Bench Report: Powder Measure Accuracy; Dillon, Arredondo, RCBS
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- Опубликовано: 31 июл 2024
- Comparing the accuracy of the Dillon X Small powder bar, the Arredondo powder bar and the RCBS Competition Powder Measure.
Test 2: • Take Two. Comparing Po...
Dillon Precision: www.dillonprecision.com/
RCBS: www.rcbs.com/
UniqueTek: www.uniquetek.com/ 
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Yet another fine video. I always look forward to you posting new videos; I've been reloading for 30+ years, and always learn something new from you.
Thank you floorpizza. It does take a while to produce the videos, but I like to think they contain information that will help others.
Thanks for taking the time to do this test. This is the type of testing and data I like.
Thanks for this great video. I'm having a similar problem just now with .32 S&W long.
I think the drift over a reloading session can either be caused by changing powder pressure in the hopper when not using a baffle or poor quality electronic scales. It's good to see you didn't have any noticeable drift.
Very Well Done. Excellent info and very well documented. Lately I was trying to decide this same thing. Most of the recommendations I got were for the Hornady and Lee Precision drum measures. I bought both of these and then aquired a Dillon press which has a slide bar style. I am going to test all these and see if they are better than my RCBS Chargemaster. I just need to find the time to do it as well as you have done here.
Extremely useful. Thanks for taking your time to collect such useful data.
You're welcome
Obviously that took a lot of time and effort. The result was excellent. Not a baseless opinion, but a test with hard numbers. Thank you for doing this.
Great video, glad my .380 head has the small powder bar.
I've heard of and experienced drift in using electronic scales requiring re-zeroing them while using. I hadn't thought of drift in using mechanical measures. Interesting.
This is a great video thank you for taking the time to be fair and unbiased. Would you do another video to cover a larger charge? To see if loading say .308, 30-06 etc and see what the devices are like throwing a bigger charge to see if it meters that any better. Great video, it is refreshing to see someone using numbers and science to give a view not just conjecture. Well done.
Martin, I only reload straight wall metallic handgun cartridges, so I would not be able to make such a video. But thank you for the kind words.
Exceptional information Sir. Very informative.
That was a very thorough comparison. I've always had excellent results with all my Dillon powder measures. I have not done as thorough a comparison with my Redding but have always has great results from both.
Thanks eclevelland1. When I decided to reload .32 auto and was doing my research, I soon realized there was not a lot of leeway between the minimum recommended powder charge and the maximum. In the Hornady reloading manual that I mentioned in the video, one powder has a minimum load of 1.5 gr and a maximum load of 1.7 gr. That is only a .2 gr difference between min and red line. So I set out to find which powder assembly configuration would give me the most consistent .32 auto loads. If the RCBS was the winner, then the RCBS would be sitting in my .32 auto Dillon toolhead.
My philosophy to reloading is similar to my philosophy on finding accurate loads for a gun. When I found the accurate load for my 1911 .45 competition gun, that load did not reliably cycle the gun. So I modified the gun, not the load. In that case, it was a simple matter of changing the recoil spring. Same thing with my reloading equipment. I change the equipment to get the load I want. I do not change the load so it would make my existing equipment happy.
Excellent video, scientific and logical. Thank you for your practical and scientific approach.
Thank you for reliable and repeatable results. Hope Dillon was watching!!
Well done, thanks for sharing your findings. It is very informative and useful..👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
I learned a lot. Thank You.
very well done video, You just earned one more subscriber. Now for my thoughts, I believe that the dillon style charge bar did much better than the rcbs with such a small powder charge due to there design. With that small of a charge the dillon had a deeper cavity for powder and less surface area for powder to be cut, where as the rcbs has a wider less deep cavity so there was more powder to be cut by the rcbs. However I think that those roles would be reversed if this test is repeated using a 50gr charge of ball or stick powder for a rifle charge where the rcbs would have a deeper cavity with less surface area. Also I think that any human error should be removed by getting a case activated linkage kit for the rcbs (which you would need anyway to run in a dillon press)
Very useful! Thanks...
Nice videos. Thanks! I like your methods.
Are you an engineer? What type? Did you work in a Lab?
Hi, this really picked my interest. I am researching case actuated powder dropper for Hornady LNL progressive press. I searching online but I can't seems to find this simple answer, is Dilon powder thrower is case activated like Hornady? I really like this accuracy and can't wait to see your video with finer powder test.
Dima,
Yes, the Dillon powder measure is case activated. The powder measure consists of these main components.
1)Powder hopper unit, which has lots of individual parts but is used to hold the powder and the ....
2)Powder bar, which controls how much powder is dropped into the ....
3)Powder funnel, which directs the powder to fall into the case and can be used to bell the case for bullet seating. And the ....
4)Powder die, which is the part that screws into the tool head.
I have no knowledge if the Dillon powder measure can be used on a Hornady LNL press. I would assume Dillon would recommend against it because it might require the Dillon failsafe rod to be circumvented. Reloading is an inherently dangerous activity and using equipment where it was not designed to be used is not a good idea. The Dillon powder measure was not designed to be used on any reloading press. It was designed specifically for the Dillon reloading presses. But you can try calling Dillon customer support and get their perspective.
My analysis of the various powder measures for a finer grain powder can be found here.
ruclips.net/video/VSJ82CY07tA/видео.html
Thanks!
Great job. I was thinking about purchasing an rcbs for my Dillon until I saw this video. I am still thinking about getting the micrometer from uniquetek.com. I hate having to use a wrench to adjust the charge and it is a guessing game at best. I put a plastic knob on the bolt but it is still a guessing game.
John, I tell people that ever since I started using a micrometer years ago, I cannot image reloading without it. It has finer threads than the bolt and this leads to finer adjustments. Also, you can write down the micrometer numeric setting for different loads and use that number to return to a starting point. (Even when I use the number, I always weigh at least 10 charges before I actually start reloading. Changes in temperature and humidity could require a small adjustment to the micrometer.)
The one advantage the drum-type powder measures, like the RCBS, have over the Dillon powder measure is they are less prone to powder leakage. If you experience powder leakage, I do have a video on the causes and cures of powder leakage on a Dillon powder measure. (p.s. The micrometer will not contribute to nor stop powder leakage.)
I have both the RCBS (over 50 years old) and the Redding (also over 50 years old) and they are extremely accurate as checked every 10-20 rounds with my old balance scale(s) I will say tho that I have no loads that use less than say 3.5 grains and most are 4-60 grains. both my measures are micrometer and old LOL I don't even use a baffle... I add powder when they are down to about a quarter. Extruded .. crunch crunch no problem.
Guys: I want to use this as a fast measuring tool for coffee powder (exactly 10g). is it possible to use this machine? will the powder (coffee) be too light for use? i
None of this equipment is rated, or cleaned by the manufacturer, for the handling of food. The Dillon powder bar and the Arredondo powder bar require the use of the Dillon powder measure which would then be installed on a more expensive progressive reloading press. The RCBS powder measure can be used on a less expensive single stage press. And certain gun powders are light, but the bottom line is this equipment was not made for the handling/processing of food.
Thanks for putting in all that effort. I know it took a great deal of time. I'd like to know how old the RCBS powder measure is, how well used it is. It's my experience that the rotary drum measures need to "break in". Also, are you up to testing a different kind of powder? Like ball or flake? Rotary measures have the reputation of not performing as well on extruded powder.
Each device has about a year of use. N310 is the powder I use in my competition loads. So, no, I won't be repeating these tests with other powders or other powder measures or other charge weights. Basically, as I go about my shooting business, if I do something that would be of interest to others, I share that information via RUclips.
If I was trying to make money off of RUclips, I probably would do more testing, but you can probably tell that monetization is turned off on my videos as you do not see ads before or during the video.
Thank you thank you thank you.
Wow! I would have put my money on the rcbs I have used one for year great test .
I do not own an RCBS measure. I have watched users of the RCBS and red clone Hornady explain how they must be used to get repeatable loads. One user described it as a metronome getting the rythm and timing of the up and down tapping to be just right.
I am curious how expieienced you were with the RCBS ?
Even the Dillon and it's powder bars require a consistent hand operation to reduce charge variation. If you slam the press's handle up and down for some loads and then go weak on other loads, you will introduce variation. So the need for consistent operation is not unique to drum powder measures.
I kinda think that because of the type of powder that was used, extruded stick, the Dillon slide style is very likely to be more accurate than the RCBS rotary drum type. I think if flake or ball powder were tested, the results may very well be reversed due to the Dillon's propensity for leaking fine grained powders. I have had problems with the Dillon continuously dribbling Power Pistol powder all over the shell plate. I'm currently using a Hornady L-n-L powder measure on my Dillon 650 so that I can use a Lyman M-die. As a side effect, the shell plate is spotless, no powder at all on the shell plate. It accurately hold at 10.5 grains and lets me use my M-die.
Did you try contacting Dillon to get a thicker spacer bar? I also use Titegroup powder, which is a flake powder, and experienced leakage. So I contacted Dillon, they sent to me free of charge a thicker spacer bar. Problem solved without having to change to a totally different powder measure.
Thank you for posting this. Any chance you might test the Lee against the Dillon?
Chilly, sorry, but I do not have any plans in the near future to do a powder measure comparison.
Looks to me that your test makes em all about the same and differences in powders or charge weights or even the humidity that day would make any one of em come in first or last. I will stick with my powder measure and if I want to get ultra super super accurate I will weigh each charge (LOL) not gonna happen. My .223 loads for instance use 'size to fit in anything just like factory' and check load every 10 rounds on a scale (unless I forget then every 20 or so) accuracy tests at 100 yards show that my loads are within an eighth of an inch of any other either better or worse. And yes.. I realize that some calibers will be 500 or more yard accuracy loads which I don't even bother with... when you are talking pistol rounds (which I mostly make) seriously? .06?
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there is so much wrong with this video. different types of measures do better with different types of powder. but the lower the charge weight, the more critical it becomes. oh...i don't care WHAT your excuse is, you are using the wrong powder for that cartridge if you want to do anything other than trickle.
Well, I guess I need to tell the entire NRA Precision Pistol community and the USA Pardini distributor that Joe says they are all wrong. The only thing I agree with you is that the lower the charge weight, the more critical it is. Which is exactly why I ran this test. p.s. I did a follow up test using a totally different type of powder to see if the results changed. They didn’t.
The Lee Perfect measure could probably beat all 3 of the above. RCBS is the cheap suit of reloading equipment where the performance doesn't justify the price.
you don't reload. i would tell you your error, but since you just want to throw insults, I will oblige. you're an idiot.