Checking powder-dispenser accuracy while reloading

[jeffreybehr]

I have a newish Hornady Auto-Charge Pro powder dispenser; I keep it turned on (hence 'warm') continuously.. I guess I'm a little compulsive--AKA 'worried'--about its retaining its calibration while I'm in process of loading a series of cartridges.. I tried using a 1-gram weight, but that's grain-equivalent is 15.43, sort of right in the middle of a round to one-tenths.. I then figured out that a 2-gram weight--duhhhh--converts to 30.865 grains, and only something that's wrong much of the time would round that to something other than 30.9 grains.. I 'toss' that in the pan between each series of 5 or 6 or 10 cartridges, and this new computer always displays 30.9.

 

[Jager]

My advice would be not to invent unnecessary worry. Calibrate your new dispenser before a loading session. But otherwise enjoy the fruits that modern technology affords us.

I would not keep it turned on all the time.

 

[spike-55]

better get yourself a great surge suppressor

 

[Dusty Stevens]

Run that bad boy off a battery or have a spare dispenser handy. No reason to leave it on all the time

 

[JohnKielly]

Make a check weight for each of your favourite loads out of soft point bullets or old brass key heads. Scratch or stamp the value you reckoned it was on it. Use the appropriate check weight each time you load.

Works with scales too.

 

[Rustytigwire]

Brass on rcbs 750 scale
Zero scale
Charge brass with drop or dispenser
Weigh charged cartridge
Good? Keep...
Not correct?
Dump and go again.
I do not competition shoot.
This method demonstrates the level of consistency available for the items used.
Enjoy!

 

[dgeesaman]

I also have a 2g weight and it does the job of verifying absolutely accuracy. 30.9 is right in the middle range of most rifle cartridge charges.

But scales rarely seem to lose accuracy. They usually lose zero. So if it’s going back to zero in between throws then you have extremely little to worry about.

 

[jeffreybehr]

FWIW, the powder dispenser (PD) was plugged into a long, industrial-type outlet bar, but I've now moved it to my isolation-transformer-type TRIPP-LITE ISOLATOR line-Voltage noise filter that drives my computer and associated equipment.

Interesting to me is that as an audiofool for six decades, I've had DOZENS of line-Voltage filters, regulators, power conditioners, surge protectors, etc. in my audio/video system, the last (and FINAL) being a $10K-retail PS Audio P20 Direct Stream Power Plant P20...but I'd never thought of doing that for my powder dispenser.

The Hornady Auto-Charge Pro powder dispenser is still turned on ALL the time and still keeping that 30.9-grain calibration.

 

[RegionRat]

I’m not versed on that Hornady scale, but does the tare value show when you lift the pan? I find that the negative tare value of the pan is a good thing to watch for a warning of a zero shift.

On occasion, I have caught that negative tare value move in the process of moving the pan on and off. It usually means a stray kernel of powder has jumped onto the platform and is being left behind. Real zero shifts are easy to watch on scales that read the negative tare value but many scales do not show this value and you have to pause to watch the pan zero to do the same thing. That means taking extra steps on ones like the Chargemaster to pause the automatic dispense in order to watch the zero drift.

I recommend watching zero and full or half scale gain with regularity. Those issues are far more common than a sudden loss of linearity. Having the gain or the zero drift will automatically shift all the intermediate values but that is leveraged and easier to see at zero and full scale. Having just the linearity go bad such that a zone in the middle go bad while the rest are good is rare.

If you load with a tray or loading block, you can plan your quality control checks based on watching the tray fill at some interval, then pause and double check your zero and the cal weight.

 

[rayporter]

my CM runs off a battery and i keep a 30 gr check wt along with the calibration weights. i cannot remember when i calibrated last. i turn it on and if it checks 30 gr i start loading.
warm up time is about 15 seconds and it registers 30 gr.

through out the day i check it too because the concussions of shots knocks out powder and that will cause the need to zero it.

 

[divingin]

I’m not versed on that Hornady scale, but does the tare value show when you lift the pan? I find that the negative tare value of the pan is a good thing to watch for a warning of a zero shift.

That's what I watch as well. No pan on the scale should show the negative weight of the pan.

 

[jeffreybehr]

That's what I watch as well. No pan on the scale should show the negative weight of the pan.

Yes it does and yes I do; the machine doesn't start the next charge until the scale quickly settles to zero.. But I still weigh the 2gm. weight between load series.

 

[Shooter13]

Run that bad boy off a battery or have a spare dispenser handy. No reason to leave it on all the time

I purchased the battery pack for the chargemaster and it worked miracles! Now I use it for the CM and the Labradar!

 

[BasicMagic]

I have a charge master lite. What I do is put on my check weights as close to the load I am using as possible on the pan to let the scale warm up. When the value on the scale stops changing (usually 10 to 20 minutes) I then calibrate the scale with its own check weights. I then verify that it measures my check weights appropriately. I then load in batches of 20 or so and place my check weights on ( to the nearest 10 or 20 so I only have to use 2 big weights ) to verify that the scale is measuring properly. The negative pan value changes often by as much as .3 gn, but since I have been warming it up like this it has always measured my check weights correctly and I have not yet had to recalibrate during any loading session.