I need help getting more consistent powder drops.

[Darklyte27]

i got the rcbs chargemaster combo, its a great device.
I think it takes about 30 seconds? for a 308 rd. Its for precision not speed though.

price has dropped since i got it, i used my bday discount at midway and it was 279$?
goes on sale once in a while.

[sr71brd]

its not about speed as much as its about accuracy... to be more specific it is about achieving that perfect balance between the two

A very long time ago, when I first started reloading, I did weigh each charge w/ a balance beam scale. I found out, with practice, you can be accurate AND fast. I also found out most shooters won't notice a tenth or two of a grain either way as either they or the firearm aren't that accurate to begin with.
I still do check every tenth round or so to make sure the charges are consistent. The OP asked how to get more consistent charges w/ the setup he had, which is w/ a mechanical dispenser.

[LynnJr]

Get a glass and a small spoon.Fill the glass to the top with powder and use the spoon to fill your scales weigh pan.You can trickle the last few grains by pinching some powder between your thumb and forefinger and dropping it into the scales pan.
If you want more speed use a dipper that gets you close and trickle using your thumb and forefinger.
Dirt cheap extremely accurate and best of all it works.

[J-cat]

The electronic powder dispensers are slower than tapping the handle. I'd rather save the room on my bench & spend the money on something else.

They are faster than you're able to seat a bullet.

[SWalt]

A very long time ago, when I first started reloading, I did weigh each charge w/ a balance beam scale. I found out, with practice, you can be accurate AND fast. I also found out most shooters won't notice a tenth or two of a grain either way as either they or the firearm aren't that accurate to begin with.
I still do check every tenth round or so to make sure the charges are consistent. The OP asked how to get more consistent charges w/ the setup he had, which is w/ a mechanical dispenser.

The old way was using a trickler with a balance beam. Throw the charge short, weight the charge while adding powder from the trickler, if you wanted a very accurate charge. Lots 'o fun wasn't it?

[bohoki]

i mount my drop on the board i mount my press and when i do my drops i do a drop then a raise the lever

then seat a bullet on the press the wiggling of the seating of the bullet wiggles the hopper settling the powder in the chamber for the next case


if its a new thrower dial the micrometer to max pour it full of bullseye and drop it all through back into the bottle it should now be well covered with residue

[sr71brd]

The old way was using a trickler with a balance beam. Throw the charge short, weight the charge while adding powder from the trickler, if you wanted a very accurate charge. Lots 'o fun wasn't it?

Yup, still have my Ohaus balance beam & my RCBS trickler, along w/ my new fangled digital scale.

[sr71brd]

They are faster than you're able to seat a bullet.

If the 30 second time frame mentioned by Darklyte27 is accurate,then no, they're not.

[Ferrum]

Have to do the same w/ the RCBS Uniflow.
I really solved the problem when I went to a ChargeMaster.

I like mine, but rarely use it for pistol rounds. To electronically drop 4-5 grains vs using the powder drop, I use the drop. Generally use Chargemaster for all rifle.

The electronic powder dispensers are slower than tapping the handle. I'd rather save the room on my bench & spend the money on something else.

its not about speed as much as its about accuracy... to be more specific it is about achieving that perfect balance between the two

Have you re-timed yours? Makes a big difference I think. Runs a little longer in high speed before slowing down.

They are faster than you're able to seat a bullet.

[Bastard]

no I didn't retime/reprogram mine, I have read in to it along with other tricks such as the straw trick but as J-cat stated it runs faster than I can seat more often than not so I didn't bother.

['ol shooter]

I didn't reprogram mine, but is plenty fast enough. If I was loading lots of 5.56 for an AR, I would be disappointed with the speed. For pistol rounds it's plenty fast enough, and you save the time spent weighing every 10th drop.

[CK_32]

Your powder is the main issue.

Have you cleaned the internals and de static your jar?

[CK_32]

Your powder is the main issue.

Have you cleaned the internals and de static your jar?

[diveRN]

Your powder is the main issue.

Have you cleaned the internals and de static your jar?

Don't mean to horn in on a post aimed at the OP, but I've had issues with static from time to time. I've cleaned the internals, but what do you use to de-static your jar? Fabric softener sheet? Hasn't been a big issue for me, usually only noticeable for the first 30 or so drops after which, it seems to fade.

[wxl]

I reload with IMR4198 and Unique mostly, both have a tendency to bridge and yield inaccurate charges. I triple tap the handle hard when I bring the handle back but don't tap it on the feed stroke. This yields a +/- 0.1 gr everytime for IMR4198 and right on the money with Unique. Be consistent on the number and how hard you tap the handle each time.