precision powder scoops?

if you are looking for accuracy forget about them.
i have one in my classic loader kit(.308), 45.5gr of imr4320 start showing sign of over pressure in my rifle. a full scoop weight about 46.6gr,so i have to weigh each load every round using a scale and a powder trickler.
border line unsafe imo.
hope this help,
 
a tenth of a grain is 2 - 3 kernels of power for some of the bigger stick powders. You really need a scale. Even the cheap Lee powder thrower is a big step up
 
I figured as much, I do have a 10-10 scale and as consitant as it is I wish it wasn't so time consuming. If only there was a way around time consuming scales like the 10-10 or the finicky inconsistant digitals...
 
I use a scoop that gives me a close,but light measure (within a 1/2 grain) and use a powder trickler to top off the load. It actually goes pretty quickly.
 
The Lee spoons have their place. When I'm loading reduced rifle loads, I use the spoons to measure charges of flake powder like Unique, 2400, or Red Dot which tend to hang up in a powder measure. Same goes when I'm loading mid-power handgun ammo with similar powders.
 
If only there was a way around time consuming scales
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I have all the powder measuring devices, both volumetric and gravimetric, here is a review:
  • beam scale-most accurate and slowest.
  • electronic digital scale-good accuracy, still slow.
  • Lee powder scoops-poor accuracy, fast; useful for starting with a low charge & dribbling up to weight on a scale.
  • RCBS Little Dandy Rotor Charger for pistol loads-great accuracy, very fast.
  • Redding BR3 Measure for rifle loads-great accuracy, very fast.

I would say the best solution by far is to get one of the volumetric measures with the micrometer charging chamber offered by all the major equipment makers, it will be well worth your investment for sure.
 
I started with them, 29 years ago. Money was tight, and they made good enough hunting ammo. I still have them and occasionally still use them if I don't want to set up a measure to weigh a few charges.

After a few years of loading with the measures I got my first scale. I was expecting a quantum leap forward in accuracy, but oddly that didn't happen. I eventually came to realise that if a load had to be weighed to shoot decently at 3-400 yards it wasn't much of a load to begin with. Touchy loads go sour whenever the temperature changes or the sun goes behind a cloud.

These days most of my loads get put together with a chargemaster, but if a load won't shoot a full grain over or under it probably will stay home in favor of one that is easier to get along with.

Gopher loads must work as dropped from the measure, because life is too short to weigh out charges 1000 at a time.
 
What Dogleg said. I used a scoop for 30-30 loads for a few years. Deer fell over dead.:eek:

I use them all the time for light loads of 700x in 30-30, 32 Special, etc. Good to have a set around. Just keep them hidden when the Olympic class shooters come over to visit.:p
 
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