Hornady 095360 Lock-N-Load Funnel 1 Universal

Mastering Precision Reloading: The Hornady Lock-N-Load Universal Powder Funnel

For dedicated handloaders, competitive shooters, and anyone committed to achieving the utmost consistency in their ammunition, every detail matters. From primer seating to bullet crimp, precision is paramount. One of the most critical steps in the reloading process is ensuring an accurate and uniform powder charge. Inconsistent powder charges are a primary culprit behind velocity variations, opening group sizes, and ultimately, diminishing accuracy on the range or in the field. This is precisely where specialized tools like the Hornady Lock-N-Load Universal Powder Funnel become indispensable, transforming a potentially tedious and error-prone step into a streamlined and highly precise operation.

Why Powder Charge Consistency is Crucial for Performance

• Velocity Consistency: Even tiny deviations in powder weight can lead to significant variations in muzzle velocity. This directly impacts trajectory, especially at longer ranges, making consistent shot placement incredibly challenging.
• Accuracy and Group Sizes: When powder charges vary, the bullet's exit velocity from the barrel changes, affecting barrel harmonics and the point of impact. The result? Enlarged group sizes that betray the shooter's skill and ammunition quality.
• Safety: While less common with minor variations, excessive powder charges due to inconsistent methods can lead to dangerously high pressures, risking equipment damage and personal injury. On the other hand, charges that are too light might result in a "squib" load, where a bullet becomes lodged in the barrel, a dangerous condition if another round is fired behind it.
• Optimal Load Development: Finding the "sweet spot" for a particular cartridge and bullet combination requires precise experimentation. Without consistent powder charges, it's impossible to isolate variables and truly understand what makes a load perform best.
• Cost-Effectiveness and Efficiency: Reducing waste from rejected rounds due to poor consistency, and optimizing the time spent on each round, contributes to a more efficient and cost-effective reloading process.

These factors underscore the need for reliable, high-quality tools designed specifically for powder handling.

Elevating Your Reloading Game: The Hornady Lock-N-Load Universal Funnel Solution

The Hornady 095360 Lock-N-Load Universal Powder Funnel is engineered to address the core challenges of powder charging, offering a solution that enhances precision, efficiency, and safety for reloaders using Hornady's Lock-N-Load AP press and beyond. This unique die-style funnel allows handloaders to adopt a best-practice approach to powder charging, particularly when seeking absolute perfection in their ammunition.

What Problem Does This Funnel Solve?

Have you ever wondered how to achieve the most precise powder charges possible, even when using a progressive press like the Lock-N-Load AP? Or perhaps you're building a highly accurate long-range load and need to trickle each powder charge to an exact weight, but then struggle to cleanly transfer it into the cartridge case without spilling or creating static cling? The Hornady Lock-N-Load Universal Funnel is designed precisely for these scenarios.

Traditional powder funnels can be cumbersome, prone to static, or incompatible with certain die stations on a progressive press. This Lock-N-Load funnel, however, integrates seamlessly into your reloading setup as if it were another die. It permits the handloader to:

1. Individually Trickle and Weigh Powder: For those "match-grade" loads, where every tenth of a grain counts, this funnel allows you to use your powder trickler and scale to measure each charge precisely.
2. Cleanly Drop Powder into the Case: Once measured, the funnel ensures the powder is dropped cleanly and directly into the cartridge case, minimizing spills, reducing static, and preventing bridging, which can occur with certain powders.
3. Optimize Progressive Press Workflows: While progressive presses are known for speed, the Lock-N-Load AP, equipped with this funnel, offers the flexibility to slow down a specific station for critical tasks like precise powder charging, without disrupting the overall process for other stages like sizing or seating.

This tool is a game-changer for those who demand both the speed of a progressive press and the unwavering precision of hand-weighed charges for specific applications.

Key Features and Benefits: Designed for the Discerning Handloader

The Hornady 095360 Lock-N-Load Universal Funnel is not just another accessory; it's a precision instrument crafted to meet the rigorous demands of serious ammunition loading.

• Universal Compatibility: As its name suggests, this funnel is designed with a universal opening that accommodates a wide range of cartridge cases, from small pistol calibers to large rifle rounds. This eliminates the need for multiple funnels for different calibers, simplifying your reloading bench and reducing clutter. The thoughtfully designed cone ensures smooth powder flow into various case mouths without binding or spillage.
• Seamless Integration with Lock-N-Load AP Press: This funnel is specifically engineered to mount directly into a die station on the Hornady Lock-N-Load AP progressive press. This integration is what sets it apart, allowing reloaders to maintain the benefits of a multi-station press while still performing meticulous, hand-weighed powder charges. It occupies a standard die station, making it a simple drop-in addition to your existing setup.
• Facilitates Precision Trickling and Weighing: The funnel's design perfectly complements the use of a separate powder trickler and an electronic or beam scale. A reloader can set up their scale and trickler beside the press, weigh out the exact charge, and then simply pour it into the funnel positioned directly over the cartridge case in the press. This method is crucial for developing highly accurate loads for precision rifle shooting, benchrest competitions, or any application where extreme consistency is paramount.
• Minimizes Spillage and Static Cling: Constructed from durable, anti-static plastic, the Hornady funnel helps to mitigate issues like powder sticking to the funnel walls due to static electricity. This ensures that every grain of powder reaches the cartridge case, maintaining charge integrity and reducing waste. Its smooth, internal contours are designed for optimal powder flow, preventing bridging or blockages, especially with fine-grained powders.
• Enhanced Control and Consistency: By allowing for individual charge weighing and a controlled drop, this funnel gives the reloader unparalleled control over the powder charging step. This level of control directly translates to greater consistency in the finished ammunition, which is the cornerstone of superior accuracy.
• Robust and Durable Construction: Like all Hornady reloading equipment, this funnel is built to last. Its durable plastic construction is resistant to common reloading chemicals and stands up to repeated use, ensuring it remains a reliable tool in your reloading arsenal for years to come. The vibrant red color is also easy to spot on a busy reloading bench.
• Optimizing Load Development: For reloaders engaging in serious load development—testing different powders, bullet weights, and charge variations to find the most accurate combination for their firearm—this funnel is invaluable. It removes the variable of inconsistent powder throws, allowing the reloader to precisely isolate the impact of other components and variables.

Who Will Benefit Most from This Tool?

• Precision Rifle Shooters: Those participating in F-Class, benchrest, long-range tactical, or hunting disciplines where sub-MOA accuracy is the goal will find this funnel essential for achieving the velocity consistency needed for tight groups at extended ranges.
• Competitive Pistol Shooters: While often focused on speed, some pistol competitions (e.g., bullseye shooting) demand extreme precision, where consistent powder charges can make a difference.
• Handloaders Seeking Ultimate Control: If you derive satisfaction from meticulously crafting each round and want to eliminate as many variables as possible from your reloading process, this funnel provides that level of control for powder charging.
• Reloaders with Hornady Lock-N-Load AP Presses: While it can be used off-press, its design is particularly optimized for seamless integration with the Lock-N-Load AP, allowing for hybrid workflows that combine progressive speed with single-stage precision for specific steps.
• Ammunition Manufacturers and Enthusiasts: Anyone looking to replicate or exceed factory ammunition quality in their handloads will appreciate the consistency this funnel helps deliver.

This funnel is a testament to Hornady's commitment to providing innovative solutions that empower reloaders to produce the highest quality ammunition possible. It's a small investment that yields significant returns in terms of precision, performance, and the overall satisfaction of crafting superior ammunition. Available now at DEGuns, it's a vital addition for anyone serious about their handloading journey.

Achieving Unmatched Accuracy: A Step-by-Step Scenario

Imagine you're preparing for a long-range shooting competition. You've selected your brass, primers, and bullets, and now it's time for the powder charge. Here's how the Hornady 095360 Lock-N-Load Universal Funnel streamlines the process for ultimate precision:

1. Preparation: Your Hornady Lock-N-Load AP press is set up with sizing and decapping dies in initial stations. You've allocated a specific station for the powder funnel, perhaps after sizing and priming. Your precision electronic powder scale and trickler are positioned conveniently next to the press.
2. Calibrating: You calibrate your scale and verify its accuracy with check weights. You've determined your ideal powder charge for your load development based on previous testing.
3. Positioning: A case is indexed into the station under the Hornady Lock-N-Load Universal Funnel.
4. Trickling the Charge: You scoop a slightly under-weight charge of powder onto your scale pan, then use your powder trickler to add individual kernels until the scale displays the exact, desired weight – down to the last tenth of a grain.
5. Pouring: Carefully, you pour the precisely weighed powder charge from the scale pan into the Hornady Lock-N-Load Universal Funnel. The funnel's design ensures a smooth, anti-static transfer directly into the waiting cartridge case below.
6. Advancing: Once the powder is transferred, you advance the press, allowing the charged case to move to the next station for bullet seating, confident that its powder charge is precisely what you intended.

This meticulous process, facilitated by the Hornady Lock-N-Load Universal Funnel, ensures that every round is loaded with unparalleled consistency, laying the groundwork for tighter groups and more predictable ballistic performance downrange. It's an investment in your shooting potential and the quality of your handloaded ammunition.

Product Specifications Overview