Static buildup on powder funnel

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Tue, 2012-07-31 10:14

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Static buildup on powder funnel

I have long since replaced most of my Lee reloading equipment over the years with RCBS, the exceptions being my press, priming tool, and powder funnel. Since the wooded handle ball seperated from the press handle last night I think it's time to start saving for a Redding or RCBS press. But for now I have a bigger problem with static.

One of the major annoyances that I routinely encounter is static charge on my red clear plastic Lee funnel, especially after wiping it out with a paper towel. It causes my powder to bounce back to the upper end of the funnel while leaving at least 1 to 2 full grains of powder magnetized to the upper inner sides of the funnel. In some extream cases the static has caused much of the powder to literally bounce back and jump out of the funnel leading me to a re-measure of powder charge. This has been just one more annoyance I've encountered with Lee equipment. Has anyone here encountered this phenominon? Any guesses as to how to remedy it? Maybe a new copper or brass funnel is in order, but do the metal funnels encounter static as well?

Tue, 2012-07-31 10:48

BikerRN

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Posts: 522

Dryer Sheet

I put a dryer sheet, designed to combat static cling on clothing, in my powder resevoir.

I've found it really helps to cut down on the amount of static cling and my powder drops are more consistant.

Tue, 2012-07-31 11:37

WesternHunter

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dryer sheet

Sounds like a good idea to try. I'm a bit worried that the chemicals in those sheets would interfere with the powders volitility, but perhaps not though. I'll try wiping down the outside of the funnel with one of those sheet and see if that helps, or maybe spray some static guard too.. I suppose that with that type of static cling I should be less annoyed with it clinging and more worried that it could cause the powder to ignite. But I'm using a very slow burning powder (IMR 7828) that doesn't ignite all that easily. Still, it is beginning to make me wonder. Thanks man.

Tue, 2012-07-31 13:47

Don Fischer

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Location: Antelope, Ore

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Just wash it with soapy

Just wash it with soapy water, static should be gone then. Used to drive me crazy, I have an RCBS funnel. Wash it now and then with the dish's and problem solved.

Wed, 2012-08-01 07:48

WesternHunter

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static

Went to charge another batch of primed cases yesterday after work and having done nothing yet to the funnel, the static problem seemed to be gone. It's been one of those things that have been bothersome from time to time as long as I can recall. I do notice the problem arises anytime I wipe out the inside of the funnel with a paper towel before use. I'm going to just stop wiping it out before use. I rarely get static cling in my powder hopper (meter) but do notice it once in a great while.

Anyone tried those smaller Hornady digital scales that are being sold for around $30. Seems pretty cheap for a digital scale, but it was from Hornady so I thought how bad can it be? I've been using an RCBS (Ohaus) 5-0-5 beam scale. Have no experience with digital stuff. Wonder if it's any easier to use while being as accurate? Looking for faster ways to roll my own.

Wed, 2012-08-01 09:12

Critter

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Location: Western Colorado

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I had the same idea with a

I know that as re-loaders we want to get as close to perfect as we can but a long time ago there was a study done on accurately weighing each and every load for a target rifle. The thinking of this was that with a consistent power charge that the rifle would be more accurate. They found out that even a couple of grains of difference didn't make that much difference in the groupings and that it was just fine to to use a powder dispenser for 90% of the reloads and checking every fifth or tenth load with the scale.

Wed, 2012-08-01 11:32

WesternHunter

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good to hear

Critter wrote:

I had the same idea with a digital scale but ran into a couple of problems with it. One is that it is set to shut off after a set amount of time, which isn't a big problem but a annoyance. So I still use my balance scale but use the digital one a a check on it. I know that as re-loaders we want to get as close to perfect as we can but a long time ago there was a study done on accurately weighing each and every load for a target rifle. The thinking of this was that with a consistent power charge that the rifle would be more accurate. They found out that even a couple of grains of difference didn't make that much difference in the groupings and that it was just fine to to use a powder dispenser for 90% of the reloads and checking every fifth or tenth load with the scale.

Never recall reading an article like that, but if the article you read is true then I've been wasting an awful lot of time and effort measuring out every single charge to the exact 10th of a grain.

Luckily I'm only loading hunting rounds in 50 round batches.

I've always believed that as long as you keep consistant what you can control then your accuracy will be consistant. I do have a bit of a hard time believing that a couple grains difference wouldn't result in a detectable variance in accuracy, at least vertically. But interestingly enough last night I was just thinking about the exact same thing as the article you point to. While conducting several tests with my scale, it doesn't really measure a difference between 61.9 grains and 62 grains of powder. I guess I've always tried to be as exact as I can, but some minor variation obviously make no difference. I guess I really haven't experimented as much as I should for as long as I've been reloading.

On the other extream I was reading on another forum (reloader specific forum) where one poster talked about all the so-called unnessesary, expensive, and time consuming preperation and loading steps that he skips. Nothing as to be unsafe, but so much that it makes me wonder why he just doesn't forget about rolling his own all together and just buy factory ammo.

Wed, 2012-08-01 15:01

Critter

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Location: Western Colorado

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Posts: 3317

Over the last year while I

Over the last year while I was working up a load for my .340 Weatherby for my bear hunt this last spring I noticed a couple of things. I was using brand new brass that I had trimmed but didn't neck ream. The first few loads were done with the powder being measured to the tenth of a grain. When I took them out to shoot them over the chronograph I saw a velocity difference of around 50 fps and it didn't matter weather the barrel was hot or cold as for where the spread was at. I then necked reamed the next group of loads and saw the same results. Now granted 50 fps isn't that much but you would figure that with the care that I was taking with the prep work that it would be alot closer. The final loads were built with trimmed, necked reamed, and with the primer flash hole reamed, and the loads just thrown with the powder measure and checked on the balance scale and leveled with a powder trickle and checked every 5 loads on the digital scale came out the same. About a 50 fps difference between the start and end of a 10 shot string. The accuracy was 1/2 moa at 100 yards and opened up to 3/4 moa at 200 yards. So it may or may not help to go through all the steps but if you have the time and are shooting for the most accurate load why not?

I was also thinking that you should bite your tongue when you mentioned factory ammo. It started me thinking at when was the last time that I bought some and that was over 20 years ago. But I have bought brand new brass for some of my loads.

Thu, 2012-08-02 07:31

WesternHunter

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Accuracy and all the steps

I suppose for your bear hunt and for my elk, deer, and anetlope hunts 1/2 MOA at 100 yrds is plenty accurate, and more than enough. I would not be suprised about a variation of 50 ft/sec. All in all I guess it would depend the rifle and more on the powder.

If I were a benchrest competition shooter I'd worry more about finer accuracy, but for hunting I roll my own specifically for the reason that I can safely get the velocity I want out of a 22" barrel with my own reloads, also I can better control the amount of heat generated by using a slower burning powder thereby increasing barrel life. Plus I like knowing that the game animals I take are taken with ammo of my own making. I consider it part of the overall effort of the hunt.

Accuracy wise I'm happy with the 1/4" groups at 100 yrds I get with my reloads. Those groups are done with the human element removed for sight-in only. In my own hands my goal is to keep all my shots inside the size of a paper plate at 300 yrds.

Thu, 2012-08-02 08:37

Don Fischer

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Location: Antelope, Ore

Joined: 03/24/2005

Posts: 3056

I think I read the same

I think I read the same article. But as I recall it was about 2/10th grs. For that, as I recall, all the loads were thrown from the measure into the case. Then they did the same thing but weighted each charge and found the .2gr difference. Factory ammo is not weighted, it's loaded in bulk. I have read of old time benchrester's that threw all their charges with a dipper. They shot quite well. I can't get myself to give up weighting each chg though. Friend of mine years ago used a scale to set the measure. then when he was wnere he wanted to be, he'd throw ten charges into the pan and weight them. The result had to get pretty close to 10x's the measured weight or he'd fine tune some more. He shot very very well.

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