What do you use to measure powder/charge casings?

[kmw1954]

Is there a better option that will do everything I want (automatically measure and charge each case) but do it more accurately (not just the closest disk)? What do you all use?

After all this no one has mentioned the Lee Auto Drum measure. Works exactly like the disk only adjustable.

I have used it with Accurate #2 and #5, Silhouette, HP-38, TAC, Benchmark, Target and BL-2C

 

[CQB45ACP]

After all this no one has mentioned the Lee Auto Drum measure. Works exactly like the disk only adjustable.

I have used it with Accurate #2 and #5, Silhouette, HP-38, TAC, Benchmark, Target and BL-2C

Actually I did but not by name...it came in the turret press kit.

In theory it’s great but mine leaked like a sieve and I sent it back. When that didn’t work I tried fixing myself and just quit and moved on.

I know some folks like it but it’s not for me.

 

[kmw1954]

Have used mine with all powders listed and have found it very accurate.
I purchased mine right after they came out and sent it back twice for repairs, also because it leaked. Since I got it back last it has been flawless. I spill more powder now than whatever leaks.

 

[GeoDudeFlorida]

Have used mine with all powders listed and have found it very accurate.
I purchased mine right after they came out and sent it back twice for repairs, also because it leaked. Since I got it back last it has been flawless. I spill more powder now than whatever leaks.

Well, to be fair, it’s a two-part question: is there something better than the Lee Autodisk; and, what do you do? Now, it seems like if no one mentions the Lee Autodrum it’s probably because they don’t use it. I don’t and probably never will. Nothing against Lee products or that product, it’s just not how I prefer to work. Or, it’s because nobody feels like they ought to recommend it. You do, which is fine, and good for you for speaking up.

 

[AzShooter1]

I use a Dillon electric scale to get my loads correct and then I use the dropper on my 650 to drop the correct charge. My reloading press is set up so I can see the charging station and make sure every round has the correct charge.

 

[ballman6711]

I have a Lyman Brass Smith and three Hornady LnL powder measures. They all work well for me, and are very consistent with most powders I use once dialed in. Ball and flake powders are pretty much spot on, and stick powders are usually spot on with some being maybe 0.1 grains high or low. I weigh every charge no matter which powder or measure I use, and either trickle up or dump the excess in the trickler. The Hornady measure uses a large rotor for rifle charges and a small rotor for pistol, and I have found that when trying to throw small charges with the large rotor I get a lot of variation in charge weights.

FWIW, my father used Lee scoops when he reloaded some thirty or so years ago, and I shot plenty of his reloads back then with no issues. I recall him saying he used a dipper and leveled it with a business card, and any he checked on the scale were right there every time according to him. I never saw him reload, but his method worked and made good safe ammo.

There is more than one way to skin a cat, and I won't say that any one way is better than another. Find what works for you and run with it.

chris

 

[cfullgraf]

I’ve been reloading since 1980 or so and have lots of confidence in drum style powder measures.

But, I find they work more reliably when throwing charges when set at about 25% to 75% of available capacity. So, I use a Redding 10-X for handgun, a RCBS Uniflow for small rifle, and a Midway Indespensible powder measure ( discontinued in the 1990’s) for larger rifle cartridges such as 30-06.

I find if operating at the extreme of the capability of the powder measure, consistancy of the powder charge various greatly.

I have a Culver 90 measure for working up rifle loads. It is consistent and has easy changes. It does not work on a progressive press.

Dippers are consistant and I use them on occaision for some work up loads.

The measures that I have listed are the ones I use the most. I have a Hornady L-N-L with rifle and pistol drums. I’d use it if the 10-X or Uniflow does not produce good results as its cavities are different sizes from the other powder measures..

Also, I have a Lyman 55 based on information from the internet but it remains new in the box. One of these days I’ll try it out.

My choice of powder measures is not the be all to end all. But I feel powder measures perform better operating near the center of its capability than at its extremes.

 

[Jonesy814]

You could buy a spare set of the discs for your powder measure and enlarge a few cavities to hold the charge you want, or get a couple of adjustable charge bars and set up each for the load you want

 

[Mr_Gun_Guy]

You could buy a spare set of the discs for your powder measure and enlarge a few cavities to hold the charge you want, or get a couple of adjustable charge bars and set up each for the load you want

I like that idea a lot. It solves most of the problems and cheaply as well. And I was just about to place an order for the Lee Auto Disk with MidwayUSA (without much confidence)… I’ll just buy an extra set of disks for the one I have. You, my friend, might just be a genius. Thanks!

 

[jmorris]

I have used all sorts of stuff but a good adjustable powder measure sure goes a long way. There are a number of good choices, depending on what colors you like and I prefer some over others for specific types of powder.

 

[ParallelCode]

I use a Redding 10X volumetric measure for pistol powder, and a Redding BR-30 for small rifle.

For extruded powders and large and/or precision rifle, I use the RCBS ChargeMaster Lite.

 

[bullseye308]

If you are using the one with the round disks with different sized holes in it, find one that is too big and drill a hole through into a larger cavity. Drill the hole almost to the thread size of a fine threaded screw and you can use the screw to make the cavity adjustable by screwing it in or out to get the cavity size appropriate for the amount of powder you need.

I load single stage and store my brass primed and ready to load. I now use a Hornady electronic dispenser to measure my powder. Once warmed up it is very accurate and quick. I grab a piece of brass, dump the powder, seat a bullet, gauge the round, drop down a chute into an ammo can, and grab another piece of brass. The powder is ready and that is my pace, not rushed and no worries of a charge not being present or incorrect. I do verify with a beam when starting but after a few years and it not being off once I don’t check it during a session like I used to and I know what the density should look like for what I’m loading.

 

[LiveLife]

What do you all use?

I use C-H 502 micrometer powder measure along with Dillon and Redding which produce around .1+ gr powder charge variance with most small granule/flake/cut extruded powders and .2+ gr variance with larger flake powders - https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/c-h-502-micrometer-powder-measure-10-drops.834894/

Now ... I’m adding a lot more calibers ... and I’m looking for something that will do all that my Lee Disk does but with more accuracy. The limitations of the disk are such that I find myself having to choose the disk closest to what I’m looking for rather than putting in exactly the amount of powder I want.

Then consider Pro Auto Disk with this $1 mod to meter powder with infinite adjustability - https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/working-diy-micro-auto-disk.741988/

For smaller calibers, this mod will meter W231/HP-38 down to 2.0 gr and Bullseye down to 1.5 gr consistently.

 

[berettaprofessor]

but wouldn't it be possible to buy additional discs and modify to measure the amount you want?

Well, I was reading through the replies and chomping at the bit to talk about modifying a spare Autodisc, but Bullseye308 mentioned it and then Live Life has pictures and everything. For anything "mass produced" on the turret press, automatically dropping powder, I use the Lee Autodisc and if I need an "in-between" charge on a load I've established, I do what the pictures show. Works just as well as the adjustable charge bars but you have one for each caliber you load. Extra discs are cheap.

Like others, for smaller lots, mostly rifle calibers, I weigh each individually, these days, on a Chargemaster Lite.

Dropped the Lee Powder thrower (not consistent enough) and the balance scale that came with my beginner's kit quickly in favor of the above. And to someone else's comment, I think the Autodrum wasn't mentioned earlier precisely because, as noted, it just wasn't consistent enough, at least for me.

 

[Spare Parts]

Now, it seems like if no one mentions the Lee Autodrum it’s probably because they don’t use it.

OK, you goaded me into a reply. I have been seriously avoiding getting involved in this thread, because of the Lee-haters.

I use the Lee Autodrum on a Lee Loadmaster. It works, and that's good enough for me. OK, now I'm out of the closet.

Due to the powder shortage, I recently bought an off-beat powder from the local LGS (Scheel's). VV N-350. Short stick powder. It sat on the shelf - the locals don't know it's high-performance 9mm. I load Fed HST 9 147gr clones.

The Autodrum drops N350 ES=.007g, SD=.0024g. That's grams because that's what my (cheap Chinese) scale speaks. In English, ES=0.11gr, SD=0.037gr. Again, good enough for me; I may even someday abandon weighing every primed shell.... Nah, too OCD.

Flattened spherical powders like W-231 and CFE-P are a mess. Lee has a tightening screw, but it's a fine line between leaking and drum cycling. I carved a Cool Whip lid and duct-taped it to the Autodrum to catch the flat-spherical spew.

 

[kmw1954]

I pay no attention to haters just as I don't pay attention to fanboys. I use what I have because it works for me.

I found the Auto Disk worked well for what I was doing so when Lee came out with the Drum I decided to try it. Again worked well enough but again I had to send it back twice. After I got it back the last time it just worked tremendously. I have 3 disk measures and very seldom use them any more.

 

[GeoDudeFlorida]

OK, you goaded me into a reply. I have been seriously avoiding getting involved in this thread, because of the Lee-haters.

You must have stopped reading before this part.

I don’t and probably never will. Nothing against Lee products or that product, it’s just not how I prefer to work.

I know, it was such a long post, it must have been hard to read so many words.

 

[Skeptic13]

90% of my reloading is for rifle cartridges and I never do any high volume reloading. I use a Lee powder measurer, a digital scale and then hand trickle up or down to get the desired charge weight.

 

[BJung]

I use an RCBS drum powder thrower and a trickler for rifle loads. For handgun, I'll throw 8 loads, recheck the accuracy, and readjust the powder thrower again if necessary

 

[lordpaxman]

Is there a better option that will do everything I want (automatically measure and charge each case) but do it more accurately (not just the closest disk)? What do you all use?

I used to trickle all pistol and rifle loads with a 505 balance. That gets a bit tedious when you move to volume reloading. I first got an RCBS powder measure and that was my first experience with volumetric measuring. I upgraded to a progressive press and found both the Hornady and Dillon measures do pretty well, and of course that’s dependent to some degree on the metering characteristic of the powder. For some loading I use an RCBS chargemaster to automatically dispense charges, but then I do weigh/trickle them depending on how accurate I want them to be. Good luck.

 

[rdnktrkr]

I use the Lee auto disk mounted on a Lee turret press for pistol but HATE trying to work up a load with it so for my "birthday" order from Midway I'm going to try a " Lee Auto-Disk Adjustable Powder Charge Bar", I have modified some disk as described above but found it worked best if the original hole was close to desired size so I was still having to swap disks. I found the Lee double disk kit and rifle charge dies to be a waste of money if you want anything approaching accuracy so I purchased a Hornady Lock-N-Load auto charge electronic charge system and have enjoyed it with no complaints, but feel if loading pistol it is a little bit slow, it throws and weighs the powder while I seat the bullet and prepare the next case and I have found it to be VERY accurate (within .05gr usually .03). Something I was looking into was the auto tricklers that is about 1/2 the price of the electronic powder dispenser systems for rifle but found a deal on the Hornady system.