I suggest if you are serious about reloading and are confident it is something you are going stick with that you buy a powder measure and a scale. The yellow dippers may work, but also leave a few opportunities for error. As you are finding out the loads you need are not available on the data sheet, also case charges are measured in grains of power, you need scale to double check this as you are measuring in volume.

 

Welcome to reloading. Sounds to me like you need a manual or three; ABCs of Reloadinfg Lyman's 49th Edition Reloading Handbook, Lee's Modern Reloading.These are a good start to you needed library. Depending what rifle they're shot in, cases shot in the same rifle to be used in again may not need full length sizing. Range pick-ups I'm sure will. All this is covered in the above manuals' sections on case preparation. I know, reading the instructions aren't manly, but sometimes ya gotta. Just read the instructions that czme with your dies, and the manuals' section on case sizing and you'll get yer answers. Same with powder through. Personally I use a single stage press and don't need a powder through die, and I can make some pretty good .223 stuff.

I second the suggestion of a scale. I used a set of dippers, a powder trickler, and a scale for several years, and sometimes still do for short runs.

 

Unless you are reloading botteneck cartridges to fire in the same bolt-action or single-shot rifle that they were originally fired in, they need full-length resized. Doesn't matter if your friends gave 'em to you, or you picked 'em up at the range, or you fired 'em in your AR15. If they are not going back into the same bolt-action or single-shot rifle that they were originally fired in, do a full length.

Dippers work if you do it exactly the same each time. Problem is, the way you do it is probably not going to be the way the feller that came up with the calibration did it. So while the paperwork says that dipper X scoops 30.2 grains of 3031, when you do it it scoops 29.4, while when I do it it scoops 31.0. Don't trust what it says on the paper. Get a scale.

Powder-through die. You mean for your 223 dies? I didn't know they made it for rifle calibers. For pistol, while most of mine have it, I don't use it. I size/deprime, then bell, then prime. Charging when I bell would be a bad idea, since the new primer isn't in yet, and the powder would trickle out the flash hole. And even if it didn't, I'd then be priming a charged case. Not a good plan.

It seems like the powder-through die is only worthwhile if you are using a turret press, anyway. With a single-stage, you bell the case and charge it. Then what do you do with it? Set it in the loading block? That only holds fifty. Line 'em up on the bench? That's asking for a powder spill. And even if I use the loading block, I charge fifty then have to change dies to seat a bullet, then change back to the belling die and bell and charge 50 more.

I load in batches. Keep my brass in plastic shoeboxes. So I'll have a box of fired brass. Depending on the caliber, that's several hundred rounds. Take it and size until I'm tired. Dump all them into another box. Some other day I'll take sized brass and bell it. That goes into another box. When I'm ready to make some ammo, I get a box marked "38 Spl Primed", or whatever. Belled brass might be sitting in a box for months before I get to it. Having it also be charged would be a serious bad idea.

See boxes marked "Unsized", "Sized", "Belled" and "Primed". Works great.

 

...
See boxes marked "Unsized", "Sized", "Belled" and "Primed". Works great.

sounds good, thanks!

 

"DITTO" on the above, all very sound advice!!........and remember, all reloading accuracy (and safety) depends on the reloaders' consistent application of his/her chosen reloading techiques.

Lee Dippers will work well.... once one 'masters' the technique of how to correctly 'dip' to consistently and repeatedly obtain the correct volume of powder one is loading for. So if you wish to to use the Dippers...........the recommendation to obtain a scale to double check your powder dipping for accuracy and consistency was very wise (and safe) advice.

Lee's recommended dipping method: place some powder is a separate bowl, cup, etc then push the dipper down into into the powder letting it spill/flow into the dipper. Once it is full, level it off with a business card. While not difficult to do, it does take certain 'practiced skill level' to master the technique and accurately and consistently dip the same volume repeatedly.

I hope this info is helpful to you, good luck, and welcome to reloading.

 

Wow Alpo, I'm impressed!!!!.........................unlike me (and probably others as well) your area looks very very well organized.........two thumbs up, way up for that!!

 

As to question #3:

Always use the Lee dipper recommended for the powder you are using. If Lee does not recommend a dipper size for your powder, don't try to fudge it! Use the powder recommend for your dipper or use a scale. Yes, always fill the dipper to the top, then level (scrape off) the top using a credit card or other such object.

You can get very consistent loads using a dipper and dippers are very fast to use. BUT, as you have already discovered, you will be limited as to the amount and type of power you can use. As you gain more experience you will likely change to a scale and dribbler. Have fun.

 

Wow Alpo, I'm impressed!!!!.........................unlike me (and probably others as well) your area looks very very well organized.........two thumbs up, way up for that!!

That was just a purty picture. This look more like yours? First a closeup shot of one of the shelves, looking semi-organized. Then then same shot, but from the doorway.

 

Now thats a reloading room!! ...................it appears you have (or recently had) some major reloading activity going on.

 

Alpo, you been over here taking pictures in my reloading building?

The only time used the yellow dipper when I first started reloading. It was with one of those LEE sets that you used a hammer on. When I bought my first beam scale, I never again used the dippers and now I would not even think of using them.

All the advice that has been given is good, the best was to get a scale and more manuals. Once you get some manuals, read them, and then read them again before you do anything else.

 

Count, Richard Lee says the best technique for using the dippers is to push the dipper bottom-first into the powder and let the powder flow down into the cup. Bring the dipper up out of the powder and gently scrape the extra powder off the top of the cup with a business card. This is the most consistant way to get repeatable charge weights.

If you don't have copies of Modern Reloading, 2nd Ed. by Richard Lee, Lyman #49 or ABC's of Reloading - get them, they are necessities!

The only time you'll really need a powder-through -die is if you're using a progressive press. If you're using a single-stage they are handy, but not necessary as it is about as fast to charge the cases in a reloading block as it is in the press.

Always full-length resize other people's brass before you use it! Brass can lengthen after a few firings, so always cull out those that are over-length as those have probably been fired more than once. Use only range-pickups that are within specs. On bottlenecked cases a very thin coat of sizing lube on the neck and shoulders, and mika inside the neck, are advisable when full-length resizing, and just on the neck when neck-sizing.

 

Count, Richard Lee says the best technique for using the dippers is to push the dipper bottom-first into the powder and let the powder flow down into the cup. Bring the dipper up out of the powder and gently scrape the extra powder off the top of the cup with a business card. This is the most consistant way to get repeatable charge weights.

If you don't have copies of Modern Reloading, 2nd Ed. by Richard Lee, Lyman #49 or ABC's of Reloading - get them, they are necessities!

i just got the LEE manual and the hornady. the lee manual seems to have A LOT more powders listed than the other one and only costs $11.50 at Natchez shooting supply, yet many think the hornady manual is the best, why is that?

 

The "best" load manual is the one that covers the components you're using. Bullet makers have manuals for their bullets & powder makers have manuals for their powders. The second edition Lee manual will serve you well since you have Lee equipment. If you look in the Lee manual you'll notice they list dipper numbers for the loads in the book & many other things that relate to Lee equipment.
As suggested by others here, you'll want to get a scale to be able to verify powder weights. Spend some time with your Lee manual & you'll learn plenty. It has by far the most loads in it. As an example, while other manuals have two or three pages of loads for the 30-06 the Lee manual has 18 pages of loads for that caliber-including cast lead bullet loads. It's best to get the manual on whatever bullet or powder you want to use & then buy components-not the other way around. If you buy components first you'll often end up fudging components into a load when the manual specified something else. Not good practice.
The powder companies give out free mini-manuals that have only loads in them. While they don't have info on the how-to's of re-loading, they're full of loads & free for the asking at your powder dealer.

The ABC's book is a good "how to" book but it has no loads in it.

 

Count, Richard Lee says the best technique for using the dippers is to push the dipper bottom-first into the powder and let the powder flow down into the cup. Bring the dipper up out of the powder and gently scrape the extra powder off the top of the cup with a business card. This is the most consistant way to get repeatable charge weights.

Yup, that would be the proper way to run a dipper.
Personally, I fill the dipper like that, but I do two taps on the side of my powder dish to level the top off instead of carding. (But I also scale the charges too...I just use the dippers to get me close to my load and trickle to finish em off).
And as others have said be consistent with your motion. Consistency in your motion is actually more important than how you scoop.

If you are so inclined, along with a scale, you can also purchase the full Lee dipper set very reasonably. This will give you a whole bunch of different volume scoops for ease of measuring charge weights that aren't possible with the single scoop that you get with a die set. But...whether you use a dipper, dump-type measure, or just a teaspoon, the scale is important to verify that you're actually scooping the charge that you want.

i just got the LEE manual and the hornady. the lee manual seems to have A LOT more powders listed than the other one and only costs $11.50 at Natchez shooting supply, yet many think the hornady manual is the best, why is that?

The easiest way to describe is to refer you to LD's sticky post in here about which manuals to consider getting.
http://www.thefirearmsforum.com/showthread.php?t=76152

The Hornady manual is a nice one because it has a very good text and graphical explanation of how the reloading process works and what happens inside a cartridge case when you pull the trigger on it. That's why it's usually recommended as a good manual for both newbie and veteran reloaders.
The Lee manual also has a good overview of the reloading process too, and is why it's also a good recommendation for a starter manual.

Typically, you'll eventually want to have a manual for the brand name bullets or powder that you're using (Hornady manual for Hornady bullets, Speer manual for Speer bullets, Hodgdon manual for Hodgdon powders, etc....). The "generic" manuals, like the Lee manual or "Cartridges of the World" by Frank Barnes are good non-brand specific manuals too.
You can fill your bookshelf up pretty quickly, but it's always good to have more reference material than not enough!

 

Count,
Many of the powder and component companies have downloadable loading manuals on-line. These are great for chosing loads, but usually only have limited information about the reloading process. That is why you need hard-copy manuals as well. Also there are numerous individuals who have web pages with their personal load information.

CAUTION!!!!!!! ALWAYS double check on-line loading information against you manuals! Typos do happen, some people aren't as safety-minded as others and some information can be from old sources and are too hot with modern components.