Handling Propellents

THE way handloaders handle propellent powders differs in a lot of ways. When working up a load, most times the charge is selected from a manual and the powder is poured from a canister, weighed, measured, dispensed, funnelled, compressed and burned. The charge is adjusted up and down, weighed with the utmost care and precision and tried again.

Once a charge weight has been found that shows no sign of too high pressure and has satisfactory accuracy, a lot of rounds may be assembled to gain the benefits of the experimentation. With a plenitude of cartridge weights and designs, brands of brass, types of primers, and probably over a hundred propellents available to handloaders, there's unlimited opportunity for trying all kinds of combinations of components. It's a never-ending process.

All sorts of gadgets and useful tools are available to the modern handloader to make the job easy, and there's a lot of satisfaction in turning out good, accurate and effective loads with good tools. During all the years I've spent reloading ammunition, I've used a good many of those tools and discovered a few new techniques that have stuck with me. I've measured propellent with a tea spoon and a made