progressive metering

[biathlon]

   OK guys and gals, I've managed to get all my toys set up right and attempted to use IMR 4895 to load M-80, M-852 and M-118 clones from GI and Sierra components and guess what? The IMR stuff does NOT meter well in my Dillon! Any one know of a substitute powder that will meter and still give me the burn rate of the 4895???

[Nickle]

WW 748, WC 844, WC 846, BL-C(2) and H335 are all in the same burn rate area as 4895, and do meter through the Dillon. All are optimum powders for the 7.62 NATO/.308 Win.

WC 844 and WC 846 are available sometimes as surplus.

[Francis Marion]

The trouble with 4895 is that its tubular grain shape isn't optimal for metering consistency; especially as the metered dose of powder bottlenecks into a gravity fed funnel or delivery system on its way to your casing.  Grains can bridge at the bottleneck and clog the delivery.  So your powder delivery bottleneck should have the maximum inside diameter possible for the casing you're loading to minimize likelihood of grain bridging/dose interruption.   
Not being familiar with the Dillon setup, but could you manually assist the charging of the casings with powder, just to expend your supply of 4895?  I use an RCBS hand cranked powder meter, and thus have the ability to fuss the lever a little bit to ensure  complete meter dose emptying when loading extruded powders. 

To enhance the consistency of powder delivery with 4895, you might try:
-Use the largest diameter casing-to-meter delivery hole feasible for the casings you are charging. 
-Manually assist the powder meter by rapping the meter/lever lightly when it's filling with powder, and again rapping it as it dumps powder into the cases.  If you have a grain bridge, rapping the meter will break it up and complete the powder delivery.
-Make an interruptor for your powder meter reservoir out of stiff paper or sheet metal.  (there's a photo of one posted on forum somewhere.) 
You might burn up the 4895 in your 30 cal ammunition, and then use the ball powders for 5.56 ammo.

[Nickle]

Consistency issues with 4895 are too insignificant to worry about, if you use a baffle in your measure.

I use a Seeley Masker altered RCBS measure (Seeley changed the spindle to micrometer measurements), with a baffle, and used it when I was competing in Bench Rest. If it can be used to shoot .1 MOA groups, it's good enough.

Biathlon's issue is function, not consistency. The Dillon just doesn't like IMR powder.

[biathlon]

 Thanks guys! I still will use the 4895 as most of my setup is geared toward NOT having electricity and doing it by hand with the trickler, beam scale and the big Lee press. I've been doing this for awhile but it's not rapid fire. I got the Dillon so's I could load faster than I shoot it up. I'll check Pats tonight for the surplus stuff.