Boyd Allen
Active member
When I first got my Harrell's measure, I compared with and without the baffle, without won. The baffle has been in the drawer since. I also keep to a relatively narrow band of bottle fill, a range of about an inch and a quarter or so, starting about an inch and a half or so above the metal, with the bottle (500 ml.) installed in the measure. I stumbled across this quite by accident. IMO the stock baffle is too low, and limited to that position by the use of a screw in bottle. I put tape on the bottle that is on the measure to define the range, and keep another identical bottle in my range kit to make additions as needed. My theory on this is that with too little down pressure on the powder chamber fill becomes inconsistent, and with too much powder column depth the mouth of the bottle starts to act like a restriction which with granular material causes slight inconsistency. The theory doesn't really matter. I have found what works best by testing. This would be for my measure, and one powder. It may be that for other combinations that this would be different.
Another thing, I will take an older, uglied up bottle or plexiglass reservoir over a new one every time, the old grunge seems to bleed off static charge. One time I got lucky and was able to acquire a virtually brand new SAECO measure. Excited, I tested it and it did not do as well as my older one with a discolored reservoir. Thinking about that for a minute, I switched the old one to the new measure, and that solved the problem.
While we are at it, thanks to the aid of Rick Graham I was able to buy Wally Siebert's old SAECO measure that came with a plexiglass threaded adapter for threads that are about like those for a MEC shotgun loader bottle. I did a test with the smaller necked bottle against a stock plexiglass reservoir, (same diameter and threads as an old Lyman or Hollywood) and the stock reservoir worked better. The adapter came off of the measure, and sits in the drawer with my 10-10 scale. The other features of that measure were a micrometer conversion similar to what Seeley Masker used to sell , and the bottom of the casting was turned and threaded 7/8-14.
SAECOs Micro-measures have some of the very best internal geometries, but all measures require experimentation with technique to produce the best results. Even so, When loading at the range, I look over the powder levels in the set of cases that I am working with and rethrow any that look slightly different than the rest. Sometimes, if a slow drop is being used to allow for more powder in cases, differences in drop speed can cause the difference in fill height. As yet I have not chronographed to see if differences of powder compression of the same charge, due to differences in drop speed show up as differences in velocity. I can get to where I need to be, for consistency of charge weight for short range applications, with my Harrell, and its features (bottle adapter, charge volume setting system, built in clamp, and drop tube setup) make it worth the slight additional effort, in technique. I keep powder specific technique notes in my measure bag.
Another thing, I will take an older, uglied up bottle or plexiglass reservoir over a new one every time, the old grunge seems to bleed off static charge. One time I got lucky and was able to acquire a virtually brand new SAECO measure. Excited, I tested it and it did not do as well as my older one with a discolored reservoir. Thinking about that for a minute, I switched the old one to the new measure, and that solved the problem.
While we are at it, thanks to the aid of Rick Graham I was able to buy Wally Siebert's old SAECO measure that came with a plexiglass threaded adapter for threads that are about like those for a MEC shotgun loader bottle. I did a test with the smaller necked bottle against a stock plexiglass reservoir, (same diameter and threads as an old Lyman or Hollywood) and the stock reservoir worked better. The adapter came off of the measure, and sits in the drawer with my 10-10 scale. The other features of that measure were a micrometer conversion similar to what Seeley Masker used to sell , and the bottom of the casting was turned and threaded 7/8-14.
SAECOs Micro-measures have some of the very best internal geometries, but all measures require experimentation with technique to produce the best results. Even so, When loading at the range, I look over the powder levels in the set of cases that I am working with and rethrow any that look slightly different than the rest. Sometimes, if a slow drop is being used to allow for more powder in cases, differences in drop speed can cause the difference in fill height. As yet I have not chronographed to see if differences of powder compression of the same charge, due to differences in drop speed show up as differences in velocity. I can get to where I need to be, for consistency of charge weight for short range applications, with my Harrell, and its features (bottle adapter, charge volume setting system, built in clamp, and drop tube setup) make it worth the slight additional effort, in technique. I keep powder specific technique notes in my measure bag.