Powder Tools
Filling your handloads with an accurate, consistent measure of powder is going to be one of the most important parts of loading ammunition. With too much powder, the firearm is liable to explode when discharged. The result could be serious bodily harm for the user. Even in more “mild” cases of overcharged loads, the firearm itself can be permanently damaged. With too little powder, you’re going to have rounds that fall far short of their ideal velocity. This means less accuracy and less stopping power. So, it’s important to have the right tools for working with powder. Below are all of the pieces of a reloading setup that will help you accurately handle powder.
Powder Measure
A powder measure is used to accurately weigh powder charges. There are three different kinds of powder measures, each with their own positives and negatives.
Dippers
Dippers are typically the most cost-effective type of powder measure. However, because they measure by volume and not weight, dippers need to be used in conjunction with a scale. Dippers feature uniformly graduated cylinders, typically measuring in cubic centimeters. They can be easily modified to suit your desired charge. With a dipper, a user simply has to dip, check the weight, and pour the charge into the brass case. Dippers are cheap and simple, but are not well-suited to high volume reloading.
Bench Mounted
Bench mounted powder measures are another popular option. They use a hopper to hold the powder, and a rotor to individually measure out each powder charge. To adjust the amount of powder that is released by a bench-mounted measure, the reloader adjusts a metering insert that is attached to the machine’s rotor. In some models, the user may actually change out the insert to increase or decrease the amount of powder. It is extremely easy to fine-tune the powder charge with a bench mounted powder measure. These measures also release the specified amount of powder directly into the brass case, which accelerates the overall loading process. That being said, it is recommended that users check their powder measure after 10 uses to ensure that it has not fallen out of adjustment, as can happen.
Electronic Dispensers
In an increasingly digitized world, it’s no surprise that electronic dispensers are also an option for the modern reloader. Although they are the most expensive type of powder measure, electronic dispensers are extremely fast, easy to use, and accurate. On most electronic dispensers, the reloader simply types in the exact charge desired without any need for experimentation. The dispenser then pitches powder until that charge amount is met. Electronic dispensers are extremely useful for high volume reloading.
Powder Trickler
A powder trickler is another basic tool for achieving the ideal powder charge. They are not entirely necessary for the reloading process, but if you are looking to achieve the maximum possible accuracy, a powder trickler is the tool to use. Powder tricklers are used for extreme precision loading and are capable of moving just one or two kernels of powder at a time. They feature an internally-threaded tube through which the powder slowly moves into a scale pan. Tricklers are inexpensive and reliable and are the ideal way to achieve maximum control over the amount of powder in your pan. Tricklers are usually manually-operated, which makes them tedious to use for more than just a few cases at a time. For high volume reloaders, manual tricklers may be both tiring and time-consuming to use. However, electronic tricklers are available that perform the same task with the touch of a single button. Whether you use a manual or electronic trickler, though, powder trickling is a slow process that foces on accuracy over speed.
Powder Funnels
Most powder measures will not load powder directly into the brass case. So, one method for doing this is to use a case funnel. Case funnels may be designed to fit over the cartridge mouth perfectly, but to do so, they must be powder specific. As an alternative to powder funnels, some scale pans feature integrated ‘funnel-like’ pour spouts so that you can easily pour powder directly into a case or funnel.
Drop Tubes
Drop tubes are certainly not required for the reloading process, but experienced handloaders may achieve desirable results with them. Drop tubes are used to increase the distance between your powder source and the case. They also slow the rate of speed at which powder enters the brass. This allows the kernels to align more uniformly inside of the case, which is useful when working with long stick powders. For those handloaders who are particularly demanding when it comes to accuracy, drop tubes help to achieve the perfect load. They are available in varying lengths and diameters and can be attached to most powder measures you will find.