Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles powder measures?

I have always been handy with the lee dippers and have only occasionaly used a mechanical powder measure. And was less than impressed when I did.

They are OK with some powders, it seems. Varget measures out pretty slick. H4831 not so much.

And I don't need precision to a gnats patootie. I generally throw within .2gr +/- of targeted weight with the dippers, and am ok with that for field shooting.

I loaded 550 cases a couple of nights ago, and was wishing for a better solution. Is there a powder measure that you would trust for coarse grained extruded powders?

I don't know about the long stick version of H4831, but using my Redding BR-30 I've loaded lots of 3031 and 4064 for my 308s. Well below moa to 300 yards, no problem.

One word - Harrell

Not only is it consistent and super accurate, it got readable and useable setting on the dial so that once you know what weight for a specific powder, you can dial back to it each time and it's perfect.

I use RCBS. I think that long powders are going to be problematic no matter what kind you use. I personally don't like digital, but that is just me. I weigh every charge, so I don't mind the long powder problems.

I have a NIB RCBS Quickchange powder measure for sale cheap if you decide to go the standard route.

Take a look at the Lee Perfect Powder Measure.

It gets no respect, because it's plastic and it only costs about $25. I ran some tests on it a few years ago, and with ball powder the standard deviation of the random error is around .04 grains. With 4831SC, it's around .1 grain. I didn't do any tests with the old long cut 4831.

It beat out the Hornady powder measure and the Lyman digital scale for repeatability. It's a surprisingly good little powder measure.

I've been using a Redding Match Grade since 1992 with no problems. I didn't clean it until a couple of years ago. Wiped out the drum with alcohol and it's good as new. It's always thrown ball powders accurately.

I agree with sbhooper on the long grain extruded powders. I throw them a little lower in weight and finish them with a trickler

I can second this. I bought one of these for pistol cartridges so I didn't have to change out the spindle thing on my RCBS and its does better in my hands accuracy wise than the RCBS.

One thing with my lee is it doesn't like some of those flat disk powders. I will admit it does feel like plastic crap but it works.

In the end for rifle cartridges where I load in some volume (batches of 50-250 say). I use a ball powder, I get better uniformity just throwing charges.

I don't see them advertised, or can't find them, but the RCBS Uniflow QD system is pretty cool. I have around 6 pre-set charging inserts that I use, depending on the charge being thrown.

I have 12 gr. for my .22 Hornet and 90 gr. for my 26 Nosler, the rest inbetween. Quick and easy to swap them out.

And, they throw consistent charges. To me a lot of that is technique, how one handles the equipment.

DF

I like mine.

I occasionlly shoot with a father and son who use and love their Harrell measure. They also use Lee dippers for coarse extruded powders.

This only bothers me during extended loading sessions. And I'm always gonna weigh any max charge loads.

The Lee perfect is one of those I tried some years ago. I was a little too fussy in those days, and may try it again. Remind me again why I sell stuff that i may someday want back???

I use 4831 with my 280Rem and the charges are always right on the money. It's pricey, but this is one of those things that was worth it to me.

I'd get a RCBS electronic scale/measure combo and be done with it. I have a Redding powder measure and I'm happy with it. If buying a powder measure now I would go for the RCBS electronic measure.

Really happy with the JDS Quickmeasure

Another vote for LEE, been using them over 30 years now.

Another vote for the Lee, only measure on my bench, works so well I've never thought of "upgrading" to a less precise measure...although Lee is making a new version of this design made of metal now...

For this specific purpose the Quick Measure stands out head and shoulders above anything else on the market.

I'd say many people tend to suggest something that is superb in daily use must be ideal at the limit or corner case.

My most used press is a Harrell's on the bench next to the monitor as I type this. I load far more cartridges with a Harrell's measure than anything else. Sometimes an RCBS Little Dandy for production with handguns.

But for big cartridges with large charges of coarse grained extruded powders I use a CoAx and a Quick Measure.