Trying to load some 38spl plinking/target loads
I have the brass cleaned, primed.
Bullets are 38 Caliber 158 Grain SWC Hi-Tech coated from Hoosier Bullets
I am going to use Hogdon TiteGroup

So, the Lee die set came with a .5cc dipper measure.
The recommended load is 4.1-5.0 gr.

One is volume, the other weight.
How do I determine how to measure the powder?

I do have a digital powder scale.

what am I missing?

I assume you are using the data table in the Lee die instructions. No problem there, and the dipper is a fine way to go for that cartridge. That data table has separate columns for grains if you want to weigh, or the indicated dipper scooped to level will yield the same safe !oad.

I suggest charging an entire batch at a time and then check the charge levels in the loading block with a flashlight to be extra safe before seating.

Glad you asked - I have a full set of lee dippers which I use often, but you definitely have to be comparing apples to apples and using Lee data.

Enjoy the shooting!

Dean in Arkansas

pour some powder in a shot-glass sized container.
pull the dipper through the powder once and dump on the scale, see what it weighs. Practice your dip until it's nice and consistent at which point you can start pouring directly into cases.

You are not missing anything.

Those are the two ways to measure powder. First (easiest) suggestion, use the scoop and weigh the what the volume is. Keep your stroke even and do the same thing every time. (Do not vibrate, tap or push down the dome off powder on top, I use a popsicle stick to brush it aside. Most people put powder and a smaller container, like a tea or coffee cup. NO SMOKEING!

If that is what you want or at least close to it, start loading.

I started with the Lee Loader Kit for 303 British and found that consistency is the key to good ammo!

The next cheapest route is to trickle some powder and weigh each charge. Can be extremely accurate & extremely time consuming. You should have a tiny bowl and a funnel to help with this. I load all my 1000 yard target ammo this way!

Next is the $100,000 question: Do You want a powder measure? (I think you do.) Which one? The truth you will only get what you pay for! Lee Powder measurers are famous for being inaccurate, and temperamental! (I have stayed away and never used one of that brand) Over the last 44 years I keep coming back to the tried-and-true Lyman 55. Based on a design over 115 years ago, it works and keeps working. Lyman has discontinued these, but New old stock is still around there is a replacement product too or find one at a gun show. I am currently using a Black Powder variant, (cost more & holds more) I have had several others RCBS, Hornady and others The have fixed chamber and adjustable chamber designs, I believe you get the best use from adjustable systems (cost more, don't have to buy additional chambers for different loads)

Some people go for automated digital powder scale/dispensers, some are powder type sensitive, all cost big money, all are relatively slow!

That is the quick and dirty.

The most important things are: 1) SAFETY<SAFETY<SAFETY! ,2) Have fun, 3) Load lots/shoot lots!

Ivan

How did you acquire the 0,5cc Lee Dipper?

If it came with your die set then your die set instructions should suggest the charge weight of Titegroup that dipper will hold.

If you got the dipper by purchasing a full set of Lee dippers then it should have come with a sliding decoder card that should tell you what to expect.

Be forewarned that Titegroup is (in my opinion) horrendous for .38 Special for one reason only — it burns freakishly hot. A couple 12-18 rounds and the cylinder gets scorchingly hot to the touch. I use my share if Titegroup but at my bench it is BANNNED in .38 Special.

The Lee loading Data Chart that came with the new die set has no load info for TiteGroup.
OK, so I weighed a dipper-full (leveled) and got 5.4 grains on the scale.
I understand different powder take different charge volume, and Titegroup is a fine grain powder. Is this a safe charge?

I do have a powder measure, and yes it's a Lee. In the instructions it says to run a full hopper of powder through to coat the internals and make the results consistent. I'll test it.

If I decide to use the powder measure, the output tube is larger than the case.
Do you use a funnel?
My Lee dies allow charging through the flaring die. This seems ideal, especially if I could mount the powder measure over the die. I don't see an easy way to do that without some fabrication.

Do yourself a favor and use the powder measure. I decap and size, bell the case mouth (all of them) and individually charge them place a bullet on my case mouth seat and crimp the bullet. I have found my powder measure to be very consistent with powders like Titegroup. When loading a moderate charge I dont weigh many throws. I get it set and go to town with a 1 in 100 powder check and I have never found it off enough to feel the need to make an adjustment

I agree with Sevens, titegroup is not a good powder for .38 special or even a good powder to start out reloading with. Too much room for error. Do you have any good reloading manuals? If not, pick up Modern Reloading by Richard Lee or Hornady Handbook of Cartridge Reloading and read it thoroughly. You also need a good balance beam scale like a RCBS 5-10 or equivalent. Do Not rely solely on an electronic scale.

__________________
USS Brewton FF1086
SWCA#3597

I went to Hogdon's site to get reloading data.
I can't get their drop-down box for caliber and bullet weight to work.

shootersreference.com shows this


158 gr Lead LSWC
Titegroup (Hodgdon)
Powder: start 3.2 gr max 3.8 gr
Vel.:815-920
Press.:11,500-15,400

If I'm doing this right, that dipper looks like an overcharge.

My original reply assumed you were working with one of the conservative and reliable recipes from the die instructions. With your new info I absolutely second the vote for a good manual.There is no getting around studying the chapters up front until it all makes good sense, and only then moving on to the data tables and pulling the handle. The Lyman manual is a fine choice.

Dean

An inexpensive manual that covers a lot of different handgun calibers and powders is Lyman's Pistol & Revolver Handbook, 3rd Edition.

In the 38 Special data, they have Titegroup recipes for bullets in your weight range with various *max* charges from 3.3g to 3.6g. So yes, your 4 to 5 grain idea is definitely too much.

You did the right thing, you asked before trying!

I remember finding the Lee 0.5cc scoop frustrating. Bullseye is a popular powder for 38 Special and the 0.3cc scoop works well for that. Scoop sets are cheap, but you do need a way to weigh the results as you learn to consistently scoop.

I have a perfectly good Lyman Reloading Handbook - 46th edition, 1982 !
Yeah, maybe I'll order a new one.
I do have a 2008 Hogdon Annual. It shows 3.2 gr

When I bought powder at Cabelas I asked for Bullseye, which seemed to be the go-to for the calibers I wanted to load. Cabelas has not had any Bullseye in months. They recommended TiteGroup as being the nearest equivalent, so I bought 2 lbs..

My 380 die set has a .3cc scoop. I'll see what that measures.

I want to use the powder drop measure if possible. I did download the instruction sheet, which just led to the initial confusion: CC vs Grains vs grams. It uses both terms in different places, with no apparent correlation.

The TiteGroup can recommends 3.8 grains for 38spl/158gr lead SWC
The powder measure is graduated in CCs.
Is there not some sort of conversion factor ?

There is no conversion between volume and weight because 1cc of one powder will weigh differently than another powder. With the scoops, you need the Lee information that is in the die instructions. I’ve never used the scoops, so I can’t give you much information on using them other than don’t confuse volume and weight. I weigh everything. I’ll use my Dillon electronic to get my powder measure close to where I need to be when changing calibers or bullet weights, but I always double and triple check with the balance beam. Titegroup is a very unforgiving powder to work with.

__________________
USS Brewton FF1086
SWCA#3597

OK, let's start over. If I came in here and said I'm a greenhorn and I want to reload some 38 spl. I see the wisdom of using a high-volume powder to reduce or eliminate the chance of a 2X charge. I would also like something that is on the slow end of the burn rate. This is plinker ammo and I'm getting recoil-sensitive.
What would you guys recommend for a powder that a rookie won't loose a finger or two over?

Alarm bells are going off and red lights are flashing. Please ignore any data that doesn't come from the powder manufacturer, bullet manufacturer or other verified reliable source. Lee data would be considered reliable.

Also, very importantly, cross check the data against a couple of reliable sources because sometimes even reliable sources have typos and errors.

At this early stage of your reloading career, good habits are crucial. I'm glad you're proceeding with caution and asking questions.

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Just Say No - To Social Media

Accurate 5 might be in a range to consider, then.

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Just Say No - To Social Media

I used the Lee scoops for years when I started reloading. When I got my first adjustable powder measure and scale, it was like going from a rusty old bicycle to a Goldwing. Both will get you there, but one you will actually enjoy.

I have used Titegroup for years in several pistol calibers and have loaded literally tens of thousands of rounds with it. It is my go to powder. Having said that, it is one powder I would use by weight rather than relying on a scoop. The difference between a beginning charge and a max charge can be as little as a few tenths. I have always found Titegroup to be an excellent powder for light to medium loads.

I spent about an hour running a hopper of powder through my Lee powder measure. Lots of variation in qty. I took it apart to see if there was a clog. The threaded stem was difficult to turn to the point I was afraid it would twist in two. Not sure if this unit is salvageable. I have it soaking in the ultrasonic now.
I'm not opposed to buying a new one - once. What is out there that will measure a wide range of loads and powders accurately, and will also be adaptable to a progressive or turret press if I upgrade later?

My digital powder scale is a disappointment. I cannot tell what the unit of measure is because the abbreviation (gr) is so small you can't read it with a strong light and magnification. To check that, I weigh a 71gr bullet. If the scale shows about ~71 grains then I figure I'm on the right mode.
So I also need an accurate scale - digital or balance beam. Recommendations?

New reloading manual.
I have money to spend. What else do I need?

Weigh each (tiny) charge? Sounds a bit tedious for 100 or so rounds.
I was hoping to be one of you guys that knocks out 500 rounds while you watch TV

Just for perspective, I started out last week trying to load 32 ACP with help from the THR folks. I aborted that for a number of reasons, including that my brass was almost all Berdan primered. That group all tried to talk me out of using the Titegroup. So my Intro to Handloading has been less than satisfying so far.
I was told "You should start with something easy, like 38 Special!

I use a Lee Pro Powder Disc. Titegroup measures very accurately through one. I weigh every tenth charge. Working at a relaxed pace I can reload about 140 to about 180 rounds an hour. Honestly, .38 Special really is very easy to load for. Have you been to the Hodgdon reloading website? They provide a lot of loading data. You will get a lot of folks talkng bad about Titegroup. If you are able to follow simple instructions you will have no problems with it. Titegroup is not out to trick anyone. You just have to pay attention. This is pretty much mandatory when reloading anyway.

1sailor, guess you mean the Lee Pro Auto Disc? Looks pretty trick, but looks like it's made for turret or progressive presses only. Doesn't appear suited to bench mount, and I am currently using a single stage press.

I have tried the Hogdon site, It's showing 3.2-3.8 gr.
The "Reloading for Beginners" tab looked promising, but it was not at all useful.
Anyone tried Trail Boss in 38 spl?

I believe you will need a different dipper for
3.2 - 3.8.

.3 dipper throws 3.5.
Frankford Arsenal has a nice little digital scale for cheap.

After about 8 years reloading virtually all the pistol calibers (380acp, 9mm, 9x18, 38 & 357, 40 S&W, 357 SIG, 45acp & Colt, both 44s) and 5 rifle calibers I still weigh every load individually. So much for tedium and tiny (and LARGE, as in over 100gr) charges...

The OP needs a more basic understanding of the principles of reloading as it pertains to the safe and accurate determination of a specific amount of powder. Not understanding a powder drop is a recipe for a disaster.

Just IMHO.

Cheers!

“The OP needs a more basic understanding of the principles of reloading as it pertains to the safe and accurate determination of a specific amount of powder. Not understanding a powder drop is a recipe for a disaster.”

Quote from storminorman. This is the the most important take away from this thread.

The .5cc dipper shows 5.9gr of Titegroup on the Lee Dipper Chart. So that's out. The .3cc shows 3.5gr. of Titegroup. You can also make your own scoop by filing down a case and attaching a handle with epoxy.

You don't need a balance beam scale. As long as you check the calibration (and you are) you're good. I swap out batteries on a schedule because when they go you get weird readings. Electronic scales tend to be right, or grossly, and obviously, wrong. I've been loading for 45 years and threw the balance beam out a decade ago. I use a small inexpensive digital scale. Much easier to use than the balance beam which always seemed to need frequent re-zeroing. Some guys don't trust the new-fangled technology but that's more just bias than fact. But do keep your cellphone and any other electronic devices away from the scale.

I've never used Titegroup so I can't comment on that. I load 4.0 gr of W231 with that same bullet.

The Lee Dipper Chart:
https://fsreloading.com/userfiles/fi...ts/Dippers.pdf

IMHO, buy a RCBS or Lyman beam scale, read and Reread instructions. Try it with different loads dumping powder back in can. Be sure and use a funnel. Next Buy a good adjustable power measure, RCBS or similar. Read and Reread instructions. Practice using powder measure and scale several times to get the “ hang of it”. You can buy a powder measure stand or have one made from apiece of 1/2”X2”flat bar bent with torch or press then a correct 7/8” hole drilled and tapped for powder measure. Look on reloading thread here for advice for loading procedure, set up and try everything, get comfortable with your set up. Excellent you are asking questions, better safe than sorry. Reloading since mid 70s.

one of you guys that knocks out 500 while watching tv, these guys don't reload anymore. They all are missing fingers.
do not watch TV do not let the kids run around while reloading you need to stay 100% focused one what you are doing.

From the sound of it you seem to be taking the same road I did when I started reloading. You will come to the same conclusions that I did. The only items in the entire Lee lineup of products that are truly a good value are their reloading Die sets. Every other item is not worth spit.

Lee Perfect Powder Measures, junk that I replaced with an RCBS Competition powder measure which is worth all of the 168 dollars that it cost me. Hint, you get what you pay for.

Lee Safety Scale. It will work, barely. However it will also lose it's zero gradually if you have any vibration in the bench it's mounted on. DO NOT PUT THIS SCALE ON YOUR LOADING BENCH. I replaced mine within a year with an RCBS 502 because it won't lose the zero setting but still keep my balance scale on a foreman's desk sitting opposite from my reloading bench.

Hand primer. Don't waste your time with a Lee hand primer, instead get an RCBS Universal hand primer. I have two, one set up for Large primers and the other set up for Small primers. Note, you can prime either Rifle or Handgun on an RCBS hand primer.

As for the electronic scales, the zero will drift so keep in mind that what you see may be as much as 0.2 grains off the actual weight. Basically use them to rough in your weight and do your fine tuning with a Beam scale.

Powders, the vary a lot in repeatability from a volume based powder measure. I have take the time to run capability studies on all of my handgun powders and to a large extent that has driven my choice of powders for loading. For example I load 38 special and high energy 9mm with Vihtavouri 3N37 because the Standard Deviation for this powder is 0.07 grains. For 357 Magnum and 300 Blackout my choice is H110 because the SD is only 0.04 grains. BTW, H110 will completely jam a Lee powder measure because it's such a fine grained powder. Powders with a 0.17 grain SD are rather common and almost all are powders originally intended for loading Shotshells. These are Unique, Clay's, Universal, Longshot Titewad and some others I don't remember off the top of my head. I use Longshot in 40 S&W because it's great for building loads such as a 165 grain Gold Dot at 1150 fps. Due to it's variability every single charge is hand trickled to weight on a Beam Scale.

Finally, I'm a 4 gun Skeet shooter, which means I compete in 410, 28, 20, and 12 gauge Skeet events. Practice means loading about 10,000 shotshells per year. So all you handgun shooters please don't use our precious shotgun powders for your handgun loads. There are alternative such as Accurate #2, 5, 7, and 9 that meter wonderfully so please leave the Unique, Universale, and Longshot for us shotshell loaders.

OP, if you're still with us, I reloaded handgun for decades with Unique* and a set of the Lee dippers. Plus a few custom dippers I made with .32 ACP shell cases. Be advised that the weight of powder indicated in the chart is from a freshly opened can of powder, possibly with some compaction. It's doubtful that you'll actually get that weight, which is why you need a scale. Developing a consistent scoop through the powder will aid in fairly consistent powder charges. Having exactly the same charge isn't really all that important at normal pistol ranges. A good beam scale is much faster than the digital gizzies.

I'd suggest the Lyman beam scale and their #55 powder measure if you want to go that route.

*Has a moderate burn rate so minor differences in charge weight aren't all that important. A good load manual will let you find powders with a similar burn rate, but go with published data. YOU CAN'T USE BURN RATE CHARTS TO FIGURE POWDER CHARGES!

I hope that was in jest. Watching T.V. while hand loading is something I would NEVER consider a safe thing to do.

When I load, I am at my bench with the door closed and nothing but the rhythmic clicks and clacks of the press to keep me company.

For years when I first started reloading i weighed every load, rifle and pistol. I would dump a load from my rcbs measure and trickle it up to the weight I wanted. Worked fine until I started competing in ipsc. I started trusting my measures for pistol loads. I still weighed my rifle loads. The best measures are the old Dillon 450 measures with a button and 550 automatic measures. I’ve put 550s on my Lyman T2 turret presses to speed things up too.

How consistent can you drop powder charges with the dipper? How consistent can you drop powder charges with your lee dispenser? You can use the scale to determine how much powder you are picking up with the dipper.

I'm assuming you have the $25 Lee Perfect Powder Measure... If so it should be pretty consistent if your process is consistent. It needs a solid mount and I tap it at the top and bottom of each drop. Tap to make sure it's full and tap to make sure all the powder drops out. If you do this it will be as consistent as any other volume based dispenser.

There is probably nothing wrong with the tools you have. Buying more stuff won't solve anything.

As others have already noted, Titegroup is not the powder best used in a "dipping" scenario. You can do it but the amounts between a min and max load are very small and I would have zero confidence in being able to consistently dip at either end of the range. I use Titgroup for several calibers for light loads and really like it for that purpose but I weigh every load. Overkill perhaps, weighing every load, but I don't trust powder measures when using Titegroup; actually these days I weigh every load no matter the caliber or powder. My recommendation is to get a RCBS Chargemaster and weigh every load. I use single stage presses and the Chargemaster will dispense and weigh powder for each load as fast as I can load a bullet in a charged case and be ready for another. Not the fastest process but reliable. . . .and safe.

Jeff
SWCA #1457

I am pretty OCD when it comes to reloading, and I would never feel comfortable just using a dipper. I use a Hornady powder thrower, and an RCBS beam scale. Digital ones vary too much. For powder, I settled on HP38/Win231. Meters dead on every time. When I started reloading, all I could find was Red Dot. It did not meter well at all. I use HP38 for all my handgun ammo so no worry of mixing powders.

I also don't drop a bunch at a time and do the flashlight test to make sure they are level. I used to do that, but I was on about the 47th case in a batch of 50 and my arm bumped the arm of the press and I spilled the powder from the case into the 46 open cases in the block. Had to start all over. So now, I drop powder, weigh powder, dump in case, and seat bullet. This way, I can load as few as I want at a time. When all 50 are done, I crimp them all and I'm done.

What storminorman says below.
Spend the money, buy the proper equipment, if you plan to reload anything. Loading smokeless powder ain't like a cowboy filling a case with black powder and stuffing a bullet in the end. A small digital scale is inexpensive, and more accurate and repeatable than a beam scale. If you buy one designed for reloading, it will have a small pan to measure out your loads. They also come with a small calibration weight. Invest in a powder throw. You pour your powder in a hopper, the lever moves a set amount with each turn (throw), and you adjust the throw amount, weigh it, adjust the throw, weigh the amount, repeat half a dozen times until each throw is within 0.1 grain of each other consistently. Once you have a consistent weight every time you throw a load, you can start filling your cases. Buy a reloading manual; I use Hornady's, but any will do that give you a range of loads and powders for a desired velocity. If you want a good, relatively slow powder for the .38 Spl. find some Power Pistol. It meters well and has a wide range of loads. One downside to slow-burning powder and handguns is that you can get a nice fireball, and may have unburned powder residue to clean up from the short barrels. That said, I use Power Pistol in my non-magnum handguns: .38 Spl. .40S&W, 10mm Auto, .45 Auto, .45 Colt.

http://www.castpics.net/subsite/Manuals/Dippers.pdf Page 2 about 1/3 way down. Titegroup dipper capacities. .5cc = 5.9gr Titegroup. I would suggest getting a scale (I don't trust digital scales, too many failures) and perfect your dipping method. With practice and when on a roll I have been able to repeat charges down to .5 gr variations with some powders...

About the Lee Perfect Powder measure being inaccurate and unreliable; Baloney! I have been using one since 1987 and first one from 1971-1982. I also have 4 other powder measures, and use my C-H 502 as much as my Lee with comparable accuracy and repeatability. IIRC the last time I used my PPM I was charging 5.2 gr CFE P and weighed every charge (doing a load work up). Total variation of charge weights was +/- .5 gr. for 48 charges. IMO the biggest problem with Lee products is operator error and ignorance...

Powder charge is very important unless you are doing pop corn loads. I use a Pacific drum type powder measure I got when buying the complete kit from Pacific. It is very similar to the RCBS measure. Mine is Red, the RCBS is green. I set it to NO MORE than my desired powder drop I drop one charge into the case, then immediately pour into my balance scale (also a red one) cup. Then trickle up to what I want. some powders are more constant than others, but I know all of my cases are powdered the same. Then before bullet seating I look into each case using a flash light. If I could not afford, or could not get permission from a significant other to have the necessary equipment to reload safely I would not reload.

__________________
"Don't Give Up the Ship"

I'm going to go a step further and try to talk you out of reloading altogether.
It's not for everybody.

I'm with you I weigh rifle charges out individually to as near perfect as I can get it. As previously stated I only load moderate pressure pistol rounds, if I need something hot, I shoot factory loads. I set my powder throw to my desired amount, weighing several charges, once satisfied I get to loading only checking a powder weight every 100-200 rounds if that. On my Dillon 1050 I may load 600 rounds or so. I do visually inspect the amount of powder in each case if using my single stage press. I don't think I have ever stopped to verify that my powder measure is still where it needs to be and found it off. This over the course of 45 years of reloading that included high volume loading for USPSA matches and practice ammo. I figure I have loaded well over 100,000 rounds.

My method is similar to most, I set up my balance scale and check the zero and check the span with check weights and then I set my thrower and throw a tray and then do the visual check under strong light the weigh three or four off the tray and then seat bullets. I’m very careful with the powder.

Maybe OP should look up "The Reloading Podcast". They've been around for about 300 episodes. Somewhere early on they go through beginning reloading or getting started or something, over the course of several episodes and really dig deep.

Probably more helpful than a bunch of us all throwing conflicting advice at him.

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Just Say No - To Social Media

I disagree completely with that statement about digital scales. A good beam scale is vastly superior. And by good, I don’t mean a Lee scale. We probably all started out with those, but soon went to a better quality scale. I bought a second hand RCBS 5-10 fairly cheaply and it’s still my go-to scale. I only use my pricey Dillon scale when I’m dialing in a new charge. It gets me close, but then I go to the beam.

__________________
USS Brewton FF1086
SWCA#3597

BTW, when finished with your balance beam scale, remove pan, pan hanger and beam. Cover with clear plastic storage bin( or similar), protects scale from dust. After almost 40 years I sent my scale(RCBS) back to Ohaus for recalibration, then found a “ Deal, Deal on a new RCBS new one which I really do not like. I Double Check each weight with both scales before I start loading. Check weight every 20 cases.Have 2 presses set up, 1 for depriming the other for bullet setting. Once however many cases have been deprimed and primer pockets cleaned, switch depriming die to belling die. Have 2 primer tools so have large primer in one and small in other. Bell each case, check mouth for cracks, prime, bell, use powder measure to change case, insert bullet and seat bullet. Absolutely No Distractions. Every device is set on bench in a row so just swivel seat to complete each round.

As posted in other threads I often use the LEE powder dippers... i.e., I find a LEE #0.5 is right around 4.5gr Bullseye (and there's always scant, full & heaping as needed): this is an amount I can use for various loads and calibers.

They measure powders by volume: by using them to put the initial powder into the pan on my ancient Ohaus 10/10 I can then easily trickle additional powder (if actually needed?) to the desired weight. A quick occasional check on the digital scale and from there into the cases. Loaded into a tray and given the final flashlight inspection prior to seating, etc.

By measuring both volume and weight (twice on some) I feel I greatly reduce the possibility of either a dangerous low powder (squib) load and a higher than intended one (KABOOM!).

For some high powered rifle loads (338 Lapua Magnum) I may use two or even three LEE dippers to get close to the intended amount and trickle from there. Makes for very consistent loads.

Cheers!

P.S. I have a Lyman 55 (not used it yet...) and a Hornady Lock-n-Load that I use occasionally: if I'm concerned about production (say for 9mm or .223/5.56) I can, in some instances, manually measure another powder charge while it is running and double the number of cases I can charge in the same amount of time. Multiple loading trays come in handy.

Invest in the best scale (I prefer balance beam) and caliper (again I prefer old school dial over
digital) that you can.
Develop good habits right from the start. I use a single stage press and a RCBS powder measure. At my level of experience (a few years and 10-15K rounds) I believe a single stage is still the safest press I could use.. After I've adjusted the powder drop for my desired charge I might drop 6 or 7 charges into my dish weighing each one to insure my initial setting is consistent with my desired charge. As I work across a row in the loading tray I drop 4 charges into cases and a weighed charge the 5th case. Then I move on to the next row. If something goes amiss I only have to go back one row of 4 or 5 cases to double check. Immediately cap each charged case with the bullet you intend to seat as you go and you will greatly reduce the chance of loading an accidental double charge. It may all seem tedious and redundant at first, but hand loading is a repetitive process where good habits and redundancy in checking yourself will keep your finished rounds consistently safer.

I have three of the Lee PPM's, they were cheap enough that I could dedicate a measure to a specific powder and charge weight. At the time my primary calibers to shoot was the 40 S&W and the 45 ACP. The third measure was for experimental loads and low volume calibers. When I purchased a 357 Magnum I naturally gravitated to loading 357 Magnum ammunition and chose H110 because it's a perfect match for 357 Magnum. H110 is NOT a perfect match for a Lee PPM. It only takes about 5 rounds with this powder to completely jam the drum and no amount of fiddling with the screw for the drum will stop it from jamming. The problem is the plastic construction, there is enough variation between the drum and housing that a very fine powders can leak into tiny voids between the drum and housing to totally jam the drum. Later on I got a pound of Accurate #5 to try out with 45 ACP and that powder also jammed up the Lee PPM. So now I have 3 powders measures that wont work with 2 powders on hand and have to go back to using a dipper and weighing every single charge loaded with H110 or AA #5.

At that point I purchased the RCBS Competition measure and have never had one single jam with any powder. It's also a lot more convenient to use. In my load record I have the micrometer reading for every single recipe recorded. Note, powders do vary in density from lot to lot so I always check my throw weight for 10 throws and tune as needed.

Bottomline is this. The Lee Perfect Powder Measure will work well provided you are using a large flake powder such as Unique or a somewhat coarsely granulated powder such as VV 3N37 or IMR SR7625. It will not work with a very fine powder such as H110 or any of the Accurate #2, #5, #7, or #9. BTW, H110 really is perfect for 357 Magnum and Accurate #5 was developed specifically for the 45 ACP.

I'll also note that I do not find a variation of +/- 0.5 grains to be acceptable in a handgun load. In a 16-30 grain shotgun charge this amount of variation is not significant, in a 5 grain handgun charge this much variation is 10% of the charge weight target and is actually significant. I load high velocity 40 S&W loads using Longshot, which features a SD of 0.17 grains and trickle every charge to weight because statistics predicts a variation of +/- 0.51 grains.

the cup is the measure !