Lee powder measures?

GoodOlBoy · #1 07-06-2009, 05:27 PM

I have heard people swear by them, I have heard people swear at them. I would like opinions. I am just talking about for hunting rounds for something like a 30-30 winchester, not for one hole paper punching at 1.5 million yards etc.

Just curious.

GoodOlBoy

dovehunter · #2 07-06-2009, 05:58 PM

I have the Lee Perfect Powder Measure that I got for Christmas a couple of years ago and just started to use it after hunting season went out this year. After using it, however, I regret having waited so long to try it out. It is very easy to use. I don't worry with using the stupied cubic centimeters thing to set it. I have found it can be done just as quickly and certainly more accurately by trial and error using a good set of scales. I have used it mostly for throwing light handgun loads but have found that it is extremely consistent from charge to charge, at least with every powder that I have tried thus far. Even so, I dump every fifth thrown charge back into my powder scale to check it.

Now don't laugh. I have been using their dipper cups for years. What I do is pick a dipper close to, but just under, the charge weight I want to weigh and use it to throw an approximate charge onto the scale then use a powder trickler to bring it into balance. Surprisingly, if you are careful with always dipping in exactly the same fashion, I have found that even the cups can throw fairly consistent charges. I don't trust them though for throwing anything approaching maximum charges. I use them only for starting off in the ballpark.

toxic111 · #3 07-06-2009, 06:22 PM

I have the Lee powder measure & it does the job.. if you are not worried about perfect loads, you will be fine with it.

Usually after loading 50 or so rounds it stays within +/- .5g

Ol` Joe · #4 07-06-2009, 08:59 PM

Quote:

Now don't laugh. I have been using their dipper cups for years. What I do is pick a dipper close to, but just under, the charge weight I want to weigh and use it to throw an approximate charge onto the scale then use a powder trickler to bring it into balance. Surprisingly, if you are careful with always dipping in exactly the same fashion, I have found that even the cups can throw fairly consistent charges. I don't trust them though for throwing anything approaching maximum charges. I use them only for starting off in the ballpark.

Dovehunter, I`ve been doing this ever since I started loading. My dad was not the kind of guy that had the patience to play with a measure setting it only to load one box of 308 or 32spcl. He used a dipper and trickled the charge, and I just fell in the habit right along side of him. it is amazing how fast one can charge cases once you get the right dipper and a system going. I often don`t even bother with a trickler, just tap the last few kernels of powder right from the dipper.
I still have the old black and red box of dippers he used. Although they don`t have a chart for todays powders, I still use them regularly. He did, and I do however, use a measure for bulk loading

skeet · #5 07-07-2009, 08:53 AM

Have had a couple but never used 'em. Mostly used Lyman 55's and they worked fine but I bought an RCBS Electronic scale and measure locally for a hundred bucks...That thing is slick as snot. Just uncover it and you can do 1 or 1000. But I have used dippers and a trickler many times.

dovehunter · #6 07-07-2009, 11:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ol` Joe

...I still have the old black and red box of dippers he used. Although they don`t have a chart for todays powders, I still use them regularly. He did, and I do however, use a measure for bulk loading

I guess we are dating ourselves, but I also have the "old black and red box dippers" and still use them. I did, however, break down and buy the new ones too that use the funky yellow cups.

I have used Lee stuff for years and frankly have always been completely satisfied with it. I will probably be severely chastised here for saying so, but when my Lee reloading tools do the job for me I can't see buying the more expensive stuff. About the only thing they have made that I don't like - and indeed I absolutely hate it - is their Load All shotshell loader. It is without doubt the biggest piece of junk I have ever used.

GoodOlBoy · #7 07-07-2009, 12:39 PM

Bearing in mind, as I said, I am going to use these loads for hunting/plinking rounds. I am not looking to work up a good custom load with these so much as just building a round that will perform well within specs and do the job. I am deffinantly not looking for hot loads here, just nice middle of the road shooting rounds. I have a scale and do intend to double check the weight vs what the chart says every twenty rounds or so, just to be safe.

GoodOlBoy

700LH · #8 07-07-2009, 10:46 PM

I have shot a lot of critters with loads measured with a Lee Perfect Powder Measure.
Seems to work OK for me.
I will check every few rounds and it might need a touch or two at first, but then will do hundreds and remain within .1 of a grain.

Catfish · #9 07-11-2009, 09:39 AM

As anyone that as read my post on Lee knows I don`t have much use for their junk. That said, the powder measures are 1 of their better products, if you not looking for tack driveing accuracy. They work and get you close enough for hunting deer at 100 yrds., maybe alittle more. While they work, you can use anything that will measure powder. If you have a powder scales you might be farther ahead to buy a balck powder measue and set it with you scales. It would let you measure the exact charge weight you want instead of something close.