Q: You once wrote that there’s no need to weigh each and every powder charge for a hunting load, that a volumetric powder measure throws charges that are plenty accurate for this purpose.
Were you referring to ball or spherical propellants when you wrote this? I ask because I am getting large variations with coarse stick-type powders with my powder measure.
You recommend Redding and RCBS measures for being good ones for rifle charges of coarse extruded powder.
I just weighed 10 charges of AR2217 from my RCBS measure and the charges varied from 76.1 to 76.7 grains. This is a 76gn load with 200gn Nosler Partition in my .300 Win Mag. That is a .6 grain variation!
I would never accept that sort of accuracy with scale-weighed charges which seldom vary more than .1 grain. How accurate is this?
Will Dimbleby
A: You’ve gotta be kidding! A powder scale will always provide adequately consistent charges by weight, as long as you use it carefully. If you want your charges to be identical in weight, use a scale to weigh them.
But let’s get real. A .6gn variation in 76 grains is a difference of .8 of one percent. In that big case, a variation of half a grain, or even 1gn in a magnum, wouldn’t be noticeable, either in terms of velocity or performance.
Try loading two batches of ammo. Load one batch with scale-weighed charges and load the other with measure-thrown charges. Then shoot a series of five-shot groups and see which is the most accurate. I’d be surprised if you detect any difference at all.
Precisely weighed charges may make a difference in a benchrest or heavy varmint rifle, but not in the average hunting rifle.
Some measures throw more consistent charges than others, but the method and technique of the operator are also factors.
Weighing each charge is too time consuming for me and I measure every tenth charge on an electronic scale.
My RCBS Uniflow seldom varies more than from .1 to .3 of a grain, and that’s close enough for me.
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