Some may feel that today’s subject is a bit odd. Let’s be honest—if you said to a new reloader, “Trickle the powder charge up to your target weight,” their first response would most likely be, “What do you mean, ‘trickle up?'”

Here is how to use a powder trickler in 5 simple steps

What is a powder trickler?

A powder trickler is a tool/machine that allows you to manually or electronically dispense powder in small quantities. This is perfect for enabling you to reach precise charge weights.

For most people, myself included, their first experience with one of these would likely be with a manually operated unit. So, that is what we’re going to roll with today.

What are the different types of powder ticklers?

There are generally three types. The first is an automatic unit. In combination with some machines, the powder is dispensed automatically.

The second is a battery-operated push-button unit. You control the powder flow by pressing a button.

The third is a manual hand-operated unit. This is what we will be using today for this article.

Before we get to the nitty-gritty, there are two issues I would like to address upfront. Some manual units do not have a weighted bottom. This is not good because it makes them top-heavy; when loaded, it becomes easy to tip them over and spill powder everywhere accidentally.

Unfortunately, most units included in reloading kits do not have heavy bottoms. Save some frustration, chuck it in the garbage, and purchase a good one. Then again, if you have a twisted sense of humor, it would make a good gift.

Most digital scales that you can purchase online are absolute garbage. There’s a reason they’re only 50 bucks. They are cheap for a reason. You are better off using a balance beam scale than one of these bargain-cave gems.

Step one
Prepare/clean for use

Ensuring the unit is absent of powder from a previous use would be best. You don’t want to mix powders accidentally. This is an excellent all-around rule of thumb for reloading/handloading.

My favorite way of achieving this is to use a small vacuum cleaner. It sucks out all those little powder kernels from the nooks and crannies. I use a little five-horse-power shop vac to clean the tool before use.

Step two
Fill the trickler

This can be tricky because the powder hopper’s diameter is usually minimal. I place my powder in a container with a smaller diameter mouth. This way, you don’t end up spilling powder all over the place when filling the container, though this will probably happen at some point.

Tip
I tend to put an abbreviated label with the powder type outside the hopper. This prevents inadvertently mixing powders at a later date. I know; I’m preaching to the choir with this point.

Step three
Prime the feeder tube for use

I do this by tilting the entire unit forward to fill the tube with powder. This way, you don’t have to sit there rotating the knob for several minutes before kernels start coming out.

Step four
Position for use

Since these units are typically used in conjunction with a balance beam, it’s time to position the latter.

I like to have the tube/spout at 2 o’clock above the balance-beam pan. Now, you have room to move the powder pan without bumping into the trickler. Whatever is most comfortable for you works as long as the balance-beam pan doesn’t contact the unit when you lift/place it on the scale.

Step five
Time to get down to business

Set your desired charge weight on your balance-beam scale. Now set the meter on your powder thrower below the target weight.

Next, charge the balance-beam pan with the powder thrower or drop and place it on the scale.

Last but not least: Rotate the knob slowly on the trickler until the balance beam shows you’ve hit your mark. Congratulations, you’re done.

Tip
I never leave powder in the unit when it is not in use. There are a couple of reasons for this, but I’m not going to get into these today. It’s just a good practice to have.

Closing

A balance-beam scale combined with a manual trickler can be as accurate as high-end digital scales with auto trickles. The downside is that going old school is time-consuming, but this is the way to go if you’re on a budget.

I used to load all my competition ammunition this way for several years. The issue for me is I now have to produce about 200 rounds minimum, and this is extremely time-consuming. I hope this article on how to use a powder trickler in 5 simple steps has found you in good spirits.

Shoot Strait – Mac R

5Gun Nation How-To Series

Disclaimer: Reloading/handloading can be hazardous to your health, like many things in life. You take full responsibility when performing these procedures. 5 Gun Nation is not liable for your decisions. Don’t be an idiot; if you are, it is not our problem.