Bottles For Weighed Charges

[Good Cheer]

Was looking around at the various alternatives for containers for weighed charges.
Could make some easily from copper tubing. Test tubes. Cutesy glass bottles with cork stoppers. Old cartridge cases. Plastic tubing.
Glass containers aren't welcome at many ranges. Dropping a cartridge case down the bore is probably not a good idea.
What do you fellas use?

[mooman76]

I have something I acquired. Someone gave me some ML stuff from an estate. It had a couple of pouches that would zip up and had 6 small viles. About half the size of a wallet or a little smaller. I've never used them but apparently the former owner used them as premeasured for a revolver but they would hold larger charges. Seem pretty handy. The pouches had elastic bands/loops inside like you see to hold shotgun shells sometimes

[Good Cheer]

Well I'll be. Never woulda thunk about a revolver.
There's some nifty vials on amazon for not too bad a prices.
Three dram size bottles would work for the .52 fast twist once it arrives. Two dram for the fast twist .40. Figuring a dram at .23 cubic inches and 100 grains of powder at about .41 cubic inches. Reckon I could just get 3 dram bottles use them for both of those and for the .458 bore 24" twist TC New Englander. Or 10mL plastic bottles.

[rodwha]

Dixie Gun Works sells rubber speed loaders made by Winchester Suttler. They haven't stocked the pistol (.44/.45) cal ones in a VERY LONG time and so I went straight to the source. They do stock the rifle ones last I looked.

http://www.dixiegunworks.com/product_info.php?cPath=22_100_359&products_id=7713

These had a bit of static and held a small amount of grains. Some have told me they wiped them with a dryer sheet and another did something else (wash?) to make them work well.

For my rifle I bought a few of the typical flip top type as I figured it's about all I'd need for hunting a weekend. But for range days those rubber tubes sure would come in handy!

[trails4u]

I use something very similar to these:

http://www.capitolscientific.com/Kartell-299334-000R-Disposable-16-x-100mm-Plastic-Test-Tubes-with-Red-Screw-Caps-Leak-Proof-Clea

I've had the same 20-30 forever....they work very well for pre-measured powder.

I've also used spent shotgun hulls...cut the crimps off, add measured powder, pinch together and duct tape shut. Just rip the tape off (with teeth, of course...cooler this way!) and pour!

[bubba.50]

I talked the Red Cross lady out of 1/2 dozen of the small vials with rubber stoppers they use for testing samples when ya donate blood.

[DeanWinchester]

Go to Ebay and type in centrifuge tubes. PLENTY to choose from that will suit your needs.

Here's some.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/5ml-Centrifuge-Tubes-Plastic-Clear-Vials-Sample-Containers-Fragrance-Beads-20x-/141055360022?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item20d78dfc16

[MadHamster]

10ML plastic test tubes, cheap and reliable

[Hanshi]

I simply made mine by cutting sections of various diameters of pvc pipe for charges ranging from 60 grains up to 120 grains. The largest dia ones are great for shot charges.

[country gent]

I made my own years ago. Made a polished wood mandrel the Dia and length I wanted. A template for size and form. cut typing paper to provide 2 wraps with angled end that match . A wipe of glue stick to start edge and roll snug on mandrel another wipe of glue stick to hold final edge. Slide mandrel enough to provide fold over edge wipe with glue stick and roll edge over end of mandrell making a nice square sealed end. If you want truly water proof coat with beeswax or parafin. You can fill with powder charge and fold edge over making a nice neat premeasure powder charge.

[country gent]

If you make the mandrel the right dia athe bullet for the load can be used for the stopper on the tube.

[phonejack]

A bottleneck rifle case with a cork in it works well also

[Dr.S]

threaded glass vials off ebay.

[webfoot10]

If you know anyone that smokes cigars that come in the plastic tubes, get a few and cut them to the desired length for your powder charge
cap them with the tube cover. They hold together well and five or six in your pocket and your all set. I use a bullet block for patched RB quick
loads.
webfoot10

[fouronesix]

For competition if you really think you absolutely must weigh each charge then one suitable container is as good as another. Empty brass cartridge cases or 16-20 ga hulls work. For hunting, I tried the individual containers a few times. I can do as well with a simple pocket flask and a pre-set brass volume measure. In reality, speed of a reload has little to do with ML hunting success or loss of game. But it used to matter on the battlefield.

[bob208]

the little plastic containers my test strips come in are good for what you want.

[C. Latch]

Pill bottles?

Do they still make 35mm film canisters?

[dilly]

Some diabetics get their test strips in containers very much like he little film canisters. Centrifuge tubes of many kinds would work very well, good idea Dean Winchester.

[winelover]

Cut the crimp off a spent shotgun shell and find a suitable stopper. (I use an appropriate sized "Pipe Cap"-----those flexible plastic plugs that are put in valves, etc , to keep debris out.) You can use different colored ones, for different charges. They also fit in those blaze orange "small game vests", that most of us are required to wear when hunting.

The 35 mm film containers work well, if you can find a good supply of them???? I like a container that you can bend the mouth, for ease of pouring.

Winelover

[CastingFool]

Pill bottles?

Do they still make 35mm film canisters?

haven't bought 35mm film in years, but I used to, so I have a bunch of the empty containers, and that's what I use for my ML

[LynC2]

I just got in an order of the plastic test tubes from Amazon yesterday and I think they will work fine. They hold 240 grs of 3F, but it would be easy to cut them shorter if one wishes. They certainly are cheap enough, I figured I'd give some to Nobade for all the help he has given me with BP rifles.





118007

[Nobade]

Cool! Those ALMOST hold enough powder for my 12 bore rifle!:)

[Good Cheer]

Woooooo!
:drinks:

Saw on craigslist that there is a shop in Rochester, NY that has bucket fulls of tubes for ten cents a piece but I didn't have time to run over there from Buffalo.
:x

[CNJarvis]

I use these: http://m.ebay.com/itm/25-Muzzleloader-Black-Powder-Tubes-Vials-Fishing-Deer-/180530222386

He sells them in several sizes. I use the 10mL for my rifle and I'm sure the 5mL would be great for pistols.

They're called "transport vials" and can also be ordered by the 1000 from scientific supply houses.

[fouronesix]

All manner of containers will work. I used to carry 3-4 preloaded chargers when hunting. Empty shot shells with plugs seemed to work as well as anything. The imaginary "need for speed" or precisely weighed charges in the field after a ML shot, is usually different from the reality. Unless of course it's some kind of timed woods walking game or long range, specialized, super accurate, bench rest, heavy muzzleloader match or something.

I've used this set-up for a long time… the KISS principle. Wood plugged brass tube cut for what ever my hunting load is along with a pistol flask (this one is original BTW) - both carried in a front jacket pocket.