I've tried for at least an hour plus, using a Lee Perfect Power Measure and Lee Magnet dampened scale, trying to get a consistent powder result.

Both came out of a kit, and after foogle, wahoo, and bling, I've gotten responses across the board. I can't figure out if it is the measure or the scale.

If it helps, the loads are .223 with H335. I'm wondering if it's the scale, the measure, or of both need to be scrapped. If its the scale, maybe a digital would work better. If its the measure, then a different brand. Thanks for the input.

I found out that you have to run a lot of powder thru the Measure before you try to get started. I'm on my second Measure, and love this thing. Fill it up, then run at least half of it thru the measure. After that it will take a little tinkering to get it dialed in to dump the right amount of powder.

 

So its Lee and it's cheap and the user has to waste time priming it with half the powder reservoir of powder. Is that it, then?

I say buy a real powder measure and while you are at it buy a real scale too. A digital scale is convenient but unless you get a better one it may not be all that accurate. The Lyman weight set will prove the accuracy of a digital scale or even the LEE scale:

http://www.midwayusa.com/Search/#Lyman Scale Weight Check Sets____-_1-2-4_8-16-32

LDBennett

 

Your lee equipment will be ok. I used one for 5 years with no problems. Carver has good advice. you have to cycle some powder thru it to coat the innards with graphite from the powder granules. that stops the static cling and variances in your charge weights. Make sure your scale is set level and the beam swings without binding, and turn off all air flow sources. A fan on low across the room pointed in your direction will cause that thing to read all funky.

There is better equipment out there, but Lee works, it aint got pretty blue paint on it but it does work. And just so you are aware, those "real powder measures" when new, need to be cycled just the same for exactly the same reasons. Only trade off is the more expensive measures last alot longer. Lee equipment will get you through til you have more funds available to buy better reloading equipment.

My preferred equipment in this case:
RCBS 502 beam scale, this thing is dead nutz.
Lyman 55 powder measure, this thing is also dead nutz, especially with ball powders...

But i did run for 5 years on the exact equipment youre using now... I just eventually replaced them...

 

I started with Lee equipment back in the mid 70's, and am still using it. I did replace the powder measure after 20 years of use. I'm sure that a more expensive measure would have held out at least another year.

 

I've ran 2 full hoppers of powder through it (just to be sure), as directed in the manual, prior to scaling powder throws. I'll get a digital scale and try again. Thanks for the input.

 

I agree with carver and JLA, I'm sure your equipment is fine. Unfortuanetly, I learned the hard way about 3 years ago when I got the "cheap" little Lee scale and was doubting its accuracy so I went and bought a high dollar digital scale. Well after comparing the two side by side with the Lyman weight set I found the Lee scale was just as accurate as the digital one. There is a bit of a learning curve to feeling comfortable with the Lee scale but after a week of playing with it I never am in doubt of its accuracy anymore. BTW, how broad are your discrepencies?

 

just call Lee...if its new, they will take care of you.

J

 

If you have either Modern Reloading or Modern Reloading, 2nd Ed., Richard Lee gives very detailed instructions on using all Lee equipment - including the powder dispenser and scale. He explains some of the best techniques and tricks for getting the most accurate powder charges.

Yes, as our fellow members have already stated, static buildup can cause discrepancies in drop weights. Another trick you can use is to wash all the plastic parts of the powder despenser in warm, soapy water. DO NOT RINSE! Allow the parts to dry and the thin soap film will not let a static charge to accumulate on the plastic surfaces.

 

I will throw my 2 cents in as well, I know talking too guys and reading post, the Lee powder dump works better with some powders than others, if it is a static problem, I have read guys have had good results with wrapping the hopper with a static cling dryer sheet.
But as was mentioned the lower price of the Lee equipment comes with a price, I have used Lee lead pots for 40 years, cheap but functional, but with old age the fooling with it to get it to work properly is no longer something I want to put up with, so an RCBS furnace is in my future.
You can say some real money buying Lee, but there is a reason they can keep the price down.

 

Different powders will meter differently in any powder measure. W231 measures to .05 grain (half a tenth of a grain) consistantly in my Lee Perfect Powder measure, while trying to measure Unique I can only get +- 1 1/2 to 2 grains accuracy/repeartability. When new I took apart my powder measure and scribbled (rubbed) the drum with a soft pencil to get some graphit on it as a "break in" process. Keep the drum snug to eliminate leaking and the Lee is as accurate and repeatable as any. Nuttin wrong with Lee stuff...

And I'm sure our resident "expert" will soon be around to "correct" me...

 

Hey, if LEE works for you, that's fine with me.

For those of us that have had trouble with LEE stuff and want better reloading tools, we get to choose someone else's reloading tools. To each his own.

LDBennett

 

It is my strong opinion that our resident 'expert' is as opinionated in his offering of his 'sound' advice as the rest of us are, perhaps even more so... But thats just my 'opinion'

 

JLA:

We all live life and experience things, good and bad, and hopefully learn from both. Would it not be nice to have a road map of life where all the pot holes were legibly marked so you could avoid them? Some one would have had to experience the life road to make the map. All of us have experiences that, if shared with others running the road behind us, might eliminate or minimize the pot holes. That is all I am trying to do.

My "opinions" are based on my experiences not conjecture. Having opinions is not bad if based on facts. You can take them or leave them ... your choice. I care not.


LDBennett

 

I too have had problems with my Lee scale and adjustable metering bar for the auto-disk. Been driving me crazy!!! A little heavy then a little light. So then I measured exactly what the max error was. 1/10th of a grain. Most of the time it was less than that. The problem with the scale was I did not have it flat. My table is flat but there is a little metallic bump on the bottom of the scale. Placing that over the edge of my table cured the problem.

 

I have both the Lee Powder Measure and scale. It was taking forever to weigh a charge. I didn't know if it was the scale or the measure that was giving me problems. I just bought an RCBS 505 scale and found out that the Lee Powder measure works great! Get rid of the Lee scale. Even if you can get it to weigh accurately it takes forever and I just didn't trust it. You won't believe the major quality improvement in the RCBS scale. I'm still blown away every time I use it. It settles down to the accurate weight in a fraction of the time the Lee scale does.

 

The Lee scale is slow, but after spending a fair amount of time working with it this weekend, I feel very confident with it. The powder measure I am still working to get used to. For one thing, the numbers do not match up. When I did the conversion from CC to grains, then set the measure, the charge came out light. I had to increase the setting from 2.8 to 3.0 to get the correct load. Once I got the setting right, it gave me very consistent loads. So far, I have found the Lee equipment to be slower and more cumbersome to use, but very accurate.

 

By the way, I cycled a hopper full of Benchmark through the powder measure and it did not resolve the static issue. I then ran some IMR or RL through it, and that seemed to take care of it. Not sure why the Benchmark didn't work, but looking at it, it is clearly a different type of powder.

 

Lee recommends a hopper of powder run through the measure to get some graphite on the drum mating surfaces. I have used powdered graphite dusted on the drum to aid the "break in" proceedure.

FWIW, maybe the reason I have very little trouble with Lee equipment is because I have used hand tools to make a living and my hobbies for all my life (heavy equip. mechanic/elecrtician, machinist). I am very mechanically inclined. I try to see/understand how a piece of equipment/tool is designed and what the designed use is, so I use it that way and have no trouble. Maybe because I read instructions to see how the manufacturer wants their tools used adds to the lack of problems I have. I do not use Lee tools exclusively, as for some uses there are better tools available and not necessarily from other reloading tool manufacturers. That being said, I like Lee equipment/tools for their innovative designs, and ease of use, and some of their equipment is 1/3 the cost of the "others". My $.02...

 

As with any Lee equipment, you have to read the brief instructions very carefully and follow everything they say. For example, you need to process a full hopper of powder through the measure. The powder should have graphite so the measure gets all working parts coated with graphite. A lot of people buy a small container of powdered graphite and process that through the measure.
If the measure leaks (not likely with your powder), you need to disassemble, clean, and reassemble with increased tension. Working tension should be 1 lb, but for some powders you may need as much as 3-4 lb. Do not adjust tension if measure is not cleaned out as you will simply be torquing into the leaking powder. The conical drum halves with burnish together tighter over time.
The balance needs to be inspected to be sure the razor edge is not damaged or dirty. Do not store balance with beam on the scale and store in closed container so dirt, dust, and any aerosols do not affect or coat the balance.
Static: wash plastic parts in warm, soapy water and let dry. Do not rinse. If the measure is properly "seasoned" with graphite, there should be no static problem (I've never had any static issues even at a RH of 7%) any way.

 

Sandman, I agree the Lee scale is very sensative, but really very slow. I had issues with how the powder sat in the tray. If the powder shifted to one side of the try or other it affected how it weighed. I also had trouble keeping the damper centered so it would not touch the sides and affect the swing of the arm. Even when I had the damping arm centered, I would sometimes get a heavy load, remove some powder from the tray to the point of the load being too light. I would then trickle back in exactly the amount I removed and then it would weigh correctly to the selected weight. This caused me to loose faith in the scale, it happened many times. The scale measure markings on mine were also not painted very well so it made it difficult to adjust accurately. The RCBS 505 is 200% better quality and soooo much faster. I'd never go back to the Lee Scale, and I really tried to like it. I did load 1000 plus rounds using that scale, so I did get it to work but it was painful.

 

You have to keep in mind with the lee scale, that it doesn't have to be exactly on the pointer. Your charge from the powder dispenser may be 1/8" or 1/4" off of zero on the scale, but if you check, you will probably find that to be a .1 or less difference. For most of us, that is not enough to worry about.

 

The powder scale is the protection you have against overloads. A scale that is inconsistent or inaccurate is unacceptable to me or most other reloaders. Buy a good scale, not a bargain basement one that is inconsistent and/or inaccurate. A good digital scale is fast and accurate enough for reloading. Watching a balance scale swing back and forth until it settles down (and is inconsistent and/or inaccurate) is a waste.

I have had several balance scales over the years and the last one was an RCBS 304 (an excellent balance scale, probably the best reloading balance scale you can buy even today). Today the only one I use is my Dillon digital scale. It is accurate and consistent and fast. The RCBS sits on the top of my safe in a standby mode and has not been used in probably over 12 years!

LDBennett

 

I much prefer a good balance beam over a digital. I use the RCBS 502, which I just replaced a LEE with. The LEE gave me 5 years of spot on service and the ONLY reason I gave it up was because I had just got the 502 and liked it more, and I put together a reloading kit out of a bunch of stuff I had for a friend of mine and he got the LEE.