Lee inproved powder measures

318 · January 16, 2013, 07:57 AM

Bought these dippers when i ordered all my equipment for loading. I cant use them loading 40s&w. i dont believe i can use them for 45acp or 9mm. It looked kind of nice to be able to dip them in the powder, level them off with a playing card and load cases in my trays. Are they pretty much for rifles?

318 · January 16, 2013, 07:59 AM

Did it again....thought i was in reloading forum. Sorry. Im sharp as a marble.

**Mike Irwin** · January 16, 2013, 08:20 AM

Now you're in reloading.

What do you mean you can't use them for reloading for handgun?

What size set did you get?

318 · January 16, 2013, 08:29 AM

.3cc to 4.3cc's. using win231 loading hornady 180gr. Fmj's i need to be 4.2 to 5.0 max.
.3cc=3.2 grains... .50cc=5.4 grains

jj320 · January 16, 2013, 09:17 AM

how many scoops were in the package. did you try and measure all of them on a scale you might find one that will work by weighing them. different types of powder may have different weights by scale due to different powder style . not sure just a shot in the dark.

F. Guffey · January 16, 2013, 10:02 AM

318, I have three sets of 10 dippers each, one is black, another set is yellow and the other is red. To use the dippers I need R. Lee’s book on modern reloading, Other dippers came with reloading die sets, the dipper in the box matched the instruction.

I also have the RCBS little dandy , the little Dandy is a serious investment if the price of rotors is included, 20 rotors plus the little Dandy gets the better part of $250.00, both measure volume, the dippers, in the box take up about the same space but the dippers cost less.

F. Guffey

LivewireBlanco · January 16, 2013, 10:19 AM

I used to use Lee dippers for my 45 ACP and found the .5cc dipper to give me almost exactly 5 gr of 231. Don't shake the dipper, just dip and slide off the excess.

spacecoast · January 16, 2013, 12:12 PM

Quote:

Are they pretty much for rifles?

Well, I hope not, because I've dipped over 17,000 handgun rounds.

By the way, I highly recommend you not load the cases when they are sitting in trays. It's too easy to miss or double-charge a case. Rather, pick up an empty case from a separate pile, add the powder and then place it in the loading tray.

**Mike Irwin** · January 16, 2013, 12:34 PM

"By the way, I highly recommend you not load the cases when they are sitting in trays. It's too easy to miss or double-charge a case."

QFT.

If you don't believe Spacecoast, then believe this...

That's what happens when you screw up and put 9.8 grains of WW 231 into a .45 ACP case, and then fire it out of your 1911.

Still not sure how my Springfield came through it unscathed.

the led farmer · January 16, 2013, 03:56 PM

You can use a dipper or combination of dippers to achieve your correct weight. Just experiment with your dippers, powder and scale

Ifishsum · January 16, 2013, 04:18 PM

Lee's handgun dies each come with one a dipper - why can't you use them for .40SW? They won't always be the right size charge for every powder - but once you have settled on a particular load you can tweak the dipper to throw the measured charge you want to use. I've glued fiber wads to the bottom and/or lined the inside of one with electrical tape to reduce the capacity and adjust it to fit my favorite load. Almost all of my handgun loads are done with a dipper, while expanding the case mouth (using Lee's powder-through expander). Unbelled primed cases on the left side of the press, flared and charged cases on the right side. Really saves time for me and I know which cases have powder and which don't.

318 · January 16, 2013, 04:28 PM

Ifishsum...that is a great idea. Gonna be using that trick for sure. Thanks

lee n. field · January 16, 2013, 05:26 PM

Quote:

Bought these dippers when i ordered all my equipment for loading. I cant use them loading 40s&w. i dont believe i can use them for 45acp or 9mm. It looked kind of nice to be able to dip them in the powder, level them off with a playing card and load cases in my trays. Are they pretty much for rifles?

No, they're for loading anything. Why can't you use them for 9, .40 or .45? Check the included chart.

Quote:

I also have the RCBS little dandy , the little Dandy is a serious investment if the price of rotors is included, 20 rotors plus the little Dandy gets the better part of $250.00, both measure volume, the dippers, in the box take up about the same space but the dippers cost less.

I bought the few rotors I needed, going by RCBS' chart. It cost way less.

January 16, 2013, 07:57 AM	#1
318 Senior Member Join Date: January 10, 2013 Location: Ohio Posts: 102	Lee inproved powder measures Bought these dippers when i ordered all my equipment for loading. I cant use them loading 40s&w. i dont believe i can use them for 45acp or 9mm. It looked kind of nice to be able to dip them in the powder, level them off with a playing card and load cases in my trays. Are they pretty much for rifles?

January 16, 2013, 08:20 AM	#3
Mike Irwin Staff Join Date: April 13, 2000 Location: Northern Virginia Posts: 41,379	Now you're in reloading. What do you mean you can't use them for reloading for handgun? What size set did you get? __________________ "The gift which I am sending you is called a dog, and is in fact the most precious and valuable possession of mankind" -Theodorus Gaza Baby Jesus cries when the fat redneck doesn't have military-grade firepower.

January 16, 2013, 08:29 AM	#4
318 Senior Member Join Date: January 10, 2013 Location: Ohio Posts: 102	.3cc to 4.3cc's. using win231 loading hornady 180gr. Fmj's i need to be 4.2 to 5.0 max. .3cc=3.2 grains... .50cc=5.4 grains Last edited by 318; January 16, 2013 at 08:37 AM.

January 16, 2013, 12:34 PM	#9
Mike Irwin Staff Join Date: April 13, 2000 Location: Northern Virginia Posts: 41,379	"By the way, I highly recommend you not load the cases when they are sitting in trays. It's too easy to miss or double-charge a case." QFT. If you don't believe Spacecoast, then believe this... That's what happens when you screw up and put 9.8 grains of WW 231 into a .45 ACP case, and then fire it out of your 1911. Still not sure how my Springfield came through it unscathed. __________________ "The gift which I am sending you is called a dog, and is in fact the most precious and valuable possession of mankind" -Theodorus Gaza Baby Jesus cries when the fat redneck doesn't have military-grade firepower.

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January 16, 2013, 07:59 AM	#2
318 Senior Member Join Date: January 10, 2013 Location: Ohio Posts: 102	Did it again....thought i was in reloading forum. Sorry. Im sharp as a marble.

January 16, 2013, 09:17 AM	#5
jj320 Senior Member Join Date: January 7, 2013 Location: hobart,in Posts: 119	how many scoops were in the package. did you try and measure all of them on a scale you might find one that will work by weighing them. different types of powder may have different weights by scale due to different powder style . not sure just a shot in the dark.

January 16, 2013, 10:02 AM	#6
F. Guffey Senior Member Join Date: July 18, 2008 Posts: 7,249	318, I have three sets of 10 dippers each, one is black, another set is yellow and the other is red. To use the dippers I need R. Lee’s book on modern reloading, Other dippers came with reloading die sets, the dipper in the box matched the instruction. I also have the RCBS little dandy , the little Dandy is a serious investment if the price of rotors is included, 20 rotors plus the little Dandy gets the better part of $250.00, both measure volume, the dippers, in the box take up about the same space but the dippers cost less. F. Guffey

January 16, 2013, 10:19 AM	#7
LivewireBlanco Member Join Date: September 19, 2012 Location: West Texas Posts: 64	I used to use Lee dippers for my 45 ACP and found the .5cc dipper to give me almost exactly 5 gr of 231. Don't shake the dipper, just dip and slide off the excess.

January 16, 2013, 03:56 PM	#10
the led farmer Senior Member Join Date: July 8, 2012 Location: so cal Posts: 246	You can use a dipper or combination of dippers to achieve your correct weight. Just experiment with your dippers, powder and scale

January 16, 2013, 04:18 PM	#11
Ifishsum Senior Member Join Date: September 15, 2005 Location: Oregon Posts: 1,033	Lee's handgun dies each come with one a dipper - why can't you use them for .40SW? They won't always be the right size charge for every powder - but once you have settled on a particular load you can tweak the dipper to throw the measured charge you want to use. I've glued fiber wads to the bottom and/or lined the inside of one with electrical tape to reduce the capacity and adjust it to fit my favorite load. Almost all of my handgun loads are done with a dipper, while expanding the case mouth (using Lee's powder-through expander). Unbelled primed cases on the left side of the press, flared and charged cases on the right side. Really saves time for me and I know which cases have powder and which don't.

January 16, 2013, 04:28 PM	#12
318 Senior Member Join Date: January 10, 2013 Location: Ohio Posts: 102	Ifishsum...that is a great idea. Gonna be using that trick for sure. Thanks