Time for a new powder dispenser...

[vanman1]

ditto BC38
Lee presses and drums might require a little love and petting, but we need to pay attention and not be in a hurry anyway.

 

[Wise_A]

An internal cone in the hopper helps prevent bridging, which is the bane of flake powders like Unique.

I've always found Unique to be quite free-flowing.

700-X seems to have curled edges that practically interlock. I sort of like the powder, but for that. I haven't worked with Hodgdon Clays (yet), but it has the same reputation.

 

[buckshotshorty]

I have an RCBS uniflow and for me it works great. I only load pistol and UNIQUE powder is difficult to load in a good number of measures but the uniflow drops Unique very consistently round after round.

 

[TAROMAN]

After years of using different powder measures, I've become convinced that your technique matters more than which brand you're using. FWIW, I use a Redding, but I digress.

How I do it:
1) Have a baffle installed 1/3 up from the bottom of the tube.
2) Always fill the hopper 3/4 or more.
3) Using a screwdriver held at the tip, I tap the tube 20 times on each side (L&R)
3) Throw 20 charges back into the can.
4) Adjust and weigh.

Been doing this for years and have < .1 grain variance.
With the Redding micrometer, I can accurately and quickly return to previous loads.

My $0.03 worth, YMMV.

 

[Engineer1911]

RCBS Uniflow powder measure since 1975, Dillon since 1982.

 

[ontargetagain]

Thank you all for the detailed information. Unique, 700x, Universal seem to give most deviation and frustration for me. It is Unique I would like to use more often of these powders.

Scooter: your research is quite impressive and your attention to detail astounds Thanks for sharing and backing up with your method of approach and proofing.

I used to do a tap-tap-tap on the side of the Lee then I resorted to bypassing and just letting the measure do the best it could. Ended up with a few powders that were each weighed because of too much unpredictable variance. For the price of the Lee $25 it is impressive IMO, to spend $150-$200 I want to be darn sure of a good gain both in better charge consistency on the 'easy' powders with tighter tolerance as well as hopefully being able to use the more difficult powders without enough deviation that would get me in trouble. I don't load much that is close to max but there are a few.

Again to everyone that has tossed in their years and years of experience I say thanks! It is greatly appreciated and very interesting some of the 'old' tried and true powder drops that are in use and still suggested.
Karl

 

[Qc Pistolero]

After years of using different powder measures, I've become convinced that your technique matters more than which brand you're using.

100% with you on that one.Been reloading for 40 years and discovered that aprox 1 year ago.Exept if you've been reloading for more than 40 years and discovered that only yesterday(which I doubt)it means that you catch things a lot quicker than me Taroman!
Qc

 

[AveragEd]

Another vote for the RCBS Competition Measure. If you mount it on RCBS' stand, you can load 50 cases by just moving the loading block from case to case under the measure.

That said, I think the Dillon measures might be better because when I went from loading my handgun ammo on my Rock Chucker Supreme and the RCBS powder measure o a Dillon 650 and their measures, my 25-yard groups from a bench shrunk a little.

Ed

 

[imakmst]

I'll throw in another vote for Lyman 55. Mine does all I ever need out of a measure and has never messed up but all load is pistol with Bullseye, W231, and occasionally Unique. I weigh for .223.

 

[dannyabear]

The Lee auto drum will serve you well and only cost about $40.00