I enjoy testing different loads in rifles. I typically will prepare test rounds by carefully weighing each one on a RCBS ChargeMaster powder dispenser/scale combination. Once a “best load” is determined, I’ll make a few hundred rounds for that rifle.
So, can I trust the powder measure on my Dillon 550B to throw precise loads or do I need to hand-weigh these also?
The Test Procedure:
I created and ran a comparison between two different types of powder in the Dillon powder measure.
Hodgden’s CFE223 powder is a “spherical” type powder while their Varget brand is extruded into little rods. Just by looking at the two powders, it would seem that the CFE223 would meter better through the measure since it should flow better and because it had a finer texture. The rods of the Varget powder can get hung up on the reciprocating bar of the Dillon measure (or on the rotating parts in a rotary powder measure).
I decided to calibrate the powder measure and then throw thirty charges of each powder. Weighing them would show what variation I was getting.
I created this simple procedure:
By removing the brass locator pin in the #2 station on the press, I could insert, cycle, and remove the brass cases.
The powder in each case was weighed and the data recorded.
Results:
The data were entered into an Excel spreadsheet.
I like to see data displayed visually so I made a graph of each powder’s results.
-- Both powders produced an average very close to the target weight of 26.0 grains.
-- The Varget had a range of 3/10s of a grain. The CFE223 had a range that was half of that.
-- The CFE223 standard deviation was likewise half that of the Varget.
-- I would be OK making “everyday use” loads for a precision rifle with the CFE223 results. I’m less interested in making loads that are going to vary by 3/10s of a grain. Therefore, I would hesitate to make precision rounds on the Dillon if I was loading a “stick” or “extruded” powder.
-- Either powder could be used to load rounds for plinking or for a rifle class (short distance).
-- For competition or testing rounds, I will still load each round individually.
-- This simple test could be run using any powder that you are considering using.
-- Shooting stuff is fun. Making your own rounds to shoot is also fun!
Disclaimer:
This is not a scientific article. It is just for fun. Let’s not get into a discussion of significant figures or measurement variation. I took the liberty of expressing some quantities to two decimal places to more clearly show the differences between the two powders. I know that the initial data was significant to only three digits.
So, can I trust the powder measure on my Dillon 550B to throw precise loads or do I need to hand-weigh these also?
The Test Procedure:
I created and ran a comparison between two different types of powder in the Dillon powder measure.
Hodgden’s CFE223 powder is a “spherical” type powder while their Varget brand is extruded into little rods. Just by looking at the two powders, it would seem that the CFE223 would meter better through the measure since it should flow better and because it had a finer texture. The rods of the Varget powder can get hung up on the reciprocating bar of the Dillon measure (or on the rotating parts in a rotary powder measure).
I decided to calibrate the powder measure and then throw thirty charges of each powder. Weighing them would show what variation I was getting.
I created this simple procedure:
By removing the brass locator pin in the #2 station on the press, I could insert, cycle, and remove the brass cases.
The powder in each case was weighed and the data recorded.
Results:
The data were entered into an Excel spreadsheet.
I like to see data displayed visually so I made a graph of each powder’s results.
-- Both powders produced an average very close to the target weight of 26.0 grains.
-- The Varget had a range of 3/10s of a grain. The CFE223 had a range that was half of that.
-- The CFE223 standard deviation was likewise half that of the Varget.
-- I would be OK making “everyday use” loads for a precision rifle with the CFE223 results. I’m less interested in making loads that are going to vary by 3/10s of a grain. Therefore, I would hesitate to make precision rounds on the Dillon if I was loading a “stick” or “extruded” powder.
-- Either powder could be used to load rounds for plinking or for a rifle class (short distance).
-- For competition or testing rounds, I will still load each round individually.
-- This simple test could be run using any powder that you are considering using.
-- Shooting stuff is fun. Making your own rounds to shoot is also fun!
Disclaimer:
This is not a scientific article. It is just for fun. Let’s not get into a discussion of significant figures or measurement variation. I took the liberty of expressing some quantities to two decimal places to more clearly show the differences between the two powders. I know that the initial data was significant to only three digits.