My reloading setup has evolved somewhat over the years. Some would look at it and think it’s a laughable setup. I agree. By now, had i invested the time and money I could have obtained a progressive press, but money and time are in short supply for a homeschool family. It’s the daycare FYI. KILLS ME. Anyway, I have acquired nicks and nacks related to reloading over the years, and finally found one or two worth writing home about. The Lee Perfect Powder Measure is one of them.
It’s a simple device. Plastic here, a few bolts, and the signature red color of a Lee product. It’s a budget item running around 25 to 30 dollars. I am happy to say that the cheap spendthrift I am is thrilled with the performance. Before purchasing I read online about the device. Some reviews stated that it was accurate to 1/10th of a grain, while others said powder measure was all over the place. I am happy to report that I am among the users who found the Lee accurate to 1/10th of a grain… with some caveats.
I found the Lee Perfect Powder Measure accurate to 1/10th a grain so long as your operation of the device was consistent.
Consistency:
The powder measure throws Varget, an extruded powder, and 2230, a ball powder, to 1/10th of a grain after ten throws each. That’s impressive for such a cheap device. I know that a tenth of a grain may matter to serious competitors, but that tenth of a grain is perfectly within my limits for the sake of the time the device saves me. Load up your hopper with powder, pull the lever up and down, and it dispenses your powder down a small drop chute into your funnel or directly into the case mouth.
After some adjusting I got Varget right where I wanted it at 24 grains.
I have had good success with holding the case mouth up to the little chute without much powder spillage. Powder weight is adjusted by a turning a rotating meter assembly, and I had to fiddle with it for a time to get to my 24 grains of Varget, but once there I see no need to touch it again. The device is easy to work with, and can be clamped to the table or screwed into the bench with two included screws. I use a clamp to keep the work space free when not in use.
The key to its accurate loading is being consistent. Pull and push the lever the same way each time and you get your nice, even loading. Pull the lever, then jostle the powder or tap the device, and you can jump a full grain and a half. If the thought of another grain and a half is too scary for you or outside of your comfort zone, I understand. You have to really jostle the device to get the powder to settle… and then the jump occurs. If you have a stable bench and focus on what you’re doing, the Lee will give you the charge you want. If you decide that you want to measure the load after you tap the device a few times during the lever pull, you can do that too just be consistent. Experiment.
The small lever moves smoothly. If you tap the lever assembly it will throw a bigger charge as the powder is allowed to settle with the vibration. Either tap it between each throw or don’t, just be consistent with your method.
Wrapping Up:
I was scooping and trickling to the weight for each charge. Took me a while to do that for 50 quality rounds. While meditative, it was not fast enough for my needs. The Lee Perfect Powder Measure increases my rounds per hour for very little money. I would list this as a buy for anyone who’s an apartment reloader or who is contemplating getting started. Make this device present in your equipment list, and it will speed you up considerably for very little money. I am happy with it thus far.
After reading lots of reviews, I opted for this powder measure as well. It throws near perfect throws with TAC, H335, and other ball powders. It throws wildly with all the extruded powders I’ve used in it. I end up spending a lot of time tailoring those charges, since I load near max. I have wondered if the Auto Drum would have been a better option. They’re nearly the same price.
I have read reviews similar to yours regarding the extruded powders, but in your experience how wild are the throws if you remember? My good luck with Varget I attribute to pulling the lever as smoothly as I can.
I ran a test with Reloader 15 tonight since I can’t seem to find the scratch paper I had from previous variance tests. In the 1st 15 throws I had an extended spread of .3 grain. It seems to be better than the last time I tested it like this, but still not consistent enough that I’d trust it blindly. Most importantly, reviews of more expensive brands don’t seem to indicate any better consistency. So I figure, why spend more. My method for a drum measure is to have the powder cavity down (empty) at starting position. I raise the lever in a fluid motion till it gently taps the stop. I allow a 2 count in this instance, for the cavity to fill, then in another fluid motion I lower the handle till it taps the other stop. I also try to keep the hopper near full.
I run a Lee Perfect powder for my pistol powders and it works very well. Consistent to 1/10 grain. I also have an attachment that allows me to attach the Perfect powder measure directly on top of my Power Expanding die so I can expand and charge simultaneously. I bought it on Amazon from a small company but cant find it right now.
Perfect Powder for me was very difficult with rifle loads. Stuff like Varget and 4064 were just too stiff for the Perfect Powder measure so I went with the Lyman 55 which is pretty heavy duty. I still like the Lee Perfect Powder for handgun loads and its very small and easy to pack away. I have the Lyman fixed to my bench, and I keep my Lee Perfect Powder attached to my Powder Expanding die and to store it I just place it in a cup off to the side.
Still have that reloading primer in the works?
I will try and put it out next week. No time like the present! With the election craziness I devoted my time to an article titled “The Rifleman and the Carbine” which discusses a shooting program and methodology for the average American AR15 so we, as a community, can get ready.
Ready for what?
Anything.
I have 2 ppm’s , they both measure ball powders like H335 almost to perfection, but H110 leaks so bad you will need a shovel to pick it up. About every 1000 rounds or so I take em apart to clean the wiper, takes about 2 min. For ball powder I wouldn’t use anything else, for fine powder I use a uniflow.
Put me in the list of “perfect measure for extruded powders”. Ball measures just as dandy as it always does. Haven’t tried flake.
I love the way you can turn off the valve and change powders easily. I love the way you can put a full pound container of powder on as long as it’s the correct thread. Adjusting the amount of powder dispensed works well. The problem is I can’t use Winchester 231. The flakes are so fine they leak around the disc that turns with the handle. And I did start by running a half pound of powder through it for sealing and lubrication.I tried to find a sweet spot but the flakes continued to drop out. Also the all plastic construction feels very cheap and probably cost Lee about $1.50 per unit from China. I will probably keep the unit considering what I paid but will use my Hornady unit for Winchester 231. Best I could do for this powder measure is 2.5 stars.