500 Under the Belt

[Fireman5045]

I wasn't sure as to where I should post this and I figured this would be as good a place as any

This past weekend I loaded my first 500 rounds of 357 mag and everything seem to come out great. I'm hoping to get out this weekend and try them out.

I said that because if it had not been for this forum and all the people that helped me out, it may not have went so smoothly. I don't know anyone or have anyone near to go to. Just simply wanted to say thanks.

Next up.... 45-70....

[Cherokee]

Hope they work out for you.

[gray wolf]

Let us know how they shoot and give us the poop on the data.

[Fireman5045]

The data was 158gr SWC from Missouri Bullet Company over 6 grains of Unique. Just wanted a mild load for shootem-ups.

Ill let yall know how they work out.

While I'm here I do have one question... Has anyone had any problems getting consistent powder drops with the Unique powder? I'm using the Lee Perfect Powder Measure that came with my kit. On a set of Hornady digital scales I was getting almost an entire grain of variance. Is it the measure or what? Am I doing something wrong? I try to do it exactly the same way every time.

[dk17hmr]

I'm using the Lee Perfect Powder Measure that came with my kit..

Found the problem.....I never had any luck with those....Get something with less plastic, RCBS, Hornady, Redding....

[Fireman5045]

Ok. That's what I needed to know. I was worried I was doing something wrong. I did notice it feels pretty cheap. Just wanted to make sure it wasn't because I was messing with a flake powder

[SlippShodd]

I would never... Never... disagree with Doug, nor try to engage him argumentatively, and at the core of his answer, I don't. However, I own both of those tools -- the PPM and the Hornady digital scale -- and I would be more skeptical of the scale than the measure, if you are indeed exercising consistent charge throwing practices with it. Neither of them are my go-to tools in those categories, but the PPM is good for quick and dirty load testing and the digi-scale is good for bullet weighing. The scale readings can easily be corrupted just by disturbing the air around it by moving my hands too quickly back and forth... which is why I rely on the RCBS beam scale for real powder weighing. The PPM, if taken care of and properly handled, can throw much more consistently accurate charges than you describe, even with a powder like, say, Unique which has a bad reputation amongst internet gurus for throwing inconsistently. If you detect sarcasm in that comment, we are on the same plane. I've only been throwing charges of Unique from various powder measures for a bit over 30 years, so I'm new at this, but I'll stake my round to round consistency of those loads against anyone elses' individually weighed versions any day.
The proof is in the shooting, so go have some fun and let us know how they did. That's a great plinking load. Shoot a few plastic water bottles... should be relatively impressive.

mike

[Shiloh]

Just a thought, but did you try out a few before you loaded up 500 rounds??

Unique does meter a bit more course that other powders. It is also one of my favorite powders for midrange .357 loads.
I use it in 9mm, 38 special/.357, and .40 S&W. I have used it in .45 ACP but prefer Bullseye.
Bullseye meters better than Unique.

If you charge your cases the same way, you are doing the right thing. The LEE powder measure works, and I know people who use it. These are folks like you who are starting out. Eventually you will probably want a better powder measure.

SHiloh

[dk17hmr]

The LEE powder measure works, and I know people who use it. These are folks like you who are starting out. Eventually you will probably want a better powder measure.

SHiloh

Very true.....I'm always upgrading my equipment. I started out with low end stuff and made it work for me....you have to start somewhere and I still have some of that equipment because it works well. The powder measure was one of my first upgrades.

[Fireman5045]

I apologize. I forgot to mention that I also thought it might be the scale so I checked it on the beam scale that came with the kit. I still was not getting anything consistent. Are there any techniques to getting it to throw consistent?

Shiloh,
To be honest I didn't try any of the loads before I loaded them. Everything I read said this was a great target load so I took a chance. I have a wife and a newborn. I work and go to college so I don't get a lot of time to reload. When the time presented itself I got everything done that I could. I know that's not ideal but that's all I got

[tazman]

I am using that powder measure with a number of powders, some of which are a little problematic. I have a few loads I use 800x for.
800x is more coarse than unique and is notorious for throwing inconsistent charges. The technique I use was to lightly tap the drum one time on both the up stroke and down stroke to make sure the powder settled in the drum. I got very consistent charges with the measure used that way. Easily within + or - .1 grains. Good enough I had no need to weigh each one.

[Fireman5045]

Ok thanks. I'll have to give that a try

[Whitespider]

I've been reloading for over 30 years also, and to be honest I've never been able to make the Lee Perfect Powder Measure work to my satisfaction either. Actually I've tried/used several different measures and always end up going back to my 30-some year old RCBS Uniflow. I have it setup to dump on the down-stroke, rather than the up-stroke, using right-hand operation... which puts the adjusting screw to the back, but that's never been a problem.

Truth be told... I'm not a fan of many Lee products. I love my Auto Prime(s), but that's where the love ends. I have an older Lee Challenger Press I use for light-duty revolver case sizing, mouth flaring and such... but the linkage lacks the rigidity for anything heavier. I don't care for the dies one whit... and I've actually stepped out the back door and gave a few a hard, long toss into the corn field out of pure frustration. I have a half-dozen or so Lee molds and they cause me more problems that any others... except for a couple of them I've quit using them. I've totally given-up on making any tumble-lube design shoot worthy of my praise. I do use the Mule-Snot as an additive in my homemade boolit lube, but using it as a stand-alone boolit lube has never worked worth sour owl dung for me.

But... that's just me... others have nothing but top praise for Lee products.
*

[Fireman5045]

So far most of the stuff I got with the Lee kit I like but then again I have never owned anything else lol

I can tell u that resizing and depriming 45-70 on the challenger press is pretty tough. It feels like I'm gonna rip the press of the bench...

[mdi]

Not every powder will meter through any powder measure consistently. Unique is one that I can't get much better than +- .2 grain with any powder measure I've owned. My Lee PPM will hold that .2-.3 grain varience with Unique with an occational .5 throw, not the powder measure, just the nature of the powder. I have held .05 grain measuring W231 with my Lee PPM as well as my C-H 502. It just depends on the powder.

I don't think I would load 500 rounds of any untested load (untested in my firearm). Although that seems to be a safe load, in your gun it may produce 12' patterns at 25 yards, and 500 rounds is a lot to disassemble...

Although there is a lot of quality experience by the members here, beware of the "Lee Bashing Syndrome". Someone will mention Lee and someone will post it's junk and then 391 other posters will "dog pile" on "Hate Lee" topic. I have been reloading 30+ years, off and on, and I use a lot of Lee products. Very, very, few Lee product can be considered worthless, and most are innovated, well designed tools. I believe the problems occur with "Tool Snobs" who believe if the tool ain't the most expensive available, it can't be any good...

[Whitespider]

Lee Bashing Syndrome?? Tool snob?? Most expensive??
Heck... I know you weren't pointing directly at me but I ain't got any syndrome, I ain't a tool snob, and I certainly don't use the most expensive.
I do expect any tool to work as intended, when used as intended... and well over half the Lee "stuff" I've tried does not (some will if you re-engineer it).
That ain't "bashing"... that's honest reporting.
*

[Pb2au]

I am using that powder measure with a number of powders, some of which are a little problematic. I have a few loads I use 800x for.
800x is more coarse than unique and is notorious for throwing inconsistent charges. The technique I use was to lightly tap the drum one time on both the up stroke and down stroke to make sure the powder settled in the drum. I got very consistent charges with the measure used that way. Easily within + or - .1 grains. Good enough I had no need to weigh each one.

This is exactly the same way I use it. It nails the weight, +/- .1 grain. It's funny, it is almost muscle memory at this point. Turn to fill, tap, turn to empty, tap. Repeat. If you look an a Lyman #55 powder measure, it has a little knocker on it just for that reason........
Since the OP has access to a balance beam scale, that is a pretty simple way to double/triple check the throw. Last time I checked, gravity still works pretty good.
Everyone starts somewhere. Lee makes affordable gear that by and large for a lot of people works. Some folks don't like it. Everyone is allowed to make their own opinions and decisions.
To the OP.
Consistency is your friend. Seeing as you are getting going in life and rightfully working on a budget, you have to perfect your practices to get the most out of the gear you have.

Good luck, and welcome to the site!

[mdi]

Lee Bashing Syndrome?? Tool snob?? Most expensive??
Heck... I know you weren't pointing directly at me but I ain't got any syndrome, I ain't a tool snob, and I certainly don't use the most expensive.
I do expect any tool to work as intended, when used as intended... and well over half the Lee "stuff" I've tried does not (some will if you re-engineer it).
That ain't "bashing"... that's honest reporting.
*

Funny, every Lee reloading tool or equipment I have used in almost 30 years has worked as designed (my first Lee tool was a Lee Loader in .38 Special in 1969). But then, I wasn't playing "gorilla", and only used the tools the way they were designed to be used. I've Been a machinist/mechanic all my life and mebbe I just know how to use hand tools...

[Pb2au]

Ok, to be fair, after 20 years and ten jillion rounds, my first lee press broke the casting that holds the handle. And I was sort of "exceeding" it's normal working parameters when I broke it.
But that was operator error. Just sayin'

[MT Chambers]

I have many powder measures that I use and am very happy with, a RCBS uniflow, Lyman 55, Lyman 55 for BP, Forster BR measure, and for cartridges with small charges, a RCBS Lil Dandy. Measuring powder accurately and consistantly is far too important for scoops and measures that don't zero or just don't work.