powder drop recomendation plz

OFFGRID said:
im getting tired of weighing every single charge. i need a powder drop on the cheap and it seems the lee dippers..
.well it seems they just get close and then i have to trickle up
what would you guys recommend? tell me the $20 lee perfect measure is awesome! lol
Click to expand...

Yes, it is awesome at weighing precise charges. It is NOT awesome in the adjustment category. It is a bit of a pain to radically switch charges, not so bad to dial in similar charges, I.E. going from 40 gr in one caliber to 45 in another. Still it is all I use, and I just deal with the nettlesome adjustment procedure. I have 2. One is set up for "pistol", the other for "rifle" so I'm usually working with a narrowed charge range.

The concept of how a powder drop works is important for your consideration. For match, hunting, and any load approaching the red line, I ALWAYS throw short and trickle up to the target charge. I use volumetric charges striclty for plinking or practice ammo with a realistic safety margin depending on the consistency of throws with a specific powder. Usually ball powders I am able to dial in close enough to run pretty close to the max with thrown charges. With stick powders it is variable, with lincoln log powders such as IMR 4064 and 4350 at the bad end, and short cuts such as R15 and AA 2495 on the "good" end.
 
OFFGRID said:
dont really have a budget...but im a cheap skate. hence the $20 lyman beam scale and $50 rockchucker press. lol

ebay is a little rediculous sometimes. they are asking $60 or $80 for used rcbs and midway has them for $87 new, but sometimes a deal can be had if i look lomg enough
Click to expand...
Perhaps you want to restate your original question with greater precision. It might help you and respondents.
 
OFFGRID said:
dont really have a budget...but im a cheap skate. hence the $20 lyman beam scale and $50 rockchucker press. lol

ebay is a little rediculous sometimes. they are asking $60 or $80 for used rcbs and midway has them for $87 new, but sometimes a deal can be had if i look lomg enough
Click to expand...
I bought a Uniflow last year just to see if it was something I'd like more than dippers. I don't. A real cheap skate uses worn out brass, old thimbles and salvaged wire braised to make handles for custom dippers the right size for each of their pet loads. Just don't use your wife's good thimbles. I won't say how I know but, trust me, bad idea.
 
GeoDudeFlorida said:
I bought a Uniflow last year just to see if it was something I'd like more than dippers. I don't. A real cheap skate uses worn out brass, old thimbles and salvaged wire braised to make handles for custom dippers the right size for each of their pet loads. Just don't use your wife's good thimbles. I won't say how I know but, trust me, bad idea.
Click to expand...
I too have a Uniflow and it would be my choice IF I were a high volume loader. But I’m not so I dip & tap.
 
A powder measure is great if you have loads figured out and your just making them in bulk. You are doing a lot of testing and constantly adjusting has guys buying multiple measures. The only load I currently make in bulk is my boys Silhouette 357 charge. The rest are batches of 5 or 6 in ladders. I think for your needs, when you find the powder demonstrated by buying an 8 pounder, a measure will be helpful. Just my opinion.
 
AJC1 said:
A powder measure is great if you have loads figured out and your just making them in bulk. You are doing a lot of testing and constantly adjusting has guys buying multiple measures. The only load I currently make in bulk is my boys Silhouette 357 charge. The rest are batches of 5 or 6 in ladders. I think for your needs, when you find the powder demonstrated by buying an 8 pounder, a measure will be helpful. Just my opinion.
Click to expand...


thanks man.
 
N555 said:
I use a layman powder drum to drop with in about 0.1 or 0.2gr shy of the desired charge weight and use a hornady powder trickler to bring it up to full weight.
Click to expand...
im basically doing the same thing with the scoops.

maybe ill get a tumbler instead.
 
I have two Lees - the "perfect" and the cheap one. Both work fine for pistol/revolver loading. I follow a process (swing the handle up, tap the sideplate twice, swing it down, tap again) every time, which is pretty fast and drops consistent charges. Hasn't given me any headaches or issues with either unit. I also have the Lee Dippers which I use for plinking loads or rifle loads. In the latter (rifle) case, I use the dipper to get close and then trickle with a FA manual powder trickler. I also have a Hornady Lock-N-Load electronic dropper. Works well after some fiddling and tweaking, but it's pretty slow if you slow it down enough to get very accurate charges. I use it if I'm doing a long run of rifle hunting rounds and not pressed for time. If I were going to simplify and was on a budget and had to choose, I'd get the Lee PPM, a set of Lee dippers, a manual trickler, a good beam scale, and call it good.
 
AJC1 said:
If your looking for a good next purchase a Hornaday comparator set would help. Both the shoulder and the bullet set gives very helpful information.
Click to expand...

I think if I had a chance to go back, I think I would have opted for the Sinclair over the Hornady. The Hornady isn't bad by any means, I just think I would have gotten the stainless steel instead for about the same price considering the inserts I use.
 
I don't know anyone that doesn't trickle when accuracy is the goal, especially with rifle ammo.
If your concern is producing ammo quicker and foregoing precision, about any measure will get you "close enough". Just be certain you're not loading near max because the margin for error starts getting thinner.

I do struggle with the premise of the OP's dilemma though...243 and .30-06 aren't typical calibers for close-enough is good-enough. Pistols I get, .223/5.56 yes, 30 Carbine maybe...
 
The Lee dippers do work. But for me are a pain to deal with. The Lee Auto Drum does work. But maybe more trouble than it is worth to change drums. But...even for a cheapskate like me ordering a new powder measure from Midway is the cheapest and best way to go over the long run. Almost any one of them. I do truly like my Uniflow. Maybe your real problem is the beam balance. It is sure easier to trickle up on a digital. I have proved to myself that one can be "too cheap" in reloading. Most of what I use now is a "upgrade" or replacement for something inadequate that I bought to begin with. At work I used to weigh a lot of small things for a living. Makes one appreciate a digital scale. And there is a safety benefit to throwing charges and then trickling up. You have 2 ways to detect an error. Such as a bad scale or grabbing the wrong powder bottle.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: PWC
Going to repeat myself. Dippers suck. Just get the cheap Lee PPM, throw a grain low and trickle up to target. BTW, my trickler for over 30 years has been a .303 brit case with the mouth bent into a rounded V. It's faster than a real trickler. Save the comparators and other fancy and IMHO unnecessary outside of serious BR or F class target shooting gear for further down the line if you feel the need to shoot 1/2"bench groups that have no bearing on hunting ammo. A tumbler would be a good addition to your kit.

Also RE comparators. The best thing you can do is to "short size" ammo that will be used in one rifle and has been used in same rifle. Set your FL die a full turn or more high so "mostly" only the neck gets sized. You can get as high as only 1/2 of the neck being sized in a long necked round like 30-06 and still get sufficient neck tension. This MAY improve your groups slightly without impeding reliable feeding in a bolt action rifle. In a rifle with an oversized chamber or near max headspace, you may see a significant improvement...most commonly in military surplus arms. There are a couple of very cheap and dirty ways you can find your max COL to lands. All you need is a sharpie.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: PWC
It's not cheap, but I want accuracy, so I use the Frankfort Arsenal Intellidropper and funnel in every charge. It can keep up with me and my Classic 4hole turret.
 
Random 8 said:
Going to repeat myself. Dippers suck. Just get the cheap Lee PPM, throw a grain low and trickle up to target. BTW, my trickler for over 30 years has been a .303 brit case with the mouth bent into a rounded V. It's faster than a real trickler. Save the comparators and other fancy and IMHO unnecessary outside of serious BR or F class target shooting gear for further down the line if you feel the need to shoot 1/2"bench groups that have no bearing on hunting ammo. A tumbler would be a good addition to your kit.

Also RE comparators. The best thing you can do is to "short size" ammo that will be used in one rifle and has been used in same rifle. Set your FL die a full turn or more high so "mostly" only the neck gets sized. You can get as high as only 1/2 of the neck being sized in a long necked round like 30-06 and still get sufficient neck tension. This MAY improve your groups slightly without impeding reliable feeding in a bolt action rifle. In a rifle with an oversized chamber or near max headspace, you may see a significant improvement...most commonly in military surplus arms. There are a couple of very cheap and dirty ways you can find your max COL to lands. All you need is a sharpie.
Click to expand...
Comparators definitely have their place on a reloading bench for anyone reloading rifle rounds. When I first started out with rifle rounds, I was constantly adjusting my seating die trying to chase the perfect COAL according to the manual I was following. A friend of mine, who also happens to be the one that's mentored me through my loading journey had mentioned that I should get a comparator to see exactly what it was I was doing every time I adjusted that die. That was when I learned "set it once and leave it alone".
 
I don't do cheap, I do practical.
I do buy most reloading equipment used and I buy a lot of it. I keep what I want for my personal reloading room and extra for my reloading shed.
I have been buying whole reloading set ups and separate what I need and setting the other stuff aside to resell once I start doing reloading classes. I picked up two complete sets up and a couple partial set ups with in the last few weeks and I will be picking up a new unused Hornady single-stage Lock n Load kit this week.
I look at it if I buy used equipment I can use it for as long as I want and when I switch directions or decide to not use it any more I will generally recoup my money back.
For me reloading is a rewarding - relaxing side hobby of shooting.
Plus I can make very accurate ammunition at bare minimum cost or i can make plenty of plinking ammo when ever I need it.
And I can make any ammo I need when the stores have empty shelves.
I have the electronic powder dispensers but do not use them. They are to slow for my liking. I'll take a RCBS or Hornady hand powder drop any day of the week.
For making up accurate rifle ammo if the powder meters good I'll just drop and seat.
For powders that doesn't meter good I'll drop just under the charge and trickle the last little bit with my Hornady electronic powder trickler.

Time in my reloading room is my time. Nothing else to focus on.
 
GeoDudeFlorida said:
MY first dippers were some my uncle helped me make from old brass. We drilled out the bottoms and put cap screws in to adjust the measure. I lost those a LONG time ago
Click to expand...

Its a shame that you lost these. They would still be useful and make a cool keepsake! I still have the set of Lee dippers that Grandpa bought, probably 50 years ago. They are black plastic and have a very useful slide rule type chart in the box.

A few years ago I bought a small box of homemade dippers from a member on here. Mostly for the cool factor! They were made from mostly antique cartridge cases with brass handles soldered on. Most of them were older rimfire cases. I use one of them for measuring the amount of LemiShine that I put in the tumbler.
 
lightman said:
Its a shame that you lost these. They would still be useful and make a cool keepsake! I still have the set of Lee dippers that Grandpa bought, probably 50 years ago. They are black plastic and have a very useful slide rule type chart in the box.

A few years ago I bought a small box of homemade dippers from a member on here. Mostly for the cool factor! They were made from mostly antique cartridge cases with brass handles soldered on. Most of them were older rimfire cases. I use one of them for measuring the amount of LemiShine that I put in the tumbler.
Click to expand...
That’s not much lemishine. What’s your formula?
 
Using dippers is not below my "standards" and I occasionally will use mine. I have a Lee set, several from Lee die sets and Lee loaders, and a dozen or so custom brass tubing dippers (making tools for a specific use is fun and educational). But I also have and use a Pacific Perfect Pistol Powder Measure (old school technology!) along with a C-H 502 and a LEE PPM. I like reloading and never in a hurry, never have a quota so simple powder measuring is OK. When I used dippers almost exclusively I normally used them in conjunction with a beam scale; dip, weigh, charge. With practice and when on a roll, my dips were within .1 grain variation with most pistol powders. During a session if my dip loads were consistent I would often skip weighing each charge to only one out of three or four charges. Most of my handloads were consistent performance and all were safe...
 
I retired my dry tumbler when I bought my 1st Frankford Arsenal wet tumbler.
I was packaging up bras to ship out a while ago and had some mixed caliber range rifle brass .
So I tumbled it for two hours in one of my retired dry tumblers in walnut media.
Then I retumbled it in one of my Frankford Arsenal wet tumblers.
The water was black as usual

Dry tumbling just doesn't clean brass as good as wet tumbling
 
Last edited:
OFFGRID said:
im getting tired of weighing every single charge. i need a powder drop on the cheap and it seems the lee dippers..
.well it seems they just get close and then i have to trickle up
what would you guys recommend? tell me the $20 lee perfect measure is awesome! lol
Click to expand...

Actually, at lot of people are happy with it. Including some pros. You could do worse.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

S
  • Locked
Powder Measuring
Replies
19
Views
1K
ironworkerwill
ironworkerwill
K
  • Locked
Confused about weighing powder
2
Replies
44
Views
3K
Rollbar
R
S
  • Locked
Trickler operation
Replies
10
Views
303
Randy1911
R
J
  • Locked
Recomendations for Powder Measure and bullet length
Replies
20
Views
1K
Jumping Frog
J
B
  • Locked
Essential gear you never use
2 3
Replies
52
Views
3K
jcwit
J
Back
Top