[Okiecruffler]

First off, let me say I love reloading. The wife says the only reason I shoot is so I can spend more time reloading. But I just finished 300rds of 45acp and 500rds of 38sp, and I'm getting tired of weighing each and every charge. A quick check in my Midway catalog turned up a Lee Perfect powder measure for $16.95 and I thought it may be just the ticket.
It would only be used to throw charges of 700 or 800X for 38/357/45's, but I load about 1,000 of these a month. Anyone have any experience with these and flake powder?

[Murphster]

Okiecruffler: Sorry, don't know anything about the Lee. Wanted to make sure you at least considered an RCBS Little Dandy. I use one for my pistols and I've had good luck with it. They do run more than the Lee unit, however. Good luck. (I'm like you. I shoot so I can reload.)

[Cortland]

Nothing is going to throw pistol charges of 800X with any kind of accuracy.

[pbhome71]

I use Lee Perfect Measure to meter IMR4895, and 4320 - these are cylindical powder. It works fine for that.

I have never use it to meter disc/flake type, though. One thing that I found is that you should follow the instruction to ran a tube worth of poder through the thing. It is very important because it will make the metering work smoother.

The only thing that I don't like about the Perfect Measure is how cheap it feels, but it is an inexpensive product, any way.

I have a batch of 357 to load, with Unique, may be I'll try this out and I'll let you know.

[Jim Watson]

The Lee Perfect Powder Measure is trash.
Weighing bulk pistol ammo powder charges is silly.
Flake powders are hard to measure, 700X is marginal, 800X is awful.

Get a RCBS Uniflo with small cylinder and some Ball process powders suitable for your calibers.

[The Bushmaster]

W-231 for the .38 Special and .45 ACP
W-296 for the .357 magnum

Both are excellent powders for these calibers and measure well with any system you use. :scrutiny:

[HSMITH]

The Lee powder measures are trash.

I've not tried 800X in my Redding 3BR but it throws 700X beautifully, same for Unique which challenges most measures.

If you are going to buy a measure spend some money and get a quality unit. Make SURE it has a baffle already or you order a baffle for it when you get it. You NEED a baffle in it!!!!

[JoeHatley]

An RCBS Little Dandy is only slightly more expensive than the Lee and will throw accurate loads of flake powder.

I've been using mine with Bullseye for over 25 years, and it still looks and works like new.

Good Luck...

Joe

[The Bushmaster]

I still will weigh every powder charge. I just don't trust machinery that man has invented, manufactured and sold as the promised God sent to all hand loaders. In my senior years I'm just not in that big of a hurry. Like I said...I still have 38 years left. Plenty of time. :neener:

[Okiecruffler]

I might give the little dandy a try since it's only about $25, or I might spend that money on more powder and just keep weighing each charge.
Figure I've been using the same load for 38's now for over a decade, no reason to change now just so I can use a measure.

[Automac]

Okiecruffler, that is such an original handle, not sure I want to know where it came from though.

Wow, you got the good stuff fast. There has been excellent advice already offered which I would like to second, just because I had the same experience.

There are better powder measures for flakes, and the RCBS Uniflow is sure one of them. I got one to use for Unique when my Lee just failed to be consistent with it. "Trash" is a little too hard a word for the product, but I know where the feeling came from. A Lee powder measure can work ok with ball powder and the upgrade kit (long hopper & the adjustable bar thingy). Thats one payback, Mr Lee, for all the not-so-kind things I said before.

But I dropped the flakes too, and I also switched to a ball powder (231) for measuring the very best way possible. I will never use anything but a ball type powder and my Uniflow again. It could cost more with a Uniflow, but my bullets are worth it. :p They still cost less than any I could buy, but I couldnt buy them anywhere in the world anyway, 'cause they're custom made, and they are GREAT! :)

[Bullet]

I'll second HSMITH get a Redding.

[Matthew748]

Take a look at the Lyman #55 measure too. I have one and it works great for everything except large stick powders. Out of the box it is ready to clamped to your table or bench just like a C clamp. Some other models require additional hardware. It has three adjustable slides that are used to determine the charge to be thrown. Short and deep works well for ball and fine stick powders, and long and shallow works well for flake powders.

[1911user]

I've had good luck with a Hornady adjustable powder measure with ball and flake powders. It is similar to the RCBS uniflow and Lyman #55. I do most of my loading now on a Dillon 550 progressive press so the Dillon measure gets used alot; mainly for winchester 231 powder. I use a chronograph to spot check my ammo quality. It's accurate and consistent.

The downside to the RCBS Little Dandy is you have to buy a different sized "cylinder" each time you want a different powder charge. They have a fixed cavity machined into a small steel cylinder.

I can't believe you weighed out all of those charges............and for a pistol.....

For me, pistol reloading is sitting down to the press and spending 15 minutes to crank out 100 rounds. I do it often enough to always have plenty for a short-notice range trip.

[Okiecruffler]

With my bulk pistol stuff, I don't get real picky on the charge, I figure .1gr plus or minus doesn't matter that much. And I use an old Lee 1cc dipper to trickle powder into the pan. After a few dozen you get pretty good at eyeballing that dipper.
What part of Okla are you in? Every now and then some one starts to organize an Okie get together, but it loses steam in the planning stages.

[Kamicosmos]

pistol reloading is sitting down to the press and spending 15 minutes to crank out 100 rounds

:confused: I am guessing you're using a progressive?


Anyways, I have had really good luck with a Frankford Arsenal thrower I got for a steal when Midway was closing them out. Got the thrower, rifle and pistol mikes, and the powder drop tubes for like 45 bucks or something. I use it to throw Varget (stick), H110 (ball), WC820 (ball) and even Power Pistol (flake). It is very very consistant with all these powders!

The Perfect Powder measure was....eh, even for Lee equipment. I only used it once or twice before getting the FA. I am very happy with the Auto Disk measure though. It has served well on my Loadmaster. Although I am about to get rid of the loadmaster and 'downgrade' to a Turret press, so I'll be back to the FA thrower and scale technique of charging.

[Pointman]

Haven't tried the Lee Perfect Powdermeasure.

In rifles I prefer my Lyman measure though I am playing with a newer RCBS because the Lyman sticks a bit with 4064/4895 (cutting the powder sticks)

But for pistol, on a progressive, you'd be hard pressed to get my Lee Auto-Disk measure away from me.

[308win]

I load Unique, RL15, several sphericals, and some flakes thru my RCBS Uniflow and it meters them all within .1gr. Make a baffle out of the top of a two litre bottle cap and you should get very accurate results as long as you use consistent technique.

[Linemup]

Lee perfect is anything but "perfect". They are all plastic, and just not quality. With flake powders they even leak powder out around the drum.

[callgood]

I have been using a PACT digital dispenser linked to their digitalscale to reload pistol for a Forster CoAx. It is a bit slow, but it generally keeps up with my bullet seating so I have no problem there. I wanted to charge my cases ahead of seating the bullets, so I was looking for a method to do so without having to setup both dispenser and scale. I got some of the Lee DIPPERS. The .7cc dipper is listed as containing 10.7 grains of AA#7, which is my 10mm load for a 180gr Win JHP.
Tonight will be my first use of this system. I will drop a number of scoops on the PACT to verify the weight. Ideally, I would hope to drop just short of the target load and trickle the last bit. I'll let you know how it turns out.

UPDATE- well, it worked pretty well, but I wound up weighing every charge anyway. I got to where I could hit 10.6 to 10.8 every time, and exactly 10.7 three or four times in a row. I even got to where I could use the dipper to bump up a tenth of a grain. Considering setup, this was faster than the all digital method. I set up, charged 100 cases and had everything put up in about 40 minutes. I did get better as I progressed, so I guess with practice you can get pretty proficient.

[The Bushmaster]

Yes...Absolutely...1911user...I DO weigh every powder charge that goes into a case. Like I have said before, I have never had a round that didn't go down range. No stuck bullets, no miss fires, no pop-phiszzles and no squibs in my loading carear. :scrutiny: Which spans 20 years. Besides 1911user...I'm only 62 and have 38 more years left. :evil: Plenty of time to weigh each and every powder drop. :D

[model 649]

A good powder measure works. I, too have never had a round not function, ever. Been about fifteen years and counting.
Josh