I just installed my first UniqueTek Powder Bar Micrometer after 10+ years of reloading and suffering with the difficult to adjust Dillon coarse screw. This video does a great job of explaining why the spreadsheet for this product is worth your time. It helps to be an engineer but you certainly don't have to be one to use this. The micrometer, once installed, seems to work well by itself as far as controlling backlash and making fine adjustments much easier. I will definitely take the time to collect the data for this spreadsheet so I can be even more precise with making fine adjustment or large load changes. Thank you for a detailed and thorough walk-through of the spreadsheet in question and what to get out of it.
Bill, I am glad it was helpful to you. While it takes a little while to get your calibration curve recorded for a powder measure and powder, it saves a lot of time over the long run.
Excellent video. I've been playing around with this sheet for awhile. This is what I've been doing: I throw 10 to settle the powder before measuring each charge weight. I changed the Micrometer setting column to better reflect the range of power (IE changes by .10 instead of .25) I fill out each individual cell. I want to see exactly what each charge so I know the measured consistency. I added another column "Range of Charges" to show what the measure is +- The function is: =MAX(B7:F7)-MIN(B7:F7) I also added one that averages all of the "Range of Charges" =average(I7:I37) & =MAX(I7:I37)-MIN(I7:I37) BTW with the Arredondo & an otherwise stock powder measure Unique measured with an average range of .14 grains from 2.07 grains to 7.1 grains. That is quite accurate for a flake powder in the Dillon Measure.
AWESOME!! I wanted to check out this product BEFORE I shelled out the $$. Your work here has been invaluable to me. I am well experienced w/ Excel. So, NOW, I can build these worksheets for a variety of loads across the board. Given your process, I can now go back to loads (all haqnd written in notebooks) my father cooked up years ago and put then into this process to create these tables / curves. It's a bit of work initially, but the end results will save tons if time!! THANK YOU,,, THANK YOU!!! WW
Thanks for this. Do you find the model holds up over the life of a jug of powder? What I've found is that the micrometer setting that was right on one day is not right on another day. I assume because of relative humidity changing the density of the powder.
I have just been reloading some 38 Special 105 gn SWC and am wondering about the level of importance of length and powder load. I kept inside +- .0015" in length and, weighing every charge, within +- .03 grains. Is this good enough, or am I already overdoing it? Thing is, I will also be reloading 32 S&W Long, where the charge will be 1.5 -1.7 gn and, obviously, the smaller the charge, the larger percentage the deviation will represent. Also, charge weight is one thing, but, as I discover, empty cases certainly differ in both weight and length, and so the difference in overall length will have an impact on the pressure. Perhaps I should mention that I will not be entering WC precision shooting competitions, but would like to come down to somewhere in the order of 2-3" radiuses at 25 yards with my Manurhin (supported). If possible. I am not experienced enough to know if I'm chasing wild geese here; hence I turn to you, having followed your excellent and thorough videos.
An overall length variation of +-.0015” is very acceptable for what you wish to do. About the only people I know that weigh every charge are long range bench rest rifle shooters and new reloaders who want to/need to/should get comfortable with their technique and equipment. When I start a reloading session, I throw 5 charges and put each charge immediately back into the hopper. I then throw 10 charges and put all 10 charges in my electronic scale’s powder pan. I then weigh that amount, divide by 10 (which is easy, move the decimal point) and that gives me the average charge weight. If it is what I wanted, I then proceed to reload and will not check weight again until after I have reloaded at least 100 rounds. If the weight is not what I want, I them empty the powder charge bar, adjust the micrometer while the charge bar is in the rearward position, throw 5 charges that I put back in the hopper and them throw 10 and weigh those (like I showed in the video). I have two videos where I compare the accuracy of some powder measures. The links are here. The videos will give you an idea of how accurate you can get with each of the powder measures I tested. ruclips.net/video/arz_AM8K8B8/видео.html ruclips.net/video/VSJ82CY07tA/видео.html For jacketed bullets, I measure length from bottom of case to top of bullet. For SWC, I measure length from bottom of case to bullet shoulder, not the top of the bullet nose. The nose of a SWC can vary quite a bit between bullet manufacturers and measuring to the bullet shoulder is more consistent if you tend to use different bullet casters. For straight wall metallic case reloading, a variation in the length of a case should not affect overall length significantly. If you are finding that for a particular brand of brass you have to significantly change bullet seating depth so you can properly roll crimp into the bullet’s cannelure, then they may be a brand of brass you do not want to use. p.s. I received a RUclips notification regarding your comment on the Redding bullet seating die. However, the actual comment is not showing up on the video. If you go to that video, you will see I created a comment meant for you. p.p.s. I do not own nor have I ever fired a Manurhin, but I hear they are wonderful revolvers.
@@knowledge2you Thank you very much for your very detailed response which certainly makes me feel that trying the rounds that I have loaded will give a good answer to what load suits my revolvers. I could mention that I am using a Präzipress single stage press, Redding dies, the RCBS Micrometer Powder Measure, Vihtavuori N310 and, actually, the GemPRO 250 (where I kept on trying to charge each case until I had a .02 indicated deviation, which obviously could be up to 0.299 = 0.3). My work with the RCBS confirms your findings in your first test. I will have to see how my trial works out, but at the moment, I wonder if I could use your tactic with 10 charges to find the desired average what with the high standard deviation of the RCBS. With small charges, also for 32 S&W Long, plus minus 0.1 grains represents between 5 % and 15 % of the small charges I will be dealing with, and therefore I would like to minimize the standard deviation if possible. It all depends on what shooting you do, of course, but I enjoy trying to accomplish some decent precision shooting, and, even though for medical reasons I need to use both hands, I permit myself to raise an eyebrow when people hit a 1'x1' target at 10 yards and talk about great precision in their reloading... Doing over 500 with my 2 3/4" snubby MR73 at 25 yards with Fiocchi 148 gr LWC, I would be a bit disappointed if I am not even near that with reloading. Will have to see. Your videos (I watch them all) raise the question for me: spend more time or go for a 550. The RCBS could do its duty for rifle cartridges, where round consumption is low and time not of the essence. Nor 0.1 grains of deviation... Thank you for your tips on measuring to the bullet shoulder and about the roll crimp in relation to the seating depth! ps. Thank you again for that. pps. They are gems. I watch my neighbors spending thousands of dollars on depreciation on their cars which they buy new every now and then, and with good conscience I spend a fraction of that on wonderful revolvers and good tools that last me forever... I hope you get to try a Manurhin one day - but beware; they are addictive :-)...
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Thank you so much for putting this into an easy to understand format, me and excel are not friends.
I am glad you found it useful. Excel can be a beast to tame sometimes.
I just installed my first UniqueTek Powder Bar Micrometer after 10+ years of reloading and suffering with the difficult to adjust Dillon coarse screw. This video does a great job of explaining why the spreadsheet for this product is worth your time. It helps to be an engineer but you certainly don't have to be one to use this. The micrometer, once installed, seems to work well by itself as far as controlling backlash and making fine adjustments much easier. I will definitely take the time to collect the data for this spreadsheet so I can be even more precise with making fine adjustment or large load changes. Thank you for a detailed and thorough walk-through of the spreadsheet in question and what to get out of it.
Bill, I am glad it was helpful to you. While it takes a little while to get your calibration curve recorded for a powder measure and powder, it saves a lot of time over the long run.
Excellent video.
I've been playing around with this sheet for awhile.
This is what I've been doing:
I throw 10 to settle the powder before measuring each charge weight.
I changed the Micrometer setting column to better reflect the range of power (IE changes by .10 instead of .25)
I fill out each individual cell. I want to see exactly what each charge so I know the measured consistency.
I added another column "Range of Charges" to show what the measure is +- The function is: =MAX(B7:F7)-MIN(B7:F7)
I also added one that averages all of the "Range of Charges" =average(I7:I37) & =MAX(I7:I37)-MIN(I7:I37)
BTW with the Arredondo & an otherwise stock powder measure Unique measured with an average range of .14 grains from 2.07 grains to 7.1 grains. That is quite accurate for a flake powder in the Dillon Measure.
AWESOME!! I wanted to check out this product BEFORE I shelled out the $$. Your work here has been invaluable to me. I am well experienced w/ Excel. So, NOW, I can build these worksheets for a variety of loads across the board. Given your process, I can now go back to loads (all haqnd written in notebooks) my father cooked up years ago and put then into this process to create these tables / curves.
It's a bit of work initially, but the end results will save tons if time!!
THANK YOU,,, THANK YOU!!!
WW
Wilsen, I am glad you found it useful.
Well done! I have a 30 year old RL550B that will be getting a few upgrades based on your Dillon videos.
Jeff, I am glad they have been helpful.
Very Cool, Very Informative. Thank You for showing us all this tool.
You are very welcome Jeff.
Thanks for this. Do you find the model holds up over the life of a jug of powder? What I've found is that the micrometer setting that was right on one day is not right on another day. I assume because of relative humidity changing the density of the powder.
Learning so much! Great Jedi master!
I am glad you find it useful Erik.
I have just been reloading some 38 Special 105 gn SWC and am wondering about the level of importance of length and powder load. I kept inside +- .0015" in length and, weighing every charge, within +- .03 grains. Is this good enough, or am I already overdoing it? Thing is, I will also be reloading 32 S&W Long, where the charge will be 1.5 -1.7 gn and, obviously, the smaller the charge, the larger percentage the deviation will represent. Also, charge weight is one thing, but, as I discover, empty cases certainly differ in both weight and length, and so the difference in overall length will have an impact on the pressure. Perhaps I should mention that I will not be entering WC precision shooting competitions, but would like to come down to somewhere in the order of 2-3" radiuses at 25 yards with my Manurhin (supported). If possible. I am not experienced enough to know if I'm chasing wild geese here; hence I turn to you, having followed your excellent and thorough videos.
An overall length variation of +-.0015” is very acceptable for what you wish to do.
About the only people I know that weigh every charge are long range bench rest rifle shooters and new reloaders who want to/need to/should get comfortable with their technique and equipment. When I start a reloading session, I throw 5 charges and put each charge immediately back into the hopper. I then throw 10 charges and put all 10 charges in my electronic scale’s powder pan. I then weigh that amount, divide by 10 (which is easy, move the decimal point) and that gives me the average charge weight. If it is what I wanted, I then proceed to reload and will not check weight again until after I have reloaded at least 100 rounds. If the weight is not what I want, I them empty the powder charge bar, adjust the micrometer while the charge bar is in the rearward position, throw 5 charges that I put back in the hopper and them throw 10 and weigh those (like I showed in the video).
I have two videos where I compare the accuracy of some powder measures. The links are here. The videos will give you an idea of how accurate you can get with each of the powder measures I tested.
ruclips.net/video/arz_AM8K8B8/видео.html
ruclips.net/video/VSJ82CY07tA/видео.html
For jacketed bullets, I measure length from bottom of case to top of bullet. For SWC, I measure length from bottom of case to bullet shoulder, not the top of the bullet nose. The nose of a SWC can vary quite a bit between bullet manufacturers and measuring to the bullet shoulder is more consistent if you tend to use different bullet casters.
For straight wall metallic case reloading, a variation in the length of a case should not affect overall length significantly. If you are finding that for a particular brand of brass you have to significantly change bullet seating depth so you can properly roll crimp into the bullet’s cannelure, then they may be a brand of brass you do not want to use.
p.s. I received a RUclips notification regarding your comment on the Redding bullet seating die. However, the actual comment is not showing up on the video. If you go to that video, you will see I created a comment meant for you.
p.p.s. I do not own nor have I ever fired a Manurhin, but I hear they are wonderful revolvers.
@@knowledge2you Thank you very much for your very detailed response which certainly makes me feel that trying the rounds that I have loaded will give a good answer to what load suits my revolvers. I could mention that I am using a Präzipress single stage press, Redding dies, the RCBS Micrometer Powder Measure, Vihtavuori N310 and, actually, the GemPRO 250 (where I kept on trying to charge each case until I had a .02 indicated deviation, which obviously could be up to 0.299 = 0.3).
My work with the RCBS confirms your findings in your first test. I will have to see how my trial works out, but at the moment, I wonder if I could use your tactic with 10 charges to find the desired average what with the high standard deviation of the RCBS. With small charges, also for 32 S&W Long, plus minus 0.1 grains represents between 5 % and 15 % of the small charges I will be dealing with, and therefore I would like to minimize the standard deviation if possible.
It all depends on what shooting you do, of course, but I enjoy trying to accomplish some decent precision shooting, and, even though for medical reasons I need to use both hands, I permit myself to raise an eyebrow when people hit a 1'x1' target at 10 yards and talk about great precision in their reloading... Doing over 500 with my 2 3/4" snubby MR73 at 25 yards with Fiocchi 148 gr LWC, I would be a bit disappointed if I am not even near that with reloading. Will have to see.
Your videos (I watch them all) raise the question for me: spend more time or go for a 550. The RCBS could do its duty for rifle cartridges, where round consumption is low and time not of the essence. Nor 0.1 grains of deviation...
Thank you for your tips on measuring to the bullet shoulder and about the roll crimp in relation to the seating depth!
ps. Thank you again for that.
pps. They are gems. I watch my neighbors spending thousands of dollars on depreciation on their cars which they buy new every now and then, and with good conscience I spend a fraction of that on wonderful revolvers and good tools that last me forever... I hope you get to try a Manurhin one day - but beware; they are addictive :-)...