Powder Load Accuracy

[runway1]

[joefreas]

That should be fine. What are your loads chronoing at?

[damndave]

That's not too bad for a progressive. If you were looking for a super solid match round, then it might matter.

[popeye4]

Find a load that isn't sensitive and it should be no issue at all. You can use the Audette "Ladder" method to find it: http://www.desertsharpshooters.com/m...incredload.pdf

[runway1]

That should be fine. What are your loads chronoing at?

I'm loading about 43.5g. It shoots literally a .38 group at 100 yds. I shot the 45.5 load and it just didn't fly as well - about 1".

So, I'm thinking if Iload these critters at 43.4-43.7, I should be fine.

More shooting will show!

[Fjold]

I weigh every powder charge for my match ammo. One of these days I'll buy a Harrell's measure and stop doing that.

[popeye4]

I weigh every powder charge for my match ammo. One of these days I'll buy a Harrell's measure and stop doing that.

It's like buying a Giraud trimmer, once you spring for it you'll wonder why you waited....

I also found a load that works in my M14, a variation through 0.8 grains hammers the same spot. No need to weigh each one of those!

[noylj]

In general, if you hold the charge variation under 1% up or down, you are good to go. For a 40gn charge, this is +/-0.4gn.
Rifles seem to shoot best by charge volume rather than charge weight, as benchrest shooters have been doing for decades.
If you, like most, want more control, get an RCBS ChargeMaster and program it to dispense your charge weight at a very fast speed (this will slow down pistol charges but you can optimize for a specific charge weight).
I find that in general, my CM can dispense the powder in the time it takes me to get a bullet and seat it, even on my Dillon 1050s.
Weigh out 0.4gn and compare to 40gn to see just how "significant" it is.

[cpatbay]

I weigh every powder charge for my match ammo. One of these days I'll buy a Harrell's measure and stop doing that.

How would a Harrell powder measure help??

[popeye4]

How would a Harrell powder measure help??

They are the Cadillac of powder measures, benchrest level of quality. My Harrell's measure has at most half the variation of either my RCBS or Dillon measure with VV N140.

http://www.harrellsprec.com/

[Jonathan Doe]

I use one of jeweler's scales that has .2 grain reading. I load 42.0 grains of IMR 4064, so it would go from 41.8< to <42.2 grain variation. It works fine at 100 yards, but I have not tried it at longer range.

I just receved a Dillon scale with .1 grain rading. It should be more accurate. My loads in the past with the Dillon scale showed the standard deviation less than 10 fps for the group of 10 shots through an Ohler 35P chronograph.