I have a older Lyman #55 powder measure. My question is when I use extruded powders it sounds like it cuts them when you use it. Is this common on this kind of powder measure & does it hurt anything as long as the charge rate in on.

It is cutting the powder. This is why you will want to develop a load where you have enough of a sweet spot that you can overcome the inconsistency imparted in using a measure. Beyond that I would say that the Lee measure has a very good reputation for accurately throwing extruded powder. I have NOT used one but have read articles about that measure and the results were favorable with extruded powders compared to measures costing 10x more. It has a different design that doesn't require it to cut individual pieces of extruded powder.

Beyond that I would recommend a lot of practice where you check loads on a balance with the goal being that you operate the measure in the same fashion with each throw without banging at the end of each stroke.

Good luck.

Reed

The Lyman measure is indeed cutting the extruded powder kernels (or "sticks" if you prefer). The Lee "Perfect" measure doesn't, but it is no more accurate than the Lyman, particularly if you purchase a powder baffle (from Lyman) for the No. 55.