Do many people use Dippers

[earlthegoat2]

I am a fan of powder dippers. It seems their use is discouraged in mainstream reloading guides. I understand their limitations so I have no problem with them.

Maybe it is because they are a mostly Lee product that they are avoided by many of the manuals.

BTW: What is the RCBS shell holder number for the 45 Auto Rim? Cant seem to find it in their literature.

 

[rickomatic]

As long as you aren't trying to load a super accurate load, or trying to load near max pressure I think they're great. Especially for light or mid range plinking stuff.

 

[Marlin 45 carbine]

I use them and load-thru-expander dies. I use a punch to cut out snug-fitting discs of stiff brown paper to use as inserts to adjust them down in volume. I don't need a progressive, time to go shooting is limited for me and a range visit is usually 2-3 boxes of pistol ammo and a box of rifle.

 

[1858rem]

excellent idea, an here i went cutting them or drilling out to adjust volume.

mostly cause i havent tried attaching a stiff wire to an old case and filing down to make a cheap "dipper"

 

[1SOW]

According to Midway it's a #8, .45 auto rim, $6.89

 

[Hud]

Earl,

The RCBS shell holder for the 45 Auto Rim is number 8.

Hud

1SOW beat me to the lights.

 

[33rowdy]

I use the dippers. Right from the 1 lb can to my 5-0-2 scales. Its slow at 1st but as you do it a lot it goes faster. I bought the complete Lee kit at a gun show a few years ago for about $7.00 with the powder slide.

 

[Dean Williams]

There's nothing wrong with dippers. If you are methodical and consistent in your dipping technique they are pretty darn accurate as far as repeatable weights go. I've never seen a listed load (of the many I've weighed) on the Lee dipper chart that was over the weight it was supposed to throw. Usually the opposite, if anything. Even when they are a little low, they throw the same weight if you do your part.

You have to keep in mind that any loading manual that avoids mentioning dippers is likely a Lee competitor. Their very own powder measures are doing the same thing a dipper does; metering a charge by volume. Just like the ammo manufacturers.

I have three sets of Lee dippers (black, red, and yellow) that I use whenever I see fit, but usually I use a powder measure for loading large numbers of non-maximum pistol charges. I've used a dipper for almost every rifle charge I've ever loaded, but that is to put the initial charge into a scale, and then trickle up to my final weight.

 

[Shimitup]

I dip right out of the Pyrodex bottle at the range for my .50 Hawken.

 

[pmeisel]

Very handy when you are just loading a few. When I want to load a couple boxes full I prefer a powder measure.

 

[RandyP]

A VERY good point Dean - kudos.

There seems to be a lot of brand bashing out there on the 'net and Lee can get treated like the Chevy sedan on the Mercedes car lot. But there are very good, reliable, safe, functional cars (and reloading manufacturers) out there at all budgets and for all needs. To easily load many hundreds of rounds per week, you don't need a $2000 Dillon 1050 with all the doo-dads. Is that same Dillon 1050 a fabulous reloading press, Oh my yes it truly is, but it is not the only tool out there.

Nearly all powder measuring devices are indeed nothing more than glorified Lee dippers.

 

[fitz47]

I like Lee dippers for reloading Twenty or less it works for me i have made my own dippers using fired case cutting and filing to desired weight, epoxyy a wire handle after it sets run a drilled dowel over rod and mark for charge /bullet weight / cartridge

 

[Walkalong]

I have in the past for pistol calibers. I even made a couple from cases with a handle soldered on. I would trim the case to throw what I wanted.

This method quickly becomes tedious if you load for more than one or two calibers.

I soon got a Hornady pistol measure with brass bushings in a trade. I would modify or make bushings to get what I wanted. I even made a couple of parts so it would dump automatically on my Projector press. That worked well for awhile.

In time, the Hornady measure with it's bushings became a pain as the number of pistol calibers I reloaded increased. I then bought a Redding 10X measure for my pistol calibers and use it to this day.

 

[Mal H]

Like Dean, I use my set of Lee dippers (the entire black set) all the time for dipping the initial scoop of powder onto the scale and then trickling the remainder.

IMX, I can trickle up to the correct weight much faster using a dipper than using an official trickler.

I don't use them for actual loading straight into the case. I use an RCBS Uniflow, which is in effect doing exactly the same thing as a dipper, just a little more precisely and repeatably.

 

[lgbloader]

I like using LEE dippers as well. I have a couple of dippers that I have modified to use for specific powder/wt.

My Lee Classic loader for 38/spcl now has a dipper that I modified to throw 3.0 gr of Bullseye for when I load 158gr lead bullets. It is right on the money every time.

I just loaded 50 rounds of 375 WIN and used the Lee dippers to charge directly to the case. I have done this hundreds of times

I was taught to use Dippers onto a scale and even trickle using the dipper. On the other hand, I have also charged cases directly from the dipper. Once you can confirm what each dipper throws by varification on your scale for a particular powder, it is fairly easy to duplicate that charge consistantly, as long as you do your part and get your technique down.

I use my powder throws (Chargemaster Combo for extruded rifle, Uniflow's and Dillon for everything else) most of the time, but I still like to bring out the old dipper set.

LGB

 

[rfwobbly]

Do many people use Dippers ?

I think the nursing home has my 85 yo mother wearing them now. I think they use Depends.

Oh, sorry. You said "dippers".

 

[1858rem]

i like dippers for my 45 colt loads, slight powder variation is not as noticeable and the big case does not need a funnel when dipping

 

[lead-inspector]

Lee Dippers?

Dean;

I didn't know Lee Dippers came in different colors. I have the yellow set. Do the Black and Red have volumes different from the Yellow?

Steve

 

[Dean Williams]

lead-inspector;

The only color Lee dippers come in nowadays is yellow.

I started reloading quite a few years back, and the first set of dippers I bought were black, and as far as I know were the first type of Lee dippers to be made in a set. They also made pretty aluminum ones for their shotgun reloaders.
A few years later they came out with the red set of dippers, which was basically the same as the black set, but had a lot more load combinations and more powder references in the load chart.

The most recent set I bought was still quite a few years back, but is the same as the set sold today, although the powder chart is not up to date for newer powders.

The black and red dippers are calibrated in cubic inches, and marked in CU on the handles. Current dippers are marked in cubic centimeters.
The volumes are different between the old types and the current items. The older types throw different weights.

 

[lordgroom]

I just used them to work up a load for 45-70 using Unique. I was also measuring each load on a 10-10. Probably not how they were intended but useful for me.

 

[lead-inspector]

Thank You

Dean;

Thank you for the reply.

Steve

 

[earlthegoat2]

I suppose some of the older red and black dippers were the ones that came in the Lee Loader sets as well in those days.

 

[ljnowell]

I have a set of dippers. My very first rounds were loaded with them. I still use them if I am loading a small amount, or working up a load. When I do use them I tend to weigh every charge, though, if you are consistant in your use they will be consistant also. I use an autodisk powder measure, its no different that a dipper, it just does it for me.

 

[Beagle-zebub]

Would you say that this is an easier way to deal with pistol powders that don't meter well?

 

[moooose102]

lee powder dippers work fine. i have a set, and i use them occaisionally. just do not expect them to be real accurate, and ALWAYS err on the safe side when using them. they are plenty good for plinking loads. but i sure would not use them for accuracy or hunting loads.