I've been handloading with Lee dippers, or scoops,and now Ive started to load .40S&W using the .5cc scoop that comes with the Lee dies.The question is this-when I weigh any powder(I have 4 different ones I use) I don't get the same weight as the table that Lee puts out.For example,the Lee table says that the .5cc scoop holds between 6.1 and 6.4 grains of Accurate#2 IMP and I come up with 5.2 grains on my Lyman powder scale.I had my son double check my figures, in case I'm senile (always a possibility!)Does anyone have any pithy comments on this?

Charlie - Calibrated scales do not lie. Weight is weight, however, volume can easily change. Dippers are approximations and are intended to get you into the ball park, however, they are not absolute nor repeatable. Rely on your scales.

BTW - I use the Lee dippers for my 90gr plus throws with my RCBS auto thrower. They dramatically cut down on the time necessary to throw large charge weights. For $7 they are useful things.

Charlie,

Dippers can give quite different results with different people. Also depends on whether or not you scrape across the top to level powder or just use it heaped.

With practice they can be very accurate.

I shoot lots of reduced loads and used dippers I make for these loads. Actually, a dipper is probably the safest even including scales, since scales can hang up and powder can also hang up in a powder measure.

Mike

[ 08-09-2002, 22:43: Message edited by: Mike375 ]

I use mine when working up loads.I get close with a dipper and trickle up to get what I want.

When you take them out of the box, they tend to be static prone until they get a coating of graphite on them (of whatever that black stuff is they coat powder with). A nice way to get the dipper coated quickly is to toss it into the powder can and shake a little. The dipper comes out lightly blackened with no static problems.

H. C.

I played with the one that comes with the Lee Loader. Using my Hornady scale I couldn't get several scoops to weigh the same.

The dippers are similar to powder measures in that you have to be consistant in how you use them. I dip out of a glass container and keep the depth constant, wipeing with a pencil over the case mouth. Ball powders also work better than extruded or flake in them. I have used them since the mid `60s to drop a load and then trickle up to charge. They work quite well for this and are faster then setting up my measure for a couple of rounds in a test run. For this I just "dip and trickle" with the measure than gives the closest wgt with out going over when heaped.
I have found that washing them with dish soap and air drying kills the static in them, a wipeing with a drier sheet also helps.

Thanks for all the info-I've also started to make my own scoops out of mahogany.A light layer of gunstock wax and its easier to use and more accurate than the plastic Lee scoops.