Best powder measure for the money?

12 July 2001, 06:08

<ssleefl>

Just sold my Redding 3BR on one of those offers I couldn't refuse and am looking to replace it. It threw consistant charges with only the occasional hangup on 4350 & R-22. Though it served me well, if there is something just as good and a little less expensive I will give it a thorough looking at. Thanks in advance all.

12 July 2001, 06:37

jpb

I hope nobody I know reads this... :-) but the best for the money is the Lee Perfect Powder Measure. Not much snob appeal (nor is it "perfect")!

OK, stop laughing. I compared the toylike Lee to an RCBS powder measure (and another one I've forgotten -- perhaps it was a Hornady) and all 3 were equally accurate with both ball and stick powders.

Run a spoon full of graphite or Motor Mica through the Lee and it will be quite smooth.

The Lee does look and feel like a toy, and I'm sure that if you dropped it, it would disintegrate and you'd have to buy another. RCBS would replace their measure if you managed to break it, but I think you can buy 3 or more Lee's for the price...

I use the Lee (and I hope nobody finds out... :-)

John P. Ball

12 July 2001, 06:39

Zero Drift

ssleefl - Unfortunately you sold probably the best medium to large caliber thrower on the market! I would place the Harrell above the Redding, however it costs more. RCBS, Lee, and Dillon would be the other alternatives.

12 July 2001, 09:43

Stefan

Got you with your pants down John

Iï¿½m telling everybody at the BR nationals in Brattvall next weekend

Now lets try to be serious for a short while.

I have not tried out Lees powder measure so I canï¿½t really coment on it at all. I have only used a Hornady measure for all of my loading and find it very good. It trows powders like Norma 201 and N-133 as good as a Harrels or a Jones.

I would rank the Hornady alongside with a Redding, not as fancy but it does the job well. I donï¿½t like the RCBS as much as the Hornady.

Stefan.

12 July 2001, 13:11

<ssleefl>

Thank you all very much for your posts so far. Stefan, could you tell me what you did not like about the RCBS.Is the Hornady the one with the "door knocker" on it or am confusing it with the Lyman?

12 July 2001, 15:48

<chris schwartz>

I agree with Zero Drift --

For the dollar, you had the best.

For a little more you could get a Harrell
Custom 90. $140 on-line. www.harrellsprec.com

They are fantastic and you will not be sorry.
If you plan on doing this for a while, I
would recommend it. Just the berries for
working up loads at the range if you do that.
Also so easy to return to charge weight on
loadings, because of the click stops on the
micrometer. Has a jewel-like quality you
will enjoy. Shooter's kind of jewelry! :0)

Chris

p.s. I used to have one of the hand-made
Culver converted Lyman 55's which the Harrell
is patterned after and I sold it in a weak
moment about 15 years ago, so don't feel bad.
They are collector items now...

12 July 2001, 23:40

Stefan

ssleefl.

The "door nocker" is on the Lyman.

The micrometer type adjustment on the Hornady is easyer to use than the RCBS.

Itï¿½s not as good as a Culver click type system but you can use it for some minor changes of the charge at the range for ex.

I have made some changes to my Hornady so it takes a powder bottle like Hogdons or a pill bottle. I also remade it so I can use drop tubes on it.

If money isnï¿½t a limiting factor the Harrel is a given choise, wery nice measures!

Stefan.

13 July 2001, 01:11

<Mats>

quote:
Originally posted by Stefan:
I have not tried out Lees powder measure so I canï¿½t really coment on it at all.

Stefan, you're free to borrow mine. It'll make a convert out of you too...

I'm in the middle of moving (Morkullevï¿½gen 18, not too far...) so that's one reason I wasn't at Brattvall last night. I'll try to make it to the Nat's though, should be able to try out the things Torsten has stashed away - I'm gonna buy a real gun now instead of putting all the money in the bicycles...

-- Mats

13 July 2001, 02:52

<vssf>

ssleefl

After much looking I have yet to see on any forum any evidence that Varget or VVN140 can be thrown any more consistently than the Lee Perfect measure does. Why spend more?

Regards

Ray Smith

13 July 2001, 04:14

<Mats>

quote:
Originally posted by vssf:
ssleefl
After much looking I have yet to see on any forum any evidence that Varget or VVN140 can be thrown any more consistently than the Lee Perfect measure does. Why spend more?
Regards
Ray Smith

Ray,

Although I, like you, sincerely doubt that even the best measures can throw short grain powders better than the Lee - if even as good, I also sincerely doubt that a Lee could be adjusted in as small and accurate increments as the Harrell and its likes... I also don't think it'll hold up to as much physical abuse going to and from the range. Thus, for BR and other applications where you will be

a) adjusting the measure up and down a lot,
b) travelling with it,
c) demanding it to throw very similar weights with similar settings under altering weather conditions,

a Harrell (or similar) is the measure to use. Add to that the sheer joy of owning such a marvellous piece of machinery. But of course, it would be WAY cool using a Lee measure to take home the Nationals with a .099" agg...

For cranking out accurate handloads at home, the Lee is all you need.

-- Mats

13 July 2001, 05:01

PerN

John I read it

But I am still ordering the Hornady

I used the Lee perfect toy seven years and it usally works real good but I don not trust it. So I will invest in a little higher quality.
PerN

13 July 2001, 05:26

<Slamfire>

I use a Lee and I ain't ashamed to admit it. Sure some other might be better, and might be easier to adjust, but how much are you willing to spend for that last 1% of perfection. If you can get 99% for almost nothing, leave well enough alone!

13 July 2001, 08:00

<Rezdog>

Best powder measure I ever had was a Redding. Sold it twenty years ago to my constant dismay. Now I have two RCBS and one Midway; Midway is better than RCBS, IMHO.

13 July 2001, 11:39

<ssleefl>

Hey guys, Thanks again for the input.

Rezdog- Why do you like the midway so much. That is one I haven't considered.

I'm trying to make good on all of the knowledge in this forum so don't be afraid to type. I have even done some searches and the Lee keeps coming up, but somehow I just can't see myself buying one. How does plastic shear powder?? If I go from the redding to the Lee I don't think I will be happy. I think I would buy another redding before doubling down and doing the Harrell thing. The guy I sold my redding to gave me almost replacement cost for it. Interesting that no one is talking up the RCBS which is probably the best seller. That speaks volumes in itself.

13 July 2001, 13:08

Paul H

Interesting, I recently got a Redding to upgrade from the lee. If you use H110, you will curse the lee measure. Asside from that, I was happy with it, and it worked well enough. Really, its just a feel thing, I didn't like the flimsy stand on the lee, and the action of the barrel isn't that good. Interesting you mention 4350, the lee didn't throw terribly consistant charges weight wise, but did make for the most accurate ammo I've ever fired, and with minimal effort.

To the original poster, just buy another Redding, I don't think you'll be happy with the lesser units.

If a measure will throw charges consistantly enough that you feel confident not using a scale after initial setup, then IMHO, it is worth the money. If you are the type that weighs every charge, or dumps close and trickles, or checks every 10 charges, save your sheckles and get the lee. I wanted something I could confidently dial in and dump charges, and the Redding has done that with aplomb.

13 July 2001, 16:16

<Don G>

FWIW, I saw a Precision Shooting magazine article testing powder measures about three years ago. Very "engineer-like" test with statistical analysis. The author was surprised to find that the Lee perfect threw the most consistent charges.

I have a 30 year old RCBS Uniflow. Since I hand trickle all my charges on a balance beam it is plenty good enough!

Don

13 July 2001, 23:24

<vssf>

ssleefl

How does plastic shear powder??

It doesn't a soft elastomer wiper eliminates cut powder.

All of what Mats says above.

Precision Shooting magazine tests.

Convinced yet? at the price if you don't like it you could use it to store pencils on your desk and still not feel robbed.

Regards

Ray

14 July 2001, 03:16

Recono

One more for the Lee. It looks like, and perhaps can be rightly called, a cheap plastic piece of (fill in with the word of your choice). However, like many of Richard Lee's products, it does what it is supposed to do better than most or all of the competition. I used to have a Belding & Mull, which was good. I now have a Harrell's, but I certainly wouldn't (couldn't) use it for 4350. If someone comes over to visit and I'm showing him stuff, I'll show him my Harrell's and my Prometheus (now THERE's a powder measuring system). But for quick and reliable and accurate loading of .308 ammo without the $700 Prometheus, the Lee works best.

You know, I have buffers on a few of my firearms, not just my 1911. They are made of plastic. They work. Sometimes that's just how it is.

14 July 2001, 08:38

<Lefty223>

Ditto the Lee Perfect Powder Measure. I have in front of me an article from Precision Shooting where ten measures were tested. The Lee rated as good as best of them. What intrigued me is that "knocking" the measure causes more inconsistency than not knocking at all.

In the tests for repeatibility, one hundred throws, no measure was any better than a total 0.4 grain variation [range] from the desired value ... so much for those who insist they "always" achieve 0.1 every time !!

BTW -- www.midwayusa.com is selling the Lee measure for $17 in today's specials!!

02 August 2001, 06:27

<ssleefl>

Boy, I hate to say this but I received my Lee perfect powder measure for $20 last week and it is pretty awsome. It throws within a tenth consistantly. Thanks Mat and all others who recomended it to me. I figured if it was a piece of sh#% then I would only be out $20. I figured wrong and am now a bonified convert.

26 September 2001, 17:46

1911/ 45

Heres another one for the Lee.

I load 308 and 8/mm. Iget very good results.

Rich

26 September 2001, 18:17

<Zeke>

Score another one for the Lee Perfect Powder Measure.

Also check out their Safety Disk Powder Measure, works great for loading pistol ammo.

27 September 2001, 00:06

<genesispg>

I have noticed nobody has mentioned the Forster powder measure. Is it the fact that nobody uses it or nobody has mentioned it.

I use a Redding by the way.

27 September 2001, 05:16

DavidReed

I use the Redding 3BR and would never use another. It is worlds better than the RCBS contortion I began with. I, like you, have the experience with slow burner rifle powders hanging up once in a while. However, I get consistent .5 grain charge accuracy with IMR 7828 and H-1000. Although I think that the consistency of your charges depends a lot on the your technique and how consistent it is. For all of my "money" loads I still throw the charge low and trickle up to the exact mass on a beam scale, Redding No. 2. I say get another Redding and don't make the same mistake twice.

David Schnabel

27 September 2001, 05:53

Atkinson

I still have the same old Redding that I bought in 1956, don't even know what model it is, but it sure is accurate or I am just familar with it and I think that is what counts...It tosses Bullseye and 4831 close enough that I seldom weigh powder charges anymore, keeping in mind that I only load for rifles and use Bullseye to fireform...

I was considering buying a new one, but after listening to you guys, maybe I just better keep it another 50 years or so...reckon I'll make it? kids think so, said I was too onery to die and was born to hang....

------------------
Ray Atkinson

ray@atkinsonhunting.com
atkinsonhunting.com

27 September 2001, 08:56

waitaminit

Interesting that all of you Lee users state its accuracy. When I noticed its accuracy, I thought "oh, lucky man, you got the one out of a thousand".
What I do not like is its spilling fine powders like Accurate, its feel (flimsy plastic), and the difficulty to set it up for different loads.

I wonder what is accuracy to you - a 0.1, 0.2, 0.3 grains difference ?

27 September 2001, 13:11

<Martindog>

Another vote for the Lee. The only thing to watch out for is static electricity. Just wipe out the hopper with a warmed dryer fabric softener sheet and you're good to go.

Accuracy with ball powders is so good that the spread is no more than 0.1g. Accuracy with long grained extruded powders is almost as good, usually no worse than 0.4-0.5g ES, but I always trickle up with these anyway. Shorter grained powders are good to 0.3-0.4g. Also, I've found the cubic centimeter measurement system works pretty good when setting it up for a different weight.

I'm not knocking Redding or anybody else. It's just that when most evaluate powder measures, they never define what's the "measure" of a good measure. IMHO the Lee is definitely good enough.

Martindog

27 September 2001, 19:12

Wstrnhuntr

Are you sitting down? Ive been using lee dippers, a hornady trickler and a scale for at least 5 or 6 years. I finally went to the local spots outlet last week to end the manotany and they didnt have a powder measure one left on the shelf..

Good informative thread though.

01 October 2001, 15:02

RSY

As much as I love the Forster Co-Ax press, I know nothing and have heard little about their powder measure. Anyone out there have any knowledge, good or bad, of it? I imagine it's not too shabby.

RSY

01 October 2001, 15:59

Bill Leeper

I still use the Bonanza Benchrest powder measure that I bought in 1978. This is the same (I think) as the currently available Forster. I am absolutely happy with it. Once one gets used to the vernier scale on the handle charges can be repeated easily just by returning to the recorded setting. Seems to me I paid around 20.00 for this in 78. I'm sure they are more now! Regards, Bill.