Metering 4895

[LAH]

I load a bit of this in my '06 & meter it through an RCBS Uniflow. This does a nice enough job for my bulk loading used for general shooting. I've found if the measure balks trying to cut a "stick" the weight is always too heavy. I dump that charge & throw another. As long as it runs smooth it's close enough for what I'm doing. Here are 5 charges with the scale set on 48 grains. I like the Uniflow.

[Loudenboomer]

My results are similar. If I'm feeling real technical like I use a lee dipper to avoid the crunch and turn the trickler to finish off. Usually I find life flows better with AA 2460 Win 748 or H414. Some day I'm going to buy one of those new fangled automatic scale tricklers for stick powder. I'm slow to change I just got rid of the flip phone.

[LAH]

Loved my flip phone.

[OS OK]

The Uniflow...gotta luvit!

Try 'tapping' the handle twice at the top when you go to receive a charge. It seems to settle the powder in the metering drum and results in an even more consistent charge average.
You'll still get the throw-back loads that try to chop but the remaining loads get very close to each other. Very close.
This works so well that I have gone to this habit in all my throws except for the ones in a progressive where I have no control over their drums.

[TNsailorman]

I use both the old Redding powder measure(the one with the plum colored hardware) and a older RCBS Uniflow. Both give me excellent results. I load a lot of IMR 4895 and IMR4350 stick powders. I check weigh every charge on a scale for a double check. I also have an early RCBS electric powder measure system and use it, check with a scale also. On the powder measures I bang the handle fairly sharply after the powder is dropped and the handle is returned for the next charge. This seems to work very well for me. And yes, I check the zero with an empty pan before starting each and every session and I do this with a check weigh set I have made by RCBS. my experience anyway, james

[W.R.Buchanan]

LAH: RCBS also makes this neato drop tube for the Uniflow that has a trickler superimposed.

Lots of people think it is a Hokie *** but I'm here to tell you it works really well, and when you drop a few tenths short and then trickle in the remainder you get it perfect every time. Any where from 2-3 granules of 4895 equal .1 gr so it doesn't take much to go over and a digital scale won't tell you when it is going to change from one tenth to another.

I use mine with my Little Franklin Digital Scale or if I'm feeling really precise directly into the pan of my 1010 in which case you can easily see the arm move when each granule of powder hits the pan.

Too many people Poo Poo this tool, and it's a shame, as it is much faster than using a separate trickler. It really works great.

Randy

Attachment 200758

[LAH]

The Uniflow...gotta luvit!

Try 'tapping' the handle twice at the top when you go to receive a charge. It seems to settle the powder in the metering drum and results in an even more consistent charge average.
You'll still get the throw-back loads that try to chop but the remaining loads get very close to each other. Very close.
This works so well that I have gone to this habit in all my throws except for the ones in a progressive where I have no control over their drums.

I've never tapped at the top. Makes sense though.

[LAH]

On the powder measures I bang the handle fairly sharply after the powder is dropped and the handle is returned for the next charge.

I do that.

[LAH]

LAH: RCBS also makes this neato drop tube for the Uniflow that has a trickler superimposed.

Didn't know that.

[tazman]

I use that same powder and that same powder charge when loading 150 grain fmj for my 30-06. I also use a Uniflow. Mine never seems to vary more than .1 grains even when it cuts through a kernel.
I don't know why it would be different from yours. Maybe just the difference in our hand force on the handle.

[OS OK]

I've never tapped at the top. Makes sense though.

I tap twice at the bottom also but...I leave the throw in that position (powder delivered). The only time that the throw goes to the top is when I want a load in the metering drum. Then the double tap as I said before but it is a gentle tap to settle powder the same each time.
Why?
I run my lyman 55 and the uniflow mounted on top of my turret press mounted on a powder through the expander die.
If I take a charge and leave the throw in the up position, the new charge drops in the metering hole and waits for the next time I expand and throw...in the meantime I still have to turret over to the seating die and once more to the crimp die. Then I turret back to the size die to start a new brass case, then to the powder/expander die for the next charge. In all that movement the powder is settling tighter and tighter in the metering hole of the drum caused by all the vibration of the moving turret. I cannot get a narrow charge variation by doing it that way.
Because of the turrets operation I have gotten used to always leaving the throw in the 'thrown' position...even when loading on a single stage for rifle.
Just a habit now I suppose.

[W.R.Buchanan]

I once tried taping a "Personal Vibrator" to my Powder measure and had some success with narrowing the consistency a little. Took a lot of ship for that one!!!

I decided it was just easier to throw short and then trickle to exact amounts. The little RCBS Drop tube really sped things up. I use it for loading all my big rifle cartridges.

Lately I have been loading cartridges for videos and have been using a Lee Dipper and then trickling up to weight using the Dipper by tapping on the side. I can't get two scoops of powder even remotely similar with the scoops.

Randy

[LAH]

Because of the turrets operation I have gotten used to always leaving the throw in the 'thrown' position.

I did the same when loading with my Lyman All American Turret.

[LAH]

I use that same powder and that same powder charge when loading 150 grain fmj for my 30-06. I also use a Uniflow. Mine never seems to vary more than .1 grains even when it cuts through a kernel.
I don't know why it would be different from yours. Maybe just the difference in our hand force on the handle.

Something is different for sure. Mine is normally a 1/2 grain heavy most every time.

How does the load shoot for you? The bullets I'm using have been pulled & resized. My 700 Remington has never shot them under 1 1/2" & normally closer to 2".

[Loudenboomer]

Randy
I think I'd have blown coffee out my nose if I'd seen a "Personal Vibrator" taped to your uniflow! It's so rich for one liners.... Oh I better not

[country gent]

I have used several measures for IMR 4895 and its a pretty easy to meter powder for me ( 4320, 4064, and 4831 are different stories in most measures). Ive fond the cut edge on the drum and hopper can affect the reliability of the " cut " charges. another is the solidness of the measures mounting. on a less solid mount the cut grain produces more vibrations and may have an affect. Baffles can also affect the charges. Anther is the consistency of the measures operation between the 2 different throws. I normally only fill just before dropping a charge and give it a simple 2-5 count at the top of the stroke to settle. A light tap or 2 may help but can be hard to duplicate the same each time. Another trick is to "adjust the stroke of the measure to where it wants to run best. A true dead center ( between drum and hopper) stop may work better than one that travel is a little short or goes past true alighnment. The difference between sharp edges and a rounded edge may also cause some varience.

[David2011]

That's the load I use in my Garand. Tapping the handle a couple of times works. You develop a pattern pretty quickly. My Uniflow is kind of cranky with 4895 but I've found my old Saeco meters it very well. If you ever find a used one grab it. They're awesome. Seagiant said Saeco machined the body and rotor, hard chromed the rotor and then ground it to fit the body resulting in a very precision instrument.

Food for thought: at 48 grains if you can hold +/- 0.1 grains that's only a 0.2% variation.

[tazman]

Something is different for sure. Mine is normally a 1/2 grain heavy most every time.

How does the load shoot for you? The bullets I'm using have been pulled & resized. My 700 Remington has never shot them under 1 1/2" & normally closer to 2".

This load shoots excellent groups in 3 different 30-06 rifles that I own. All shoot 2.5 inches or less at 200 yards. At 100 yards the heavy barreled rifles shoot one enlarged hole for 3 shots. The pump shoots 1.25" at 100 yards provided I do my part. I have a little more trouble with the trigger on the pump.
The rifles are Remington 760 pump, Savage 110 with factory heavy barrel, and a Remington 700 long action with a heavy(1.25") 30 inch Bartlein barrel on it.
This is with Hornady 150 grain FMJ bullets.

[LAH]

Those Bartlein barrels are good stuff. Do you have a picture?

[tazman]

Here is the picture you asked for.