Good Thread!
Weighed vs., thrown powder charges?
This is a subject I've always found particularly interesting. Like so many others, I've spent countless hours at the kitchen bar or dining table with various measures, powders and scales practicing different techniques trying to achieve that illusive 'perfect' result.
I can tell you right up front that perfection with either method cannot be achieved and in my opinion, nor is it necessary!
Before I continue, keep in mind that I'm a short-range, group shooter. My experience in has been limited to mostly the 6ppc, 22-100, Lapua 220 Russian (a.k.a. the 220 Beggs and the 6 Beggs.)
The long range shooters weigh their charges and try to keep extreme spreads to a minimum, usually down in the single digits as variations in velocity really show up at longer ranges. The inevitable 20 to 40 fps extreme spreads seen with the 6ppc and 6Beggs using modern powders, good primers and either carefully weighed or thrown charges do not show up on the target at 100 and 200 yards. Yep, it's true and I can prove it to you in the tunnel.
Some powders flow through a Culver type measure like quicksilver and very definitely show smaller variations in charge weight and extreme velocity spreads. W-748, a small grain ball powder is tops in this regard in the tests I've run, but in the 6ppc, I never got it to shoot as well as N133 or 8208. To me, the new LT-32 looks exactly like the original T powder from Thunderbird. Both are small-grain, extruded powders and flow beautifully through my Jones measure.
In the tests I've run through the years, I've used Sinclair, Jones and Harrels measures. All performed equally well when kept clean, free of static electricity and using good operator technique. I don't use slow, complicated methods of operating. Simplicity and consistency is the key in my experience.
I raise the operating handle quickly and smoothly to the top stop, pause momentarily then use whatever technique is necessary on the down stroke to get the charge in the case. If there is plenty of room in the case just dump the charge quickly. If you are trickling slowly in order to get a heavy charge in the case, don't worry about the slow down stroke affecting the charge. The charge is determined on the upstroke of the handle. If you are quick and smooth on the upstroke and pause momentarily at the top, your charges will be very consistent. If you vary the rate at which you raise the handle, your charge weights will be all over the place.
Practice throwing 20 charges into clean, new cases with a spent primer seated upside down. Use the same cartridge tray or box you use on the firing line. Do everything exactly the same then weigh each charge using an accurate scale that you trust. If you can consistently throw 20 charges in which 90 percent of them are within plus or minus .1 grains, you're doing great and need not worry about whether or not you're 'leaving anything on the table' in short-range BR.
Once in a while, maybe one out of twenty, you will throw a charge that is .3 grains high or low.
Don't worry 'bout it! If your rifle is properly tuned and shooting, it will ignore, due to positive compensation, an extreme spread of as much as 40 fps.
Well, there you have it; my opinion based on years of experience in match competition and in a 100 yard tunnel. I encourage you to run some tests of your own. Those who know me will say that I'm always trying to separate the fly poop from the pepper, always looking for easier, better, simpler ways of doing things. Some things make a difference, some don't. Others do no harm but waste valuable time. In my opinion, weighing each charge to the nearest gazillionth of a grain is a waste of time.
But don't get me wrong; you must know by weight in grains, what your measure is throwing. A small but reasonably accurate scale in your equipment box should be used to set your powder measure. I just don't think you need to weight each and every charge.
FWIW
Good shootin'
Gene Beggs
