Powder Measures?

[Joshua M. Smith]

Hello,

I load one pistol round, the .45acp, and two rifle rounds, the 7.62x54R and the 7.92x57J.

For the .45, I use a Lee Autodisk. It charges just fine and weight variance is not more than +/-0.1grn, I've found. Still, I check it every 10 throws.

Now, I've been looking at powder measures for the rifles. Currently I use some of those Lee scoops and a Lyman (I think) powder trickler to measure each charge (46.5grns Varget for the 7.92x57J and 47grns for the 7.62x54R).

It takes a few seconds to a minute to get each charge right.

Now, I'm wondering if the powder measures are worth it? I have several hundred pulled bullets for the 7.62x54R and shoot it a lot. The 7.92x57J hasn't gotten shot a lot yet, but that's going to change soon.

Do you use powder measures, and how do you like them?

Thanks,

Josh

 

[Twiki357]

I've never used anything from Lee. I have used a powder measure and balance bar scale for all my reloading from 380 auto to 300 Win Mag. Once the measure is set, I just check every 5 to 10 rounds. I'm kind of old school. Both have worked well for me since I bought them in the early 1960's.

One word of warning, the flake powders like Bullseye do tend to be a little inconsistent.

 

[Missionary]

Good morning
Been using Lyman powder measure since I started reloading on my own after the army (71-74). As far as rifle rounds.. you may get a .3 grain variation. Now figure.. a .3 grain variation with a 45 grain load (30-06) amounts to nothing. My heart beat will vary impact more than that.
I like the Lymans because it has that little flipper on the front. I rotate the charge handle up,2 flips of the flipper and dump. Really I find my charges are maybe .1 grain off or dead on. Consistency is everything. Keep the hopper at least 1/3 full.
MIke in Peru

 

[Rollis R. Karvellis]

I, don't think any of the major players make a bad measure. I, have the Dillon, and Lyman, and both have their querks. For what you are doing the Lyman would be a fine choice. But their is nothing wrong with the Lee, it will work fine also.

 

[cfullgraf]

I use drum style measures for all of my reloading. I have a Redding 10-x, RCBS Uniflow, Midway Indespensible, and a Hornady L-N-L. While I have different measures set up for different size cartridges, each, except the Redding, can be adjusted for a wide range of cartridges.

Also, I prefer to have micrometer adjusters on my measures. These adjusters do not make the measures more accurate. They make returning to a particular setting easier, assuming you record the setting, and make it easier to dial in a new charge.

I get consistent charges from all them, even with the "dreaded" flake and stick powders.

The main key to good operation of the measures is to throw 15-20 charges at first to settle the powder column and then operate the measure the same way every time. I prefer to have a baffle in my measures but many have good luck without them.

 

[Maximumbob54]

I try to stay away from all powders that aren't ball. I know ball is more dirty than most, but I will gladly clean over some of the squib producing powders out there. Right now I'm loving H335 since it flows so well in my Lyman #55, RCBS Uniflow, and Lee Pro Auto with the double disk kit. I have also used Varget and IMR 3031 and since they are both stick they tended to bind and clog in all of the above powder measures. I used a friend's Lee Perfect Powder Measure and while it would clip the sticks some, it did meter out the IMR 3031 fairly consistent. I wasn't sure what to think of the plastic body but it worked out pretty well. And it cost a lot less than any of my powder measures... And it came with a micrometer that worked pretty well. I also have an uncle that swears by the Dillon powder measure that if I read right is a bar measure. The way I see it, it doesn't matter so much as to what the design of the device is, so much as how polished and static free the internals are. If there is any reason given for powder not to flow then it will hang up, bind up, or stick to the sides no matter the design. Tricks like wiping with a dryer sheet to kill the static and either using graphite or throwing a whole bunch of your chosen powder will make just about all of them work as well as they are going to work. And as bad as I wanted a baffle, I haven't found it to make much of a difference at all. I thought it would keep the weight of the remaining powder from altering the compacting of the powder as it's measured, but I still get shifting amounts when it gets low. Either use a flipper like on the Lyman or flick/thump it with a finger and that will get you better consistency as long as you keep the powder amount roughly the same while loading.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

When I decided to buy a powder measure for rifle loading I went cheap and bought a Lee Perfect Powder Measure. Don't get me wrong, it's not perfect but it does throw very accurate powder weights. It looks and feels like junk but it is very accurate. I have seen no need to buy anything else but then again, I have not use anything else either.

 

[mdi]

Any of the major manufacturers' adjustable powder measures will fill your needs. Many loading equipment opinions are so personal that your answers will include one powder measure from every manufacturer when you ask "what's the best for me?"

 

[jcwit]

Any of the Major mfg. powder measures will work just fine. RCBS, Lyman, Lee, Hornady, Redding, Harrell, ect., ect. Take your choice and spend your $$$$$$$$$$$.

 

[fpgt72]

I got the lee perfect powder measure and it works great. Cost all of about $30.

Get the powder through die and it just cranks them out. The lee stuff is so much more inexpensive then the other brands but darn it sure does work....and always right on the button as well.

 

[sugarmaker]

RCBS uniflow and hornady LNL. Both sees to work OK. Looks like you trickle up to final with the lee, either of these works well for that. Out of the gate they are +/- .3 with 4895 (not the best metering powder there is) at the 68 gr level (big cases), and +/- .2 at the .308 level.

 

[Hangingrock]

For the IMR series powders I prefer the Belding&Mull.

 

[Ridgerunner665]

Rifle loads are all about accuracy IMO....that means consistency is paramount...I weigh every charge for rifle loads. (RCBS Uniflo and a trickler...weighed on an RCBS 505)

Pistol...just like you, I use a Lee auto disk. (I don't even weigh any after the first 5-6...I just make sure there is powder in every one)

So, if you ask me...you're already doing it right.

 

[BYJO4]

I have both RCBS & Hornady powder measures and both do excellent jobs in dropping powder.

 

[James2]

Yes, I use a powder measure. The Lyman 55. Good machine in my book. It will throw 3 gr to a couple hundred. Look on eBAy.

 

[Arkansas Paul]

I use a powder measure and like it with certain powders more than others. The only one I've experience with is the RCBS Uniflow, but I would imagine all of the major brands are fine.

I love it for powders like H380, which meters unlike any I've ever seen. I've loaded 100 rounds without having to adjust once. That's measuring every round for the first 10 and then measuring about every 5 or 6 after that.
It even throws Unique well, though a lot of people have trouble with it.
When it comes to stick powders like IMR4350, H4895, or Varget, I don't like it so much. It's hard to get an accurate throw because of the large granules. For that I generally set it to throw about a grain low and trickle up to weight.

 

[beatledog7]

I use a Hornady powder measure for pistol and revolver loads I'm used to doing, rechecking the weight every ten rounds or so. Whenever I'm working up a new load or experimenting for handguns, I use the measure to throw the charge into case after I've zeroed the scale with the case on it, then I tweak it as required, ensuring the charge is always just right.

For rifle loads, I dip and weigh the charge for very round. I never build more than twenty or so at a sitting, so it's no big deal.

 

[daboone]

Most measures are better with one type of powder than another. Be it flake, extruded or spherical, some measure are liable to choke on at least one.

Operator technique is at least as important as mechanical factors when it comes to dispensing consistent charge weights.

The water content of the powder changes, and that affects the WEIGHT of a given charge, but not the actual amount of powder IN that charge. So a measure that's set to dispense 50 grains of powder one day may dispense 49 or 51 grains on another day. BUT IT IS STILL DELIVERING THE SAME AMOUNT OF POWDER! If you change the setting to get the "right" weight, you are actually changing the charge.

It is NOT always that vital to get a charge weight down to the exact tenth of a grain. It can be important in very small charges for very small cartridges, but not in most rifle rounds. Instead, what you want to achieve is ±1% of the desired charge weight or less. For a 50-grain charge, that means anything less than a half-grain either side is not only acceptable, but you probably cannot tell the difference on target. (And that's one that hardly anybody believes, but it is true.)

The only way to get exact weights is to - weigh. You can use a trickler, a spoon or even tweezers, but if you insist on getting right to dead-nuts on, that's the only way. Or get a digital dispenser which does the weighing for you.

 

[Bmac1949]

I use the RCBS Uniflow for rifle cartridges and the Lee perfect powder measure for pistol. I have better luck throwing small pistol loads with the Lee. For some reason the RCBS does not do as well with small loads. For .30-30 I measure the full charge and check every 10th charge and for .308 and .270 I trickle up to the correct charge as I am loading them closer to max.

 

[Hondo 60]

I use an RCBS Uniflow for my rifle rounds.
It's slow because I don't have any "case activated" hookup.
So it's all by hand, but it's pretty consistent with Varget.

 

[Joshua M. Smith]

Hi Folks,

Thanks.

Up until I asked about this, I was under the impression that a powder charge had to be exact in a rifle. I'd drop pistol powder from a Lee Auto-Disk, but that was pistol.

It never entered into my head that a few tenths of a grain wasn't going to matter in a rifle cartridge either which way. The fact that I do not use match grade components (and, in the case of the 7.62x54R, I use pulled bullets) in the rest of the load, and shoot with military open sights (modified for elevation adjustment) just never factored in to my "common sense", which I've been accused of lacking in some cases.

I tend to try to pursue perfection in one area, sometimes, while overlooking the rest.

I've ordered a Lee Perfect Powder Measure and, if I like it, will get a metal one (Lyman, I think, as I like their presses) later on.

Thanks again folks. I'll let you know how the Lee measure works out!

Josh

 

[scythefwd]

I'm using a lyman 55. I get .1 grain total variance with 4895.. which, if you believe what is posted above, isn't the best metering powder.

When I say .1 total variance, this is what I mean:
If I throw and weigh 30 throws in a row, 28 will be 42.9 and 2 will be 43. I get a random way high, or more often low.... but that's less than 2% of the throws, and thats a .3 off... I feel them happen with the measure. Can't explain it... you can feel the off throws.

 

[kingmt]

I have modafied my Lee Perfect Powder Measure to load rifle but went to a despensor scale for rifle. I chose th Smartreloader & love it.

 

[Joshua M. Smith]

Hi Folks,

After asking advice from different folks here and elsewhere and reading up on my own, I figured the Lee measure had the best chance of doing what I wanted from a measure. I like stick powders, namely Varget, and it seems this works the best with them.

So, I got it and mounted it up. I was getting +/- 0.5grns. I consider that unacceptable. After I had run a couple hoppers through it and it was still doing it, I took it apart.

I wiped down the insides with a used dryer cloth to kill the static and get any oils that might be in there. I also snipped a bit off the elastomer piece that was left over from molding it. Powder had been getting trapped on it.

Following advice from a Lee manual, I took off the upward stop. Seems a lot of folks like to smack these around, but Lee says not to bump against the hard stops top or bottom, and so I followed that.

Much improved, but still had the odd charge.

I went looking for a baffle. Nobody makes one for Lee, so I got to looking around.

Guess what? The cap from a Varget bottle fits in there perfectly! I dented the center in a little bit, drilled four holes, turned it upside down with the lip facing up, and pushed it into the hopper.

Problem solved!

I'm now throwing 47.2 +/- 0.1grn, with the deviation being the exception. Usually it throws right on.

I'm using my electronic scale, but I found an old Redding that's oil dampened -- I never liked the magnetic dampening on the old Lee I had.

We'll see how that thing works! I'm looking forward to going back to a beam scale.

Pictures to follow later.

Regards,

Josh

 

[StaTiK]

I've heard that a 1/2 x 2" washer works very well as a baffle too, and it's only $0.20 at your local hardware store.

-StaTiK-