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Powder dispenser-Wich one is the very best?
veemax
Member Posts: 31 ✭✭
Hi,
Over here, RCBS and Lyman are the brands gunshops do have in stock.
I tried both of them but was not impressed by the accuracy they throw from charge to charge.
Iam told, in the USA bench rest shooters do not even use a scale anymore once their powder dispensers are set to a specific load, which means to me, they can totally rely on the charges their dispensers throw.
Which brands are the best to do the job?
Regards,
Paul Tummers.
Over here, RCBS and Lyman are the brands gunshops do have in stock.
I tried both of them but was not impressed by the accuracy they throw from charge to charge.
Iam told, in the USA bench rest shooters do not even use a scale anymore once their powder dispensers are set to a specific load, which means to me, they can totally rely on the charges their dispensers throw.
Which brands are the best to do the job?
Regards,
Paul Tummers.
Comments
Good Morning from this side of the Big Pond!
I'm not sure that it's simply a brand name that solves the problem of accurately and repeatedly throwing consistant charges. I think much of this can be attributed to the type and shape of the powders being used in these dispensers. This is not to take away from the quality of the more expensive dispensers but it is a fact of life that ball powders and the new, smaller shapes of powders are much more easily and consistantly held in and then released from the dispenser.
It's been known for decades that Ball powders "pour like water" from dispensers because of the size and shape of the powder kernels. This is as opposed to trying to get IMR-type log shaped powders to measure and dispense as consistantly.
I still use several of the older Lyman No. 55 powder measures for reloading but I also have several expensive 'benchrest' measures such as the Harrel's, which get reserved for use with the small kernel powders. They do not have the leverage and power to shear the log shaped powders. I think some of this also comes down to practicing and getting to know your particular measure(s) and how they handle the various sizes and shapes of the powders you use.
It depends on the powders that you want to use for your reloading. I still have good scales on my benches that I use to check load weights but also to load individual cases with individual charges.
Best.
The powder I use is normally Vhitavuori N120 for loads in my .222Rem,
N140 for my .308, sometimes I use Hogdon Varget for this purpose, and N160 for the occasional 30-06 load I fire.
The N120 is, though no ballpowder, not very coarse grained, but with the Lyman I own at the moment I seem not to be able to throw consistent charges within 0.3 grains spread, which is to much of a difference from round to round I think.
Regards,
Paul Tummers.
I have found that using both dispenser and scale and the trickle charger give the most consistent loads. I set the charger a few grains light,dump into the scale pan and finish off with the trickle charger. I only use the dispenser for light practice pistol loads where .3 grains doesn't matter.
That is the way I do it too,certainly with the .222Rem. rounds, because a difference of 0.3 grain on a 19.6 grain load makes quite some difference I think.
What I am looking for is a dispenser which is able to throw as consistent +/- 0.1 grain in a 41.5 grain load of N140 I use for my target loads.
I do have standing around an almost 10 years old RCBS electric scale-dispenser combination which I call worthless because the scale drives me nuts!
Regards,
Paul Tummers.
Bill
I checked Google for Belding & Mull, looks good to me, certainly because the hight of the powder in the main reservoir does not seem to have any influence on the weight of the charge.
For my lyman and RCBS I turned a ring with a 10 mm hole in it as a powder baffle, which helped somewhat , not good enough however!
I'll trie to find out or somebody on your side of the pond is willing to sell me one of these Belding & Mull dispensers, might be difficult since sept 11th.
Regards,
Paul Tummers
Harrell Brothers
5756 Hickory Dr.
Salem, VA 24153
(540) 380-2683
www.harrellsprec.com
Be prepared for prices to start over $200 but you will be spoiled. These are dominate in benchrest shooting.
Everyone will tell you their favorite, I like the Redding's for use at home, but if you really want first boat there is little competition.
Harrell Brothers
5756 Hickory Dr.
Salem, VA 24153
(540) 380-2683
www.harrellsprec.com
Be prepared for prices to start over $200 but you will be spoiled. These are dominate in benchrest shooting.
They indeed do look great, as do their prices!
I also looked at the Bruno dispensers, look even better to me.
Question is, are they as dead on as the Belding and Mull, because they still do use the one powder chamber system, The main advantage as I see it, is the fact that one can easy reproduce the settings accurately because of their very accurate micrometer adjusting system.
I really do'nt mind to discuss everybody's favorite because I only can learn from it.
Regards,
Paul Tummers.
I know, I'll be able to find out how it works, but Ilike to read the manufacturer's papers, because there are often valuable hints on them.
Regards,
Paul Tummers.