Pre-weighed Powder

J

Joe Entrekin

New member
Could anyone direct me to a good source for vials with caps in a partioned container that would be used for pre-weighing rifle loads. Biggest thing I load is 243 AI, aprox 50 grains max. I've looked until I have a headache:D, too many possibilities. Your help would be appreciated.
 
Someone please tell me what a 1 dram container means. As far as I can tell, a dram is a measure of weight. So that's like telling me you have a 1 pound glass. Does it mean 1 dram of water? If someone could fill one of the containers with powder and weigh it, that would be a big help.

You would think containers would be measured volumetrically.
 
Test Tubes

Joe,

Try "testtubesonline.com" I ordered 2000 of the 12x55mm polypropylene (clear ) plastic tubes and 2000 12mm hollow top caps.( a thousand in red and a thousand in blue). works great for me. Should be big enough to hold what you want to do. I use them for 6ppc , 220Beggs and 30Br loads. I think I spent $ 97.67. I ordered them in July of this year so the price should be pretty current.

Best,
Dan Batko

"Where are we going and why am I in this basket?"
 
Why does everybody want to make things so complicated, expensive, and time consuming?

Just use already existing shell box containers of large 30/06 or .308 cases, or any other cases that you have a large volume of, with spent primers in them, capped with a .30 cal. bullet tip first, foam cover insert cartridge box top and you are ready to go.

Spent cases fit funnels and powder dispensers alot better than odd size vials, are unbreakable, and everybody that would ever go to the trouble of pre-measuring probably has hundreds if not thousands laying around.......Don
 
A 1/2 dram vial will hold about 29-30 grains of 133. So I would expect a 1 dram vial to hold about twice that amount. If you can stay with the 12mm diameter vials they will fit in most MTM boxes, etc for .473 size base cartridges. 12mm is a bit less than 1/2 inch. I have used the 1/2 dram vials in 44 mag boxes, or was that 45 auto. If you can I would get the vials with stoppers in them instead of the screw lids. The lids on the 12mm vials are pretty small and getting one off and holding a funnel over a case requires 3 hands, if you are in a hurry. The stopper you can pull with your teeth, if you have any. :rolleyes: I got mine off ebay, forgot what I paid but I think about $22 per gross. That was a couple years ago however. I got the amber.

Donald
 
I don't understand the desire for "pre-measured" powder in separate containers. When I work up loads I just use primed cases I plan to shoot and put in the incremental loads I >may< want to shoot, and seat the bullets I >may< want to shoot very lightly. At the range I then just press the bullet to the desired seating depth when I decide to fire the cartridge. Those I don't shoot I take home, pull the bullet with a light finger tug, and recover all the components.

Is there a reason not to do that? The only one I know of is that more cases are needed but it doesn't seem to hurt them. With vials in the field isn't spillage likely when trying to transfer powder from the vials to the cases, especially in windy conditions?

If you insist on vials try this lab supply company:
http://www.coleparmer.com/catalog/productsearch.asp?search=vials+miniature
 
1 dram vials

TomD said:
Someone please tell me what a 1 dram container means.
Click to expand...

Finally a question a chemist can answer. 1 dram is about 3.6 mL. They hold all the powder you need for a PPC or BR case. In fact it would probably work ok on a 308 case volume. I have dozen of different sizes and materials of vials in my lab. I tried some plastic ones first, but I noticed during the winter when the static electricity was high, I had a problem with a kernal or two or three sticking to the vial when I dumped them. Some powder are worst they others.

Here is a reasonable source for 1 dram vials. About $35/gross. I assume they will come in the cardboard box. All I have ever brought have. I buy about 10,000 a year for the lab. http://www.discountvials.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1_11&products_id=10&zenid=f6bd6191eed4e609027702e2d95d5eb8

I current am using the 2 dram vial, which is equivalent to 7 mL. I will easy hold up to 100 grains of powder (as large as anything I own) plus I had several thousand donated to me. Here are some pics of them. They fit nicely in my bottom drawer of my reloading box. The last pic has 32.3 gr of H4198 in it. That is my 30BR load at the moment.

Hope this helps, Tim

IMG_1257.jpg

IMG_1260.jpg

IMG_1261.jpg
 
Mr Joe,
check with JR Waters, I think he was using the vials a year or two ago, so was Ron Collins I think,,,,,,,,,,

the wind is my friend,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

DD
 
Just got home & checked my thread. Thanks for all the replies. I'm wanting to get the vials so I can take pre-measured charges of different weights to the range for load development in 6X47 Lapua, 6-250 AI & 243 AI with the coarser grained powders, like 4350. I found that the variations through the measure were just too much for my liking, thus the pre-measured charges.
 
1 dram = 1/8 of an ounce by volume

Drams can be either weight (mass) and liquid measure (volume) depending if the product is liquid or solid.
 
langenc said:
1 dram = 1/8 of an ounce by volume

Drams can be either weight (mass) and liquid measure (volume) depending if the product is liquid or solid.
Click to expand...

or 1/(7.5x132x8) x 1728 x 16.387= 3.575 just like tiny68 said.
---to cubic feet---to cub in---to CC
 
Bob Kingsbury said:
the vials pictured, seem to be in a divided tray, can you lead us to
the scource of that as well.
Click to expand...

If you buy a gross of them, all the ones I have ever purchased come in the divided trays. The cardboard trays hold up ok. If you purchase something other than a full carton I bet you will get them loose without the tray. Be sure to buy them complete with the lids, other wise they will just come packed together in a box without the dividers and the lids come in a separate bag. Come to think of it, I started using the 2 dram vials because they all came in trays with dividers.

I guess the only way to be sure is to call and ask the vendor. I would Franklin makes a cheap plastic ammo box (maybe something like a 44 Mag or a 500 SW for a 1 dram vial) that would make things more secure. I'll do some measures in lab this afternoon.

Tim
 
1 dram vials

Ok. My 1 dram glass vials measure 0.575" in diameter and about 1.90" in height including the lid. Probably an ammo box for a 45-70 would work well. It might be a little too tall. A 45-70 has a 0.608" rim diameter.

If you want a really a quick method, you can buy disposable test tubes and just use rubber or cork stoppers to seal them off. Would be a lot quicker than screwing on and add a screw-style cap. A 12x75 test tube (some times called a culture tube) are only about $50/1000 hold about 6mLs, 1.5 x a 1 dram vial. Corks will cost as much as the test tube. Food for thought.....

Tim
 
More options

You can get a 10x75mm test tubes with a colored coded label. Choose a different color for each charge. Google " Fisherbrand* Disposable Plain-EndGlass Tubes with Color-Coded Label Area ". There are less than $80/1000. My cost at the college is much less than that. Cork stoppers are about $10/100. Just thinking out loud.... Tim
 
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