Amazing how many people read the OP, ignore everything else and formulate an answer. Poor guy. So far it's Titegroup is not ideal but fine vs. Go find some Bullseye or Unique (spoiler alert - he bought Titegroup because he couldn't find Bullseye); never trust a digital scale vs. Digital scales are more precise than balance beams; dippers are junk vs dippers work just fine. Buy a manual (or a different one), don't trust the Internet vs. Links to podcasts.

Confused when you got here? You'll be utterly befuddled when you leave.

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I need ammo, not a ride.

In the full lee dipper set with the sliding card they do list VMD(volumetric density) for powders. DON'T use it. Every lot of powder is different. If you practice and can measure the largest dipper in the full Lee set very accurately several times in a row, you can calculate your own VMD with your lot of powder. If you are good/consistent enough with a dipper, you could technically convert grains to CC's. I have regularly picked up new lots of the same powder that have 15% difference in VMD from lot to lot, and I also sometimes get them that are so close they could be the same. Burn rates also change from lot to lot, treat all new lots of same powder as an unknown. Reduce charges and test a new lot of same powder, don't blindly use the same load you always did. My newest 8lb jug of IMR4227 is so different from any I've had before, I have to create a new load with a different powder for my 41 magnums. My new lot will not function my Desert Eagle .41 mag, impossible to get enough in the case to function it reliably. I got hit by the double whammy on that lot of 4227, it is bulkier and burns slower than any I've ever had.

I didn't see anyone else mention this, loads in books are specific with case, OAL, primer and bullet used. If you don't have exactly the same, start low. Of course you should always start low anyway, but so many new reloaders think a recipe in the book is good to go. It is not, you never have the exact same components, barrel, and powder lot they used.

the dipper method is not ideal, but it does work and it will get your feet in the pool.
Basic theory is that the dipper will produce an acceptable load with some common powder

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it just needs more voltage

I got the Hogdon data page to work on the other computer. It agrees with the above charge range. I'm going to plan on a 3.2 grain charge.
Shopping for a better scale.

My 2008 Hogdon Annual has a full reloading data section'
It shows specs for 38spl with Titegroup. 3.2gr to 3.8gr

I am going to modify or make a scoop that will deliver 3.2 gr reliably and go from there.

I would suggest dropping 10 good loads and then scale the all togather. Better accuracy potential.

What’s the problem with the current scale?

you "COULD" craft or mod a scoop, but at some point the inevitable progression is to get the proper tool for the job.
Why fight it?
Perfect Powder Measure - Lee Precision

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it just needs more voltage

Go for it, there’s been many a round of 38 loaded with a scoop. Good luck with it.

I started out with a LEE Challenger kit (single stage, O-frame, Lee Perfect Powder Measure, beam scale, the LEE reloading manual, hand primer, shell holders, maybe some other misc stuff).

While it was a good way to get my feet wet, it was also frustrating. I almost gave it up. I agree with the other comments that the LEE dies are good, the rest not so much.

The press: it worked ok, but had a lot of slop in the linkages. Does that affect accuracy? It didn't seem to.

Beam scale - very poorly damped. weighing anything was extremely frustrating. Weigh the same thing twice and you got 2 different results.

One thing to consider with beam vs. digital: You set the beam to a specific weight. The scale only tells you if you are high or low. With practice, you might even be able to tell by how much (I never could). A digital scale tells you what it actually weighs.

If you go the digital scale route, get one that runs off AC, not batteries. As the batteries discharge the scale drifts.

PPM - very inconsistent, leaked powder everywhere. Powder gets into the mechanism and binds it up. I briefly experimented with the Autodisk. Much better but not really worth buying unless you are going to stick with LEE presses.

I replaced both the beam scale and the PPM with a RCBS Chargemaster 1500. Expensive, but an awesome scale/powder thrower. It automatically weights powder charges. Back in the early days of my reloading, it worked great with Titegroup. I've since settled on Bullseye as my preferred target powder, but the Chargemaster reliably and consistently threw Titegroup charges at the weight I chose.

It is fantastic for doing load development. Suppose you want to experiment with charges ranging from, for example 2.8 through 3.3.

Set it for 2.8, do a run. Set it for 3.0, do a run, etc. A beam scale would require endless fiddling.

Buy a manual. Hornady is my favorite. The manual has theory and explanations of WHY things are done the way they are. It is more than just recipes.

You will often see the advice of "start low and work up". Don't do it. Stick with the recipes. Most pistol cartridges have a SAAMI maximum pressure well below what it takes to flatten a primer. By the time you see a flat primer you are way over.

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Common sense isn't so common.

Rex, Go back to Cabela's and ask them if they have any HP-38 or W231 (two names for the same product). This is one of my favorite powders and it will be easier to work with than Titegroup. It has been in good steady supply at my store.
There is nothing wrong with the dipper method but you must have a good scale to verify what you are throwing. Once you know what weight you are throwing, and can repeat that weight with every scoop, you are off to the races. 38 Special with 158 grain bullets is the perfect platform to learn reloading.

I have had good luck with many Lee products, frustration with some, disgust with others. The only Lee measure I have used was the Autodrum, which I despised. Some of the other measures get better reviews. I have their scale as well and I don't like it much either. One Lee product I will recommend is Lee's reloading manual. Read the entire first section before the load data. It is very informative and entertaining. The load data will also include dipper volumes and lists powders from many different manufacturers.

Good suggestion here. TG is rather dense and a good bit more energetic for its weight, it seems.
these properties team up to work against the noob to some degree.
a few other powders one might consider include universal, unique, power pistol, CFE pistol, Bullseye, Green dot and a few other "good ole" powders from the days of yor.
they will be easier to work with within your current methods.

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it just needs more voltage

That 1500 looks pretty neat. It costs about what my total equipment investment has been so far. I'll keep an eye out for a used one.

What I'd really like is a dispenser that will set up over my press and drop an accurate load through the expansion die.

By flattened primer, you mean one which has been fired, but the overpressure pops the dimple back out?

Advice appreciated!

I have a full sealed can of TG. I wonder if Cabelas will exchange it?

Rather than read all 64 replies may I ask why you want to get rid of that TG.

Because I bought 2 cans, and later learned that it's a bit fussy for a first-time reloader.

As a reloader of 50yrs. experience I long ago went with an RCBS Little Dandy powder measure and use it exclusively for all of my handgun loading. To keep things simple the only powder I use for cast bullet shooting is Unique. When loading jacketed bullet hunting ammo my powder of choice is WW296 or it's ballistic twin H110.

TiteGroup is not "fussy". You use it just like you would any other powder. The only real difference with TG is that you use very small amounts as compared to many other powders. However, I also believe that when it comes to reloading, if you're not comfortable then don't do it. Remember it's NOT the powder that causes trouble, it's the people who use it improperly. Just like guns.

Correct, Just because you might be able to stuff 5 charges of TG into the case doesn't make something like HP38 better. You'll still be able to get 4 charges of Bullseye or HP38 into a .38 Special into the case. Not really any practical difference until you're way past unsafe.

Just like buying a "better" scale isn't going to help make reloading easier if there is nothing wrong with the current scale.

Throwing more hardware at the issue isn't going to fix a software problem. For the OP I would recommend attending a reloading class or have someone with experience help to get acclimated to the reloading process.

I saw a pocket-size scale. Is it any better than what I have?

DS-750 Digital Reloading Scale | Frankford Arsenal

This looks like a step up from the Lee powder measure.

A flattened primer will still have the dimple. If you look closely, the circumference of the seated primer has a radius to it when compared to the pocket of the case.

When a primer flattens, the cup flows such that the radius disappears - if flows out and completely fills the pocket.

Another sign is if the primer craters. This happens when the primer cup flows into the bushing around the firing pin.

Usually this means the pressure is way too high. But not always. It can also indicate a gun problem. Or low pressure. Or your primer pockets are loose. Probably other things cause it too.

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Common sense isn't so common.

I am sure they have a policy against it but these places often make exceptions. You might find use for the Titegroup later but I can't comment on that. I have no experience with that powder.

One thing I have always liked about TG is that I can get anywhere from about 1400 to almost 1700 rounds from a pound. During the powder shortage that was a really handy feature.

I used 3.5 grains of titegroup behind 158 gr lswc....I also use a digital powder measure, verify it with a second digital scale at the start of loading, and only put powder in one case at a time, seating and crimping the bullet before charging another case. I have only been reloading for a couple of years and slow is ok for me if it gives me the comfort of knowing that my loads are safe.

Here is where I got the load data.

Reloading Data Center | Hodgdon

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Robert
SWCA #2906, SWHF #760

Rex, Cabela's wont allow returns on powder. Because it exposes to some serious liability if someone were to return a bottle of powder that was mixed by a reloader not paying attention. For example if someone were to dump Titegroup in a bottle labeled Unique you have a real potential for a very seriously exploded firearm. BTW, about once a year we will see a post by someone who put the wrong powder in an opened bottle and they will be asking what to do with that mixed powder. The consensus reply is always the same, use it for fertilizer in the garden.

Tip here is to keep just one single bottle of powder at your reloading station and that powder must ALWAYS be the powder you are loading with. In addition always empty your powder measure completely when you are finished loading for the day. If you adhere to these two rules you will pretty much eliminate any potential for mixing powders.

As for your desire to mount you powder measure to the Lee Powder Die, while it sounds very convenient it's really not much of a time saver and it will complicate your clean up at the end of the day. When I am loading handgun loads my procedure is to take it in stages.

Stage One is Prep cases, which means De-Prime, Size, Clean, Flare and Prime. This is usually a Saturday job when I can block out several hours because I like to keep Prepped cases on hand for spur of the moment reloading. BTW, I store my Prepped cases in 1 quart Ziplock Freezer Bags.

Stage Two is reloading prepped cases. That starts charging the empty cases with powder. For that I have a stack of trays from Federal 50 count 45 ACP cases. The slots are large enough to hold anything from 380 to 45 ACP. So each individual case gets slipped into a tray. When they are full I start lining up trays on the reloading bench. The nice thing about doing this is that you can line all the trays up and do a visual check to insure the charges are all even. Note if you do the same you will be able to use that pound of Titegroup because the danger with Titegroup is double charge, something that is very easy to spot if you have all of the charged cases lined up for inspection.

Once I have a batch of cases all charge I can then proceed with pressing in the bullets and then do all the crimping. BTW I Press and Crimp in separate operations for a reason. Because every single time I've tried B to combine these to operations into Seat & Crimp an the same time I have ALWAYS found a ring of either jacketing or lead at the leading edge of each case. Because if the crimp is formed while the bullet is moving deeper into the case it will dig in and shave some of the bullet off. Those who don't believe this are welcome to take a 30X loupe and LOOK.

Note, those trays I use are too tall for the 380 cases and borderline for 9mm. In those cases I'll use a handy pair of tweezers for handling the short stuff. Also do not drop the charged cases into the pockets in the trays, if you do you will see spilled powder in your trays.

FWIW, just put your extra can of TG on the shelf. As long as its not open its good for Years provided it Kept in Climate Controlled room.

Not sure what the worry over using Titegroup is with some reloaders, but I find it a great powder for several calibers. It's about all I use in 32ACP and 380 and recently started loading 32H&R and 32 S&W Long with it and so far it's working out great. I even use it in 500 Magnum and haven't blown off my face yet.

That is the scale I have!

Would like to ask the OP, exactly what have you bought so far for reloading?

If I focus on the original question, which is more or less how do you measure a powder charge, I can think of several answers, but they all kind of depend on what he has, defining what he may want to buy, and if he has a budget for this project.

He would not be the first person who was starting out didn't make the best of choices on what to get, but we all live and learn. I was lucky enough to have a father who reloaded, got to learn on his equipment, and from his early mistakes.

Rex - I’m very late to the show here, but here goes: I have used an RCBS Little Dandy powder measure for years - with zero problems and great success. I can almost guarantee you that it will drop powder much more consistently than the Lee dippers. The measure itself is $50-ish and the rotors are $15-ish. RCBS publishes a chart for rotor-size to powder weight which I have found to be within 1-2 tenths of a grain - although I don’t use Titegroup. This said, I know the cognoscenti here are going to chastise me immediately for various reasons - lots of folks don’t trust the Little Dandy. One problem is that you will have reduced consistency with larger flake powders. I solved that possible problem using fine-grained powders like AA7 and Power Pistol. I had another range trip today with some .45, 9-mil and .380 all loaded using mine. I feel very comfortable with the LD since I know Rotor X will throw X.X grains of powder, every time. Like others have mentioned, of course I double and triple check each tray of charged cases, with a small flashlight, for powder consistency. Zero problems and I still have all of my fingers!

Another vote for the Little Dandy and ball powders.

My first instinct in this thread was to tout the Little Dandy. I didn't because OP sounds like a newer reloader and the rotors can really add up $$$, aside from the wait if you need a size bigger or smaller to try.

That said, I'm lucky enough to have all but 3 or 4 of the rotors and I absolutely love it. As you, I use ball powders that meter well and I never, ever have a variance from charge to charge worth worrying about.

Cases go in the loading block, I hold the measure in hand and drop charge after charge, mentally counting as I go. Drop a row left to right, the next row right to left and so forth. My count hits X, which is the number of cases in the block and every case has powder so I know I didn't double charge anything. 50 cases take about 90 seconds, so minimal chances for distractions.

We all have our pet methods, that one is mine and well worth the investment, I think.

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I always did everything in group batches like this up to powder charge. From there it was always an inline operation.
charge and seat, go to the next. one at a time.
It's no more difficult and never misses.

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it just needs more voltage

The dipper is fine BUT not the one you have.
4.3 gr Titegroup is a +p load 5.1 is WAY over and certainly NOT a plinker load. The dipper is fine get the right on for like maybe 3 gr Titegroup LOOK at the Hodgon sight do not trust anything else LOOK IT UP.

I would load 3 grs or so for a plinker a few grains more of this hot powder is asking for at least an uncomfortable;e shooting laod.

Take your time get an laod only a few make sure they are to your liking before loading more.

Flame suit on

Is no one posting about his load is TOO HOT 5.1 of titegroup is a +P do not use that dipper. A dipper is fine for starting out I did it and as I learned I went more high dollar. Imnportant thing is NOT to load titegroup with a 158 gr bullet at 4.3-5.1 is a +P NOT a plinker. How you measure is less important than the load is too high.

I've done it that way and I get the logic of CHARGE - SEAT - DONE, but I find it creates more motions per round. As I'm working it now, I carry the measure to the loading block one time, charge all my cases and put it back once. Plus I like to check a few of the charged cases.

It all personal preference, really.

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Just Say No - To Social Media