issue with hornady powder dispenser

[Kikn]

So I decide to load up a few rounds today from my batch of previously cleaned and primed cases.

I start out setting up my powder dispenser and get the measure to the desired setting of 27.9 ramshot tac. Igo through and test a few measures then I start to charge all the rounds in my tray (50). After those were done a put a bullet in a few then it occurred to me that I didn't check my charge load after I was done and it is a good thing I did as it was then dispensing between 30 and 31 grains of powder. So I first verified that the scale was calibrated and reading the measures correctly. Then after testing some more I found that the dispenser was really erratic and not very consistent loading my charge. It would vary between 26 and up to 30 after correcting the charge again. In the end I had to measure every load by hand manually as I have lost confidence in that part of the equipment..

Anyone else have issues like this with their dispensers? And if so what did you do to resolve it?

Sorry for any typo's as I'm posting from my phone.

[LR1955]

So I decide to load up a few rounds today from my batch of previously cleaned and primed cases.

I start out setting up my powder dispenser and get the measure to the desired setting of 27.9 ramshot tac. Igo through and test a few measures then I start to charge all the rounds in my tray (50). After those were done a put a bullet in a few then it occurred to me that I didn't check my charge load after I was done and it is a good thing I did as it was then dispensing between 30 and 31 grains of powder. So I first verified that the scale was calibrated and reading the measures correctly. Then after testing some more I found that the dispenser was really erratic and not very consistent loading my charge. It would vary between 26 and up to 30 after correcting the charge again. In the end I had to measure every load by hand manually as I have lost confidence in that part of the equipment..

Anyone else have issues like this with their dispensers? And if so what did you do to resolve it?

Sorry for any typo's as I'm posting from my phone.

KiK:

Could be a number of things. Here are a few.

Did you let it warm up according to its manual?

Did you zero it and do you regularly hit its zero button>

Is it exposed to air currents or a rapidly chaning temperature type of environment?

And, if you used another scale to check, are you sure the other scale works?

All that said, why are you individually measuring a ball powder like TAC? The one advantage to ball powders over extruded is that they meter very consistently, making individual weighing or the use of a automatic measure unnecessary.

LR1955

[Kikn]

Did you let it warm up according to its manual?

I'm assuming you are referring to the scale? if so then the scale was being used constantly for a period of 2+ hours and was reset back to zero and tested with the control weight given (BTW: The hopper is the one in the Hornady lock and load classic kit it is only mechanical and not the electric self metering one, Also the scale is the electric one that came with the lock and load classic kit as well)

Did you zero it and do you regularly hit its zero button>

Yes, the scale was set and zeroed on every round. Manual process as stated:

1. place primed case on scale
2. zero scale with primed case on top so that it reads 0 with the case
3. add measure from Hopper
4. Weigh the charge in the case

This is where I would see a range from 26-31 Gr.

This was also repeatable with other items used for holding powder not exclusive to primed cases

Is it exposed to air currents or a rapidly chaning temperature type of environment?

I would have to say no on the air currents and possibly on the changing tempatures as I was in the garage with the door open I barely broke a sweat in those 2+ hours

And, if you used another scale to check, are you sure the other scale works?

Unfortunately I do not have another scale available, some years ago my dad sold my shotgun reloading equipment and beam scales I had with it. So i had purchased this kit to get back into it recently

All that said, why are you individually measuring a ball powder like TAC? The one advantage to ball powders over extruded is that they meter very consistently, making individual weighing or the use of a automatic measure unnecessary. [/COLOR]

That was my thinking as well since the powder is very granular and sand like. The reason I was measuring every load was because I didn't want to shot a round with 31Gr. of Western TAC in it. I spoke to Bill Alexander to see if it would be OK and he said that he couldn't say that it was OK and that 29 is the most he could recomend safely and in his opinion that was probably pushing it.

With that being said I guess I really have two issues and a lack of confidence in perhaps both the scale and the powder dispenser.

[stokesrj]

If this is a new measure, did you degrease it and relube with a dry lubricant? If not you will get wild variations.

[Kikn]

o_0 DOH!

Thanks for the tip

I don't recall seeing that in the manual but I'll definately look at that. (Probably should have taken a closer look at the manual)

[Kikn]

Yeah, right there on page one under disassembly. (Reading is fundamental) didn't think that had much to do with "Assembly" so i skipped that page.

[ChellieWiles]

I know that I'm going to catch some grief from other members who "swear" by their digi scales for saying this, but, unless you pay for an airtight room with a 50000 dollar machine calibrated to throw the charge you will never get as good of results as from a simple gravity scale. No parts to lube, no re-zeroing (unless you physically move the scale to a different location) and none of the hassle of "warming" the unit up. A decent gravity scale will always throw a charge as good as you can see to and you will get multiple duplicates through a chrono when you get good at it. My family is a Marine family and there aren't any compromises when it comes to making dependable, safe, and accurate ammunition. A digi scale is a compromise I must say.

[Kikn]

no arguments from on that. Mechanical scales have zero parts to fail. It is an absolute constant.

[Kikn]

Thanks again everyone. Stoksrj nailed it. Got it cleaned out and it is much more consistent now.

[LR1955]

no arguments from on that. Mechanical scales have zero parts to fail. It is an absolute constant.

Kikn:

I have owned five or six different types of mechanical scales over the years. One would not settle consistently, one had a design fault so it too failed, two would stick despite keeping them clean and level. One worked well enough that I could trust it without hesitation (RCBS 1010).

I have owned four different electronic scales. One, an Oehler, I dropped and it broke. Dspite returning it and spending another hundred dollars, it did not get fixed. A Dillon I have had for ten or twelve years has worked every single time. I also own one of the Lyman powder dispensers and it has worked flawlessly for five or ten years now. I had one hybrid power scale -- an AMT I believe. It was a balance beam scale with an electric trickler. When the scale crossed a certain point, the trickler would slow down and when it hit the measure set, it would stop. It had to be set on a perfectly level platform and it worked for about two years before it started sticking badly.

The only 'absolute' about anything mechanical is that it will eventually fail.

LR1955

[JASmith]

...The only 'absolute' about anything mechanical is that it will eventually fail.

LR1955

Same as the certainty of "death and taxes" !!!!