Powder Measure Recommendations

[Hank]

I have had a Lyman 55 for about 15 years and it works fine but I want something more accurate and hopefully a little easier to set up,I use mostly stick powder).

It looks like the micrometer style would be a lot faster to set up but are they more accurate than the Lyman 55's.

I don't want to spend money if I will not get a significant increase in repeatability.

Any input appreciated.

Hank

 

[Shooter32]

It is very hard to throw consistant charges with any powder measure using stick powder, so to say that a more expensive measure would throw more accurate charges than yours is hard to say . I know that, that dooesn't help you or answer your question but, that is just the way that it is . Sorry !!:,

 

[Silverfox]

This one will cost you more money, but I sure like my RCBS ChargeMaster 1500. "Usually" measures out within .1 of a grain or less. Oh, there will be a time or two it will throw an errant charge weight, but that's why I have a Denver Instruments MXX-123. That DI digital scale gets the powder charges weighed to within .02 of a grain--NO, the deicmal point isn't in the wrong place--that's 2/100 of a grain accuracy. That's about equal to one piece of Varget powder.

This is a pricey setup, I got the ChargeMaster on sale for about $230 and the DI MXX-123 cost $255 shipped to my door.

 

[Hammer]

Have tried most of the available powder measures including

Lyman 55
Belding & Mull
RCBS
Harrel's Precision
Dillon
Redding
Hornady
Bonanza
Lee

If the operative term is "significant reduction in charge variation", then wouldn't spend any more money.

If the operative term is "ease of setup", then the micrometer based systems are better.

 

[Hank]

Thanks for the information, folks.

I'll just stay with the Lyman 55 for now. I found my trickler the other day and I may use that with the scales. That will be close enough for varmint loads.

Hank

 

[Forum Boss]

There is also the Quick Measure, a vertical plunger-tube type dispenser. It does an admirable job with long stick powders. However, this is NOT what you'd want for doing load development. You set the "charge weight" by adjusting the plunger travel and locking that in with a set screw.

Here's a Quick Measure review: http://home.comcast.net/~davidawilson/LongRange/QuickMeasure/QM.htm

There are different points of view on the Chargemaster and Lyman 1200 digital dispensers. Some guys love 'em. Others say: "well, if I have to check the charge with a Denver Instrument, then I might as well just throw from a Harrell's and weigh that".

Personally, since I load many calibers, and test many different powders in the 6BR, I like the ability to program different charge weights, and hold that in memory. I also like the fact that an electronic dispenser can be weighing/dispensing while I have my hands busy with another task.