Powder hopping

Intheshop

Banned
Started to put this in "whatcha doing" today.... and figured this may be a better place?

Anyhoo,it's not a problem.... nothing tying up expensive brain cells. But I've really come to enjoy "throwing" long,stick powders in one of 3 or 4 (or 6?) powder measures.

The two main culprits here,for discussion purposes is the venerable Lyman 55 and equally "classic",Uniflow. The question,which really isn't is mainly about the 55's and Homer Culver conversions. To my pea brain,and the same can be said for micrometer stems in the Uniflow's,that the only thing these changes make are in repeatability.
 

Intheshop

Banned
I get the whole factory,55 thing..... and while I may not like the original adjustment "features",it's hard to argue with on an engineering and versatility standpoint.

So enter Mr. Culver. Have never even touched one so possibly,way off....don't think so. But the main function of the conversion,like a micrometer stem is repeatability..... I get it,dang convenient.

But on stick powders,my main goal is the throwing not the adjustments.

Honestly,neither hopper is "that' dang expensive,buying used on fleabay. Get a few of them,set'm for specific loads and "forgetaboutit". That there takes the importance of adjusting out of it. I'm concerned with the technique of not cutting individual kernels.
 

Intheshop

Banned
So now you've set up an account at the post office..... where you have your own personal,box. In which,you get to spend the children's inheritance buying up cheap Uniflow's and the wifey can concern herself with more important things like,staying in the kitchen where she belongs......huh? That's the last place I want to see mine but.....

If you have.... several ... Uniflow's,you're gonna find one that really "likes" stick powder. I've got better things to do than writing an analysis thesis on statistics comparing one powder hopper to others.....

And besides,if the user can't tell the dang difference by simply operating the handle,listening and feeling for the "crunch".... then no amount of data is going to make any difference here. Because,it's user interface vs engineering.

There,that's off my chest. Hope y'alls powder hopping is a clean,stress free.... on point,no kernal crunching experience.
 
Last edited:

Spindrift

Well-Known Member
I was really surprised when I first tried the Lee «perfect powder measure». The thing looks like one of the plastic toys that come with the children’s menus at McDonalds. No quality feel, whatsoever. But it throws even coarse extruded powders with no crunching. And has a reasonably reproducible adjustment.
 

RBHarter

West Central AR
After many years of throwing charges on a Pacific 155 and MEC 500 & 600 Jrs that tiny little bump/crunch occasionally in the UniFlow is nothing . I only have 2 one recently getting it's parts together for the small drum and the other being left with it's large drum .

I've dropped a lot of IMR 4350 through the older one and the bump/crunch is almost non-existent with the paper spiral "funnel" baffle in it . The trick seems to be to throw and bump the same every time just as for consistency .

I had auto disks but just couldn't warm up to them . Might have been getting the disc numbers , cheat sheet , and scale to agree .

Honestly the UniFlow and Disk measures are the only ones I've used and scoops of course so I don't have a lot to compare other than MEC shot bars and what a gift the steel compatible bars are for that .
 

Brad

Benevolent Overlord and site owner
Staff member
I generally avoid powders that are prone to crunching.
I have a Lyman 55 that gets used with small charges and a Harrels for anything over 15 gr or so. The Harrels is nice because I can write down the settings and easily go right back to it. A Sharpie records the settings right on the powder jug.
I have a couple others that just sit and collect dust.
 

Pistolero

Well-Known Member
Does the Harrels actually have a lower variability in a string of charges thrown, or just good
because when you find that a particular setting is what you need, setting the gauge (never saw
one up close, no idea how it is set) back to the same in a year or a month it will drop the
same charge?
 

Brad

Benevolent Overlord and site owner
Staff member
Charge variability is largely powder and technique based in my opinion.
Having click adjustment so I can repeat charges is good. It is also the smoothest measure I have used. The removable bottle for powder makes it fast to empty too.
 

Ian

Notorious member
Either a Belding & Mull or an RCBS Chargemaster. The drum measures all stink for accurate metering of extruded powders.
 

smokeywolf

Well-Known Member
Would like to get a Belding & Mull one of these days. Have used nothing but an old Hollywood measure forever. Yes it crunches a little with the stick powders, but I can live with that. Besides, I almost always do the under-charge then trickle maneuver, so I don't fret inconsistencies.
 

Intheshop

Banned
The Harrels are made down the rd from here,maybe 45 minutes. The way I understood it was.... when the Culvers stopped,for whatever reason? Mr Harrell took up the "cause".

I can,through purely technique..... go from crunching,3,4,or so kernals to maybe 1 every 1/2 dz throws. Which has always been interesting..... and don't think I can put into words exactly how. It's a rhythm and certain amount of bump.....

I rarely "throw" to desired charge..... shoot for,just under and trickle up. This is on stick powders for my CB rifles. Handguns,different subject.
 

JWFilips

Well-Known Member
The lyman 55's can be finicky! However if you know how to tickle them they can drop an accurate charge 9 out of ten times!
I use those (1 each) for BE, Unique and Red Dot usually dropping light charges!
My 3 Uniflos are dedicated to RX-7 , 2400 and one is floating with whatever slower powder I need ( that one is seldom used in my shooting!)
 

Pistolero

Well-Known Member
I haven't bee able to find any magic in two B&Ms.....in fact they are a giant PITA so far.
Almost impossible to clamp down hard enough that the stupid way-too-strong spring doesn't twist the
whole thing around and just average results, often worse than a Uniflow.

Actually better results with Lyman 55, although probably an unfair comparison. I use the Lym for
small pistol charges have tried using the B&M for rifle charges. Different powders, different
quantities, so probably not fair comparison.

Bill
 
Last edited:

Tom

Well-Known Member
I like the Harrels for all the reasons Brad mentioned as well as the ability to take it to the range with a bottle or two of powder.
 

Pistolero

Well-Known Member
It is apparently a repurposed garage door spring used to return the
1 oz handle. :angry:

I slightly exaggerate. I need to find a replacement spring. The wire on the
spring is about .025 diam, with a coil OD of around 1/4 or 5/16" and a length
of about 2", IIRC. Should be made of about 0.010" wire. Far, far too stiff
and no reason that I can see for it to be like that.
Speaking of the Belding & Mull measure.

Bill
 
Last edited:

CZ93X62

Official forum enigma
I have used a 1970s-made RCBS Duo-Measure until about 5 years ago, when an RCBS Competition Measure came to work at my house. Neither measure gets along with the thicker/longer IMR rod powders, and though I don't use a lot of either IMR 4831, 7828, or 4350--when I do, I pour them light and trickle them up on a balance beam scale. I haven't tried any of the IMR "short-cut" fuels, either. I lean heavily toward ball/spherical powders whenever possible.
 

Intheshop

Banned
Take the spring off....

Not limited to B&M's or any make/model but,try different mounting "systems". I did,but not from a testing standpoint although it seems that way,after the fact. Got both flavors,and RCBS and Lyman hopper stands. Also have the steel RCBS thing,presumably for putting under a die mounted in a press......

Made a similar flat steel piece with U cutouts similar in design to an upright gun holder's "top piece". Used it mounted on two shafts coming up from bench top to hold 4 hoppers in a line. They all had advantages and disadvantages. They all worked OK,as far as the feel thing,I'm maintaining is what's important to achieving accurate throws. Then,the carousel happened....and again,can't fully explain other than it has exactly the right amount of give to it. Much like the extension pce RCBS "gives" you( the one that goes under a die)..... it's probably about perfect in this respect.Just always seemed a nuisance from a die adjusting standpoint.

Still got stick powder,on the brain...... just not throwing today. Am looking at 19.1g of H4198 (2800 fps) that I use in a 223 and wondering about some loading book anamolies.... same stick powders,completely different questions,haha.