A few ?s about Auto-Chargers vs. Case-Activated Droppers

20 posts and I am shocked no one has suggested a Lee powder measure. Say what you want about Lee products, cheap, whatever, but these powder measures work and work well. Especially for pistol charges.

For the price of that RCBS linkage I can buy almost 3 Lee measures. Wait I do have 3 of them. 2 Auto disks and 1 Auto Drum. All of them with hold with-in .1gr with most pistol powders that I've used.
 
I wasn’t being brand specific more of a dispenser vs measure but yeah I would use an auto disk over a dispenser for 500 plinker pistol rounds. I would pick a disk as close to my target as I could though, as I don’t like the adjustable powder charge bar, the disks work better.

There are better choices but as you noted, they cost more too.
 
I guess I'm slow. I don't see an advantage to a case activated powder drop has when using a non-progressive press. I guess you could use it in conjunction with case expanding with straight wall cartridges, but it would need to be adjusted for each caliber (at least with the Hornady one).

I would just mount the RCBS Uniflow on a stand or use the bracket it comes with and clamp it to a bench/table. I wouldn't hassle with using a powder drop and mounting it to a single stage or non-progressive press.

Edit: I guess some individuals like to index the turret and sequentially do all steps to finish each round. With that method I can see why one might want a case activated powder drop. When using a turret, I do each operation on the set of cases before indexing which reduces the advantage of a case activated powder drop.
 
Last edited:
I do have and used the Lyman 1200 for a while. Nice scale, great big touch screen.

It also has the built on trickler. Not a very smooth one but works ok. (I did try to wear it in more hooking it up to a drill but that did not help)

My method for that was to use the old RCBS rock and roll drum and undershoot by 3/10 or so (or more if it overshot)

I then put the pan t on the 1200 and trickled it up to what I wanted.

It worked well, but I do prefer the auto dispenser.

Again I am no whiz bang multi tasker, but I don't see where you can get lost with doing something else.

At worst the powder sits in the pan for 5 minutes.

I have missed powder in a line of 5. Good practice rounds, didn't hurt anything, bullets don't move into bore (they will in hand guns)

I do double fill a case from time to time, merely annoying not a safety issue.

But again, if it does not feel right and work for you, then by all means avoid them, or wait.

Each person is different. My stuff works for me and probably works for others in any given task, but I doubt everyi9ng I do or how I do it works for that same person across the range of reloading.

Some don't care about clean cases. I like clean cases, so I do the steps to get them cleaned up .

My loads are not hunting loads, for better or worse I am trying to shoot the smallest groups I can so I go to more efforts. I may not succeed but I eliminate factors I have under my control as best I think helps.
 
BBarn said:
I don't see an advantage to a case activated powder drop has when using a non-progressive press. I guess you could use it in conjunction with case expanding with straight wall cartridges, but it would need to be adjusted for each caliber (at least with the Hornady one).
Click to expand...

The short answer: by using a case-activated dropper and flow-thru expander die in place of my current system, that should reduce the time it takes to do two steps down to the time it takes to do one. That should reduce the overall time it takes to load 500 rounds by about an hour. That would translate into saving several hours per caliber. At least for 9mm (4,000 rds), .40 S&W (3,000 rds), and .45 auto (3,000). That's more time to load .38 spl, .357 magnum, .44 spl, and .44 magnum, as well as all the rifle rounds I have to load in a fairly short window of time.

Of course, I could be wrong about my calculations, but if it works I won't be scrambling to finish loading next January.
 
I believe you can install the Uniflow onto the turret press as you are thinking by use of the RCBS case activated powder drop die. However, there are a number of things to keep in mind.

1) To do case expanding in the powder drop step, you'll need expander inserts for most of the pistol calibers you are considering.

2) You may need to re-adjust the case activated powder drop die with changes in caliber (due to varying case lengths). Some reloaders buy extra powder drop dies for some calibers to eliminate the need to re-adjust ($$).

3) You will need to re-adjust the powder measure (charge) for each caliber change, which is routine anyway. Again, some reloaders chose to purchase a quick change cylinder and inserts to eliminate the need to re-adjust ($$) the powder charge.

I have not used the RCBS case activated powder drop die, but I have read that adjusting some of the expanding case activated powder drops can prove frustrating and time consuming. You may want to get input from someone who has already done exactly what you are contemplating.
 
BBarn said:
I believe you can install the Uniflow onto the turret press as you are thinking by use of the RCBS case activated powder drop die. However, there are a number of things to keep in mind.

1) To do case expanding in the powder drop step, you'll need expander inserts for most of the pistol calibers you are considering.

2) You may need to re-adjust the case activated powder drop die with changes in caliber (due to varying case lengths). Some reloaders buy extra powder drop dies for some calibers to eliminate the need to re-adjust ($$).

3) You will need to re-adjust the powder measure (charge) for each caliber change, which is routine anyway. Again, some reloaders chose to purchase a quick change cylinder and inserts to eliminate the need to re-adjust ($$) the powder charge.

I have not used the RCBS case activated powder drop die, but I have read that adjusting some of the expanding case activated powder drops can prove frustrating and time consuming. You may want to get input from someone who has already done exactly what you are contemplating.
Click to expand...
Yeah, I'm guessing it's not going to be as easy as I think right now. Which is why I started the thread; Hoping that someone else (several hopefully) on here has already done this.
 
Most bench rest shooters will tell you that a properly measured volumetric charge is more consistent than a weighed charge. The only charges I weigh are the larger stick powders that will not meter consistently. There are ways to meter them, but to me more trouble than its worth.
 
I use a case activated measure for all handgun ammo, 7.62x39, and .233. My AR15 shoots MOA, and my AR47 shoots under 2 MOA. And, this is using a Lee Auto Drum on both a Loadmaster and a Lee Turret press. For long range with my Savage 12FV in 6.5 CM I use a Lee PPM set low and trickle up, pretty consistently sub 1/2 MOA out to 300 yds. I haven't started pushing further out yet, I'm still tweeking my load.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top