Titan ReloadingInline FabricationWidenersRepackbox
Lee PrecisionReloading EverythingLoad DataRotoMetals2
MidSouth Shooters Supply
Results 1 to 16 of 16

Thread: BP drop tube length

  1. #1
    Boolit Buddy Captain*Kirk's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Location
    Waukegan, IL
    Posts
    421

    BP drop tube length

    I found me a length of 3/8" brass tubing that looks like it should be perfect for a BP drop tube for .45/70. It measures 36" like many of the commercial drop tubes advertise, but it seems like 3 feet may be a little awkward unless it's sitting on a bench about knee high. 24" seems about "bench-top perfect". Is the extra 12" going to make a big difference? If so, I'll find a workaround. Thanks.
    "Are you gonna pull those pistols, or whistle Dixie?"

  2. #2
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    May 2017
    Posts
    3,702
    Quote Originally Posted by Captain*Kirk View Post
    I found me a length of 3/8" brass tubing that looks like it should be perfect for a BP drop tube for .45/70. It measures 36" like many of the commercial drop tubes advertise, but it seems like 3 feet may be a little awkward unless it's sitting on a bench about knee high. 24" seems about "bench-top perfect". Is the extra 12" going to make a big difference? If so, I'll find a workaround. Thanks.
    how you pour into it proly make more difference than the extra foot of tube..........................

  3. #3
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    Mar 2016
    Location
    the south end of northern Virginia
    Posts
    1,121
    If I remember right drop tubes sold by sharps were 24" so that is what I went by when I built mine.
    3/8" x 24" and used a plumbers flairing tool for the end that goes over the case mouth.

  4. #4
    Boolit Master Dan Cash's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2008
    Location
    Western North Dakota
    Posts
    3,327
    Quote Originally Posted by indian joe View Post
    how you pour into it proly make more difference than the extra foot of tube..........................
    Absolutely! Use a Lyman 55 measure and "slow drop" the powder into the shell case. A little experimentation and you will find that a drop tube is not needed; the powder will be as settled in the case as it can get.
    To paraphrase Ronald Reagan, the trouble with many shooting experts is not that they're ignorant; its just that they know so much that isn't so.

  5. #5
    Boolit Grand Master


    GregLaROCHE's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2018
    Location
    Southern France by way of Interior Bush Alaska
    Posts
    5,286
    Quote Originally Posted by Dan Cash View Post
    Absolutely! Use a Lyman 55 measure and "slow drop" the powder into the shell case. A little experimentation and you will find that a drop tube is not needed; the powder will be as settled in the case as it can get.
    I made mine with a one meter piece of copper tubing, because that was the length they were sold. I used it on my bench, but I was standing up.
    I haven’t used it in a while since I started compressing the powder. For what I’m doing, I don’t think it makes that much of a difference.

  6. #6
    Boolit Grand Master

    Join Date
    Mar 2013
    Location
    Northwest Ohio
    Posts
    14,456
    My tube is 36" and it is a little cumbersome on the bench top. Look at online metals for brass tubing they sell by the foot in a wide range of sizes. Another source of tubing is old arrow shafts. A slow pour helps a lot with settling the powder.

    Be sure when starting out to clean and polish the inside of the tube lightly. Being shooters we have the needed tools to do this with our cleaning rods jags and brushes.

    One of the wsm cases in a smaller caliber ( i used a 270 wsm case) cut behind the shoulder makes a good funnel for into the case.

  7. #7
    Boolit Grand Master Don McDowell's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Hell Gap Wy
    Posts
    6,094
    Quote Originally Posted by Dan Cash View Post
    Absolutely! Use a Lyman 55 measure and "slow drop" the powder into the shell case. A little experimentation and you will find that a drop tube is not needed; the powder will be as settled in the case as it can get.
    True story
    Long range rules, the rest drool.

  8. #8
    Boolit Buddy Captain*Kirk's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Location
    Waukegan, IL
    Posts
    421
    Thanks for the replies! I already bought the tubing so I guess I'll play around with it some. It's 36" long and 3/8 diameter. I like the idea of using a cutoff bottleneck case as well. I also bough a Montana Swaging .45 cal compression die so I can go that route as well.
    "Are you gonna pull those pistols, or whistle Dixie?"

  9. #9
    Vendor Sponsor

    Chill Wills's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2011
    Location
    Was-Colorado, Wyoming now
    Posts
    3,149
    I like the drop tube. My most accurate loads have been with uncompressed Swiss. Rifle after rifle and powder lot after lot, the accuracy is with a drop-tubed uncompressed load.
    There is more than one right way to do it and I have mine. Just a contrarian at heart.

    The long drop-tube keeps the stack heights the same. I can't get that any other way, and I've tried.
    Chill Wills

  10. #10
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    May 2017
    Posts
    3,702
    Quote Originally Posted by country gent View Post
    My tube is 36" and it is a little cumbersome on the bench top. Look at online metals for brass tubing they sell by the foot in a wide range of sizes. Another source of tubing is old arrow shafts. A slow pour helps a lot with settling the powder.

    Be sure when starting out to clean and polish the inside of the tube lightly. Being shooters we have the needed tools to do this with our cleaning rods jags and brushes.

    One of the wsm cases in a smaller caliber ( i used a 270 wsm case) cut behind the shoulder makes a good funnel for into the case.
    mine is an arrow shaft - ran a cleaning brush loaded with powdered graphite through it - to steady the flow I mounted a cutoff 22/250 case on top with an mtm powder funnel to pour into - taped it all on with ductape. I stand at the loading bench - even so the arrow shaft is long enough to stretch ....................

  11. #11
    Boolit Master veeman's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Posts
    503
    Do you guys flare the bottom out over the shell casing? Mine is not, t fits inside the brass, just under flush, and there is always a bit of BP that bounces out. Is this normal for the procedure or should I flare out the tube?

  12. #12
    Boolit Master Castaway's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2005
    Location
    Dade City, Fl
    Posts
    779
    Veeman, I glued an o-ring about 1/10” from the bottom of my arrow shaft. No more powder splashing out

  13. #13
    Vendor Sponsor

    Chill Wills's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2011
    Location
    Was-Colorado, Wyoming now
    Posts
    3,149
    Quote Originally Posted by veeman View Post
    Do you guys flare the bottom out over the shell casing? Mine is not, t fits inside the brass, just under flush, and there is always a bit of BP that bounces out. Is this normal for the procedure or should I flare out the tube?
    Yes. Powder can splash out if not contained. I made a soft collar about 3/16" up from the bottom of the tube by wrapping electrical tape around the tube - on itself over and over until I made a large enough ring that seats on the case mouth. It was a quick fix 30 years ago and it is still there. An "O" ring of the right size or an ear plug fitted with a hole slipped around the tube are all ideas people use.
    Chill Wills

  14. #14
    Boolit Buddy
    one-eyed fat man's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Location
    Elizabethtown, KY
    Posts
    193
    The Ideal #5 powder measure dates to the 1890's when most folks were still loading black powder. It came with 2 drop tubes, a 3 inch and a 6 inch. It is the grandaddy of the Lyman 55. Slow drop the charge like Dan Cash said and it will work as well now as it did 125 years ago. No need to make it more complicated than it has to be.

    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	Ideal#5.jpg 
Views:	12 
Size:	48.0 KB 
ID:	286322

  15. #15
    Boolit Master Lead pot's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Posts
    3,577
    This drop tube discussion comes up often.
    I have several DTs of different lengths and also calibrated funnels that have tapered restrictions for the granulations of powder I use. 1.5F to 3F. I can just dump the powder in the funnel and let it trickle through.
    Quite frankly I don't see much difference in accuracy just loading the shells with the loading block on the floor and using my Lyman 55 with a long 34" tube that has a vibrator on the hanging bracket that settles the in the drum consistently load to load and just dump it in the funnel, but I have to use care with the funnel restriction so it don't bridge. But for my match loads I still don't use the Lyman 55. It's a security thing to weigh the load
    Inserting the drop tube inside the case mouth sort of defeats the DT use if the shaft is in the case mouth to deep. It there is still powder in the tube and you pull it out of the case mouth it loosens the dropped powder and defeats the tube use.

    The tubing is 3/8 OD type K ridged refrigeration tubing with a 3/8 OD X 5/8" OD sweat reducer that can be used for the .38 to .50 caliber cases.
    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	IMG_3144.jpg 
Views:	13 
Size:	57.6 KB 
ID:	286328Click image for larger version. 

Name:	IMG_3150.jpg 
Views:	12 
Size:	64.5 KB 
ID:	286327Click image for larger version. 

Name:	IMG_3148.jpg 
Views:	14 
Size:	50.2 KB 
ID:	286326
    Last edited by Lead pot; 07-19-2021 at 11:18 AM.

  16. #16
    Boolit Bub
    Join Date
    Aug 2021
    Location
    NC
    Posts
    38
    I made a stand that will let me adjust my tube up or down. I adjust the ht. so as to be able to tilt a case a little,then stand it straight, and have the tube mouth just inside the case. No spillage that way. 24" seems just right for my arm length. Make sure you use a funnel at the top that is large enough to prevent spillage there. I also drilled a hole on the base of the stand that will hold a shell holder which I can change for each case type.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check