What is a good powder measure for handguns

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What is a good consistent powder measure for powders like bullseye. I don't want to Morgage to house, but I don't want to cheap out and get something I can't use.
 
Uniflow for me..

I have several RCBS Uniflow powder measures that work well for me..

Light charges of BullsEye is hard to measure with ANY powder measure:banghead:

Do not what you are loading, but there are some other powder that take up more case area....Bill.:rolleyes:
 
A good powder measure is always good to have IMO.

I have used dippers with Bullseye and it worked well. But I much prefer a measure.

Here are a couple that won't break the bank that I can recommend.

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/290524/hornady-lock-n-load-powder-measure
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/1458295370/rcbs-uniflow-powder-measure

I have the Uniflow and it is a good one.

You can find measures cheaper than these 2 but I wouldn't recommend them.
I have used the Lee measures and while some like them I did not. I don't think you need the $150+ competition measures either.

These 2 are good middle of the road tools where you get a nice serviceable product that won't break the bank and also won't break in a year.

Light charges of BullsEye is hard to measure with ANY powder measure
Click to expand...

This is very true. If you're weighing very small charges for a .380 or even light .38 Spcl loads, it can be trickey with any of them.
 
Today I was wanting 4.8 grains of bullseye and due to the rain my electronic scale was wandering and I had to quit loading. I think the storm was messing with the power in some way. We have had 9 inches of rain so far today here in northwest Arkansas.

So the RCBS uniflow drops a consistent charge?
 
For handgun, I like the Redding 10-X. I throw charges for 25 ACP with it. The adjuster is almost bottomed out but not quite.

The RCBS Uniflow and the Hornady L-N-L are good measures for handgun and are more economical than the Redding 10-X. Make sure you have the small cavity rotor. The small cavity rotor is sized for handgun.
 
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Never found anything better then the Lyman/Ideal #55.

It was designed to deal with early smokeless flake powder like Bullseye and Unique.

I have three of them, and I wouldn't use anything else.

(Found a couple of them used at gun shows for $20 or so.)

rc
 
RCBS Uniflow for me as well.

I've got 2... one set up with the large rotor for rifle, the other set up with the small rotor for pistol.

I've dropped as low as 2.7 grains of bullseye... it was always within +/- .1, with the majority being right on weight.

Make yourself a baffle for the hopper with small openings (the RCBS baffle for the Uniflow has openings which are too large for pistol use IMHO), set it all the way at the bottom of the hopper, and get your technique on the handle as consistent as possible.

Uniflow Powder Baffle Template:

http://www.ray-vin.com/tech/hack/baffle.pdf

I used an old hotel key/gift card/credit card to make my baffle... works good.
 
Bullseye? Any powder measure I have ever tried--provided the pistol rotor or small pistol bar is used.
Really, no powder measure will be on the market long if it can't meter Bullseye well.
My favorite measures are Lee and Hornady, but, as I said, ANY will work, if set up for pistol charges.
What you are trying to determine is the "best" powder measure out of all the powder measures when they ALL throw to +/- 0.1gn.
If that is not good enough, then the BEST powder measure is the RCBS ChargeMaster or similar.
 
My press come with the Hornady Lock-n-Load Measure. I havent had any problem with it. I've heard some complain about the hopper, but its because they leave their powder in it. I always remove all of mine when I'm done with session. Meters well and easy to use.
 
Like jell dog I have the Lee Auto Drum . Just started using for 9mm with WSF powder and very little variance in throws . Next up are 40mm , .380 , 38sp and 357mag all with different powders . I like the drums as once set I have checked throws on the beam and electronic scale 25 times just out of curiosity ( and a bit OCD ) with great consistency , and the price was right !!
 
I recently purchased the Redding 10x - covers me up to 25 grains or so. The best I have used to date. So good in fact I ordered a Redding BR-30 today which will get me to 50 grains or so. This will cover the range of handguns I load for - up to 47.5 grains. Most rifle loads too.

Not cheap - so it's all relative to your "mortgage".
 
I am with RC on this one. I also like the Lyman 55 (mine is the older Ideal) best for small charges of different propellants. I find that you can customize the slide depths to measure the type of propellant you use.
 
My Lee autodrum works well and is inexpensive.
I still use my Lee Pro disk if I have a disk that throws a charge I want.

Hornady LNL measure seems to work well also but is more $ than a Lee Autodrum.
 
not trying to hijack, but a related question, do the RCBS and LNL Arkansas Paul recommended also work with Trail Boss powder?
 
Today I was wanting 4.8 grains of bullseye and due to the rain my electronic scale was wandering and I had to quit loading. I think the storm was messing with the power in some way. We have had 9 inches of rain so far today here in northwest Arkansas.

So the RCBS uniflow drops a consistent charge?
Click to expand...

In that range I don't think there is a lot of science in a tenth of a grain +-. Chrony data doesn't mean a lot at close range. A precision rifle mindset goes beyond any real handgun requirement. Maybe just use a dipper with the closest yield (on a good day for your scales). You didn't say what press you are using, but if you are weighing each charge on an electronic scale, it sure isn't a progressive or turret. I would need to know about your equipment and goals before beginning to recommend a measure.

I would have a lot of confidence in RCBS, if I needed a bench mounted measure. Case-activated and mounted on a press, it's going to be Lee as my first consideration after the same brand as the press.
 
not trying to hijack, but a related question, do the RCBS and LNL Arkansas Paul recommended also work with Trail Boss powder?
Click to expand...

My 45 Colt turret is using a Hornady with Trailboss with no issues except it is a lot to put on a turret and crowds the die cluster.
 
I use a Redding. But that said I also use a Belding & Mull measure which is unique and somewhat for the lack of better terminology "Old-School".
 
My uniflow, after having semi-polished the interior casting and adding a baffle, does really really well with even tiny charges of Bullseye (3.2 is what my 380acp recipe calls for, but ive run as low as 2.8)
The baffle helped, but the polishing really evened out the variations I was getting with Unique.
Id asked RC about the Lyman 55 he uses, and I was going to get one. But after polishing, I dont seem to need to!
 
My old Redding No 3 Master with "pistol chamber" was a dead loss with Bullseye; I changed to 700X... which would not work in my CH AutoCHamp when I went progressive, so I started using W231.

My RCBS Uniflo did OK with Bullseye but I only used it for exploratory work before I settled on Bull for light loads in .45 ACP. Now all my Bullseye is measured by the Dillon.

I have no experience with the Lees but at least they are relatively cheap.
A Redding 10X or Harrell Schuetzen will surely do the job but the Redding is rather expensive and the Harrell is very expensive.
 
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