Powder pouring

[Dave M.]

I poured lots of rounds today for an upcoming dasher test. I poured RL-15,Viht N135 and N140. I’m using the .243 sized purple Hardcore Gear powder funnel which has always worked great, however today I found N135 to extremely “bouncy”. On several occasions I had tiny kernels of N135 on my reloading tray. The powder had obviously bounced out of the brass. All brass was brand new and prepped, sized and primed the exact same way. Anyone else ever experience this with N135? Or even without it? Solution? Ideas?? It was enough of a hassle that I would seriously consider using it for normal competitive rounds without a suitable solution in place.
Dave

 

[J.d. Popkes]

Any chance it’s bouncing off the funnel?

How are kernels going through the funnel, in the case, hitting the bottom and bouncing out the same way they came in, while other kernels are going in?

 

[6Creed73]

I've used quite a bit of N-135 for 223/5.56...Can't say I've ever had any bounce out of the case, not even sure how it could bounce and clear the funnel. I use the Area 419 aluminum funnel.

 

[Chris Edmondson]

static charge?

 

[Dave M.]

Any chance it’s bouncing off the funnel?

How are kernels going through the funnel, in the case, hitting the bottom and bouncing out the same way they came in, while other kernels are going in?

Good question. I poured all three powders through the same funnel using the same slow pouring process. They must have been hitting differently than every other powder I pour because I never have this issue.
Dave

 

[Murray Brook]

Funny this came up. I was loading N-135 tonight for my 6br and found that some of the kernels would bounce back out of my aluminum scale pan onto my bench top.

 

[Dave M.]

Funny this came up. I was loading N-135 tonight for my 6br and found that some of the kernels would bounce back out of my aluminum scale pan onto my bench top.

So strange. I’ve never seen powder so “bouncy”.

 

[TTE]

I put the pan about 1/3 of the way into the funnel and on the side of the funnel when pouring. It kind of swirls around to the opposite side of the funnel as it goes down. Then tap the pan on the funnel a few times.

Works for me.

 

[Walt Krafft]

It is winter and the air is dry. Boil some water to raise the humidity. Wipe the funnel and pan with a dryer sheet. Look for sources of static electricity. I Have a pair of shoes that generate enough to run the house.

 

[Dave M.]

I always wipe everything down with dryer sheets, including the Area 419 powder cup and the Hardcore Gear powder funnel. I also keep a digital RH% gauge on my reloading bench in my basement which is very consistent humidity, and I won’t even think of reloading unless the RH% is between 42-50%. Plus the other two powders poured perfectly. All three powders were poured from brand new bottles that were just cracked open. Still baffled.

 

[K22]

When my 50-year plastic funnel opening finally opened up too much after extensive use, I purchased one of the expensive metal funnels with a supposedly custom fit opening for a 22 caliper. This thing leaked small grain extruded powder on to the loading block if I didn't perfectly align the funnel with the case neck. A real pain for sure.

Maybe I just got a bad one, but I trashed the funnel and went back to a simple plastic funnel and never had a problem since. The clear construction of the MTM funnel also permits me to easily visually verify that all powder has entered the case. Sometimes, simple is better.

 

[Dave M.]

When my 50-year plastic funnel opening finally opened up too much after extensive use, I purchased one of the expensive metal funnels with a supposedly custom fit opening for a 22 caliper. This thing leaked small grain extruded powder on to the loading block if I didn't perfectly align the funnel with the case neck. A real pain for sure.

Maybe I just got a bad one, but I trashed the funnel and went back to a simple plastic funnel and never had a problem since. The clear construction of the MTM funnel also permits me to easily visually verify that all powder has entered the case. Sometimes, simple is better.

I seriously think this is the issue. Because N135 kernels are tiny. I’m going to try my old clear plastic funnel next time I pour N135

 

[bozo699]

I seriously think this is the issue. Because N135 kernels are tiny. I’m going to try my old clear plastic funnel next time I pour N135

Dave,
Hardcore gear funnels are top of the line, there made close to where I live. I bought all of them and never had an issue but I load almost exclusively extruded powders. Hope you get it figured out.
Wayne

 

[762willdo]

Wipe your funnel out with a dryer sheet problem solved…

 

[Dave M.]

Dave,
Hardcore gear funnels are top of the line, there made close to where I live. I bought all of them and never had an issue but I load almost exclusively extruded powders. Hope you get it figured out.
Wayne

Honestly I love them too. Perhaps the tiny powder of N135 is somehow slipping past the .243 hardcore gear funnel.

 

[memilanuk]

When my 50-year plastic funnel opening finally opened up too much after extensive use, I purchased one of the expensive metal funnels with a supposedly custom fit opening for a 22 caliper. This thing leaked small grain extruded powder on to the loading block if I didn't perfectly align the funnel with the case neck. A real pain for sure.

Maybe I just got a bad one, but I trashed the funnel and went back to a simple plastic funnel and never had a problem since. The clear construction of the MTM funnel also permits me to easily visually verify that all powder has entered the case. Sometimes, simple is better.

Good to hear I'm not the only one.

I have a very grungy-looking RCBS powder funnel... sits all catty-wampus on my smaller cases, but it does a flawless job with everything from .223 Rem to .338LM. Just doesn't "look" very nice. I've also got a modified MTM funnel that Whidden sold for a while - the lower flange is turned off so it fits inside a Dillon powder die - that also works great.

Somewhere along the line, I drank the Kool-Aid and tried some of the nicer metal funnels. One from 21st Century, with a 4" drop tube. That one works 'okay' on my .308 Win, but needs to be situated just perfectly or it leaks badly. Smaller cartridges, don't even bother. And I tried the funnel set from Area 419... very nice, very 'bling'... but I never felt they sat as securely on the case mouths as I liked. Definitely didn't care for the Dillon powder die adapter. Luckily, I had little problem 're-homing' that set at nearly full price.

Somewhere along the line I was messing about shooting my .223 Rem more, and got on a hunt for a powder funnel that fit just right. I'd had a Satern .30 cal previously (prize table pickup) that never quite did it for me... I don't know what changed, but the new ones... they work *great*. So now I've got .22, 6mm, 6.5mm, .30... and they work *almost* as well as that skanky green RCBS plastic funnel. They just look prettier sitting on top of the case in the loading block

 

[K22]

Good to hear I'm not the only one.

I have a very grungy-looking RCBS powder funnel... sits all catty-wampus on my smaller cases, but it does a flawless job with everything from .223 Rem to .338LM. Just doesn't "look" very nice. I've also got a modified MTM funnel that Whidden sold for a while - the lower flange is turned off so it fits inside a Dillon powder die - that also works great.

Somewhere along the line, I drank the Kool-Aid and tried some of the nicer metal funnels. One from 21st Century, with a 4" drop tube. That one works 'okay' on my .308 Win, but needs to be situated just perfectly or it leaks badly. Smaller cartridges, don't even bother. And I tried the funnel set from Area 419... very nice, very 'bling'... but I never felt they sat as securely on the case mouths as I liked. Definitely didn't care for the Dillon powder die adapter. Luckily, I had little problem 're-homing' that set at nearly full price.

Somewhere along the line I was messing about shooting my .223 Rem more, and got on a hunt for a powder funnel that fit just right. I'd had a Satern .30 cal previously (prize table pickup) that never quite did it for me... I don't know what changed, but the new ones... they work *great*. So now I've got .22, 6mm, 6.5mm, .30... and they work *almost* as well as that skanky green RCBS plastic funnel. They just look prettier sitting on top of the case in the loading block

Yea, I drank the "Kool-Aid" too and it didn't taste so good. Besides leaking small kernels of extruded powder when charging my 223's cases, you couldn't see if all the powder had been deposited into the case, I had to bend over to verify. With the MTM funnel, which is clear, I can readily verify all powder has been deposited into the case without having to change position at the reloading table

I would also say, for me the simpler I can keep the reloading process the better. Like everyone else I read all the claims, theories, assertions, dire warnings, on the internet by "experts" because like most of us I want the most reliable and accurate reloads possible for my intended needs. I even drank some more "Kool Aid" but very few if any of these "expert" claims have produced results on target that I can detect.

The most significant improvement I have made in my reloading process over 50+years of it now is using a bump gauge and caliper to set my F/L die. For me, this truly was a step change improvement over using the old trial-and-error method of using the rifle chamber.

 

[LHSmith]

I use a Saturn aluminum funnel that accepts clear lexan droptubes. It is the only funnel that when done reloading does not leave ANY traces of powder on the bench top. I have RCBS, Redding, and Lee plastic funnels and they all have a tendency to allow kernels and specks of powder to fail to drop into the case. IMO the radiused ID of the droptube does not offer a "shelf" (i.e. the case mouth) for powder to rest on as is the case with standard funnels.

 

[Pete Wass]

I made a funnel that sits atop my cases. The 2" funnel I turned on my lathe and pressed in a 1/2" aluminum tube I made by drilling a hole through it and counterbored so that it fits snuggly on the case neck, about 4" long. No more static problems or loose powder.

 

[SSchnd]

Saturn Funnels for me. I would like a better pan for the electronic measure though.