Case Capacity and grouping. - Reloading Methodology https://systemz.online/reloading-methodology/case-capacity-and-grouping/ AllGunStuff Discussion Board en-US Fri, 08 May 2026 04:40:30 +0000 wpForo 60 Re: Case Capacity and grouping. https://systemz.online/reloading-methodology/case-capacity-and-grouping/paged/2/#post-6324 Sat, 11 Jan 2025 06:30:37 +0000
The only improvement needed for the Lee is an internal baffle system...A baffle system that only allow a low poder head increases the consistency guite markedly.


The Lee Perfect Powder measure alleviates  that effect to the point where the height of the powder in the hopper does not measurably change the charge weight.

The powder is flowing to the side, and filling up a narrow tube.

By design, you get much more consistent fill when powder flows through a narrow opening to fill, as opposed to being dumped.

I've got a few powder baffles that have collected over the years, I don't use them because I trickle to weight.




]]> Reloading Methodology 414gates https://systemz.online/reloading-methodology/case-capacity-and-grouping/paged/2/#post-6324 Re: Case Capacity and grouping. https://systemz.online/reloading-methodology/case-capacity-and-grouping/paged/2/#post-6323 Sat, 11 Jan 2025 05:42:42 +0000 Not being round in fitting allows powder through having a flat surface stops down weight on contents.
The "V" must be long, like "v" in victory fingers.]]> Reloading Methodology Treeman https://systemz.online/reloading-methodology/case-capacity-and-grouping/paged/2/#post-6323 Re: Case Capacity and grouping. https://systemz.online/reloading-methodology/case-capacity-and-grouping/paged/2/#post-6320 Sat, 11 Jan 2025 04:53:23 +0000
The only improvement needed for the Lee is an internal baffle system. As it is now, the weight of the powder in the hopper cause slightly heavier charges when the hopper is full as opposed to empty.

A baffle system that only allow a low poder head increases the consistency guite markedly.


480BC carries aftermarket ones as do a few of the low volume 3D printing guys like like Kevin at Bushmunki. I've never bought one as I haven't run into the issue yet as I keep my powder filled to a 20mm band about two thirds up. ]]> Reloading Methodology oafpatroll https://systemz.online/reloading-methodology/case-capacity-and-grouping/paged/2/#post-6320 Re: Case Capacity and grouping. https://systemz.online/reloading-methodology/case-capacity-and-grouping/paged/2/#post-6317 Sat, 11 Jan 2025 04:41:44 +0000
A baffle system that only allow a low poder head increases the consistency guite markedly.]]> Reloading Methodology janfred https://systemz.online/reloading-methodology/case-capacity-and-grouping/paged/2/#post-6317 Re: Case Capacity and grouping. https://systemz.online/reloading-methodology/case-capacity-and-grouping/paged/2/#post-6306 Fri, 10 Jan 2025 00:06:44 +0000 The new Lee Perfect Powder measure can give better consistency with extruded powders than the Harrel, by design. But the Lee is plastic and the Harrel is expensive, and so the comparison usually ends there.


I tested my well worn lee perfects consistency as a side distraction while developing an accurate 12G slug load. My observations mirrored yours exactly. The measure is superbly consistent. With S121 it dropped charges all day that were well inside of 10th of a grain, i.e. variation within the thickness on the zero line of my RCBS scale. It was less consistent with MP and MS but was still slightly better than my very much more expensive Lyman measure.   ]]> Reloading Methodology oafpatroll https://systemz.online/reloading-methodology/case-capacity-and-grouping/paged/2/#post-6306 Re: Case Capacity and grouping. https://systemz.online/reloading-methodology/case-capacity-and-grouping/paged/2/#post-6305 Thu, 09 Jan 2025 23:54:30 +0000
The new Lee Perfect Powder measure can give better consistency with extruded powders than the Harrel, by design. But the Lee is plastic and the Harrel is expensive, and so the comparison usually ends there.

]]> Reloading Methodology 414gates https://systemz.online/reloading-methodology/case-capacity-and-grouping/paged/2/#post-6305 Re: Case Capacity and grouping. https://systemz.online/reloading-methodology/case-capacity-and-grouping/paged/2/#post-6303 Thu, 09 Jan 2025 09:36:11 +0000

If you have ever pulled a few rounds of factory ammo and weighed the charges,  ...


Out of interest, what was the average charge weight, and the variances.

Was it ball or extruded.

It'll help me understand how the powder measures work on the commercial machines.

I did not take note of the charge weight as such as no one exactly knows what powder they used, but I did not see any ball powder. I was only interested in the variation.

Average charge weights were all around 42.5gr to 43.5gr if I remember correctly. The Berger ammo were the best at +or- 0.2gr. ADI and GGG were all around +or- 0.3gr. Basically what you would get if using a good Harrels powder measure. Velocity wise we were looking at SD between 10 and 15 over 10 shots for the Berger and ADI. Apparently this is excellent.

The Sako hunting ammunition had a charge weight variation of almost a grain! To say that I was disappointed after paying R1100 for 20, is an understatement. Grouping was around 1 MOA, but the 3 round ES was 65 fps! I pulled all those, averaged the load and reduced it by 0.3gr. That reduced the 3 shot ES to 12 fps.

What the exercise above made clear is that most of us reload much better that we can shoot. The precision in reloading that we pride ourselves in rarely translates to real world performance. And the variation that most see on paper are overwhelmingly shooter or rifle induced.]]> Reloading Methodology janfred https://systemz.online/reloading-methodology/case-capacity-and-grouping/paged/2/#post-6303 Re: Case Capacity and grouping. https://systemz.online/reloading-methodology/case-capacity-and-grouping/paged/2/#post-6293 Wed, 08 Jan 2025 13:19:26 +0000
The point is that what we reload and train for is completely different from what is achievable under warehouse conditions.

The OP asks about case capacity and groups; one needs to leave a little room for all the extra factors which the warehouse shooters eliminated.

I have wondered whether they achieved their best results with a single brass case reloaded over and over.

Maybe time to try that?]]> Reloading Methodology Ds J https://systemz.online/reloading-methodology/case-capacity-and-grouping/paged/2/#post-6293 Re: Case Capacity and grouping. https://systemz.online/reloading-methodology/case-capacity-and-grouping/paged/2/#post-6291 Wed, 08 Jan 2025 12:17:37 +0000

Please consider this: does the Houston Warehouse experiment count for regular shooting conditions? They had a large, windless area under unchanging light conditions?


Not any regular condition, the perfect condition that completely removed wind from the result.

The one thing that stuck in my mind from that was best accuracy was achieved without handling the rifle at all, just touching the trigger.

******************************
I also hold that as my most notable take away, free rifle, just trigger contact.]]> Reloading Methodology Treeman https://systemz.online/reloading-methodology/case-capacity-and-grouping/paged/2/#post-6291 Re: Case Capacity and grouping. https://systemz.online/reloading-methodology/case-capacity-and-grouping/paged/2/#post-6289 Wed, 08 Jan 2025 11:53:58 +0000
Please consider this: does the Houston Warehouse experiment count for regular shooting conditions? They had a large, windless area under unchanging light conditions?


Not any regular condition, the perfect condition that completely removed wind from the result.

The one thing that stuck in my mind from that was best accuracy was achieved without handling the rifle at all, just touching the trigger.]]> Reloading Methodology 414gates https://systemz.online/reloading-methodology/case-capacity-and-grouping/paged/2/#post-6289