Preferred Powder Measure

[mb3]

For you guys who shoot in competitions, what do you use to measure your BP loads?

[Edwin Flint, 8427]

I use the Lyman BP 55 Classic powder measure.

[Maillemaker]

I have a digital scale, and I weight out each charge individually.

Steve

[Lou Lou Lou]

Been using a Belding and Mull volumetric type for 30 years

[mb3]

Thank you all for the information on your preferred powder measuring devices. I am not going to compete anytime soon, but intend to start bench shooting my BP rifle. I am looking at getting the Lee Powder Scoops and a good electronic scale to measure minnies and to verify the consistency of the powder load. Hopefully I can get some consistency.

[MR. GADGET]

Been using a Belding and Mull volumetric type for 30 years

So I just got to thinking about this, I have had one for many years and it is just setting there, I keep telling myself Just sell it.....

The spring on the measure is so strong that you can't clamp it to the table tight enough to hold in place.
Everytime I try to use it you need 3 hands, one on the tube to get the powder, one on the arm to work it and another to help hold it in place....

Is there anyone making update kits or anything like springs for them. There just does not need to be that strong of a spring so I'm thinking.

What say you... ?

[Ron/The Old Reb]

I have been using a Belding & Mull measure since the early 60's. Put a screw with a washer into your work bench on the left side of the clamp. Slide the clamp under the washer and tighten it. Works for me. There is a company that makes a modern verson of the Belding & Mull. I got a new reservoir cap from them a number of years ago to replace the one that I lost, and it fit. I do not know if other parts will interchange with the oringinal. If I can fine there web page I will post it. Also take the slide out and clean it good and put some graphite on it and the measure. I do this when it get hard to work the leaver. Hope this helps.

[Pat in Virginia]

Jon,

I just bought a weaker spring of the same diameter as the original at a hardware store and replaced the original spring with it. Functions great and it is much easier to throw the powder.

I also replaced the cracked glass window with a piece of Lexan I cut from a small window pane size sheet which I bought at Lowes. End of cracks. Lowes sells these *8"X10" sheets. A fine bladded hacksaw will cut it out for you and then you can use a file to an abbrasive paper/stone to do the final shaping.

Pat

[Pat in Virginia]

Jon,

I just bought a weaker spring of the same diameter as the original at a hardware store and replaced the original spring with it. Functions great and it is much easier to throw the powder.

I also replaced the cracked glass window with a piece of Lexan I cut from a small window pane size sheet. End of cracks. Lowes sells these *8"X10" sheets. A fine bladded hacksaw will cut it out for you and then you can use a file or an abbrasive paper/stone to do the final shaping.

Pat

[John Bly]

You don't need no stinking powder measure! I use the Lee dippers and a few custom dippers made up from old shell casings with a handle soldered on. I was going to post a few days ago but tonight I checked some dipped charges with a scale just to see how close I could do them. With 24 gr. of FFF I threw 10 charges well within .5 gr and most within .2 grains. Then with 42 gr. of FF I threw 10 charges all within .5 gr. It takes a little practice with the dipper to be consistent but I've been doing it for 30 years.

When you consider the powder that may stick to the bullet or inside the tube or get spilled while loading the .5 gr variance is plenty good. Just for giggles go shoot sometime and vary the charge by .5 gr and see how it effects the group size. Keep it simple and have fun shooting the black and you'll be doing it a long time as a lot of us have.

[Scott Kurki, 12475]

[quote="Lou Lou Lou":1cifhr1m]Been using a Belding and Mull volumetric type for 30 years

So I just got to thinking about this, I have had one for many years and it is just setting there, I keep telling myself Just sell it.....

The spring on the measure is so strong that you can't clamp it to the table tight enough to hold in place.
Everytime I try to use it you need 3 hands, one on the tube to get the powder, one on the arm to work it and another to help hold it in place....

Is there anyone making update kits or anything like springs for them. There just does not need to be that strong of a spring so I'm thinking.

What say you... ?[/quote:1cifhr1m]
Mr Gadget, I have a powder measure from Montana Vintage Arms that is almost identicle to the B& M. Perhaps there would be some interchangable parts? If you like the B& M, you would love the MVA, it has improvements like how it is mounted to the bench.

[Walt Magee]

I have been using a Lee Perfect Powder Measure for 10 years. It is all plastic; it costs about $20. It's cheap enough to have a measure for each gun you shoot and I do. Coupled with a Past Ditgital scale and a trickler you can make a 100 loads in minutes. Because it's plastic BP has no effect on the container at all and all the powder comes out without sticking to the surface. A really great buy. You can get them from Midway, Mid South, Lock Stock.com and every other reloading supplier.
Walt Magee
P.S. It's very accurate!

[matt]

For BP I use the Lyman 55 with aluminum hopper very accurate with BP. I cannot get it to throw smokeless with any accuracy at all so I either weigh all my smokeless with an RCBS electronic powder measure and its partner RCBS electronic scale I get the charges to +-.1 gr or if im doing pistol rounds I use the lee perfect powder measure to +-.2 grains.
Matt
Winslow's Battery D 1st NY LT Artillery 9775v

[xring2245]

I have been using the Lee dippers for 20 years or so.

For the guys using a powder measure such as described on this thread, you may be asking for a lot of trouble. Unless the measure is made of brass, it can be potentially a life-threatening hazard. As far as I know, RCBS makes the only measure that is safe for black powder. It has a brass powder hopper and the other materials are safe for BP as well.

If anyone knows of any other powder measure that is designed for throwing black, let me know. The RCBS model is on the pricey side and I want to get one for BP cartridge loading.

Note: Just checked the price of an RCBS BP measure and it it not as bad as some of the others out there.

Hope all is well...
James

[Scott Kurki, 12475]

I have been using the Lee dippers for 20 years or so.

For the guys using a powder measure such as described on this thread, you may be asking for a lot of trouble. Unless the measure is made of brass, it can be potentially a life-threatening hazard. As far as I know, RCBS makes the only measure that is safe for black powder. It has a brass powder hopper and the other materials are safe for BP as well.

If anyone knows of any other powder measure that is designmed for throwing black, let me know. The RCBS model is on the pricey side and I want to get one for BP cartridge loading.

Hope all is well...
James
Actually, most of the measures mentioned above are specifically for BP.

[Pat in Virginia]

The following is a link to the Buffalo Arms powder measure page. It has several BP Measures from different manufacturers. Also on that page is one for the Lyman #55 Powder Measure that is not designated for BP. I would avoid that one even though many people may have used it for years without a problem because if you do have a serious problem involving a fire or personal injury your insurance company can probably say you were grossly negligent for not using a powder measure specifically for BP. If they can make that stick, they are off the hook for covering any damages. I avoided that specific measure for that specific concern and bought the BP version even though it was more expensive. I figured a few extra bucks potentially might save me a few $100,000. It's called "risk management."

http://www.buffaloarms.com/Products.aspx?CAT=4001

Not listed on the web page are BP measures they offer (or use to offer) by Harrell (in the #30 catalog) and Montana Vintage Arms (not in the #30 catalog so go to the MVA web page). These last two are premium measures and you pay the price.

If you can find a used Bell and Mulding Powder Measure it is also a good one. It comes with a brass hopper and an aluminum powder reservoir. The new MVA measure is something akin to the old B&M measure.

A good BP measure will consistently give you very consistent powders drops in terms of weight. My old B&M comes in around +-.2 grains over a number of different powders. It meters Swiss better than most, but then Swiss 1.5F and 2F are already more consistent than most in grain size. While they overlap some in grain size, you can think of them roughly as being the larger 2F grains (Swiss 1.5F) and the smaller 2F grains (Swiss 2F).

[Pat in Virginia]

Pat Said: "My old B&M comes in around +-.2 grains over a number of different powders. It meters Swiss better than most, but then Swiss 1.5F and 2F are already more consistent than most in grain size. While they overlap some in grain size, you can think of them roughly as being the larger 2F grains (Swiss 1.5F) and the smaller 2F grains (Swiss 2F)."

I just checked the Swiss grain size on their site and it does show the 1.5F as being the coarser grain size in the 2F interval. But, it also indicates that the 2F covers the entire range. What I did was pour the two out side by side and by visual inspection of the batches I had it was obvious that the 2F was mainly comprised of the smaller grains while the 1.5F had the larger grains.

So it may be that Swiss normally does it that way, or I had a special batch of 2F, or they are reserving the right to put the full range of 2F in a container so marked.

Think of the manufacturing process. After screening for 1F, they screen out the larger 2F grains to make 1.5F. What remains is everything smaller than the 1.5F size. Then if they screen that batch using a 2F screen they will trap everything above the smallest 2F granule size, but the 1.5 granule size or most of it has already been screened out.

So, just for kicks, why don't those of you who have Swiss 2F and 1.5F, give it your own a visual test by pouring out two small batches and tell us what you see when you compare the two batches for granule size side by side.

Maybe my 2F batch was an anomaly. Some folks screen/sift their powder to get more consistent granule size and, thereby, more consistent velocity. With Swiss that may not be necessary. The manufacturer will have already done that work for you and give you a more consistent powder that produces a more consistent velocity right out of the canister.

I have to wonder if this variation in granule size is what even within a category is a (the) major contributor to velocity variations resulting from using different batches of powder. Start a new thread if you have any thoughts on this matter, and leave a post here telling us where to go. ;)

Pat

[tonyb]

RCBS Uniflow never had a problem.

[Bob Bumleg]

I use a Belding & Mull, and a 45 year old Lyman 55. Both work well. Clean well after use as humidity and BP will gum up the works. (Beld. & Mull) Especially clean the receiver hole that the tube slides up into as if it rusts, the tube won't "top out".

I agree with Mr. Bly above that weighing each charge of BP is a waste of time. Shoot in low light and watch how much unburned powder exits the muzzle. If you also fill the cavity with Crisco imagine what that does to some of the load in the barrel.