Best Powder Measure?

[Jon]

I'm currently looking at the Lee Perfect Powder Measure, and the LEE Autodisk measure.

It seems people either think they are great or crap. Anyone have or use either of these? Is there something better that isn't too expensive. I don't have $300 to spend on a powder measure.

Thanks,

Jon

[Survey Punk]

RCBS Uniflow is a step up from the Lee type and not too much more expensive. I use it for all of my "large" cartridge charging.
For volume with .223 match ammo the measure on my Dillon 550B works fine. For the 600yd loads I use a Harrell's. Very pricey benchrest type.

JB

[hagar]

You can buy the most expensive one on the market, and the Lee might just beat it. They make some amazing and cheap products. I load my 600 and 1000 yard ammo with it, and just gave somebody 22 rounds for 600 because they left their long range loads at home. The guy proceeded to hammer the 10 and X ring with it in very windy conditions, and he told me it's way better than his loads. LC cases, Rem 7.5 primers, 24.5 grains RL15, 75 AMax bullet loaded to 2.45 oal if anybody would like to try the recipe.

[AndyC]

I used the Autodisk w/the Adjustable Chargebar for many years

[Cava3r4]

my dillon 550 B loads quite accurately using Varget.
I have to admit though.... when loading for 600, 800, 900, and 1000 yard lines I take each case out of station 3 and weigh them and trickle into them if needed.
Bob

[Bubba FAL]

I've got both and have used them for years.

I use the Autodisk for handgun ammo and the PPM for rifle (except for match and max loads, which get weighed). Both have been upgraded with latest parts as the originals had some issues. Both are OK for the money, fine ball powders and Trail Boss exhibit some seepage and require thorough cleaning after use. I use the RCBS Chargemaster for precision loads.

Don't rely solely on the settings with either, always verify with a reliable scale. Good QC practices = 0 kabooms...

[bookertbab]

What type of powder do you plan to use? The Lee seems to work really well with the extuded powders because it doesn't cut the grains like most others do.

[fireback]

I have a Lee, and it served me in my infancy, but I trickle everything anyways. I'm now using an antique Redding thats pretty cool.

My new secret weapon is a Lyman DPS2. I've thrown almost enough charges with it and scaled 'em on my 5-0-5....I just might have to brake down and trust it!

My Dillon does good enough that I trust it for "generic" pistol loads, Only .454 loads get the special treatment.

[Temp]

Redding

[ftierson]

I have tried quite a few and now use a Lee Perfect Powder Measure almost exclusively...

When they first came out, I bought a couple thinking that the all plastic Lee wouldn't last too long and that I'd need to replace it fairly quickly. After many tens of thousands of powder charges thrown, the replacement measure still sits new in it's box.

Although I do use a few stick powders (IMR 4831, especially), I use mostly ball/spherical powders these days. The Lee works better with long stick powders (IMR 4831, IMR 3031, for example) than most other, more expensive, powder measures do... But it works even better with ball powders...

The only practical problem that you'll run into with the Lee is with the use of really tiny grain ball powders (like H110). The balls tend to infiltrate between the drum surfaces and bind the measure up (the turning/throw effort increases). When using H110, it's important to keep the drum as tight as possible to prevent the tiny balls from getting between the rotating surfaces. Since the tightness is extremely easy to adjust, this problem becomes somewhat of a non-problem...

By the way, there is one thing that I don't like about the Lee, and that's the relative flimsiness of the measure when it's mounted on the stand that comes with it. I keep planning to make a much more substantial stand to prevent the measure from whipping around when in use. However, it works well enough in use anyway that I've never taken the time to make it stiffer...

Try a Lee...

Even if you end up not liking it for whatever reason, what are you really out even if you paid full retail price for it?

Forrest

[hagar]

Once again, try the Lee. The one I'm using I bought back in 1992, and I must have loaded 20,000 rounds on mine. It stills runs like a champ. I mounted mine on a wooden wine box, so I can carry it to wherever I am loading. I also use 2 Lee handpresses and Lee dies to do all my loading, and that includes 340 Weatherby(I shoot 100 rounds every day before breakfast;)), all my 30/06, 308 and 223 competition loads, loaded all my 22/250 varmint ammo for years. A lot of the guys on the highpower forums bitch about their expensive dies putting rings on the bullet noses, or mangling the bullet tips with extra heavy long range 223 loads. The Lee sizing die does not do that.