Author Topic: Whats the best manual type smokeless powder measure?  (Read 819 times)

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Offline muznut 54

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Whats the best manual type smokeless powder measure?
« on: October 15, 2012, 02:58:54 PM »
What is your opinion of the best manual powder measure?

Offline wmdron

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Re: Whats the best manual type smokeless powder measure?
« Reply #1 on: October 15, 2012, 03:09:37 PM »
Ive heard lots of good things about Harrells powder measures. If I were in the market for a powder measure I would choose one of theirs.

Offline tacklebury

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Re: Whats the best manual type smokeless powder measure?
« Reply #2 on: October 16, 2012, 02:11:31 PM »
I like Lee's perfect powder measure.  8)
Tacklebury --}>>>>>    Multi-Barrel: .223 Superlite, 7mm-08 22", .30-40 Krag M158, .357 Maximum 16-1/4 HB, .45 Colt, .45-70 22" irons, 32" .45-70 Peeps, 12 Ga. 3-1/2 w/ Chokes, .410 Smooth slugger, .45 Cal Muzzy, .50 Cal Muzzy, .58 Cal Muzzy

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Offline Ranger99

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Re: Whats the best manual type smokeless powder measure?
« Reply #3 on: October 16, 2012, 02:21:14 PM »
uniflow or lee dippers
18 MINUTES.  . . . . . .

Offline necchi

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Re: Whats the best manual type smokeless powder measure?
« Reply #4 on: October 16, 2012, 02:24:57 PM »
Ive heard lots of good things about Harrells powder measures.
+1
found elsewhere

Offline sr sawyer

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Re: Whats the best manual type smokeless powder measure?
« Reply #5 on: October 17, 2012, 02:52:46 PM »
My old Lyman Ohaus 55 does a good job with rifle powders and the RCBS Little Dandy works great with fine grain pistol powders.  The main thing with manual measurers is establishing a rhythm and maintaining it through the process.
 
With most manual measurers large granule powders will get caught between the hopper and barrel and be cut on the dispense stroke pretty often.  If you maintain your rhythm and follow through the results are surprisingly accurate.  With the larger granule powders I usually drop to one grain under and trickle to the final weight if I am loading max loads.
 
Ken
 
 
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Offline Lloyd Smale

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Re: Whats the best manual type smokeless powder measure?
« Reply #6 on: October 18, 2012, 01:31:16 AM »
ive got a lyman a rcbs and a hornady and prefer the horandy because it gives you the option of buying ajustable inserts for it and keeping them set up in charge weights with certain powder charges i use often. Just snap them in and your good to go. Second place would be my rcbs. Its good measure. Distant last is the lyman. It throws charges well but is a royal pain in the but to get set for a charge.
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Offline SHOOTALL

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Re: Whats the best manual type smokeless powder measure?
« Reply #7 on: October 18, 2012, 01:51:19 AM »
I have used RCBS for about 30 years , a Hornady for over 10 years and had a Lyman years ago that worked fine but I gave it to a guy to hepl him get started ( it was given to me the same way) he still uses it. I just got the lil dandy and it seems ok.
If ya can see it ya can hit it !

Offline Dave in WV

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Re: Whats the best manual type smokeless powder measure?
« Reply #8 on: October 18, 2012, 05:08:13 AM »
I can't say what's the "best" but my experice with the Redding 3 measure with the universal and pistol chambers is it's a very good measure. YMMV
Setting an example is not the main means of influencing others; it is the only means
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Offline wncchester

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Re: Whats the best manual type smokeless powder measure?
« Reply #9 on: October 23, 2012, 10:50:13 AM »
I've used several powder measures over the last 46 years and would only consider buying a Redding, RCBS, Lyman, Hornady or Lee.  Seriously.  There just isn't much average difference in what any of them can do, that's why you see such a range of satisfied owners of each one.  And the very high cost 'BR' grade measures sure aren't worth the price to many of us, they just don't make much difference.
 
What we need from a measure is consistancy.  Consistancy of the RIGHT OPERATION METHOD for each measure AND the powder being dropped matters a lot.  I suspect most folks never bother to learn what actually aids consistancy with their measure and different powders.  Fact is, any measure will drop fine powders pretty consistantly.  Nothing will drop coarse stuff very consistantly so we drop low and trickle up if we want to precisely charge with coarse powders. 
 
Lyman's 55 is the most versatile tool but the user has to understand the proper way to adjust his charges; large, medium or small.  Others will need a second (costly) measuring chamber to deal with large rifle down to small pistol charges.  All of them will eventually bind with thin flake powders.  Lee's Perfect Powder measure isn't perfect but it's about as good as it gets for coarse powers, tends to leak small amounts of ball powder, especially if the user is a mechanical klutz.
 
Bottom line, there is no BEST - we take our choice and learn to use it best we can.
Common sense is an uncommon virtue

Offline mechanic

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Re: Whats the best manual type smokeless powder measure?
« Reply #10 on: October 23, 2012, 11:55:16 AM »
I'm using the Lee, but have an old RCBS.  I bought the Lee because it was 30 years newer, but it won't do anything the older one would not do....so...I leave one set up for what I load the most of.
 
Ben
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