Just wondering who loads E3 on a MEC and what their bushings were dropping. -Aaron Schneider

Email Ben at Alliant. He sent me Spolar specs for e3 for a starting point. They were right on except for more fluctuation in drop weight than I can live with.

Aaron: I like to load Alliant E3 in STS hulls in 1 oz. following the Alliant web site data and using the OEM Remington TGT12s wad. I use these loads in an 1100 TB and they are super clean and soft shooting.

In order to get the desired charge and shot weight, I follow a practice championed by the late Pat Ireland. Simply take a small rat tail file and remove a little metal from the inside of the bushing or charge bar until you achieve the desired powder charge or shot weight.

If you take away too much metal, simply paint a little finger nail polish over the scored surface. I like this approach much better than using an adjustable charge bar.

When I reload, I usually stay with a single load for 1000 or more rounds and I weigh the powder and shot drop every time I start a reloading session.

Ed Ward

29 - 15.4 30 - 15.9 31 - 16.5 32 - 17.1

Gary Rickard

Thanks Gary! That's the kinda stuff I'm looking for! -Aaron Schneider

Mine is the same as Gary but I use Mec. #33 @ 18 grs. for a 1 oz. load @ 1250fps. +-. Tried taking it up to 1300fps. and down to 1200fps. and ended up with 1250fps. for the best results in AA, Rem. and Top Gun hulls with Fed. primer - a deadly load and super clean burn.

Aaron: If "That's the kinda stuff I'm looking for!" is simply the charge weight a given bushing drops, then you can usually get this information from the MEC or the powder manufacturers web site.

For example, the charge weight of a variety of powders dropped by each size of MEC bushing is available on the MEC web site under the powder/bushings tab. Be advised that MEC typically overstates the charge weight by about .5 grains or so. Still, use of a chart gives you a starting point and you can go up or down a size as necessary.

However, you should not rely on a chart to provide an absolute measure of what a bushing is dropping as a bushing can be incorrectly numbered, inaccurately manufactured or altered. To be sure, you should always weigh your charges.

Some powders, like Alliant Promo, can vary significantly from lot to lot, so measuring your charge weight is very important.

Ed Ward

I understand what the charts say, I just want to see if anyone else is having the same variances I am...

This thread got me thinking I had not checked my powder bushing drops in a while. I have been using a #30 for E3 and it is dropping about 16.5 which was a bit higher than I thought. I put in a #29 and got 15.5 and 15 with a #28. Not sure why my #30 is a grain higher than the #29.

I do get some variation with the odd drop.

Gary - didn't you have a baffle on your machine? I have a baffle but it came with the adjustable bar which I didn't use very long. Left the baffle on.

Jim

e3 uses the same bushings as red dot in my machine which is a RCBS Grand yours are most likley the same

warren

Thanks, this stuff must burn fast... -Aaron Schneider

Aaron if that is what you are looking for then try the link above.

BTW being the jerk that I am I will caution you those numbers are an estimate not completely accurate as powder density will vary from lot to lot. The best tool you can own is a powder scale and periodically check you drop weights.

Bob Lawless

I own a powder scale. I just said I was having variation and wondered whether anyone else had variation in their drops. -Aaron Schneider

Aaron:

Please explain what you mean by variances.

Is this a variance from published data about what a MEC bushing should drop for a given powder, variances from drop to drop using the same bushing and powder, variances between drops of different lots of the same powder or some other variance?

Ed Ward

It's variance from drop to drop with the same bushing and powder... -Aaron Schneider

Could be static electricity building up on the loader,try grounding the loader and see if it helps. Had the same problem myself. Don't think I ever got the issue completely resolved. Just finished off the last of my Clays. Only 12 gauge powder left is half an 8# bottle of E-3. Try holding the lever down a bit longer and give the powder longer to drop from the bushing. The hesitation on the down stroke has helped me. Good luck Jim Bowlin