I have a Mec 9000GN my load is

GC hull/Win 209/CB1100-12 wad/18.5 gr.=1235-1250 FPS 1oz #8’s.

I’m getting 18.3-18.6 grains using red plastic baffle. I use the metal baffle and get 18.6-18.9 gr.

Any other tricks besides dryer sheet?

I know its normal, but would like it closer, while I’m sitting at home in zero degree weather.

Thanks,
Addicted to shooting

Can we assume it is already firmly mounted to your bench?
I am a firm believer in MEC's bottle support system. It stops the bottles from shaking around when you cycle the machine. Putting the machine on top of an AutoMate helps some more. Smooths out the down stroke jar from resizing and primer removal.

Steve

Used plenty of Red Dot. I took out that baffle and eliminated the brass ring and drops were much better. Just the black grommet under the powder bottle. Be careful not to short stroke the machine if operating manually. Fatigue can play a part if operating manually.

IMHO those drops are well better than good enough.

I don't use dryer sheets. I tried them once with no improvement. YMMV.





Dunno about the brass ring helping, but I get better drops with 'big flake' powders, e.g. Red Dot, Promo, Unique, without a baffle.

The PC red plastic baffle is splendid for reducing 'powder drool', although that is not usually a problem with Red Dot. If 'powder drool' with Red Dot is a problem for you, you can ream out the baffles. I do that, but I can't explain why I bother.

Some guys like to get persnickety about powder drops. I've been using Promo, the same as RD only cheaper, for years. Look in a powder companies reloading handbook and you'll see usually three different powder drops with everything else the same. They're normally 1 grain different with a 50 fps difference. So your 3 to 5 tenths difference isn't going to mean a whole lot. I don't think most of us can tell the difference in leads with a 30 to 50 FPS change. It's nice to try and keep drops real close or the same, but unnecessary. JMHO

don't rattle the machine around so much.

I would not bat an eye at those levels of variance on a red dot load.

There have probably been a few billion shotgun shells reloaded with Red Dot and no scale even on the bench.

Every time we go to the range we try and achieve perfection. Here is an OP that understands his powder variance is "normal" but "would like it closer". Closer to perfection, something we should all strive for. But most of the replies here are of no help to that end.
The back of a contractors business card that I hired had this on it from Will A. Foster
Quality--- Is never an accident. It is ALWAYS the result of:
High Intention
Sincere Effort
Intelligent Direction and Skillful Execution.
It represents the wise choice of many masters.

Something for thought in our reloading.

Steve

Nothing anyone can write here will make Red Dot meter better thru a normally operated MEC 9000. If the OP needs better metering, he'll have to change powder. Titewad would be a good choice.

Every powder I have ever used, including RD, the drop weight variance/swing was lessened once I install MEC's bottle support system. The bottles just dont sway during cycles causing the powder to pack differently in the bushing.

Steve

There is nothing to fix with those powder drops.

There's not a better way to find out the difference of .02/.04 your powder drops than a
Chronograph but if your findings are within 50 fps SD in velocity , I doubt you or your target
could tell the difference !

I've got probably 200,000 of those, between dad and I.............



0.3gr variation.... not worth paying one bit of attention to.

The OP's load is almost exactly what I load. I try to drop 18 grains of RD. It varies a couple of tenths from drop to drop. I've never noticed any difference. Whenever I switch from loading 3/4 to 1oz, I run a few through the chrono just to check that they're approx where I expect them to be. Here's my latest run of 5 shots with 1oz.