What's your favorite powder trickler?

[Triggernosis]

I typically just use a casing full of powder as a trickler, but I recently accidently charged my "trickler case" resulting in a low puff of a charge so I think I need to change my mode of operation and actually get a real trickler. Reading reviews for the various tricklers available from Midway doesn't really help because each one has negative reviews saying they're a piece of ****.
FWIW, I usually throw my charges (rifle, mostly) through a measure a couple of tenths of a grain short and then trickle up to the desired charge while measuring on a 10-10-10 balance scale.

What's your favorite?

[Wayne Smith]

My fingers. Wash hands, pick up a pinch, and drop a little. Been doing it that way for 30+ years.

[Triggernosis]

My fingers. Wash hands, pick up a pinch, and drop a little. Been doing it that way for 30+ years.

Believe me, I've done my share of that!

[Pawpaw757]

An old plastic medicine bottle, a piece of brass tubing and a couple of O-rings. Cost me nothing and works for what I do.

[OS OK]

It's heavy cast iron...it doesn't slide around when you trickle...
The black knob is from a 2000 Chevy truck radio...it'll just snap right on the trickle knurled knob and you can spin it with your finger.
The red cap...I have no idea where that was originally used, I found it in a parking lot...could have come off a car battery side terminal model, a protector of the bolt/post for shipping.


191565

[anothernewb]

If it helps, I have an RCBS one, one of the new light ones. I packed the bottom with lead and modeling clay. Weighted it down and now it's rock solid.

Also did the same thing with the base of the 5-0-5 scale. packed the base full of lead scrap and clay. That's rock solid now too and doesn't budge a bit.

[Triggernosis]

If it helps, I have an RCBS one, one of the new light ones. I packed the bottom with lead and modeling clay. Weighted it down and now it's rock solid.

Also did the same thing with the base of the 5-0-5 scale. packed the base full of lead scrap and clay. That's rock solid now too and doesn't budge a bit.

Aha! Good idea on the scale. And mine's a 5-0-5 too, instead of the 10-10-10 (I must've been thinking about fertilizer due to it being Spring time!)

[MostlyLeverGuns]

Tapping an old silver spoon or a push-button battery powered Frankford Arsenal trickler if more than 10 cartridges.

[country gent]

I have a vibra shine electric trickler I like a lot with smokeless powders. For black powders its a slushy straw with the little spoon on the end pick up a small amount and tap over pan. I have an rcbs and one I made that work but with certain powders they arnt as good. powder dribbles but may come out in a clump at times.

[Tom W.]

Either my Redding or if I'm feeling froggy a Lee dipper. Just tap lightly until you get what you need.

[ShooterAZ]

Since it's the only one I have, RCBS. Iv'e had it forever and it works great.

[georgerkahn]

BION, I years ago morph'd from and with my vegetable gardening :) ! To wit, I came across a less-than-$5.00 device for dropping teeny-tiny seeds, and by golly -- for me -- it's the best for delicately adding mini-smidgeons of smokeless powder. It even comes with four different baffles, which you may change to complement the type/size of powder you're dispensing. The one I have, albeit an older version, may be viewed at https://www.gurneys.com/product/seedmaster
BEST!
geo

[gwpercle]

Fired case , rolled between thumb and finger. Old school.

[Mk42gunner]

I've had various powder tricklers over the years, and always got dissatisfied with them. The last one is an RCBS that I keep so I won't waste my money on another one.

What I found works the best for me is either a teaspoon borrowed from the kitchen or one of the Lee powder dippers.

Robert

[Bzcraig]

I recently got a Frankfort Arsenal and really like it. Very heavy base and a rubber cup that doubles as a cap when not in use and slips over the bottom so it doesn't slide around at all.

[6bg6ga]

My old RCBS trickler has a bunch of lead added to the base. I drilled a hole into the base and screwed in a sheet metal screw and then filled the bottom with lead. It works great.

[slohunter]

RCBS, it's old, price on box says $3.99.

[whelenshooter]

Hornady plastic one. Too light. Filled bottom cavity with bullets and sealed it with form-a-gasket. Works great now.

[BlackIce05]

I also recently got a Frankford Arsenal trickler, I was quite surprised for the price, very heavy and doesn't move at all. Even my dad who requires everything on his bench to be green liked mine well enough that he bought one off amazon.

[redriverhunter]

rcbs with lead in the bottom only one i have ever had, and have not need to try another make.

[Pressman]

My first was RCBS, still have it, but to light. Then I found the Herter's and never looked back. Heavy and fast. Lately I have been experimenting with one of the homemade tricklers I have. Any decent late operator can make one in an hour or so, using brass stock. It works mostly OK, but the Herter's is still superior in my not so humble opinion.

Ken

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I believe I have two of the large heavy cast iron Herters Tricklers like I posted here.
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?330164-Random-photos-of-your-old-stuff&p=3986037&viewfull=1#post3986037
But I've never used them...they look like the cat's meow, with the internal coarse spring used to auger the powder.

The one I use is pictured below. A homemade brass tube with a machined Xacto knife handle through the brass tube, all mounted solidly on a Oak board with the RF Wells beam scale...I couldn't think of a better setup, so it's all I've used for the last 20 years. It's designed to send out about a tenth of a grain of 'stick' powder per revolution. This setup came with a purchase...the first bunch of reloading equipment (mostly Herters, but some RF Wells) back in the 1990s from a local old fellow who was selling out all his shooting and reloading stuff due to health reasons.


http://i640.photobucket.com/albums/uu127/JonB_in_Glencoe/beam%20scale%20and%20trickler_zpsueg57dpl.jpg (http://s640.photobucket.com/user/JonB_in_Glencoe/media/beam%20scale%20and%20trickler_zpsueg57dpl.jpg.html )

[DLCTEX]

I have had a Frankfort Arsenal battery powered trickler for about 15 years that just keeps on going.

[jrmartin1964]

For a number of years, I used either the borrowed kitchen spoon or the dipper method for trickling powder. Then in 1985 I purchased this Redding No.5 from People's Sporting Goods in Cheyenne, WY, for $12.95. If I only have a few charges to deal with, I still fall back on the spoon or dipper; more than 10, and out comes the No.5.
191710

[308Jeff]

Redding. Nice and heavy, very well made.

[Shiloh]

Homemade job with lead shot mixed with epoxy at the bottom.
Fingers work well too. Fingers are faster.

Shiloh

[PbHurler]

I don't own one & probably never will, but Goodsteel posted pictures of a brass one he made and I've lusted after that one ever since..........

Are you listening Tim?

:bigsmyl2:

[bns454]

The heavy Redding dont tip over.I use the finger method alot also.

[bedbugbilly]

The one made by Frankford Arsenal - works well, has a heavy base and doesn't tip over - works well with the powders I use. I like it so well I bought a second one for my reloading set up in AZ where we spend the winter.

[pressonregardless]

Sticking with Redding here.

[Morgan61]

I like my frankford arsenal trickler

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71kc4Vd1v-L._SX425_.jpg

[10-x]

RCBS since early 70's, weighted bottom. Take my time and dont load hot ones.

[ioon44]

Me too, RCBS since early 70's.

[shafer44]

bit the bullet a few years back and got an RCBS Charge Master, set up all my loads and it drops each one, trickling to the last tenth of a grain.

[country gent]

I just made a trickler from hardware store off the shelf parts and Hobby store tubing. 2 3/4 x1" reducers ( wanted 3/4" X 1 1/2" but were out of them) a short piece of 3/4" copper tubing. I shortened the 3/4" end to where only 1/4" of the tube dia was left. A piece of 3/4" tubing cut 1/2" long holds and alighns the reducers. A piece of 1/4" ID hobby store tubing is set into the joint as a bearing tube. This assembly on mine is soldered together it can be glued. A clay funnel was formed to make the top side and JB weld poured in to form it. with a 1/4" or so base. I then filled the base with lead after the JBs had cured well. This makes a heavy trickler.A piece of 1/4" x .014 wall tubing is fit to the bearing tube to turn free with no play. AI drilled a 1/4" hole in the bearing tube half thru and a 3/16 thru the inner tube. A plug was fit to close off the back end to the edge of the 3/16" hole. Now here is what I did different from the purchased ones. In the spring assortment I found a long compression spring that was slightly bigger than the ID of the inner tube. I cut the coiled ends off of it and stretched it a little longer to "open" the coils more. This was twisted into the tube to the plug and cut of flush with end of tube. This made a better auger than the finer threads and moves a much finer stream of powder much more consistently.

[EDG]

Pour it full of stick powder.
Make sure it is level with the scale zeroed.
Set your desired charge. Double check with check weights.

Push the round black button and it will trickle the entire load into the pan until it is balanced and then it shuts off.


193717

[ACrowe25]

I love my RCBS automatic trickler. Forget the name of it. The scientist in me loves the precision that comes from it and being able to visually (via balance) confirm each charge.

[wrench man]

The red cap...I have no idea where that was originally used, I found it in a parking lot...

Looks like a cap off of a five gallon bucket to me, we get out synthetic gear oil in them and have to unscrew that cap to pour out the oil.

As for my trickler, I have the RCBS, suits me fine, don't know why guys think they don't weigh enough??

[Idaho Sharpshooter]

Omega. Nothing else will drop one kernel of powder each tap.
I have been accused of being a bit too nitpicky with my reloading process at times.
I use a K&M arbor press with a dial indicator to check for tight or loose cases (necksizing) with my Wilson dies, and to check seating pressure.

Even retired I hate to spend the $$$ for gas and time to try and figure out fliers.

[OS OK]

Looks like a cap off of a five gallon bucket to me, we get out synthetic gear oil in them and have to unscrew that cap to pour out the oil.

As for my trickler, I have the RCBS, suits me fine, don't know why guys think they don't weigh enough??

When your hands age they tend to loose some of their finesse...heavy ticklers help to fight back against our loss of dexterity.

Therefore...the heavier the better!

[Bullwolf]

I got tired of hanging onto my old RCBS aluminum powder trickle with both hands to keep it from rocking back and forth, and sliding around on the top of my bench while I turned the knob.

Random Google image of someone using both hands to hold one below.

http://www.thegunmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/HL9-trickle-300x200.jpg

So I filled the bottom of my RCBS powder trickle up with molten lead alloy,
(I removed the plastic pieces first of course) giving it some much needed ballast.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=154670&stc=1&thumb=1&d=1449035156

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=154669&stc=1&thumb=1&d=1449035136

I'm pretty sure that I am not the first person to have done this modification.

In addition to the lead, I also added a small square piece of old mouse pad to serve as a non skid bottom. Adding the lead ballast to my older RCBS powder trickle made it a lot more user friendly.

With both the lead weight on the bottom and the non skid base, the trickle hardly moves at all while it's being used. It can easily be operated single handed now without sliding around, and is much less likely to get knocked over by accident.

I also found a black silicone wine carafe lid, that fits the opening on top. It makes a nice dust cover for the powder trickle when it's not in use.

https://secure.img2-fg.wfcdn.com/lf/79/hash/11183/23212663/1/Prestige+Carafe+with+Silicone+Lid.jpg


- Bullwolf

[michaelkirkland]

This is what I use... http://www.omegapowdertrickler.com/site/mobile?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.omegapowdertrickler.co m%2FOperation.html#2949

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk

[psweigle]

I made mine from an old aluminum arrow and a pair of pvc caps. Filled the bottom cap with shot and sealed with rtv. Sealed the high end of the arrow shaft with rtv as well, and used rubber bands to hold the arrow shaft in place. Works like a charm.

[Mytmousemalibu]

Redding #5

It's a nice, solid chunk of heavy cast iron and works like a champ!

[6bg6ga]

I got tired of hanging onto my old RCBS aluminum powder trickle with both hands to keep it from rocking back and forth, and sliding around on the top of my bench while I turned the knob.

Random Google image of someone using both hands to hold one below.

http://www.thegunmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/HL9-trickle-300x200.jpg

So I filled the bottom of my RCBS powder trickle up with molten lead alloy,
(I removed the plastic pieces first of course) giving it some much needed ballast.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=154670&stc=1&thumb=1&d=1449035156

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=154669&stc=1&thumb=1&d=1449035136

I'm pretty sure that I am not the first person to have done this modification.

In addition to the lead, I also added a small square piece of old mouse pad to serve as a non skid bottom. Adding the lead ballast to my older RCBS powder trickle made it a lot more user friendly.

With both the lead weight on the bottom and the non skid base, the trickle hardly moves at all while it's being used. It can easily be operated single handed now without sliding around, and is much less likely to get knocked over by accident.

I also found a black silicone wine carafe lid, that fits the opening on top. It makes a nice dust cover for the powder trickle when it's not in use.

https://secure.img2-fg.wfcdn.com/lf/79/hash/11183/23212663/1/Prestige+Carafe+with+Silicone+Lid.jpg


- Bullwolf

Nope, you weren't the first one to full the bottom with lead. I did it in the early 80's. I also drilled and countersunk several screws to keep the lead from moving/falling out and I polished it to a high sheen.

[Bullwolf]

Nope, you weren't the first one to full the bottom with lead. I did it in the early 80's. I also drilled and countersunk several screws to keep the lead from moving/falling out and I polished it to a high sheen.

After my poured lead bottom weight cooled, I turned the powder trickle upside down, and a nice hourglass shaped lead ingot slipped out the bottom of my powder trickle into my hand.

Instead of drilling & screwing it back in...(I'd already read how you did it)

I painted the lead chunk with contact cement, and pressed the nicely moulded lead ingot back in. It's held there fine ever since.



- Bullwolf