"You Can't Teach An Old Dog New Tricks!"

[Three44s]

"You can't teach an old dog new tricks?"

But can an old dog teach him or herself a new one?


The past week I've been throwing charges of H4831 to a scale pan working up loads for Jwords in two .25-06s.

My measure for this coarse stuff is the little Lee Perfect measure.

Getting to the point: I was having a lot of trouble with bridging ....... My powder transfer tool is a fired .444 Marlin case so I have an excellent powder sight instrument and get a visual on each charge before it's even weighed.

I did a search on this so I appologize if it's redundant but here's my discovery:


If I lowered the just filled charge slowly ..... Ie. run the handle down slowly and let the powder charge string out at a "measured" pace ......... it did not bridge.

If I flipped it with my usual style it bridged very regularily.


For most if not all of my 36 years loading I have been a Uniflow guy and thus when it came to heavy stick powders ........ I just used a spoon and dipped onto the scale.

I would not make the assumption that now one can go from measure to primed case without scaling as the charges still varied by weight ..... all I found is that I could reliably get a thrown charge to fall into my .444 case/powder transfer tool to be scaled.

I DO have one of those funky Electronic powder measures but for a few test loads ..... it takes longer to calibrate it than it does to sort fly poop out of black pepper. Those are for established loads in my opinion.

Best regards

Three 44s

[Jack Stanley]

It looks like you did teach yourself since it's working right now . I think the heaviest stick powder I use is IMR 4895 and I don't think I've ever had it bridge . Only two measures I've ever use are the Uniflow and a Dillon and then only for thirty caliber use . Stuffing that powder into a twenty-five caliber hole has just got to be interesting .

Jack

[onondaga]

Go to your Pharmacy and get a Trojan Her Pleasure Vibrating Touch Fingertip Massager. They come with a condom but you won't need that. Tape the little vibrator onto the operating handle of your Lee Perfect. Turn it on and start dumping charges right into your brass.

The vibrator takes all the fuss out of the Lee Perfect. It won't matter whether you crank fast or slow or bump the thing, the vibrator evens it all out and forces the measure to throw consistent charges and the vibrator is powerful enough that it will terrorize H4831 and render it impossible to bridge.

You will have to check your measure and see what it throws because the vibrator will make the measure handle powder differently but very consistently.

A loading block will be best so you can leave the vibrator running and dump charges till your loading block is filled. The vibrator has a little push button to turn it on and off.

Gary

[BABore]

Batter Up!

That soft ball is hanging over the plate.[smilie=l:

[Three44s]

Jack,

When I get rolling, I'll use the Electronic unit. But as for charging the cases I have an alluminum funnel and yes, it does take some tapping to get it down through the funnel's .22 sized hole!


Gary,

Thanks for the tip on the vibrator. That reminds me of using a worn out non rotary electric razor to settle buffer in buckshot loads ...... it was so vigorous that it would make the shot jump up and down and the buffer go to the base if you ran it too long on the same shell.


I do think I'll get that at a pharmacy where they don't know me ........... LOL!!

One question: Does the condom help with BP?

Just kidding!


BaBore,

Behave yourself now ............ LOL!!!



Best regards

Three 44s

[Von Gruff]

I also have a perfect powder measure and with all powders from fluffy Red Dot through to stick H4350 I raise the handle give the centre of the disk the handle is screwed to two quick taps with finger tio and drop the handle. Instead of the 444 case I have a shot glass I drop into and have never had bridging of the powders. I have found that with a consistent 'raise , tap tap, drop the handle I can get very consistent charges and only measure and weigh for specialist loads in long range varmint loads and jacketed hunting loads. Everything else is loaded with the measure after checking 5 or more loads.

Von Gruff.

[Three44s]

Von Gruff,

This was with original H4831 and I tapped out morse code both on the top and bottom of the strokes.

Yet it bridged with serious repetition. If I had not seen it myself ........... I'd have doubted it.

With lowering the handle slowly ........... no bridging.

No doubt a larger discharge spout would help.

I like your shot glass idea ...... the slick surface and clear sides make left over powder a non-starter.

With my .444 case .......... the charge weight comes pretty close to the mouth and you get a quick visual on whether your thrown charge is short, long or just right.

Best regards

Three 44s

[c3d4b2]

That soft ball is hanging over the plate.

I had similar thoughts, but you worded so much better.....