Best volumetric powder measure?

[PinnedAndRecessed]

I'm going to start reloading for my rifles. My current powder dispensers are automatic (Dillon Square Deal and MEC), so I've got to buy one.

I can't afford the electronic type so it's a manual powder thrower.

Two questions.

1) Is it always necessary to use a powder trickler with rifle calibers?
2) Does it make any difference which brand of powder thrower? Are they all about the same?

thanx

[ClarkEMyers]

See e.g. the Sinclair catalog for a range of powder measures. As always Best is meaningless in this context. Capitalism works and any of the less expensive measures can do a fine job - especially if the charge is thrown light and brought up to weight on a scale.

The better, not necessarily best for your needs, powder measures cost as much as the electric measures with digital scales - and are intended for range use with benchrest cartridges and so require two or more charges to load today's Ultra magnums and big Weatherby cartridges.

Perhaps more important than the choice of brand for popular use is the choice of accessories - different sizes of metering chambers and micrometer heads and powder baffles to keep a constant head of powder.

Most people find a really really solid mount gives much more consistent results than a measure mounted at the end of a vibrating cantilever including the factory mounts that raise the measure and give room underneath for a loading block full of cases.

Finally, capitalism really does work and many many people are satisfied with RCBS and with Hornady - given the proper accessories - but Redding can honestly claim a variety of measures such that one may meet your needs a little better.

[Jim Watson]

I think there are the mass produced measures, of which Redding has the widest selection, and there are the custom measures like the Harrells that Sinclair sells.

Use a trickler and scale?

I do for target loads with extruded powder like my .223 + Varget loads.
I do not for target loads with Ball process powder like my .308 + AA2520.
I do not for sporting rifle ammo like .30-30 and .30-06.

Benchrest shooters usually use a small granule extruded powder like H322 and a high-end measure, no scale.

[TimRB]

FWIW, I recently bought a Redding BR30 to load 308, and it's absolutely splendid. My only criticism is that it is near the limit of its capacity for H4895 and that cartridge, and probably 30-06 would push it over the top (or require two half-throws). At 200 yards I can't tell the difference between thrown and weighed charges, and as Jim pointed out, benchrest shooters (who are fanatics about such things) almost universally throw charges rather than weigh them.

Tim

[P-990]

I hate to admit this, but I've always had pretty good luck with a simple little Lee Perfect Powder Measure. I know, I know, it's cheap and lightly constructed, and not mounted particularly solidly. But it meters extruded powders beautifully (Varget and H4895 most of the time). It is awful with ball powder, but only because it spits it everywhere, not because of any uniformity issues.

I don't/won't trickle charges into my .223 loads. At 200 and 300 yards I have never seen a need for it, frankly. My tightest ever 300-yard groups (AR-15, irons, prone w/ sling) have been shot with ammunition loaded up on a Pro1000 progressive press; thrown charges with a meter are better than that IMO.

[amamnn]

Any measure with a baffle will give pretty consistent throws. I have the RCBS stand alone with the baffle and the Lee pro auto disk for which I bough the RCBS baffle. They both work very well. the only trickler worth having is a good heavy one. As far as I know, Redding still makes the heaviest.