Powder check sensitivity

Looking for experience and comments on how sensitive powder check systems are on Dillon 650 and Hornady progressive presses.

Are they only good enough to detect no powder or double powder charge? Can they be adjusted enough to detect 10 or 20% low?

Perfect every time is the powder charging we want obviously. I recently discovered that ammo I loaded over a 2 day period (1200) rounds has maybe 10% of the rounds with a low charge. My routine check at every primer try loading did not catch any low charges. So I now have a bunch of practice ammo but I wish to never have this problem again. I don't wish to check every round.

My hordady LNL setup had my complete confidence based on several thousand rounds and hundreds of powder checks with never a measurement issue before.

I have a Hornady powder check die and it will not detect small increments. It is merely a die that pushes a rod that you have marked a level with an o-ring in a groove so it uses your gross estimation. It will certainly help you catch an empty or double filled case but nothing that is a fine measurement.

This doesn't answer your question directly but why not just remove every 10th or so case at the powder check station, weigh the charge and make adjustments if necessary?

the only powder check that's fool proof is the rcbs lock out die, it wont detect a tenth or two variation, but if its doubled or empty it stops the press in its tracks.

DavidR wrote:the only powder check that's fool proof is the rcbs lock out die, it wont detect a tenth or two variation, but if its doubled or empty it stops the press in its tracks.

Thanks for mentioning this.  I intend to add one of these or something similar to my Dillon XL650.

there is nothing similar.

Powder baffle helps. Powder bad to pack up.

And the type of powder definitely contributes to the variance problem..

Any tricks to keep powder from sticking to a powder checker? I'm using a Dillon on my Hornady LNL progressive and Bullseye flakes stick to it.

Montster wrote:Looking for experience and comments on how sensitive powder check systems are on Dillon 650 and Hornady progressive presses.

Are they only good enough to detect no powder or double powder charge?  Can they be adjusted enough to detect 10 or 20% low?

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You could probably re-contour the cam area of a Dillon Powder Check to suit you tolerances. Inline Fabrications adapts Dillon Powder Checkers to use on Hornadys.

I load for a commercial loader using 1050's so I am very used to the Dillon powder check. They are only designed to catch very large variations that could create a dangerous situation. However, there are a few nuances that will allow you to get a finer tune on monitoring your powder levels. Larger powder charges with larger flake sizes will allow the powder check to catch a smaller variation. That's because a little variance will have a greater impact on the powder level in that situation. With bullseye pistol type loadings, small amounts of fine powder, the same percentage difference in your powder drop as before that set off the alarm now will not. It effectively takes a larger variance to set off the alarm. Here is a trick. Set the powder check so that the buzzer is in the very center of the groove on the rod. Now with every round that it checks keep an eye on the position of the buzzer button in the groove. This allows you to catch very minute variances before it even comes close to setting off the alarm.

I use a Hornady LnL myself. The RCBS lock out die is great but will not catch small variations in the powder charge. The Hornady powder measure even with the pistol charge insert will be all over the place. It just isn't consistent enough. I adapted a Lee powder thru expander die and use a Lee Autodisk powder measure. Very consistent charges and very reliable.

SSgtG wrote:I use a Hornady LnL myself. The RCBS lock out die is great but will not catch small variations in the powder charge. The Hornady powder measure even with the pistol charge insert will be all over the place. It just isn't consistent enough. I adapted a Lee powder thru expander die and use a Lee Autodisk powder measure. Very consistent charges and very reliable.

I find the hornady to be extremely accurate and consistent, I use a baffle and load with bullseye powder.

Sa-tevp wrote:Any tricks to keep powder from sticking to a powder checker? I'm using a Dillon on my Hornady LNL progressive and Bullseye flakes stick to it.

You can wipe it with a new or old dryer sheet and it will stop