550B changing powders?

[Shovel66]

Hello,
I've been using WSF at the advice of Freakshow since I started reloading 9mm. Now I want to change powders and try either Bullseye or AA#7.

How low do you let the powder measure get before you start measuring every round for charge? Since I don't have an open container of WSF, I want to use it all before I switch. I'm somewhat a CRB and don't want any powder to go to waste.
Thanks,
Shovel

[unclebob]

About 10 to 15 rounds after the powder goes below the baffle. And buy looking in the case. If it does not look right weigh it.

[Steve Koski]

Shovel,

I've done some testing, and found that I get good charges until the last charge. Here's what I do when I get near the very end. I dump the powder out and weigh it. Hopefully I only have 20 charges or so left. Then I load up 15 or so rounds, and then weigh the last few just to be sure.

Koski

[Shovel66]

Thanks UncleBob and Koski,

Since I've loaded about 1350 9mm rounds in the last month with the same powder, I'm very familiar with how full the cases should be with WSF. I feel I would be able to spot an "under charged" case just by the powder level. I'm about .5" under the baffel and still getting extremely accurate charges (exactly 5.4 grains) :thumbsup:

I'll keep loading until I run dry while paying very close attention and weighing every 3rd or 4th charge.

Thanks again,
Shovel

[freakshow10mm]

HS6 is supposed to be good in 9mm too.

Run it dry and measure the last few rounds.

[colorado4wheel]

I found it's fairly accurate down near the bottom. One issue is once you get low you don't have the weight of all that powder pushing the powder into the hopper. I found with my Tightgroup that I had to slowly increase the charge after it got really low to get the same charge.

[Shovel66]

I was weighing every charge for the last 11 or 12 until it was DONE. I ran it DRY. The 550 was dropping exactly 5.4gr until the last one dropped at 4.X. Tried to get more to dribble out but it was all gone. Took the powder charger off to clean, but there was no WSF anwywhere. Put it back on and added Accurate #7 to the hopper. After adjusting it to 8.4gr, I cranked out 15 rounds.
Took them to the range today and they worked great. Seemed to be a little more accurate than the WSF. Maybe it was just my shooting. AA#7 won't make nearly as many rounds per pound as WSF so I may try something else after this is gone.
Thanks again for all who replied.
Shovel

[fredj338]

Hello,
I've been using WSF at the advice of Freakshow since I started reloading 9mm. Now I want to change powders and try either Bullseye or AA#7.

How low do you let the powder measure get before you start measuring every round for charge? Since I don't have an open container of WSF, I want to use it all before I switch. I'm somewhat a CRB and don't want any powder to go to waste.
Thanks,
Shovel
The right powder stays pretty accurate until it's empty. I usually refill before the baffe.
Interesting you want to try powder5s on opp. ends of the spectrum. FWIW, not a big fan of BE. If you want a light target load powder, drop to WST. It sounds like you want to push the envelope abit going to AA#7. It's a good powder, I use it in the 357sig. It will run best near max. pressures/vel.