I read with interest Annie & Stuarts post mentioning their use of a automated
powder measuring system i.e. RCBS Chargemaster. Like most BR shooters I've been using
a Harrell measure with nice fine powders like BM1, 2 or 2219 with pretty repeatable charges.
However, I've just started shooting F-class Std. and started using the way chunkier 2208 or 2208H
in my 308W but just can't seem to get consistent powder charges. Even at 300m vertical was evident and
a chrono session confirmed some fairly bad velocity spreads. As a control round I chrono'ed some British ex-mil 7.62
ammo that had less variation than my handloads ( what a shame job!)
I tried a Redding 3BR powder measure as well, almost as good as a Harrell but still inconsistant.
I guess the question to the F-classers out there is do you weight every load I throw and reject the light/heavy ones?
tnx, Chris
G'Day Chris,
I weigh every charge on a blance beam scale. I tried the digital scales but found I had to zero regularly. In the end, I felt more confident trickling every charge on a mechanical scale..........I then KNEW the charges were all the same.
Darren White also weighs each mechanically, in the 6ppc at 600yds straight from the Harrel gave heaps of vertical, once he weighed each one, the vertical was cut to less than 1/3 of the Harrel measured charges. His 6ppc has driven 70gn Blitzkings into a group much smaller than a 20cent pc at 600yds and they still shot ok at 800yds but were subsonic!
Also, i chrony'd loads from the mech beam vs electonic scales and found very good ES & SD's with the mech beam compared to the elec scales. So for me it was a no brainer. weigh everything on a mechanical beam, might be a bit slower but, i reckon more consistent.
hope this helps
Cheerio geoff