I was thinking of purchasing a Harrell powder measure and wanted some feedback. I'm looking at the premium model. Are they worth the money and are they accurate. I'm using a RCBS now and out of 10 throws on average 3 are right on, 3 are heavy, and 4 are light. I picked that measure up for $30 so a $300 one must be awsome right ??? Thanks for the help.
Best Powder Measure
- Thread starter Mhall
- Start date
Frank7mm said:
Lynwood at Harrell's makes fine equipment and worth every penny. However, it takes a great touch and an accurate routine to drop powder consistently to within 1/10th of a grain, time after time. It can be done, and is being done successfully by many.
I need the help of technology, so I've turned the task over to a fine robot that I've found to be extremely accurate day in and day out. Here it is, and at a good price: http://www.natchezss.com/product.cfm?contentID=productDetail&prodID=rc98923&src=BA183
I am new to this forum so hello!
Yes, I have a Harrell that gets very little use. I do almost everything with the RCBS Charge-master. But as far as manual measures go, the Harrell is the best I have ever used.
If I am loading competition rounds, sometimes I use the Harrell and throw a light charge on some super accurate scales I have, and then trickle up to final load weight. Really can not prove that there is any difference in that method and the Charge Master.
Woolly
Yes, I have a Harrell that gets very little use. I do almost everything with the RCBS Charge-master. But as far as manual measures go, the Harrell is the best I have ever used.
If I am loading competition rounds, sometimes I use the Harrell and throw a light charge on some super accurate scales I have, and then trickle up to final load weight. Really can not prove that there is any difference in that method and the Charge Master.
Woolly
I know this may seem crazy sounding but the Lee perfect powder thrower ($20) is the most accurate and easy to use powder thrower I have used. I own two and have owned RCBS, Redding and used the charge master. The Lee works great with various stick and ball powders better and smoother than many others. It stays within 1/10 so often that I quick pour now rather than weigh every charge. For the money, try it and throw it away if you don't like it, then spend $200 on something "better".
my two cents.
jer
my two cents.
jer
woolecox said:
The difference is in the separate repeated tricklings that takes additional time and muscular movement. I let the robot handle the entire task, all the time. My load routine doesn't vary between reloading for competition and reloading for practice, since I practice, as if competing. Consistency can be an advantage.
Frank7mm, that'l be significant with entries into 'reload racing'. But today I believe the goal is accuracy.
And Favload, loading by volume is not the same as loading by weight. You can suggest that a thrower dispenses a volume very accurately, but until charges are also and always weighed, you can't suggest it dispenses the same weight accurately.
As to which approach provides better loads? I have no idea.
Never fiddled with volume further than seeing that weight is a different matter, that can't be assumed with volume.
And Favload, loading by volume is not the same as loading by weight. You can suggest that a thrower dispenses a volume very accurately, but until charges are also and always weighed, you can't suggest it dispenses the same weight accurately.
As to which approach provides better loads? I have no idea.
Never fiddled with volume further than seeing that weight is a different matter, that can't be assumed with volume.
Frank7mm said:
If speed is the issue, this may be of interest:
Gunsmith and Forum member NAT Lambeth reports: “I thought My RCBS ChargeMaster 1500 Combo was fast enough. But I still called RCBS and asked for the programming changes to see if I could speed it up. It was a lot easier than I thought. My 1500 Combo was taking from 15-30 seconds to dispense the powder to the tenth of a grain. I reprogrammed the numbers and now it takes between 7 and 15 seconds to dispense to a tenth. This effectively doubled my loading speed. I only changed the HSB_A1, HSB_B1, and BSP_C1 settings.â€
RCBS's phone # is 800-533-5000. Ask for the 1500 Combo programming Guru, Don Legg Jr. He talked me through the proceedure, step by step. The goal is to stay just this side of over throws.
I've weighed every charge I ever shot in the past 15 years and when loading 500-700 rounds for p-dogs time is important. Others may have nothing better to do, but I do. The charge master unless changed was slow and you go to the bathroom and when you got back it would read a 1/10 or 2 higher than when it stopped dispensing. Unless you leave your powder open to suck up moisture each lot should be very consistant by volume. you may have to adjust each batch you reload, but who doesn't check the zero on there scale before they start reloading.
It depends...
I use a Harrell's Premium and it is a fine piece of gear, but with Varget I find that the thrown weights may vary by as much as 0.3 grains. For my LR loads, I am trickling each upto weight, but I must admit that probably 90% of the throws are within 0.1 grains. For PD shooting, I just set the measure and throw the charges. No complaints on the target end of the equation
I have never used that measure with ball powder, as I use an old Redding Match Grade for throwing directly into the cases on a loading block for my .45 ACP. I stop about every ten or twenty and have found them to be right around 0.1 as well (as measured on an Acculab scale).
I use a Harrell's Premium and it is a fine piece of gear, but with Varget I find that the thrown weights may vary by as much as 0.3 grains. For my LR loads, I am trickling each upto weight, but I must admit that probably 90% of the throws are within 0.1 grains. For PD shooting, I just set the measure and throw the charges. No complaints on the target end of the equation
I have never used that measure with ball powder, as I use an old Redding Match Grade for throwing directly into the cases on a loading block for my .45 ACP. I stop about every ten or twenty and have found them to be right around 0.1 as well (as measured on an Acculab scale).
A lot depends on the type of powder you intend to throw. Long stick powder will not throw accurately.
I do not own a Harrels I do have a Redding BR3 and a Charge Master.
When I use the BR3 I throw under and trickle up. Now that I have the CM I just put the pan on the scale and seat the last one charged.
If you plan on using stick powder and load low and trickle up I see no need for an expensive thrower.
Ron
I do not own a Harrels I do have a Redding BR3 and a Charge Master.
When I use the BR3 I throw under and trickle up. Now that I have the CM I just put the pan on the scale and seat the last one charged.
If you plan on using stick powder and load low and trickle up I see no need for an expensive thrower.
Ron
mikecr said:
+1 on mikecr's technique, I have been doing that for a long time.
Bill
Minesweeper3433
45B/91F
I have a lee thrower in fact it is the only lee product I have. Someone gave me their old one when I started and it has worked for me very well. Although sometimes I use the plastic spoon straight from the can method when loading 5-30 rounds for one day. Less cleanup.
I can throw and trickle 3 charges in the time the CM can do one. No thanks!
I started with a rcbs thrower, then got a chargemaster and now have a harrells. The rcbs I just couldnt make work, the chargemaster is great but the harrells is really nice andits clear that using it comes down to all technique. Is it worth $300? Well, if you are committed to throwing and want to load at the range, etc, than Id say so, for sure. Unlikely to find another measure made better.
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