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Your kit came with the Lee Safety scale, which is accurate but slow to settle down, When your just setting up or checking the dispenser to make sure its throwing correct charges its fine and dandy. When you are measuring multiple charges one after another its a different story, out of the Kit scales I have I like the RCBS 5-0-5 scale the best. As far as digital goes, remember they do drift once you turn them on so zero frequently or the scale will induce variations.

FishInTx wrote:I did use youtube for directions on how to read the balance scale. I don't like it. Need a digital. I used youtube to help with the auto powder measurer too.

As mentioned, the Lee safety scale is accurate but it does not have magnetic dampening so it takes a while to provide the reading.

I've got both a balance beam scale and a couple of digital scales. I prefer the balance beam all day long. They are more accurate and quicker to read. The zero drift issues with digital scales are a pain in the rear, and I am not willing to guess whether my reading is accurate or the zero drifted. With a balance beam, I know exactly where I stand. Personally, I use the Redding #2 scale.

FishInTx wrote:The auto measure said 4.4 grams but the scale read it at 4.0 grams. I tinkered with it a for a while but wanted to err on the light side so left it alone for now. Books say 4.4 to 4.9.

When using the Lee Auto Disk or Pro Auto Disk powder measures, the charge must always be weighed. The charts listing powder Vxd and suggested hole sizes for various powder charges are simply approximations to get you in the right ballpark. You must weigh the actual charge dropped for a given hole size to verify your setup. Once you've got the right disk size calibrated to your powder weight, then you can crank away.

When I am starting with a brand new powder and weight combination, I'll weigh 30 consecutive charges to see my average and my variance (n=30). Both are important. Some powders simply won't meter reliably while others meter like water. Once I know a certain hole size with a certain powder produces a reliable and reproducible weighed result, then I back off to weighing only one charge every 25 rounds or so (but I still visually verify the powder level in every case).

Jumping Frog wrote: When using the Lee Auto Disk or Pro Auto Disk powder measures, the charge must always be weighed. The charts listing powder Vxd and suggested hole sizes for various powder charges are simply approximations to get you in the right ballpark. You must weigh the actual charge dropped for a given hole size to verify your setup. Once you've got the right disk size calibrated to your powder weight, then you can crank away.

When I am starting with a brand new powder and weight combination, I'll weigh 30 consecutive charges to see my average and my variance (n=30). Both are important. Some powders simply won't meter reliably while others meter like water. Once I know a certain hole size with a certain powder produces a reliable and reproducible weighed result, then I back off to weighing only one charge every 25 rounds or so (but I still visually verify the powder level in every case).

Makes perfect sense. Different sized grains/weight/charge. I'll trust the scale more now and bump it up to 4.4 using a larger disk hole. Late last night, excuse #1, I thought powder was getting stuck in the disk or feeder and not releasing it all. I had trouble reading/setting the scale too, excuse #2, so I thought the weight might be off.
I'll weigh and inspect powder level as recommended.

Thanks for the help. I really do appreciate it.

When do I earn my reloading badge?

DANG...We get badges?????

I must have been absent that day...Story of my life


Don2

I remember my dad locking himself in the spare bedroom closet for hours on end wondering what the heck he was doing. Yet I also recall him always going to the range with big heavy green boxes and coming home with light boxes that rattled...turns out he would lock himself in the sewing room closet and reload 357 38, 45 and 44mag and experiment with his loads like a mad scientist.

Now if he would only set his press back up and teach me some tools of the trade that would be one father son quality time....

Too bad we are never off work at the same time

*edit toallyforgot my reason for posting on this thread then I remembered the post about reloaders in the 80's using Unique as a universal powder for many pistol calibers. Yep that's my dad swore by back then.

FishInTx wrote:

Jumping Frog wrote: When using the Lee Auto Disk or Pro Auto Disk powder measures, the charge must always be weighed. The charts listing powder Vxd and suggested hole sizes for various powder charges are simply approximations to get you in the right ballpark. You must weigh the actual charge dropped for a given hole size to verify your setup. Once you've got the right disk size calibrated to your powder weight, then you can crank away.

When I am starting with a brand new powder and weight combination, I'll weigh 30 consecutive charges to see my average and my variance (n=30). Both are important. Some powders simply won't meter reliably while others meter like water. Once I know a certain hole size with a certain powder produces a reliable and reproducible weighed result, then I back off to weighing only one charge every 25 rounds or so (but I still visually verify the powder level in every case).

Makes perfect sense. Different sized grains/weight/charge. I'll trust the scale more now and bump it up to 4.4 using a larger disk hole. Late last night, excuse #1, I thought powder was getting stuck in the disk or feeder and not releasing it all. I had trouble reading/setting the scale too, excuse #2, so I thought the weight might be off.
I'll weigh and inspect powder level as recommended.

Thanks for the help. I really do appreciate it.

When do I earn my reloading badge?

When zeroing your balance scale and when taking measurments, turn off any ceiling fans, air conditioners, or other fans. They make a difference in your readings. If there are no air flow issues, the balance scale is extremely accurate.

I think the badge is issued after you have reloaded 750,000 rounds, I'm not sure but I'll let you know when I get there.

AndyC wrote: Couple of things here - the measure dispenses a certain volume of powder (I think Lee uses cc's, aka cubic centimeters). Because different powders are less or more dense than the next, those volumes are just to give you a point of reference.

They don't measure the weight of the charge - that's why we use scales. In reloading, weight is measured in grains (that's not referring to individual granules of powder - a grain is a unit of measurement eg there are 437.5 grs to 1 Oz)

Lee manual says to use .37cc's in order to get 4.4 grains of titegroup (i knew it was grains, says it on the scale and everything) I used the .37cc disk but learned it's approximate and only came up to 4.0 grains. I'm gonna keep uppin the disk size till we get atleast 4.4. That's the start grains.

There's a plastic nut on the press used to help index the dies. It has already been stripped while adjusting the dies and depriming. They give you an extra one. Maybe it should have been more

Went out back a few minutes ago and fired seven of my own rounds. One wwb also. I had my son load the magazine so I didn't know which one was the factory round. All rounds fired and (cycled?) the xd45. I could tell when I fired the wwb because it kicked a lot more. Had a good group on the target...from 3 yards. 4.6grains Titegroup. 230grain fmj
Thanks for the help everybody.

Yes, I'm a smilie addict.

AndyC wrote:Congrats on your first loads

Which bullet are you loading - 230gr FMJ?

Thanks and yes 230 fmj rainiers. Have some speer gold dot 200gr hp but haven't touched them yet.

Ok I'm gonna jinx myself here...After the initial set up problems, questions, and doubts things have been going quite well. My .45 and 9mm loads are exactly the same. .43 cc disk, 4.6grains. I can swap out primers and keep crankin. I go one disk size down, .40cc's to load .40s&w, 4.3grains.
I check each primer to make sure it seats and when I lean forward to grab a bullet I check the case to make sure it has powder in it. I've loaded 400 total rounds. I've shot 50 .45's, 50 9mm, and 20.40s&w with no problems whatsoever. I haven't chronographed anything, don't even have one. This is practice/range ammo, and for now I'm happy. My only problem right now is running out of brass to reload. I shot some factory ammo today just so I can reload them. LOL

FishInTx wrote: My only problem right now is running out of brass to reload. I shot some factory ammo today just so I can reload them. LOL

I know what you mean there. Ran into the same situation when I started out but ended up ordering 1K of 45ACP brass from Brassmanbrass.com while it was really cheap. But before it arrived I also bought one of those rolling wire cage brass picker uppers; I think the one I got was called a "Nut Wizzard". I've reloaded about 20 cases of my 1K stockpile because I'm always bringing back more brass from the range than I shot thanks to the Nut Wizzard and the shooters who haven't discovered the pleasure of reloading yet.

Gerry

Gyrogearhead wrote:

FishInTx wrote: My only problem right now is running out of brass to reload. I shot some factory ammo today just so I can reload them. LOL

I know what you mean there. Ran into the same situation when I started out but ended up ordering 1K of 45ACP brass from Brassmanbrass.com while it was really cheap.
Gerry

I bought 500 .45, 500 9mm, and 500 .40. from Brassman. Pretty good brass. A good bunch of the 9mm is flattened on one side. Does a Mac-10 cause that? That's what a friend said. They resize ok. Just wondered.

FishInTx wrote: Lee manual says to use .37cc's in order to get 4.4 grains of titegroup (i knew it was grains, says it on the scale and everything) I used the .37cc disk but learned it's approximate and only came up to 4.0 grains. I'm gonna keep uppin the disk size till we get atleast 4.4. That's the start grains.

There's a plastic nut on the press used to help index the dies. It has already been stripped while adjusting the dies and depriming. They give you an extra one. Maybe it should have been more

My .37 on is giving me 4.3 with titegroup, just loaded up some new ones and checked about 15-20 of them to make sure .
Using the .34 I was getting 4.0