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If I could only have one powder measure, it would be the "rotating drum" type.
This is the age-old, tried and true design.
That price disparity was probably a standard model against a bench rest type.
The bench rest type will have a micrometer adjuster.
They usually come with a pistol drum and a rifle drum.
RCBS, Lyman, Redding, Hornady all offer them.

View attachment 347266
That's the one I use. It's actually quite amazing how accurate and consistent it can be.
 
I am curious about the "tapping" action on the powder dispenser. Does your dispenser have a powder baffle installed?

No. No baffles in any hoppers. I thought about getting some but never made it beyond the thought process.

At $10-$11 each and needing 8 of them... nope. not gonna do it.

I could make my own but considering I have consistency, there is no real need or actual desire to do so.
 
No. No baffles in any hoppers. I thought about getting some but never made it beyond the thought process.

At $10-$11 each and needing 8 of them... nope. not gonna do it.

I could make my own but considering I have consistency, there is no real need or actual desire to do so.

I get it... I wouldn't want to drop that kind of cash on baffles either, although you could just swap one around between drops.... just saying :rolleyes:

I guess I'm lucky mine came with baffles :D
 
Lee powder drops suck for stick powder. Then and ONLY then I've wished I had a metal drum to cut the grains easier. Those times are rare.

They ain't much better! I have an old RCBS rotary drum powder measure and a Dillon on my 550.
The RCBS will chop grains but the hops around when the drum snaps thru granule of powder that it upsets the charge weight. My favorite rifle powder is a stick powder. I, too, throw charges short and trickle charge them into the pan of a balance beam scale. I don't like that the digital scales can "hide" .05 grain. I can watch the needle on my scale and know my charge is precise. Yeah, yeah, yeah, .05 grain is really nothing, but it is one part of the process I can control that closely with relative ease.

When using my turret press and RCBS measure I do like Dyjital does. I tap the loading lever to it's stop a couple of times and throw the charge. Consistency is the key.
When using my Dillon as a progressive, usually handgun ammo, I check the thrown charge weight a handful of times during a batch, but pretty much just keep rollin along.
 
If I could only have one powder measure, it would be the "rotating drum" type.
This is the age-old, tried and true design.
That price disparity was probably a standard model against a bench rest type.
The bench rest type will have a micrometer adjuster.
They usually come with a pistol drum and a rifle drum.
RCBS, Lyman, Redding, Hornady all offer them.

View attachment 347266
I turned the standard model stem into a "micrometer" type by grinding the ball end flat, and using the back of my dial caliper, for a reference measurement,
that I can return to:
RCBSpowder.JPG
:D
 
I am curious about the "tapping" action on the powder dispenser.

Some powder measures had a small hinged weight (hammer like) on the body and it was so be used to settle the powder before charging the case. My RCBS has the pair of bosses for it, but it doesn't have the "hammer". Instead I pull the lever away from it's stop and rap it closed 2 times. Sounds like other guys tap on the dispenser instead. This helps keep the charges more consistent.
 
Since all this powder measure stuff came up, I've been bragging about my "RCBS" measure.

Then I got to thinkin.

My powder measure is a Lyman 55 and I know it. Can't believe I made that mistake....

This is a pic of what mine's like, but this one has the swinging weight/hammer attached. Lyman 55.jpg
 
Knockers on powder measures? Very interesting. All I do with the RCBS unit (small drum) is tap the handle for a bit after I put powder in just to settle it in the hopper. Then when I get it set for the amount per charge I push up(TAP), push down (TAP) and work to do it with the same rhythm every time. I fill 10-16 each run and weigh one from each run.
 
Knockers on powder measures? Very interesting. All I do with the RCBS unit (small drum) is tap the handle for a bit after I put powder in just to settle it in the hopper. Then when I get it set for the amount per charge I push up(TAP), push down (TAP) and work to do it with the same rhythm every time. I fill 10-16 each run and weigh one from each run.

Yeah, that's kind of what I do as well. I have checked my charge weights multiple times over a typical 100 round batcheck and I get very consistent throws.
 
I have a Lyman #55 too, with the knocker, but haven't used that since loading rifle/bottle neck stuff many years ago.
Lately the Auto Disc Pro is what I'm using for handgun reloading now, on progressives, and recently read about a weight used on top of the powder in the hopper.
This:
LEE Powder Measure weight | eBay
The guy sells them for every common powder measure.

Being a cheap bastage (I'm a reloader) I thought I'd make a weight and test it, to see what affect it had on consistency.
The inside of the Pro Disc hopper tapers smaller from top to bottom so I cut a wooden disc that would slide all the way to the bottom, as a weight to place on top of the powder.
I didn't make a cover or guide rod like the one in the link, so my concern is the smaller disc can tip/get stuck when it's near the top, have yet to have a problem with the simple wooden disc.
If it does tend to tip in use, I'll add a cap and brass guide rod.
I tested using the weight, with my method of throwing/weighing 10 throws to get an average to establish what a disc is throwing with a particular powder type.
So I threw 10x, weighing and recording the weight, 10 times for a total of 100 throws!
It was HP-38 with the 0.43 disc.
So of the 10 thrown/weighed charges, 7 weighed 44.4 gr, 2 charges weighed 44.5 gr and one weighed 44.3 gr.
I would say that is about as consistent as I have ever gotten from a Disc!!
IMG_0996.JPG
IMG_0997.JPG
:D
 
Last Edited:
I remember the knockers I had seen on powder measures but couldn't remember which brand used them.

Now it's cemented in my memory until I actually need to know the info again.

Thanks @orygun and thanks @Tilos for that shared info.
 
They ain't much better! I have an old RCBS rotary drum powder measure and a Dillon on my 550.
The RCBS will chop grains but the hops around when the drum snaps thru granule of powder that it upsets the charge weight. My favorite rifle powder is a stick powder. I, too, throw charges short and trickle charge them into the pan of a balance beam scale. I don't like that the digital scales can "hide" .05 grain. I can watch the needle on my scale and know my charge is precise. Yeah, yeah, yeah, .05 grain is really nothing, but it is one part of the process I can control that closely with relative ease.

When using my turret press and RCBS measure I do like Dyjital does. I tap the loading lever to it's stop a couple of times and throw the charge. Consistency is the key.
When using my Dillon as a progressive, usually handgun ammo, I check the thrown charge weight a handful of times during a batch, but pretty much just keep rollin along.

Yes, this!!! Exactly. Except for I actually have an RCBS powder measure.:p

I do wish I had one with a knocker tho... even just one would keep me goin.
 
I have a Lyman #55 too, with the knocker, but haven't used that since loading rifle/bottle neck stuff many years ago.
Lately the Auto Disc Pro is what I'm using for handgun reloading now, on progressives, and recently read about a weight used on top of the powder in the hopper.
This:
LEE Powder Measure weight | eBay
The guy sells them for every common powder measure.

Being a cheap bastage (I'm a reloader) I thought I'd make a weight and test it, to see what affect it had on consistency.
The inside of the Pro Disc hopper tapers smaller from top to bottom so I cut a wooden disc that would slide all the way to the bottom, as a weight to place on top of the powder.
I didn't make a cover or guide rod like the one in the link, so my concern is the smaller disc can tip/get stuck when it's near the top, have yet to have a problem with the simple wooden disc.
If it does tend to tip in use, I'll add a cap and brass guide rod.
I tested using the weight, with my method of throwing/weighing 10 throws to get an average to establish what a disc is throwing with a particular powder type.
So I threw 10x, weighing and recording the weight, 10 times for a total of 100 throws!
It was HP-38 with the 0.43 disc.
So of the 10 thrown/weighed charges, 7 weighed 44.4 gr, 2 charges weighed 44.5 gr and one weighed 44.3 gr.
I would say that is about as consistent as I have ever gotten from a Disc!!
View attachment 347425
View attachment 347426
:D
When you took that data did you gather it after the measure rotated around on the turret four times as it normally does when loading cartridges?
 
When you took that data did you gather it after the measure rotated around on the turret four times as it normally does when loading cartridges?
That's a valid point.

On the auto discs/drums the start and stop rotation adds to the settling on those devices. Using the same force, speed of rotation and start and stop energy allows them to be as consistent as a stand alone powder drop.

That jerking helps to eliminate the taps and knocks as an extra step.
 

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