Cheap Lee powder measure--Who's got one?

[glockopop]

OK, I know there's better options out there than the Perfect Powder Measure, but are there any better options for less than $30? Anything's got to be better than the scale and trickler I'm using now, and I'd like to get something to speed up my case charging without spending a lot of money.

Who uses this thing? Any feedback from owners?

[rem33]

Been using mine several thousand rounds works great. I would buy another.

[rwilson452]

I have three That tell you anything. I use them on my Loadmaster for progressive loading of rifle ammo. I just bought a Bushmaster 16M4ORC so I will be cooking up lots of plinking ammo. I use it for the 30-06 stuff for my M1 and for my 22-250 when I need a bunch fast. I use it for close in varmint loads for the long range shot I weigh each charge and all the other stuff so I do those load on my single stage. For the pistol stuff I use the auto-disk with the micrometer charge bar installed.

If you get one and read the directions that comes with it it will tell you it will tend to leak some at first especially with ball powder. After it seats with use this will diminish. I find putting a little powdered graphite in the works helps seal it. After working it in you can tighten it up a bit more. It takes a bit for it to get seated properly. Ah, Lee products, the products the green and blue guys love to hate. It's worse than the Semi vs revolver fight.

[FM12]

One alternative is to buy the Lee powder scoops, throw close to the desired weight and finish with the trickler...works fine, a little slow but very accurate. I also have the Lee perfect measure, and like it...really like the on/off feature, and being able to take the hopper off to change powders without a lot of trouble...just sold 2 rcbs uniflows, if that tells you anything, and am looking to buy more Lees. Also like the guide to help figure out what setting to use. Really neat!! Join & support the NRA, the democrats are back...can you say "Got Hi Caps?"

[HSMITH]

They work great with stick powder, OK with ball powder and are piss poor with everything else. Go figure, stick powder is what challenges the high dollar fancy measures and the Lee eats it like nothing, yet the small grain fine flake powders that any powder measure out there should eat with no problems at all are the most challenging for the Lee.

Is it worth $30, yes, in some circumstances. In some circumstances it works better than a $120 measure. Is it the only powder measure to have? Absolutely not, there are too many holes in where it works well to have it as the only measure available.

I have one, have used it quite a bit, and since I bought a Redding I haven't used it one time. I will give it what I feel is due, and tell you that there are places where it works great, but it really isn't all that good at all. You can go up from Redding a couple steps too, priced accordingly of course

[Scorch]

I have one, use it quite a bit. Just the fine flake powders it has problems with, in my experience. Everything else work well.

[hunterwinco]

I bought one from cabelas for 18.00 a month or so ago. I used to weigh charges for my 22 hornet. I think the Lee unit is amazing for 50.00 let alone 18!!! I should have prefaced this by saying that I am also a RCBS guy with a Rock Chucker and a 505 scale. I followed the directions and threw a hopper full to remove the static charge. When I load my usual hornet load it consists of 12.3 g of lil'gun. The other night I loaded 35 rounds and I through everyone one into my pan and weighed each one, EVERY ONE WEIGHED 12.3!!!!! Now I will probable continue to weigh my 3030, and 4570 rounds just because I don't tend to load that many at a time. I think the micrometer metering scale is kind of a pain, and I set by using my scale and ignore the graduations. I guess when it comes to Lee I have drank the cool aid! Thats a Jim Jones reference for you young guys! -lol

[sundog]

Got two of them. One is in the range box, for, well, obviously, loading at the range. The other swaps duty on the bench with an old Ideal 55, and an RCBS Uniflow. Only powder I will not use with the Lee is fine ball powders such as AA9/H108/WC820. It leaks with them.

One thing the Lee is capable of is dumping uniform charges by volume.

[Clayfish]

I've never had a problem from mine. I check every tenth case by weight and they are ussually within a tenth of a grain.

[deanadell]

Just finished 400 rounds of .38 Spl with IMR Trail Boss. Lee Perfect Powder Measure threw ever charge within .05 grains. Checked every 10th charge through the first 200 rounds, then just checked occasionally through the rest....I'd buy another one.

[saands]

I have used one for years and a nephew has one as well. I will echo what a couple of others have said in that it LOVES extruded (stick) powders. This seems to be a challenge if you reload for pistols where most of the options are fine ball and flake types. Mine will handle some of the flaked powders, but struggles with the ball powders ... especially the fine ones like AA#9. My nephew's also struggles with most of the flaked powders, so there seems to be some variability in them. That being said, ALL of the VihtaVuori powders that I've seen are extruded and they ALL work like a charm. I ended up wanting to throw max charges of 800x for the 10mm and it had way too much variation for that one ... I ended up getting a RCBS electronic trickler/scale combo and the two of them make a perfect setup ... the Lee for fast extruded loads and the RCBS for anything weighed or non-extruded. They are clearly a good value, and I recommend them to new reloaders without reservation ... but I often refer to mine as the "Lee (less than) Perfect Powder Measure" ...

Saands

[CrustyFN]

Can the Perfect Powder Measure be used on the Lee Classic Turret or is it only for the Load Master?
Rusty

[Toolman]

I've got two of them. Use one for handgun, the other for rifle. I weigh all my charges and they have good consistancy, depending on what powder you're using.
I don't know if it can be used on the classic turret, but you can check their website. www.leeprecision.com

[rwilson452]

Yes, for rifle only. For rifle stuff you need the Universal Charging Die. Lee Part # 90273 The charging die fits all Lee presses. For pistol stuff you need the Autodisk measure. you don't get enough throw from the pistol expander die to work the Perfect Powder measure.

Can the Perfect Powder Measure be used on the Lee Classic Turret or is it only for the Load Master?
Rusty

[K96771]

I'm pretty new at reloading, but the Lee Perfect Powder Measure that came in the Lee Anniversary Kit is right on. I check every fifth one due to my paranoia and it doesn't vary as long as I'm consistent with the how I throw / cycle the handle.

[gandog56]

Like a lot of people have said, It doesn't seem to like flake powders in small capacities. An example is my Lee Autodisk refuses to give me accurate measures of Unique using the smaller drop hole sizes, but has zero problems using the holes grater than 1 cc. Go figure, I find if I must use a flake powder with a low capacity hole. a few judicious whacks on ther disk before I drop it will get me a more uniform measure. But to do this, I might as well just use their dippers. I use ball powders for low volume holes.

[CrustyFN]

K96771 I'm pretty new at reloading, but the Lee Perfect Powder Measure that came in the Lee Anniversary Kit is right on. I check every fifth one due to my paranoia and it doesn't vary as long as I'm consistent with the how I throw / cycle the handle.

Paranoia is not a bad thing when reloading. I am the same way but I like to refer to it as being vary careful.
Rusty

[K96771]

I like your perspective better, CrustyFN. So it is said; so it shall be written!

[Kato_Guy]

I had just purchased the lee aniversary kit and it is still in the box. I am just reading the manuals and stuff and I have a question about the perfect powder measure.

It says to run a batch through to coat the measure. Do you run a batch through and run it back into the jar or do you cycle it and throw it out??

I am planning on using h335 and or varget for the 223. And am planning on using rl-19 for my 270wsm these should cycle fine in there shouldn't they???


thanks for the help everyone!!

[hunterwinco]

Kato Guy,
you just fill the hopper, set it to throw a charge, and slowly and consistantly dump charges into a clean container and then pour it back into the can. There is no need to throw it out.

[oldgranpa]

like others, mine came with the Anniv. Kit. Mounted it on a piece of 2x6 board so I can bring it in the house on the table where I can sit in a chair instead of standing to use it. Setting it by the equation 1grain X volume/grain gave a powder load lower than wanted. So I just adjusted the micrometer until the powder dispensed weight correctly, checking with the scale. After that, loading 30/30 and checking weights now and then, it varied by no more than 0.1grain. Close enough for me and really speeds up things.
If you need more accuracy, like for competition, then the powder scale might be better, but a lot slower.
I'll try it next for some 8mm Mauser loads.
FWIW,
og

[rwilson452]

You can go down to your local hardware store and get a tube of powdered graphite (The stuff they use to lubricate locks with) and squirt some in the measure and work it in. I think it does a better job than running powder thru it. You may find you can tighten up the drum after a bit as it takes a seat. Don't over do it. Some use powdered mica for that same process.

[glockopop]

I think I'm convinced. This should be perfect for me as I use VV N320 for .45ACP and will be experimenting with the same powder for .38 Special. I may also use some Bullseye. How's that work in this measure?

[James A. Mullins]

I have 4 set up on lee through the expander die. Load 45acp-45 colt-44mag and special-38/357. Have loaded thousands of loads with them. I went back and bought the update system with the wiper. Thats to change powder or charge with out changing the whole set up.
James

[castnblast]

I have a Lee perfect powder measure. It works fine. I set it to drop just a tad under my desired charge (old habbit from a previous charge dropper) and trickle the rest in. When I switched to Benchmark Powder, my trickling was minimized to the point of almost not having to do it at all. I like mine. Easy to clean and switch powders as per another post. I have not tried it w/ pistol powders...yet...Bought a 357 die a few days ago...I'll let you know when I have time how that goes...