Does anyone use a Hornady BP Powder Measure on a Hornady LnL AP?

[fourfingersofdeath]

Title pretty much says it all. I have bought a LnL AP press and was considering springing for the BP measure as well. Don't want to buy it unless I can use it on the auto press. I get by with scoops for all of the single stage loading.

Most of my friends who shoot BP just use the standard Dillon Powder MEasure on their 650s

[Mako]

Fourfingers,

I actually do it the other way around,  I use a Hornady BP measure with autodrop  on my Dillon XL650 and it works fine.  It does especially well with the coarser powders.  I know others who use them on the Hornady and they like them too.



I just place a bullet and pull, place a bullet and pull... I can crank them out fast.  I use the Dillon measures for most smokeless loads since I have them already on the tooling plates, but I think the Hornady drum measure does better than a Magnum Rifle Powder Bar on the Dillon measures for heavier coarse nitro extruded powder loads.

The measure is easy to set and easy to move from tooling plate to tooling plate. Load 4 calibers in BP with it.  I have a Dillon Tool Plate for each caliber I load, in some cases one for BP and another for Smokeless in the same caliber.  I Have 4 different tool plates for BP with a Hornady Case Activated Lower Assembly on each, I just move the measure from one plate to another.

http://i627.photobucket.com/albums/tt358/Mako_CAS/Lube%20and%20Loading/t-17795.jpg

I have a "standard" for powder volume made from a case with every die set, usually made from a shortened .45 Colt case with the caliber marked on it with a sharpie.  If you use a charge which correlates to the Lee dippers you could use those. I throw a charge  with the powder I am using that day into a small scoop and then pour it into the standard.  I adjust it up or down until the powder level is flush, then I throw one into an actual case and double check the volume visually.  I then attach the spring to the arm and I am ready to load.

~Mako

[Mako]

Fourfingers,

This is what it takes to make it multi caliber friendly.  I just move the measure from tooling plate to tooling plate.  It is VERY FAST and easy to do.

The Powder Measure Adapter  is a standard Hornady product.  The part will fit on the standard measure or the BP measure. This is the base powder through die it is $11 but it doesn't have the linkage attachment boss.
http://i627.photobucket.com/albums/tt358/Mako_CAS/Lube%20and%20Loading/050067.jpg

I just decided to buy 4 of the Lower assemblies which include the die.  Midway has them for $24, but I got mine on sale for less than $20.
http://i627.photobucket.com/albums/tt358/Mako_CAS/Lube%20and%20Loading/t-17795.jpg

You can get the mechanism from Midway for $55:
http://www.midwayusa.com/viewproduct/?productnumber=591344
http://i627.photobucket.com/albums/tt358/Mako_CAS/Lube%20and%20Loading/591344.jpg  http://i627.photobucket.com/albums/tt358/Mako_CAS/Lube%20and%20Loading/050073.jpg

The one thing it doesn't include is a Powder -Through Expander:
http://i627.photobucket.com/albums/tt358/Mako_CAS/Lube%20and%20Loading/756501.jpg


If you get the Hornady versions you have to have one for each caliber and I think they flare the case too much. 
I use a universal expander from:
http://powderfunnels.com/products.html
http://i627.photobucket.com/albums/tt358/Mako_CAS/Lube%20and%20Loading/1Large.png

One size fits all.  You can just move it from die set to die set.  I just take it from the tooling plate set coming off of the Dillon and drop it into the top of the powder through die on the set I am switching to.  You could get one for each set if you wanted.  The flare is set by the die depth not the expander, so one will work for all.

I have a standard bench mount stand attached to a wooden base that I store the measure on and I can use it as a standalone if needed.

It's really easy to move from tooling plate to tooling plate.  It takes maybe takes all of 2 or 3 minutes to readjust the charge amount if you have a volume standard I talked about ready to go.

~Mako

[Fingers McGee]

While I have a Hornady blackpowder measure.  I only use it when loading using a single stage press.  It can be used with the progressive press; but, I use the standard L-N-L powder measure for loading smokeless, Pinnacle, T7, and blackpowder rounds with the L-N-L progressive press.  That way I don't need multiple auto powder mechanisms, or have to change the one from one measure to another.  Have loaded thousands of BP and subtitute powder rounds using the standard smokeless Hornady measure with no complications or worries.

FM

[Mako]

Fingers,
It may seem like lot, but after you get the auto drop:


Which stays with the measure, and it comes with one powder die.

You just need one of these for each tooling Head with a Dillon.

I paid  $17.99 each on sale for three additional Hornady quick change powder dies.

It literally takes just a few minutes to move the powder measure.  I set the measure on the bench stand before I put it on the tool plate and adjust the powder volume, you could just hold it too.  Since I have the powder volume standards made from cut shell cases I set them in a shallow pan to catch overflow.  I just dump them and keep resetting the rotary until the volume thrown is correct.  Then I just set the measure on the powder die already on the new tool plate and hook up the linkage.

If you have the Hornady I would get a bushing for each caliber and set the powder die height for each cartridge.  That's what takes all of the adjustment.  I just have one expander and just dump it out and put it in the powder die I am going to use.  It doesn't take any adjustment, the adjustment is all in the powder die.

So you just need:

• one Hornady Case Activated Powder Drop  $55 (comes with a one powder die)
• One additional Quick Change Powder Die, $18 - $24 each
• One Through Powder Expander, $30
• A Hornady Black Powder Measure

~Mako

[August]

Yes, I run a Hornady black powder measure on my LnL.  It works just the same as the smokeless measure.  Works great !

[fourfingersofdeath]

Great stuff guys, very encouraging. I am on the road and on sattelite internet and a lot of the pics haven't come out,

I will have a real good look when I get home in a few days.

[DJ]

Years ago I purchased a barely-used Hornady progressive press (Projector), but without an automatic powder measure/drop.  I bolted it on a bench and played with it for awhile, but eventually the lack of the automated powder system made me stick it back in its box.  From time to time I have toyed with the idea of setting it up with an automatic powder drop, but the linkage system shown in catalogs was complicated-looking enough that I never got around to figuring out what I would need.

Mako's postings have renewed my curiosity.  I am familiar with how the Dillon powder measure (on a 550, at least) is activated by pressure between the case mouth and the expander.  Is the Hornady powder measure activated the same way? 

Also, the Hornady system looks like it would be adaptable to other rotary-drum measures, such as my old RCBS or even older Herters.  Is that feasible, or am I looking for a new powder measure along with everything else?

Thanks in advance--

--DJ

[Four Eyes Henry]

I have the RCBS equivalent on a Piggy back.

https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/R516nSKk8uFRFoQ57GwR7o9f9s4b66rF3VhbJ_zW8KE?feat=directlink

https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/1_8Na13P0E8gO-wQu8LJ4Y9f9s4b66rF3VhbJ_zW8KE?feat=directlink

and a Lee auto pro disk for the filler

[Mako]

...Also, the Hornady system looks like it would be adaptable to other rotary-drum measures, such as my old RCBS or even older Herters.  Is that feasible, or am I looking for a new powder measure along with everything else?


--DJ

DJ,
You were shown the RCBS system above but you could even adapt the Hornady to a Lyman or RCBS if you wanted to drill a few holes.

I have read where someone adapted it to  Lyman 55.  All of those systems that use rotary drum measures pretty much operate the same way.

~Mako

[fourfingersofdeath]

Years ago I purchased a barely-used Hornady progressive press (Projector), but without an automatic powder measure/drop.

--DJ

I had a Pro Jector years ago and used the Lee Auto Disc Powder measures and they never missed a beat. I still have all of them and they are all still used. I much prefered it to the Dillon set up (they share the patent on this and the lock rings apparently). With the Lee, select a disc, drop it in and you are good to go. Easy peasy.

[Fox Creek Kid]

Mako, just out of curiousity have you ever done a weight test of charges thrown by your measure? No that it matters for CAS loading.

[Mako]

Mako, just out of curiousity have you ever done a weight test of charges thrown by your measure? No that it matters for CAS loading.

Nope, I don't go there.  As you know it would change depending upon the brand and grain size I'm shooting.  I only use the 650 for high volume loading.  If  I am looking for long range consistency I usually use the Rock Chucker.

I use the cheapest BP I can buy for CAS.  Right now I still have some Skirmish Fg I use for shotshells, I have one can left of Skirmish FFFg  and I am already using Diamondback FFg for my .44 cartridges.  I already have Diamondback FFFg waiting for either my capguns or smaller caliber BP.  Lately though it's just been FFg on the Dillon.

I have a few odd cans of Goex, Swiss and Shuetzen I keep around for comparisons.

If you're really curious I can throw a few different powders in a couple of weeks and give you the average.   That would be easy since I won't change the volume, I just change the powders.

~Mako