder is not fine at all and is cylinder shaped. Because the powder is this shape could it be jamming in the auto dispenser giving me a non constant dispense? (If that makes sense) If so is there anything readjustments i could to to the dispenser to give me a constant drop?

LDBennett · 03-05-2011, 06:31 AM

There are two basic powder types: Extruded and Spherical. Most others start out as one or the other and may be flattened or modified in form factor.

IMR powders are extruded powders. That is they look like mini logs. Some times they have holes in them longitudinally to control the burn rate and sometimes not. The latest thing is short cut versions whose lengths are significantly shorter and feed through powder measures much better. Hodgdon has several but not all Hodgdon extruded powders are short cut.

Winchester powders are spherical. That is, they are tiny balls, sometimes flattened. They feed better through powder measures because they are basically round. Hodgdon gets their spherical powders mostly from the same source as Winchester powders. In fact, today Hodgdon is the distributor for Winchester powders (as well as IMR powders) and some of the Hodgdon products have exact equivalents in the Winchester line.

Hodgdon also sources some of their powders (made by others from around the world as Hodgdon makes no powder itself and is only a powder distributor) that have similar names to IMR powders but they are not the same and should not be treated as the same.

So........ use ball or spherical powders to get better volume metering out of any powder measure. Another method is to throw the bulk of the load with the measure and use a Powder Dribbler to top it up on the scale.

LDBennett

howlnmad · 03-05-2011, 08:54 AM

LD always has some real good advice. I would say that your powder measure is cutting the stick powder that you're using. You can either do as LD suggested and use a spherical powder or you can measure out each charge and use a powder through die and funnel.

creektrails · 03-05-2011, 04:57 PM

Not trying to hijack the thread but along the same lines. How does Hodgdons 4350 compare to IMR 4350? I am currently using H414 for 30-06 and want to change to 4350 after this can.

armedandsafe · 03-05-2011, 07:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by creektrails

Not trying to hijack the thread but along the same lines. How does Hodgdons 4350 compare to IMR 4350? I am currently using H414 for 30-06 and want to change to 4350 after this can.

The differences are very subtle. You can get loading pamphlets for each and compare load recommendations.

This page will give you comparisons using the author's testing. Looking at the two powders using the same bullet will give you a comparison. He loads more heavily than do I, but then I load for accuracy, with enough power to harvest a large Muley at 300 yards.

http://www.handloads.com/loaddata/de...Powder&Source=

This is a very good link, also.

http://ammoguide.com/

Pops

BigJakeJ1s · 03-05-2011, 08:12 PM

Some powder measures work better than others on extruded powders, but all powder measures work best with spherical powders. Generally speaking, powder measures with longer, cylindrical metering chambers, fed from the end, will work better than other types on extruded powders. Powder measures such as the Lee Perfect PM, RCBS Uniflow, Hornady, and Redding all have this type of chamber. Depending on total charge weight, accuracy requirements, and range to target, 0.1 to 0.2 grains difference may not be significant.

Though powders are improving all the time, longer, extruded powder shapes tend to have more stable performance over temperature extremes.

Andy

ryanv64089 · 03-06-2011, 06:16 PM

well if i was getting .1 - .2 difference that would be fine but some times i would be dropping like 35.5 grain next thing you im getting 36.8, and i know its not the scale, i must have re weighed a drop a few times and got the same thing.

American Leader · 03-06-2011, 06:54 PM

It's also real important to maintain same stroke and throw, consistency in operation helps too.

312shooter · 03-06-2011, 09:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ryanv64089

well if i was getting .1 - .2 difference that would be fine but some times i would be dropping like 35.5 grain next thing you im getting 36.8, and i know its not the scale, i must have re weighed a drop a few times and got the same thing.

not Lee bashing here at all but this is not the first,second or third post around here about problems with your type of powder dispenser.....

03-04-2011, 11:26 PM	#1
ryanv64089 Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Posts: 14	Lee turret press Hello, Ive been loading some .38 special rounds for a while now using aliant bullseye powder. I set it up for .303 british today using aliant reloder 15, i did a few test dispensing powder and i kept getting numbers that was from .2 - 1 grain off. I wasnt comfortable with that at all so i measured out the powder before i put in the brass. What i did notice is that this powder is not fine at all and is cylinder shaped. Because the powder is this shape could it be jamming in the auto dispenser giving me a non constant dispense? (If that makes sense) If so is there anything readjustments i could to to the dispenser to give me a constant drop? -->

03-05-2011, 06:31 AM	#2
LDBennett Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Hesperia, CA Posts: 5,714	Re: Lee turret press There are two basic powder types: Extruded and Spherical. Most others start out as one or the other and may be flattened or modified in form factor. IMR powders are extruded powders. That is they look like mini logs. Some times they have holes in them longitudinally to control the burn rate and sometimes not. The latest thing is short cut versions whose lengths are significantly shorter and feed through powder measures much better. Hodgdon has several but not all Hodgdon extruded powders are short cut. Winchester powders are spherical. That is, they are tiny balls, sometimes flattened. They feed better through powder measures because they are basically round. Hodgdon gets their spherical powders mostly from the same source as Winchester powders. In fact, today Hodgdon is the distributor for Winchester powders (as well as IMR powders) and some of the Hodgdon products have exact equivalents in the Winchester line. Hodgdon also sources some of their powders (made by others from around the world as Hodgdon makes no powder itself and is only a powder distributor) that have similar names to IMR powders but they are not the same and should not be treated as the same. So........ use ball or spherical powders to get better volume metering out of any powder measure. Another method is to throw the bulk of the load with the measure and use a Powder Dribbler to top it up on the scale. LDBennett

03-05-2011, 08:54 AM	#3
howlnmad Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Harriman, Tn Contributor Posts: 2,566	Re: Lee turret press LD always has some real good advice. I would say that your powder measure is cutting the stick powder that you're using. You can either do as LD suggested and use a spherical powder or you can measure out each charge and use a powder through die and funnel. __________________

03-05-2011, 04:57 PM	#4
creektrails V.I.P. Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: bluegrass state Posts: 119	Re: Lee turret press Not trying to hijack the thread but along the same lines. How does Hodgdons 4350 compare to IMR 4350? I am currently using H414 for 30-06 and want to change to 4350 after this can.

03-05-2011, 08:12 PM	#6
BigJakeJ1s V.I.P. Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 121	Re: Lee turret press Some powder measures work better than others on extruded powders, but all powder measures work best with spherical powders. Generally speaking, powder measures with longer, cylindrical metering chambers, fed from the end, will work better than other types on extruded powders. Powder measures such as the Lee Perfect PM, RCBS Uniflow, Hornady, and Redding all have this type of chamber. Depending on total charge weight, accuracy requirements, and range to target, 0.1 to 0.2 grains difference may not be significant. Though powders are improving all the time, longer, extruded powder shapes tend to have more stable performance over temperature extremes. Andy

03-06-2011, 06:16 PM	#7
ryanv64089 Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Posts: 14	Re: Lee turret press well if i was getting .1 - .2 difference that would be fine but some times i would be dropping like 35.5 grain next thing you im getting 36.8, and i know its not the scale, i must have re weighed a drop a few times and got the same thing.

03-06-2011, 06:54 PM	#8
American Leader Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Iowa Contributor Posts: 1,630	Re: Lee turret press It's also real important to maintain same stroke and throw, consistency in operation helps too.