Recommend a new powder measure

[avan47]

My 45-year-old Herter’s powder measure is randomly dropping excessive loads, so I guess it is wearing out and needs to be replaced. I am considering Lee, RCBS, Lyman, and Hornady, and I am interested in hearing from those of you who have used one of these. Which powder measure do you recommend? I have looked at the Redding powder measures, but I am not a bench rest, or competition target shooter, so I doubt that they are worth 2 or 3 times the cost of an RCBS. At least not to me. I am looking for a recommendation as to which specific model I should get.

 

[Demi-human]

For myself, an inexpensive measure is fine. I weigh all charges always. Albiet inexpensive does not seem to be the trend lately. Mine is a Hornady, is very consistent and Fire truck red. Color being the most differing attribute between most of them.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

IMO the Lyman #55 is the best powder measure available without spending hundreds of dollars on high end Competition measures.
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/703838/lyman-55-powder-measure

Not far behind is the RCBS Uniflow powder measure. Either will serve you well so if you prefer one brand over the other go with that. Additionally, the RCBS customers service is second to none and Lyman, well, not so much in my experience.
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1458295370/rcbs-uniflow-powder-measure

 

[Bang!]

I have Lee, Hornady, and Dillon. IME No one has been more accurate than the other. If you like nicer tools and don't mind spending the money then get one of the more expensive units. If you just want to drop powder then get a Lee.

What you reload and how you reload plays into this somewhat.

 

[Walkalong]

Dismantle,, clean, and reassemble your Herters before you give up on it. Is it a newer powder it has trouble with, or one it used to meter just fine?

 

[Walkalong]

I am considering Lee, RCBS, Lyman, and Hornady, and I am interested in hearing from those of you who have used one of these. Which powder measure do you recommend? I have looked at the Redding powder measures, but I am not a bench rest, or competition target shooter, so I doubt that they are worth 2 or 3 times the cost of an RCBS. At least not to me

Agreed, get the RCBS if you decide to replace your Herters, although the Lyman 55 suggested is also a great choice.

 

[daboone]

I own as well use these bench mounted PMs: Lee's PPM, and Classic (now replaced by the Deluxe PPM), Harrells, Lyman 55, JDS Quick measure, and a B&M.

For powders like long extruded 4350 it's the Quick Measure. For every other type of powder my go to is the Lee Classic. The only difference between the Classic and the Deluxe PPM is cost. Lee went with a cast Zinc body from cast iron and dropped the price significantly. It really is a vastly improved PPM, no leaks and it's micrometer is on par with the Harrells but even better as it VDM calibrated and thus easier to set and reset to another volume predictably.

 

[jaguarxk120]

Dismantle,, clean, and reassemble your Herters before you give up on it. Is it a newer powder it has trouble with, or one it used to meter just fine?

Best advice yet, go back to square one, that way you will know everything is working as it should.

 

[edwardware]

RCBS Uniflow, bought on fleaBay for $45, is my measure of choice these days. I really like the micrometer adjustment in the small cylinder; I've never needed the large cylinder.

RCBS instead of Lyman or Hornady, because of RCBS's warranty.

 

[someguy2800]

I don't use my measure anymore, but I would never buy another powder measure without a micrometer adjustment on it. I am way to impatient to sit and fiddle with the adjustment screw and throw a bunch of charges every time I change powder. With the micrometer adjustment you just write down the setting in your load book and set it back to that. Double check a few charges on the scale and your back in business.

 

[Walkalong]

I still use measures, but definitely agree with the point.

 

[BillBloggins]

I can offer that my RCBS uniflow with a micrometer is tough to beat. I load varieties of pistol caliber and have found the RCBS has a lot more capacity in the small rotor than my Hornady, which means that when I get into magnum loads if I use the Hornady I have to swap out rotors. My experience has shown the Uniflow outpaces the Lee autodisk and the Lyman 55. I throw all my powders on the press for pistol, none of what I do is bench mounted or rifle.

 

[hdwhit]

I have only ever used the RCBS Uniflow so don't have anything to compare it to, but has worked well for the last 38 years.

 

[aklaunch]

I have a Redding BR measure and an RCBS charge master.

The BR measure is now an ornament on my reloading bench.

Get the charge master if you can save for awhile.

You only live once. Then you pass and will be forgotten.

 

[USSR]

At home I use Redding powder measures. But when I teach reloading classes away from home, I use the RCBS Uniflow due to the cost factor. Agree with the sentiment about the non-micrometer adjustment being a PITA.

Don

 

[hdwhit]

ArchAngelCD wrote:
Additionally, the RCBS customers service is second to none and Lyman, well, not so much in my experience.

I second that. RCBS is still providing complimentary support for equipment of mine that is nearly 40 years old. Lyman wouldn't even sell me a part for a die that was less than three months old.

As far as I am concerned, however great the product may be, the next time Lyman sees any of my money, Satan will be ice skating to work.

 

[ericuda]

There's a decent older lyman 55 on ebay. If not in a hurry you can pick up an older one that is virtually new.

 

[RugerOldArmy]

Just my $.02

For powders like long extruded 4350 it's the Quick Measure.

Yep. I think they throw the extruded powders, like 4064 and Varget the best.

I have a Redding BR measure and an RCBS charge master.

The BR measure is now an ornament on my reloading bench.

I have both too. Between the two, I find the ChargeMaster more flawed. (It throws extruded powder OVER the target weight more.) I still use the ChargeMaster, and target a weight below what I want, and hand trickle the rest. Often what you'll find is that a few kernels of Varget will drop at the end of the throw and get you OVER the target weight...and they happen to do that bunching up and coming out the ChargeMaster aluminum tube with extruded powders at the end of the ChargeMaster automatic throw.

You can:
- remove a few grains to hit the target.
- recycle the powder and throw another charge to reach the target .
- Throw lower charges and hand trickle.

Some people put a 1-2" piece of plastic straw...the McDonalds one fit perfectly in the past...in the end Chargemaster aluminum powder trickler tube. It didn't work much better for me...but it did reduce overthrows some.

The challenge for most measures are extruded powders, like the long stick rifle powders. (And as luck would have it, these are the rifle powders that consistently work better for me.) The Quick Measure does it best, in my experience, but isn't perfect...it is a PITA to charge charge weights or change the setup for a new cartridge. I'm unconvinced that just the two or three kernels make a huge impact on accuracy if over/under throwing rifle charge weights. However, I'm convinced weighing charges helps consistency, but is at the cost of all the extra work. (If I do that, I use the ChargeMaster, set it to throw short of the target, and hand trickle.)

For ball powders and pistol powders, in my experience, most any brand name measure works fairly well...but the point about micrometer settings is certainly valid...they're preferable.

FWIW, I use the Dillon measures, the Redding BR30 measure, the QuickMeasure, and the ChargeMaster...depending on the task and goal.

Harrel makes good stuff. I'd clean it to see if you could get it consistent again. That was good advice.

 

[Tilos]

At home I use Redding powder measures. But when I teach reloading classes away from home, I use the RCBS Uniflow due to the cost factor. Agree with the sentiment about the non-micrometer adjustment being a PITA.

Don

Try this, grind the dome off of the screw...works for me

 

[cfullgraf]

Try this, grind the dome off of the screw...works for me

Tilos, that's a nice work around for not needing a micrometer adjuster.

 

[Walkalong]

Old school there for sure, and it works great, but it's hard to beat the micrometer inserts for quick and easy.

 

[hdwhit]

I am going to engage in a little sedition here.

Before I could afford my RCBS Uniflow, I used the charge bar on my 20 gauge Lee Load-All shotshell reloader to stand-in for a "real" powder measure.

It worked surprisingly well.

With the proper bushing in the charge bar, it would drop 20.3 grains of IMR-4198 with amazing consistency (in truth, consistency my Uniflow has never quite matched) until after about 2,000 rounds, the IMR powder had worn a groove in the plastic charge bar and powder started leaking into the drop tube. That's when I got the Uniflow. Had I know that Lee sold replacement charge bar and bushing sets, I would probably still be using my Load-All as a powder measure.

So, look to your own resources. If you also load shotgun shells, the powder measure on your Load-All or MEC machine might be all you need.

 

[hdwhit]

Tilos wrote:
Try this, grind the dome off of the screw...works for me

• The Agricultural Engineer in me stands in silent awe and takes his hat off to you for working out such an agrarian yet elegant solution.
• The Mechanical Engineer in me (after prodding from the Agricultural Engineer) likewise stands and takes his hat off to you.
• The Forensic Engineer in me sees all the ways this could fail to be consistent but still recognizes the genius in the approach - and then wants to copy it.
• The MBA says, "Why not just throw a few charges and weight them and make adjustments each time?"

 

[avan47]

Thanks for all the replies. This is the kind of information I was looking for. I don’t understand how my Herter’s measure could be as inconsistent as it is. Trying to drop 7.0 grains of HS-6, it would drop from one to a dozen or more loads that were right on, and then all of a sudden, drop an 8 to 9 grain load. I just loaded 300 rounds of 40 S&W, and weighed every charge. Any that were over I dumped back in the hopper, and pressed on. I have already taken the measure apart and cleaned it – didn’t help. I also had this problem with 700X.


As to the advice given, I am leaning toward the RCBS. I use a lot of their equipment, and I like their customer service. Turns out that one of my shooting partners had an RCBS Uniflow that he was not using, so I borrowed it from him. We’ll see how that works out for me.

 

[Tilos]

• The Agricultural Engineer in me stands in silent awe and takes his hat off to you for working out such an agrarian yet elegant solution.
• The Mechanical Engineer in me (after prodding from the Agricultural Engineer) likewise stands and takes his hat off to you.
• The Forensic Engineer in me sees all the ways this could fail to be consistent but still recognizes the genius in the approach - and then wants to copy it.
• The MBA says, "Why not just throw a few charges and weight them and make adjustments each time?"

Thanks for reading and commenting on my post.
Throw a few if you like, use has shown me that it will not only get you close, but exactly to the prior weight.
Knowing the thread pitch will equate to exactly what a 1/4 (or 1/8th) turn of the screw changes the reference measurement, so a few adjustments will get you there....without any throwing or weighing.
But I do throw/weigh to verify after adjustment.
easy peesy,