Hi, just bought some reloading supplies to load a 8mm Mauser(js) and bought some of the new Lee dippers . Wondering whether these are going to work well. I do have a scale and can weigh each charge if need be but curious as to peoples experience with the dippers and if they will be good enough to use for developing and loading rounds for hunting . I will be using H4895. Thanks,Craig

The idea of using volume instruments for rapid loading is not new. Using a dipper is not really different than other powder throwers that rely on volume instead of mass or weight.

I'd use the scale while doing development, just to make sure you're not going to blow yourself up. Then figure out which dipper corresponds to your best charge.

Just make your process repeatable and you'll be good (i.e. don't scoop one time, then pack the dipper the next)

I recall one time watching a gentleman reload and his magic formula was "3 scoops with the small, or 1 and about a half of the bigger one". He never blew up and had no problems killing things.

I use and like them. If I'm only loading 50 or so rounds for handgun, and a dipper gives me a medium charge weight, I prefer them to any other method.

I use a bar whiskey glass that followed me home (!) and always back the scoop into the powder. Never pull it through; back it in and allow the powder to flow into the scoop. You can scrape it level or allow it to mound naturally - either way is accurate.

Hi,Rocky using the method you describe do the dippers deliver the charges as described on the dippers ?Thanks,Craig

I use them have for years, but I use them to get my charge close and then I always trickle the rest. I've seen too much variation to them to ever just use the dipper without checking the weight via a scale!

Dober

With the old Lee Loaders the one dipper they supplied would always throw a fairly mid-level charge of the recommended powder, so a little variation wasn't going to get you in trouble.

Follow Rocky's method of backing the dipper through the powder. Don't shake or settle it. I always scraped it off even with a straight edge, never tried leaving it piled up but that seems to work well too.

When you think about it, the dippers aren't going to be any worse than a powder measure - a cavity of a certain volume is filled by gravity and packed to some extent by the weight of the powder column above it. A measure scrapes off the top of the cavity. And even with a powder measure consistent technique is important to get the same fill density every time.

Practice a bit, weigh your charges with your scale to check yourself and I'd bet within a short time you will get very comfortable using the dippers and confident of their accuracy.

Pretty much my experiance too. Dip and trickle is my perfered method of use with them

+1

What Jim said. A volume measure is a volume measure, whether it uses a drum or a scoop. Practice DOES improve consistency.

The dippers are spot on with some powders, and a bit light with others. I haven't found a combo of powder and scoop yet that "throws" heavy per their chart - but there might be one. If I were unsure enough that I'd want to dip and trickle, I'd use my digital dispenser/scale instead.

Works fine. People were reloading with scales and dippers long before any adjustable measures were developed.

I started out using them, measuring every load on a scale. I got tired of it within a few months and paid $25 for a Lee Perfect Powder measure. I love it. The loads are very consistent when I measure them on the scale. I could never get a consistent charge from the dippers. I always had to add or subtract a little which took time.

+1. And if I'm using ball powder, the loads are the same.

I have measured every charge on a scale, and my accuracy and consistency was no better or worse than when I use the dippers. Now I use dippers exclusively.

Can't beat throwing for speed.

True, for powders that meter well, but for stick powders, Dober's method of dipping and trickling into the scale is faster for me. Trying to meter IMR powders or RE-19 & RE-22 through a measure is a pain in the azz.

I'm sure there is a reason to use powders that don't meter well these days but I'm just as sure I don't know what it is.

Bcraig: I often use the Lee Powder Dippers for my Rifle loading.
I think though that I am using them differently than other folks may be.
I use them to throw consistently "short or light charges"!
Then I use my Powder Trickler to bring the charge up to EXACTLY the weight I want on my powder scale.
I personally would never trust the Powder Dipper ALONE to bring about the exact powder charges I want!
I make notes in my loading log as to which of the Powder Dippers will give the "light charge" I want for that particular Rifle.
Then of course I bring the charge up to "snuff" with my Powder Trickler.
They save time and finger work for me.
I hope they work out for you.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

One reason would be having a large stockpile of stick powders on hand.

Another would be that a poor metering powder happens to give you the best performance, by a wide margin, in a particular cartridge. In my case, this would be RE-22 in the 6.5x55.

Every other cartridge that I currently load for, I have switched over to ball powder.

The powder dippers work ok, but my Lyman #55 measures throw most powders consistiently and the process is quicker for me.

Now I use a Lee powder dipper as a powder trickler.

i used dippers for about a week when i first started loading I never just dipped and loaded i always a scale and a tickler to top of charge weight .

if you want to get serious about your hobby nothing beats an RCBS dispenser scale combo i have RCBS droppers and it works great in high volume reloading with ball powder but i only use it for practice loads in my 223 .

the dippers were trashed long ago just not constant enough

Dip and trickle is my method for dispensing powder. I don't see any virtue to using a powder measure as I will trickle into the scale pan anyway. You can adjust the volume of a dipper (shims or other method) to get close to the desired charge and then finish it off with the trickler.

The only differences among ANY of the methods discussed are convenience, preference and speed. Given practice and good technique, all are precise enough for all but near-maximum charges.

Measures or dippers used without weighing (after an initial check) are fastest.

Digital dispenser/scales may be fastest at trickling every charge to a precise weight. Mechanical dispenser and scale would be close or a bit faster, but are more "hands-on" intensive.

And I'm sure that somewhere out there is a guy using certified laboratory scales who trims the last powder kernel to weight under a microscope. He loads one round per hour.

so I am another one of the idiots that uses the lee scoop to put in the pan of the scale and then weights each charge....

As a general rule I dip 'n' trickle if I'm reloading 50 cartridges or less at a sitting. If I'm doing a larger volume, I set up my powder measure and then weigh about every 5th charge. If my load is near what I consider maximum I will weigh each charge out of the powder measure. I know, I know... I'm not a very speedy reloader.

ttpoz

My technique is get a close dipper and then go after a second scoop of powder and trickle a bit in out of the dipper to get where i want. I use the little Lee drum type measure for my 223 though. Just don't feel comfy unless I weigh all my hunting loads. Used a Dillon 550 for a while and was very disappointed with the powder measure. Sold the Dillon and now weigh every charge.

Yep, that's the way I've been doing it for a looong time.......



Casey

I too am a dip and trickle guy. Will get a powder thrower when I get a good bench set up.

I use them and the work just fine.

IMO, if I was just starting out, I buy a good quality balance beam scale and maybe a case tumbler long before I'd start looking at powder measures. I used a bowl of powder and a teaspoon for quite a while before I bought my powder measure.

Another dip and trickle guy here.

Another one using dip & trickle, mainly because I am a low volume reloader. Now, if I ever get into anything remotely resembling high volume reloading, I will get a powder measure for rifle reloading and maybe something like a Dillon for pistol reloading.

I can testify that after reloading for 25+ years that you can absolutely load very accurate ammo. using Lee dippers. If you want to dip & trickle to get to a max. charge that's ok but developing a method for dipping which is consistent is very easy and it is just as accurate as throwing charges from a powder measure. Any of the Lee Loaders you buy will have a dipper and all you need is a mallet and cheap little funnel and you can make some very accurate hunting ammo. on your kitchen table. The dippers always dip a little less that advertised for safety reasons. I also know that my most accurate ammo. is usually at less than a maximum charge. I still use my set of dippers for screw around target loads with my pistols and they work fine and are very fast. They don't require any adjustment and very little brain power. That works for my little brain! I know all this to be the truth becasue that's the way I started many years ago when I was young, broke and stupid! Just my 4 cents. BT

Hi ,I am curious about variance in powder charges/ I tried the Lee dippers and using a dipper from the pack of measures I found that using H4895 and dipping out of a short drinking glass filled half full of powder that I was throwing charges within 3 tenths of a grain (using a lee perfect powder scale as a reference) every time and after about 50 practice scoops(actually using a back drag on the scoop and allowing the dipper to fill and then scraping a credit card across the top )I found that I could stay within 2 tenths. I am thinking that this will be good enough for hunting loads out of the Mauser 8mm with 150gr Sierras and 46.7 grains(which is the closest dipper for the charge I want(bout 47 grains).This is not even close to a max load(almost 51 grains and same bullet) so I am not worried about the variance causing an overload but what I am curious about is will 2 or 3 tenths of a grain variance in powder charge materially affect group size as compared to weighing and getting EXACTLY the same powder charge ?? Thanks,Craig

I'd say that 2 tenths is good for whatever kind of shooting you're doing.
Whether you're using a measure, a dipper, or a tablespoon, consistancy of effort is what counts.

bcr..,

I have had a set for 20 plus years and only three or four are even broken off the mold tree. the charges they throw have never been close to what I need. recently a friend tried to use his and they were off by a mile. I sugest you get a good balance beam scale to verify the charges. DO NOT go by the suggested charges that come with the dippers or you could wind up in deep kimshee.

O

I did use the Lee Perfect powder scale(which is a balance beam scale)to not only initially check the dipper for verification of the powder charge but also to check for variances in dipped weights.The dipper was spot on for the powder(H4895) I was using.And the dipper(the dipper marked 3.4 cc gives almost the exact charge I was looking for which was 47 grains/the dipper gives me 46.7 grains . Craig

bcr..,

Congrats on your luck. I never had any luck with the Lyman 55 either. I do have an RCBS Uni Flo powder measure that throws consistnt charges every time (verified by a scale first). It's very fast and I wouldn't trade it for a farm in Georgia.
O

I bought the Lee dippers and an electronic scale. I tested the weight of the charge against what the slide chart said each cup should hold and those cups were very close to being exactly what the chart said. They are good enough to load up some rounds without having to weigh each charge I'd think unless you are close to max charge. Most of them hold just a fraction of a grain less than what is listed on the slide chart.