Trying to decide if I should get a medium grade electronic powder dispenser or higher end scale with better than .1 grain resolution. Can't really do both. I like the idea of speeding up my process, as throwing powder is my least favorite part of reloading, and the slowest. However, I could be persuaded into a higher end scale if I would see real benefit in terms of precision on target. I just hunt to 3-400 yards so not sure if the added precision is worth it. Any suggestions on devices is also encouraged. Thanks!
That's tough. I went with the powder thrower and I'm happy I did. However, I do wonder about the scale some times but I've been able to get respectable SD/ES numbers from it. I'm using a FA intellidropper. I let it warm up for 20min or so and then calibrate.
That's tough. I went with the powder thrower and I'm happy I did. However, I do wonder about the scale some times but I've been able to get respectable SD/ES numbers from it. I'm using a FA intellidropper. I let it warm up for 20min or so and then calibrate.
That's where I'm leaning. Intellidroper looks good too. I've heard of some qa complaints but the price is tough to beat and still lots of positive comments about it.
All depends on your goals. I use an RCBS Chargemaster Supreme for making non-precision loads. The extreme spreads are usually within +/- .15 grains. When I want to be precise I use the Chargemaster to drop .2 or so short then finish with a Creedmore TRX-925 and Dandy Trickler. The RCBS/TRX combo gives results equal to or superior to anything you can use, simply takes a bit longer. Depending on your goals either or both may serve your needs well.
I bet a guy could be just as fast as a chargemaster with a good scale, powder throw, and hand trickler - but the good scale is probably going to cost more than a chargemaster on it's own last I looked.
Interesting. Yeah the speed and convenience is the biggest thing for me. Just need moderate accuracy. The intellidropper is appealing since it seems like the fastest, and affordable. Just likely going to deal with some issues on occasion. I think if I can get it so I pour a load, seat the bullet while the next load is being poured, that could be really nice and speed things up quite a bit. That's probably around 30 seconds or less per pour.
I bet a guy could be just as fast as a chargemaster with a good scale, powder throw, and hand trickler - but the good scale is probably going to cost more than a chargemaster on it's own last I looked.
The benefit to the dispenser isn’t that it’s markedly faster at dispensing than someone that is fast doing it more manually. The benefit is that it is running when you’re doing something else.
For that reason it easily doubles or triples how fast you can load rifle rounds when weighing charges.
It dispenses a powder charge, you dump it into a piece of brass and throw the pan back on the scale, as you are seating the bullet and putting the finished round in a box, the next charge is pretty much done dispensing.
When I’m loading with a single stage and a powder dispenser, I spend 90% of my time just dumping charges and seating bullets. I can load X number of rounds way, way faster with an electronic dispenser. It’s not even close, because two things are happening at the same time.
Edit: OP my vote is for the dispenser if you couldn’t tell.
Interesting. Yeah the speed and convenience is the biggest thing for me. Just need moderate accuracy. The intellidropper is appealing since it seems like the fastest, and affordable. Just likely going to deal with some issues on occasion. I think if I can get it so I pour a load, seat the bullet while the next load is being poured, that could be really nice and speed things up quite a bit. That's probably around 30 seconds or less per pour.
You and @Robobiss make a good point, doing multiple things at once would certainly help. With AutoTrickler since it’s a bit faster I prefer to throw and set bullets in every case and then burn through the seating process quick with a press that has a shell ejector.
The benefit to the dispenser isn’t that it’s markedly faster at dispensing than someone that is fast doing it more manually. The benefit is that it is running when you’re doing something else.
For that reason it easily doubles or triples how fast you can load rifle rounds when weighing charges.
It dispenses a powder charge, you dump it into a piece of brass and throw the pan back on the scale, as you are seating the bullet and putting the finished round in a box, the next charge is pretty much done dispensing.
When I’m loading with a single stage and a powder dispenser, I spend 90% of my time just dumping charges and seating bullets. I can load X number of rounds way, way faster with an electronic dispenser. It’s not even close, because two things are happening at the same time.
Edit: OP my vote is for the dispenser if you couldn’t tell.
That's good to hear, and exactly what I'm hoping for. Think it's a done deal. Now my only hang up is what to get.
I have an intellidropper. Despite the crappy reviews I have not had any issues with mine.
I think the reviews seem generally positive, just a touch more qc problems than say something like a rcbs. Customer service also seems really good from what I've heard. If it does break they'll replace it. The intellidropper 2.0 is coming out in July, which is tempting, but not sure if I want to wait that long. Plus I hate buying the latest of anything with giving it a year to work out issues
I currently have a lee powder measure, and have been setting the measure a little short then tricle up to the charge weight. If I were to buy a better measure are they more consistent? Or is that just what you get with volume measuring powder? I shoot mostly extruded poders, with a few ball powders.
i am not a competetive shooter just a hunter/plinker. I do load some pistol, mostly 22-250 through 7rem mag. What do you recommend? I have been thinking about an electronic dispenser for a while but if i can do without the hassle of electric gizmos I may be better off.
Redding? Rcbs? Is the harrels worth the extra cost?
My experience is that the Lee perfect powder measure is just as if not more accurate than other measures...especially for powders with larger sized kernels. For Ball and small grain powders (imr like), pretty much all measures can be quite consistant. The downside of the Lee Perfect powder measure is with ball powder as it manages to squeeze out through the junction of the body itself and the part where the handle is and makes a small mess on the loading bench after a loading session. Another downside is that over time, as you end up inevitably cutting kernels, the plastic we begin will begin to wear where as a measure that's made of metal wouldn't.... but given that the Lee measure costs less than $30, it's a bargain for the performance it gives and are cheaply replaced when that wear does happen.
Long story short, if your ammo is for plinking... the Lee is good enough... even if you don't trickle up assuming your load is a good one. If you're shooting competitively, the ammo meant for longer distances would probably benefit from an electronic measure... but I wouldn't sweat it for 200 yard ammo.
I'm sure there are folks who will disagree with me though.
While powder measures vary in how close you can throw charges, none will do well with coarse extruded powders and any (with the exception of the Lee that has a reputation of leaking them), can throw ball powders close enough for your use. The middle ground is the finer extruded powders, and even with the best measures, their performance is very dependent on using the RIGHT technique for that measure and powder. I have spent a lot of time working with a lot of measures and powders, to the extent that it has become a bit of a hobby of its own, and frankly, I suggest that you get a Chargemaster lite, if you are tired of throwing light and trickling up. If that procedure does not bother you, then stay with it.
Been using the Redding BR-30 for many many years, super happy with it. Never used the lee so I can’t compare the two.
I also started using the charge master lite, my SD and ES numbers are as low as what I get with my Scott Parker tuned Scale. It’s a little slow, might buy another one to speed things up.
I have the V3 and FX120 sitting in the man cave but haven’t set it up yet. Not sure you want to spend that kind of money though, gets rave reviews.
There are lots of approaches to getting a dollop of powder ready to pour into that case you prepped. Like Boyd says, a powder measure - pretty much any of 'em - do a pretty good job on ball powders. They do a middling job on flake powders and very short extruded powders. And they do a generally poor job on longer extruded powders. With the latter, trickling up becomes a necessary mainstay of your process.
One of the benefits of using a combo electronic dispenser/scale is the sudden freedom to use any powder you want. You get to choose your propellant based on what is optimum for your barrel/load/use (or, in these days of persistent component shortages... what you have in inventory), rather than how well it meters through your powder measure.
Another vote for a Chargemaster or Chargemaster Lite.
I have the V3 and FX120 sitting in the man cave but haven’t set it up yet. Not sure you want to spend that kind of money though, gets rave reviews.
I was using Pact/RCBS dispensers, and just upgraded to the FX-120i/AutoThrow V3. It's a night and day difference, and now I kick myself for not having done it sooner. Right now I'm working with Reloder-33, a rather coarse extruded powder, and get charges at +/-0.02 gr 99% of the time; one granule of RL-33 is ~0.05 gr so that performance is remarkably good. I get charges weighed by the V3 as fast as I can load them, so it's a big time saver.
I currently have a lee powder measure, and have been setting the measure a little short then tricle up to the charge weight. If I were to buy a better measure are they more consistent? Or is that just what you get with volume measuring powder? I shoot mostly extruded poders, with a few ball powders.
i am not a competetive shooter just a hunter/plinker. I do load some pistol, mostly 22-250 through 7rem mag. What do you recommend? I have been thinking about an electronic dispenser for a while but if i can do without the hassle of electric gizmos I may be better off.
Redding? Rcbs? Is the harrels worth the extra cost?
I’ll buy your Lee
I was using Pact/RCBS dispensers, and just upgraded to the FX-120i/AutoThrow V3. It's a night and day difference, and now I kick myself for not having done it sooner. Right now I'm working with Reloder-33, a rather coarse extruded powder, and get charges at +/-0.02 gr 99% of the time; one granule of RL-33 is ~0.05 gr so that performance is remarkably good. I get charges weighed by the V3 as fast as I can load them, so it's a big time saver.
I need to get off my lazy butt and set up.
If you are just shooting 100 yards or so, the harrells is nice, and any of my custom guns will bughole at 100 yards with it. If you shoot 600 yards or more, the AutoTrickler v3 and fx-120i is amazing. My ftr score went from 194 and single digit x counts to 198 and 199 scores with x counts in the 13-15x range. The only change was the AutoTrickler.
But like I said, at 100 yards you can’t see the difference, just at longer ranges.
Lee works great with the exception of very finer ball/flake powders such as TAC and CFE .223 which tends to find it's way out of the seam between the drum and the lever. Tightening the screws a bit helps. I find them more consistent than metal drum measures for the extruded.
I have a friend who has six of them five of which he adjusted for specific "pet" loads. At $39 bucks each that is a good method in my opinion.
I have an RCBS measure. Ball powders meter very precising but I don't use them for rifle anymore.
I use stick powders, mostly H, and while it has finer granules than some stick powders, I still weight and trickle each load which is necessary to attain some reasonable level of consistency. Even though I'm primarily a varmint hunter, precision does matter on these tiny varmint targets at extended ranges.
Weighing each load is not an issue for me since I'm retired, have plenty of time, and load in small batches at a time, namely 20 to 40 rounds per session.
If I was a high volume per session reloader, I'd consider ball powder which measures quite consistency in my powder measure. But ball powder doesn't work too well in the temperature extremes that I sometimes hunt.
I do not measure and trickle each pistol reload since my powder of choice, 231, meters quite consistently in my powder measure. I do spot check every 10th charge.
I have had several Lee perfect powder measures and a couple of Harrell. The Harrell is a work of art and a pleasure to use. So smooth. That said as far as powder measure accuracy there is no real difference. Lots more in that consistent throw than which measure. The one thing about the Lee is it seems to me that the cutting edge wears from cutting extruded powders and needs to be replaced.
I have had the charge master and I believe thrown charges by someone who knows how are just as good
No question dropping charges with a powder measure is as fast.as you can get
I am on my second autotrickler setup and will be getting Adam's newest system when it comes out. For me I would stick with a beam scale or powder measure if I wasn't going Electronic. If I went Electronic I wouldn't bother with a.chargemaster when eventually you will buy the autotrickler system.
Lots of ways to skin this cat. The simple.ones worked great for me for 40 years or until I joined this forum. It is so easy to go down the rabbit hole from here.
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