Dillon Powder Measure Inconsistent

[Tucker 1371]

Hey y'all,

I've just started tuning my XL650 to load .308, have everything measured and adjusted right except the powder measure. I'm trying to load the minimum for a 150gr FMJBT on top of IMR 4064, 44.0 grs. However, I cannot get the measure to throw a consistent charge. It varies wildly, as much as a whole grain up or down sometimes, 43.8 to 45.9 grs. I am measuring by taking the same case and loading it with powder and dumping and measuring it over and over so the case is not a variable. Any help here?

 

[WESHOOT2]

ADD an extra spring around the base of the measure.

And call Dillon.......

 

[g.willikers]

When my Dillon acts up there, I make sure the part that slides is nice and clean, with a tiny amount of non oily lubricant spread very thinly on just the sides.
Hope it helps.

 

[OnTheFly]

Not to insult, but are you using the correct powder bar? Otherwise, +1 on calling Dillon. When I first set up my 650 and called them with a problem, the customer service was muy bueno.

Fly

 

[Tucker 1371]

Yes, it came with the small powder bar installed and I swapped it out. I suppose I'll have to call Dillon Sunday.

WeShoot2 - not exactly sure where you're talking about putting a spring, have a picture?

 

[noylj]

Re-verify standard rifle slide installed.
Clean/degrease measure
Apply graphite powder to parts except hopper or run hopper full of powder through measure
After adding powder in hopper, shake measure to settle powder
Throw a minimum of 10 charges and throw powder back in hopper before even weighing charge. Repeat whenever you change the charge weight.
Cycle press consistently.
Call Dillon
Buy a Hornady measure
Buy a ChargeMaster

 

[PA-Joe]

Are you doublew tapping the handle on both the up and down strokes? You have to be consistent in how you tape the handle. You need to double tap it to make certain that the powder fully falls into the measuring chamber and then double tape it to make certain all of the powder falls into the case. You have to learn to be consistent. It also helps if you have a baffel in the powder tube.

 

[Shootest]

Your problem may be with IMR 4064 powder. I find it is tough to get any measure to meter well with it. Lyman’s 55 works the best with stick powders at least for me. The new Dillon measures no longer come with springs around the base. They go on from the flat spot on the base where the hopper attaches to the post on the slide. The web site has some pics of the older model measures.

 

[wogpotter]

Which style of powder dispenser do you have? (there are 2 versions).
One has one cam & coil spring(s) for powder bar return, the other (the Fail Safe) has a double cam.
I'm not 100% sure the coil spring (early type) was ever fitted to the 650, these are with my 550. As I've added setups later on, I have both types in use.

Early single cam & coil spring type.

Late double cam, no spring type.

Normally the operating rod would pass through the round hole & curved slot linking them together.

 

[wogpotter]

Are you doublew tapping the handle on both the up and down strokes? You have to be consistent in how you tape the handle. You need to double tap it to make certain that the powder fully falls into the measuring chamber and then double tape it to make certain all of the powder falls into the case. You have to learn to be consistent.

Please explain this more. Are you talking about tapping the operating handle for the press?

 

[jmorris]

In general Dillon measures prefer powders that are not extruded. But that is pretty much all IMR powders and a few other "good ones" like Varget.

Ball powders like 748 and TAC meter the best.

 

[Tucker 1371]

Wogpotter, I have the newer style.

What type of measure would y'all recommend for IMR 4064 and powders like it?

 

[wogpotter]

I used a Lyman #55 with an adapter on my RL450. It seems to work well with stick powders because it uses a manual rotary drum instead of a sliding shaft like the Dillons.

It has 3 sliding chamber adjusts so you can set it to have a narrow, deep well, which means less cutting surface when using stick powder. If you go with the Lyman get the big powder hopper & a baffle at the same time.

 

[kostner]

I use a Hornady powder measure off press to get accurate powder drops for IMR3031. It's not that much of a hassle.

 

[mboylan]

Do yourself a favor and get a Redding powder measure. If you load for accuracy, you will eventually get one anyway.

 

[30Cal]

Stroke the press consistently. Tap the side of the powdermeasure each time.


If you drop 50 charges, make notes on how each one felt, then weigh it, you'll see the pattern, and be able to reject the charges that are going to be heavy/light.

 

[PA-Joe]

You can tap the side of the powder hopper as noted above or once the press handle is in the up position let it down a little and let it pop back up. On the down stroke life the handle up a little and knock it back down. tap tap tap tap with the handle.

 

[Tucker 1371]

PA-Joe, thank you very much, the double tapping method produced extremely consistent charges, almost no variation at all. Thank you to everyone for responding to this thread, I do believe I will be either staying away from extruded powders or buying a different measure soon.

 

[smcrea]

Sorry to butt in at the what seems like the end of the discussion but I seem to gets variance of about +- 0.2gr across a batch of 100 using H-335 and the large. Does this sound similar to what other people are getting or is everyone spot on? BTW I aim for 15 grains and range between 14.8 and 15.0 with it usually being on the 14.9 side if it's not 15.

 

[Mobuck]

Inconsistent operation of the press will cause significant variations in powder volumes due to the jiggling/vibration from the action of the turret movement. Add the nature of stick powder to give inconsistent fill of measures and you incorporate considerable possibility for wider spreads in powder drop weight.
I use a turret mounted measure for .223 but only with ball powder and average drop weights are within .1 grain+/-. Accuracy loads and upper end performance loads get charged in totally separate operations.