So a while back bought a lee load master.
Had a major priming issue wont prime on it to dangerous.
So I pre prime and size and skip priming on the press.
Went shooting today shot about 200 40s&w had 4 low powder rounds and I'm sure it's the powder measure.
If I have to charge cases off the press I may as well use it as a boat anchor.
How do you deal with the lee powder measure?
First question, if it is so dangerous then why do you keep it? The theory behind a progressive press it to complete a round in one cycle, not multiple cycles or operations.
Second question, do you not visually check each case before placing the bullet?
Now, first off that powder is one of the nastiest measuring powders that I have heard of from nearly everyone that uses it. I do not use it. Every ball powder that I have used in both my Lee Auto Disk and Lee Auto Drum are consistent to within .1gr and I have been using them for years. They have been so consistent and reliable that for me they have become boring.
I have done a test for myself to judge my own ability and it goes like this:
While developing loads for handguns I would start at the beginning charge and work up .1gr at a time as many do. After many loads it finally struck me that I could not discern the difference it feel or shot placement between a 4.0 load and a 4.1 load or a 4.2 load and that if I tool 20 of each of those and mixed them together and randomly fired those in succession I could not tell you which one was which.
From there I did the same thing with the actual powder. I loaded up 20 cases with 4.0, 4.1 and 4.2gr and then with no bullet just open cases I mixed them all together and then visually inspected them. Once again I could not discern one from the other.
Now I also do not load to Max loads so a difference of +.1 or -.1 to me is irrelevant. But if you at loading at the bottom end a light charge may get you into trouble just as if loading to the Max end a heavy charge could also be problematic.
Still I look into every case before placing a bullet and what I am looking for is a powder charge, no powder charge or a double powder charge. After that I do try to discern if the charge is significantly heavy or weak and that is the best one can do with the naked eye.
