DaveTNC
Happy to be here
I've noticed that my Lee Auto Disk doesn't drop consistent loads across mixed brass. I was loading a few 38 Special SWCs this evening and I weighed every charge. Using the .30 disk cavity I was getting anywhere from 2.4 to 3.2 grains of Bullseye, so I started watching headstamps and found that it does fairly good with each brand of brass, but each brand results in a different amount of powder being dropped. 10 Federal cases ranged from 2.6-2.9, R-P was always lower and most inconsistent, with 8 cases anywhere from 2.4-2.7, and 5 Herter's cases gave me a consistent 3.0 grains. (I also had one S&B and one Blazer case which each gave me 3.0 grains, but I only had one of each handy so I don't know how consistent they are.)
So then I tried the .32 disk cavity and loaded 5 each of the Federal, HRTRS, and R-P and got similar results. The R-P was lowest at 2.5-2.7, Federal was 2.6-2.9, and the HRTRS was 4 @ 3.2 and 1 at 3.1.
I watched the Auto Disk and it looked like the disk was sliding completely back and forth. I couldn't see any difference in how it moved with any of the brass. I also noticed that the Herter's and S&B cases were harder to resize and seemed to "stick" on the expander die more than the other brass.
Dies are adjusted per the instructions that came with them, except I only backed the powder through expander die out 2-3/4 turns instead of 3 full turns from touching the shell holder because three turns in the instructions wasn't expanding quite enough to start the cast SWC bullets.
I wiped the outside of the powder hopper with a dryer sheet and couldn't see any signs of static, like powder sticking to the sides of the hopper or anything.
There is minor leaking between the disk and hopper, but it's just a few granules on top of the disk.
Anyone experienced anything like this or have any ideas? Do I have to start sorting brass to get consistent loads?
So then I tried the .32 disk cavity and loaded 5 each of the Federal, HRTRS, and R-P and got similar results. The R-P was lowest at 2.5-2.7, Federal was 2.6-2.9, and the HRTRS was 4 @ 3.2 and 1 at 3.1.
I watched the Auto Disk and it looked like the disk was sliding completely back and forth. I couldn't see any difference in how it moved with any of the brass. I also noticed that the Herter's and S&B cases were harder to resize and seemed to "stick" on the expander die more than the other brass.
Dies are adjusted per the instructions that came with them, except I only backed the powder through expander die out 2-3/4 turns instead of 3 full turns from touching the shell holder because three turns in the instructions wasn't expanding quite enough to start the cast SWC bullets.
I wiped the outside of the powder hopper with a dryer sheet and couldn't see any signs of static, like powder sticking to the sides of the hopper or anything.
There is minor leaking between the disk and hopper, but it's just a few granules on top of the disk.
Anyone experienced anything like this or have any ideas? Do I have to start sorting brass to get consistent loads?