Anyone tried the Lee Classic Powder Measure?

[Hondo64d]

The Lee Perfect Powder Measure has a very good reputation for being very consistent with extruded powders. The new Lee Classic Powder measure seems to be a heavier duty version of the Perfect so I am considering giving one a try. Has anyone tried one yet? If so, how well is it working for you? As good or better than the Perfect?

John

 

[Hondo64d]

I decided for $75 it was worth trying so went ahead and ordered one. I'll let you guys know how it works in the next week or so.

John

 

[PDS]

I have had one for 6 months now and I am happy with it. It has a cast iron body with a brass rotor so it feels much more solid (less cheap) than the plastic measure. It still uses the plastic wiper in the body so it doesn't cut the grains of extruded powder.
Before using mine I wiped out the rotor seat in the body with brake cleaner and wiped in some moly powder. By adjusting the tension between the rotor and the body the measure will work smoothly.
The Classic measure works as good as the $20 plastic one with extruded powder and it does't leak fine ball powder like the plastic one did. This is probably because of the better metal to metal fit.
The classic has a 7/8-14 thread on the body and a reverse bevel on the bottom to seal against a case mouth. I don't see any easy way to add a drop tube to this measure.
The volume adjustment is easy to use and easy to record the setting. Like any other powder measure you have to be consistent in operation to get consistent throws.
I paid $75 for mine from Titan Reloading. For extruded powder I think it is the best measure available. For extreme precision you will still have to throw light and trickle up to weight but for hunting or across the course completion it will do the job.
just my 2 cents worth
Fred

 

[amlevin]

I'll wait until my plastic Perfect Powder Measure breaks before stepping up to the new one. So far there's no sign that it's going to break. Other than the cheap appearance it does the job. Isn't that really what it's all about?

 

[BoydAllen]

Just an opinion but if you have to throw light and trickle up (as I do with all coarse powders) it doesn't matter what measure you use. For me, not being able to have long clear drop tubes would be deal breaker.

 

[JLT]

I just started using a Classic measure and I have mixed feelings about it. Just to set the table, I cleaned it thoroughly with acetone and lubricated the drum with powdered graphite prior to use. I ran some H414 through it and it worked just fine, perhaps a little more accurately than the Lee Perfect powder measure. Then I ran some IMR4350 through it and the long extruded grains bridged something fierce below the metering chamber. I had to break some of the jams loose with a toothpick - quite a mess.

To be fair, I did not clean the surfaces below the metering chamber. I'll get in there with some cotton swabs and acetone and see if that doesn't improve things, but I was less than pleased with how the measure handled longer extruded grains.

 

[Hondo64d]

I appreciate the responses. I'll let everyone know how it goes with mine.

John

 

[Tommie]

Other than the Autoprime, I've never been impressed with Lee reloading products. Not saying I've tried every item they manufacture though.

 

[Shaggy357]

I sold or traded most of mine to new shooters. If a box of 20 is your game, and you have an hour to load, the Lee will work great. For me and my high volume sessions, they couldn't cut it. Minor bobbles took me out of my rhythm and took up too much valuable time cleaning up messes or re-weighting charges.

 

[Hondo64d]

My Lee Classic Powder measure arrived today and I spent some time getting familiar with it and then evaluating it. Due to the rubber wiper, it feels different than any powder measure I have ever used. There is continuous friction throughout the throw process. It is smooth, but there is some resistance in the handle. It make sense when I think about it. With a metal on metal drum, there is still a little clearance, allowing them to cycle nearly friction free. With the Lee Classic, the rubber wiper is making firm contact with the drum, thus the friction. Lee is true to their word. It does not shear grains of extruded powder all, a feature that I really like. As a result there is never any jerkiness to the throwing cycle. A little friction, yes, but no jerkiness. But the big question is how consistently does it throw and how does it compare to other measures?

The best measure I have used to this point has been the Montana Vintage Arms powder measure, a refined, very high quality version of the Belding and Mull. So, I tested both the MVA and Lee Classic using the same protocol. I set each measure to throw 36r of H4350 by weighing ten charges and adjusting each measure until ten throws gave me as close to 360 grains as I could get. Then I threw 20 charges from each measure, threw the results in an excel spreadsheet and got the stats. I don't know if 20 charges is a big enough sample to give meaningful data or not. I'll leave that stuff to the statisticians. Anyway, here's the results:

Lee Classic
Extreme Spread - .7gr
Average Charge - 36.085gr
Standard Deviation - .169gr

MVA Powder Measure
Extreme Spread - .9gr
Average Charge - 35.785gr
Standard Deviation - .241gr

One thing that was interesting to me was that the Lee's average charge was a good bit closer to the ten charges I threw when setting it. The ten charge total was 360.8gr, very close to the average for the Lee. With the MVA, the ten charge total I threw while setting it was 360.1gr but the average it threw in the 20 round test was a bit lower at 35.79.

It remains to be seen if the $72 Lee will replace the $200 MVA on my loading bench. One area the MVA absolutely excels in is with ball powders, with literally zero charge to charge deviation. If the Lee ends up doing that, it will be the only measure on my bench. If it doesn't, I'll use the Lee for extruded powders and the MVA for ball and flake powders.

Either way, I think for $72, the Lee Classic is a heck of a bargain.

John

 

[dickn52]

Got mine a while back and I like it. I check all weights with beam scale and electronic. (Checks beam to electronic while doing it too).

 

[RemingtonAI]

I kinda wish my lee perfect powder measure didn't work so well. It's so cheap and....well...plastic, I'd love to replace it with a nice new shiny metal one. The damn thing keeps working though! I trickle up to the goal charge so it doesn't really have be accurate, but it is. given the life expectancy of plastic and aluminum it's looking more like a marriage than a fling.

 

[Dgd6mm]

I kinda wish my lee perfect powder measure didn't work so well. It's so cheap and....well...plastic, I'd love to replace it with a nice new shiny metal one. The damn thing keeps working though! I trickle up to the goal charge so it doesn't really have be accurate, but it is. given the life expectancy of plastic and aluminum it's looking more like a marriage than a fling.

I know right, I've been using mine for about 15 years and still working great. I threw 50 charges of 2000 MR a couple of months ago. 45 or so where on the money. Can they still be bought? If so i'd buy a spare.

 

[RemingtonAI]

ya know, now that I think about it, I believe I've been had. I entered into this relationship with my perfect powder measure with full understanding that it was a temporary thing. It wasn't all that pretty but she got the job done, and was cheap. We both knew I would be looking for my ideal powder measure before too long...you know...the one. Wasn't much to show off to the boys but she stayed behind closed doors so what the headspace right? And the years go by, and there she sits watching everything else on the bench get cleaned, and replaced, and moved, and tinkered with. And it doesn't even throw a fit, or a wrong charge for that matter...she just works. Ok, I was just joking here but now I actually feel bad for the damn thing. I'm going to go wipe it off for once. Its sick I know.

 

[Hondo64d]

I might give a perfect a try just to see if it is better than the classic. For <$30, why not?

John

 

[Dgd6mm]

ya know, now that I think about it, I believe I've been had. I entered into this relationship with my perfect powder measure with full understanding that it was a temporary thing. It wasn't all that pretty but she got the job done, and was cheap. We both knew I would be looking for my ideal powder measure before too long...you know...the one. Wasn't much to show off to the boys but she stayed behind closed doors so what the headspace right? And the years go by, and there she sits watching everything else on the bench get cleaned, and replaced, and moved, and tinkered with. And it doesn't even throw a fit, or a wrong charge for that matter...she just works. Ok, I was just joking here but now I actually feel bad for the damn thing. I'm going to go wipe it off for once. Its sick I know.

like x2

 

[BillPa]

I might give a perfect a try just to see if it is better than the classic. For <$30, why not?
John

\

The Perfect is good, the Classic is even better. I bought one a few months ago. Its rapidly becoming my goto measure for extruded powders of any flavor but the 55s still get the nod for ball powders. My RCBS Uniflows and Quick-Measure are collecting dust.

One thing I found consistency wise, instead of dumping a charge and returning it to the refill position let it in the dumped position then raise the handle, hesitate a second or so for the tube to fill then dump. Why?...No clue! BTW a baffle made no difference. I may make one more like a offset funnel to see it makes any difference.

Cleaning is a snap, rotate the reservoir to it's closed position, dump any remaining powder in the body back into it's container then remove the reservoir and dump it. No need to remove the body from it's stand.

My few small grips? The reservoir seats on flat shoulder in the body. After removing reservoir there were always a few kernels left laying on it. An O ring on top of the shoulder creating a rounded shoulder cured that annoying little problem. The other place a few are left is behind the wiper and need to brushed out. The "metering chamber" is calibrated in CCs. I feel it would be more convenient if it were in grains.

Bill

 

[hogan]

Bill,

Get the Lee #2 manual. Every cartridge listed has its capacity noted in cubic centimeters.

If you think about it, can't calibrate in grains since that is a weight which varies by each powder measured while the volume of powder expressed in CC's is a constant factor regardless of powder chosen.

 

[Tozguy]

I know right, I've been using mine for about 15 years and still working great. I threw 50 charges of 2000 MR a couple of months ago. 45 or so where on the money. Can they still be bought? If so i'd buy a spare.

My first Lee Perfect measure started showing some wear so I bought a second one. FYI Lee sells parts for it which are very inexpensive. But I like having two measures and not have to change settings as much. Also, note that settings do not transfer from one Perfect to the other.

 

[normmatzen]

Don't you hate it when those cheap, well engineered LEE products refuse to break? I started loading with an aluminum LEE press and changed to the breech-lock press. I also bought a LEE powder scale and a lee powder measure. I have since bought the big green precision powder measure and a couple beam balances.
Well 8 years later I, I use the old, cheap Lee powder measure the most! I finally wore out the Lee press so I bought a new Classic cast.
It's amazing! I don't use my Lee powder scale anymore as I use a lab balance plus electric dribbler.
My Dies, why, they are mostly all LEE except for body dies LEE doesn't make! Yes, I use custom LEE collet dies.. But, I do use other in-line dies for bullet seating with a force measuring attachment.