Reloading Tip — Eliminate ‘Static Cling’ in Powder Measures
In the wintertime, it’s common to encounter problems with static electricity when throwing your powder charges. The static can cause powder kernels to cling to the surface of reloading components, and can cause powder clumping. Clumped or sticky powder may make your measure bind or grab in the middle of the cycle, which can throw off your charge weight. Here are a couple simple ways you can minimize the effects of static electricity and improve the consistency of your powder measuring.
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Ground Your Powder Measure — If you’re throwing powder charges in the fall or winter and have problems with bridging or sticking powder, use a ground wire. Bullet-smith Victor Johnson (Johnson Precision Bullets) tells us: “I have a 25-foot piece of real small wire with alligator clips on each end. It’s that long so I can run it down the hall to a water pipe. Use the wire tie from a bread bag to hold it in a small roll to put in the range box. When using it at the range use a 6″ nail from the co-op or Lowe’s / Home Depot and just push it into the ground.”
Use Bounce Dryer Sheets — A quick pass with the thin sheets used in dryers will eliminate “static cling” on your plastic reloading parts like powder throwers, powder funnels, and reloading press guides. Thanks to Doc76251 for this tip.
Reduce Electronic Scales’ Drift with Anti-Static Spray
Reloading Tip by German Salazar from RiflemansJournal.com
Apparently reducing static charges on and around electronic scales can reduce their propensity to drift, lessening the problem of “wandering zero”. Just how and why static charges interfere with scale performance is unclear, but many shooters have noticed that static electricity can cause electronic scales to behave strangely. So how do you reduce static charges around your digital balance? German Salazar has found a very simple solution — an anti-static aerosol spray — that, by all indications, actually works. When this “spray-can solution” was suggested to German by a fellow shooter, German was skeptical. However, German tried the stuff and he says that it really does help the scale maintain zero over time, with much less observed drift.
On his Rifleman’s Journal website, German explains that the use of “Static Guard” spray helped mitigate the problem of a drifting zero on his Ohaus Navigator electronic scale. German writes: “My electronic scale… suffers from drifting zero (as they all seem to). I’ve read dozens of forum posts about drift and how to minimize its occurrence, so I know this problem isn’t limited to my scale or my workshop. Sometime last year, John Lowther mentioned the use of anti-static spray as a solution to the drift problem. John stated that the spray had virtually eliminated drift for him.”
German found that the Static Guard actually worked: “The spray works great, just as John said it would. I spray all surfaces that I touch with my hands and arms as well as the pan (top and bottom), the metal tray on which the pan rests and the table under the scale. In six months or so of using the spray I’ve re-applied it about two or three times; it certainly isn’t something that you need to do each time you sit down to load. Before using the spray, it was not uncommon for me to re-zero the scale 10 times in the course of loading 72 rounds; now it might need it once during a session.”
READ Full Story on RiflemansJournal.com
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Tags: Bounce, Cling, Powder Measure, Static Electricity
Also, be aware of the effect that static electricity can have on balances and scales. The charge on your body can alter scale and balance measurements by a grain or more if you approach the pan with your hand in dry conditions. Grounding your body with an ESD (electrostatic discharge) wristrap will prevent this problem.
A thick, braided wire cable is better at dissipating ESD than an thin, solid core wire. In some cases, just having enough length of braided core wire will provide a ground without actually attaching it to a solid ground.
I dont bother with the trickling. I just throw the charge, if its not right on I dump it and throw another. Seems to go a lot faster that way. Ive also had good luck with the dryer sheets.
My powder containers are charged. Powder sticks to the lids and sides of the containers. The dryer sheets don’t touch my static problem and it is killing any hope of using my Frankford Arsenal trickler. The powder clumps almost immediately. I’m using my fingers to dribble in the last couple of 10ths to each charge.
What recommendations do you fellas have? I’m new to reloading and really like the idea but this is frustrating.
Thank you for any advice.
was having a problem with static in my plastic powder funnel. applied a little MICA dry white lubricant to the inside and no more static. worked great.
Thanks!
Also interested in purchasing small pistol primers or small rifle primers for 9mm
Any concerns with static shock igniting powder and causing some serious issues? I had several times touching my press and powder measure tonight where I was getting shocked so I stopped loading until I can figure out what to do.