Bushings, Hodgdon data and my scale don't jive

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

A tip from a cheapskate!

Soda bottles and their caps can make do when you run out of the factory kind.

P.S;  I wonder if they are static prone?

[Jefro]

Our problem right now is that they are weighing not just 1/10 one way or another...we're talking 3-4 tenths. 

Howdy Lil, sounds like you have things worked out. A few tenths one way or the other is not uncommon when loading shot shells. The bushings hold alot more powder than your pistol loads, depending on the type of powder it could easily a few tenths off per shell. After a while you'll get comfortable with a bushing that's close enough and forget about thumping the bottle. In your case if I found one that threw 12.0-12.4, or 11.9-12.3 I'd rock and roll with it. Good Luck


Jefro Relax-Enjoy

[rickk]

Speaking of "thumping the bottle"... watch the bottle get jiggled all by itself as you work each hull thru it's paces.   

[Longshot Lil]

Without "thumping the bottle", we're getting throws of 11.4-11.6.  For a load that is supposed to be 12.3, I just don't feel comfortable.  I'm happy that we're getting a consistent throw (more or less) with this method...and yes, I know the powder gets settled as the press is operated, but after 25 shells through, it should be pretty settled, and it was still throwing way light until I started thumping on the bottle before every throw (it packed more down in the bushing).  I think that this powder is just really light and doesn't want to pack down much without a little assistance.

Found a couple things that will work for replacements and we'll see how they do.  They are both extra water bottles (for critters).  One of them is glass and with it tightened onto the grommet, it should be even more air tight than the factory container the powder comes in so we can leave it in there (the glass won't react with the powder like it would with plastic)  It is fairly skinny, so it fits nicely next to the other water bottle that we'll try for the shot.  This one is plastic and has a top that comes completely off, leaving an opening of about 3" diameter for refilling.  Both bottles will fit on just fine next to each other.  We'll see how that goes.

[Jefro]

Without "thumping the bottle", we're getting throws of 11.4-11.6.  For a load that is supposed to be 12.3,

Howdy Lil, then you need to bump up to the next bushing, that should take care of it. Good Luck


Jefro Relax-Enjoy

[rickk]

This powder baffle may help. I have been using one since day one, so I cant really comment on how bad it would be without it.:
http://www.ballisticproducts.com/Powder-Baffle-for-MEC-loaders-PCPB-2/productinfo/PCPB2/

Be aware that there is a more expensive metal baffle out there as well too. Most comments I have seen say the plastic one works way better.

Again, keep the bottle over half full, even with the baffle.




Small plastic bottle:   http://www.ballisticproducts.com/MEC-Small-Bottle-Cap-Assembly-301L/productinfo/130301L/
large plastic bottle:   http://www.ballisticproducts.com/MEC-Large-Capacity-Bottle-Cap-8042/productinfo/1308042/

Bottle funnel... after the first time you dump a bag of shot all over the place you will wish you already had one: http://www.ballisticproducts.com/MEC-EZ-Fill-Funnel-8994/productinfo/1308994/

Rubber grommets (good to have a few... you will need them eventually, if not already) : http://www.ballisticproducts.com/MEC-Rubber-Grommet-1_pak-304G/productinfo/130304G/

Brass Washer... good to have at least one around: http://www.ballisticproducts.com/MEC-Brass-Washer-1_pak-304W/productinfo/130304W/


Bottle support if yours does not have one... mandatory if using large shot bottle, but still nice to have when taking a partially full bottle out for one reason or another.  http://www.ballisticproducts.com/MEC-Single-Stage-Bottle-Support-8939/productinfo/1308939/


Powder bushings... why pay retail price?: http://www.ballisticproducts.com/MEC-Powder-Bushing/productinfo/130MC/

If you acquire a few bushings, you will wish you had one of these.... I have three... they are nice to have. You can store a couple of charge bars on it as well :
 http://www.ebay.com/itm/MEC-Powder-Bushing-Holder-Aluminum-Mountable-Very-Nice-/130618919549?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1e697e8a7d  


For what it's worth, I would avoid a glass powder container.  I probably worry too much, but I have personally had a primer tray on a LEE PRO1000 explode on me so I think about things more than some people do. Yes, the odds of something going wrong in the powder container  are really, really small. I have never heard of a powder container fire, but if there ever was one, a glass bottle would be bad. A plastic one would just tear open and vent the gas... only a brief but intense fire. The original MEC bottles would pop the red plug out, reducing pressure in a safer direction.The glass one would explode.


Rick

[Longshot Lil]

Howdy Lil, then you need to bump up to the next bushing, that should take care of it. Good Luck


Jefro Relax-Enjoy

Jefro--  The next bushing up throws consistently way too high.

[Longshot Lil]

Thanks for all the info Rick.

For what it's worth, some of the items you listed were out of stock (the bottle), and the prices listed were pretty close to what we'd pay at the store, plus we'd not have to pay shipping and we'd have them immediately, not have to wait for them to arrive.  I do appreciate the info though.  It was very kind of you to take so much time helping us with our issue.

Good point about the glass bottle, but we probably won't keep the powder in the machine anyway, just for the sake of safety.  Plus there is no telling what the powder might do to the grommet over time.  I'd rather not use the baffle because then we end up starting all over again trying to find what bushing works and we had two days of frustration with that already.  We may be weird, but we're not using the bag the shot came in to pour it from into the bottle.  We're pouring it into a little plastic cup and using that to pour into the bottle.  When we pour from the bag, we can put the cup inside a dishpan (not used for dishes) to catch any that might spill, but we've not had that happen.  We may end up putting the shot into a plastic coffee can so we can scoop it out instead.  Still working on getting organized with that.  The bottle that we'll likely use as a replacement for the shot has a 3" opening at the top and with the cup being a smaller diameter, I doubt we'd be dumping shot all over.

I do appreciate the time you took to post all of that.  Maybe it will help someone else.   

[rickk]

Lil,

Did they go "boom"?

Rick

[Longshot Lil]

Rick,

Don't know yet...have been too busy with other things to go to the range to play.  Our first practice shoot is Saturday morning, so I'm sure we'll know then.  I have a 20 gauge reloader on the way to me, so I can reload shells for me!     ~Lil

[rickk]

Lil, how did things work out ?

[Longshot Lil]

Rick--

Everything going well, thanks for asking.  Ended up going with a bushing larger and putting a little tape inside it to get just the right powder amount.  Throws are much more consistent and getting comfortable with the idea of weighing every other powder throw (for now).  Hubby and I have a great system of working together so reloading goes pretty quickly.  Picked up a bunch of 12 ga shells at the range this past weekend for hubby, but out of luck on more 20's for me this time around.  Guess I'll just have to go empty some of the ones I have loaded eh?