Harrell Powder Measures

[PbHurler]

I've eyeballed Harrells for a few years, and am considering treating myself to one (2).

Can anyone who uses them tell me how the perform with the extruded powders IE: IMR 4148, 30-31, 4350 etc.

I currently use a Redding 3BR measure, and deal with a "crunch" occasionally with the extrudeds.

Are the internals and the click metering of the Harrells more forgiving of the extruded powders?

Thanks for any insight you can give me.

[oldscool]

You will still get an occasional crunch or cut a kernal or two.

[country gent]

I have a schutzen model and a standard size model ( birthday present from my wife when she was alive) and both are my "go to" measures for almost all powders. What I like about the click adjustment is if I write the setting down in my load notes the next time I load I can go to that setting and be on. The small measure Im using for 22 hornet and 218 bee. The standard is used for everything else but Black powder, Im seriously thinking about adding one of the Harrels black powder measures to the collection. Mine throw very accurate charges with little concern. The standard has loaded .223 to 300 win mag. Its one of the smoothest measures If used. It is repeatable and accurate. As with all measures consistency of operation is important.

[shooter93]

No doubt Harrell's are the Cadilliac of measures. The clicks are nice but I don't think they are any more "accurate" than the two reddings I use, one for Rilfe and the smaller pistol measure so I've haven't purchased one yet. (used a friends to see) For stick powders I most often use a Belding and Mull which are very hard to beat too. Harrell's are great measures and I may still get one because I do like high quality tooling.

[btroj]

Mine handles those powders as well as anything. It does a great job with shorter cut stick powders like RE15.
If I was using max loads of a longer stick I would most likely throw a bit low and trickle up.

[Hawkeye45]

I use my Harrell for all rifle loads except .223 and .308, IMHO they are the best around.

Mr. Ed

[PbHurler]

Thanks for the responses gentlemen,
I think I'm going to pick up a shuetzen / pistol version to "get my feet wet".

I currently use a Uniflow for my handgun loads, and the 3BR for rifle. I do throw my rifle charges a few grains light & trickle up. I switch to the uniflow rather than change out the micrometer assy. on the 3BR, but I too like high quality tooling / machining.
So the switching of measures between rifle & pistol will remain the same, I'd just like to upgrade.

Thanks for being "enablers"

[Toobroke]

I have the Premium and would love to get the Schuetzen some day...You still cut the powder on the longer extruded types, but for repeatability, the measure is head and shoulders above any thing else I've tried--although that's limited to 2 different Pacifics, a Hornady, an RCBS and a Bonanza

[jsizemore]

I was going to upgrade and buy a Neal Jones Micromeasure. I found out how much it cost and found I could buy Harrell's Schutzen/pistol and Premium powder measures for the same money. They have served well for high volume quality competetion reloads. For the 1000+ yard loads I still drop loads and trickle up on a digital scale. The premium measure is capable of dropping minute of groundhog powder charges.

[Guardian]

My lovely wife bought me a Harrell's pistol measure some years ago, before we were married! At the time, I was loading on a single stage or Redding T7 turret press. I had used a Lyman No. 55 measure and a Hornady pistol measure that required bushings. The Harrell's measure was very consistent with ball/flake powders and a joy to use. I've since gotten a Hornady LNL AP and rarely use the Harrell's measure anymore. The Hornady measure turned out to be just as accurate, although not so finely made. I modified the Hornady measure to take the same bottles as the Harrell's measure, with a minor modification to the bottle to allow the primer reservoir of the LNL AP to pass.

I've also started loading rifle in volume. I tried it on the progressive with H4895 and I couldn't get consistent results. Charges varied by as much as 1.5 grains. I considered another Harrell's to solve that problem, but found a comparison on the web and decided that wasn't the answer either. I ended up buying a Hornady electronic powder dispenser. I've been pretty happy with that decision. It has its quirks, but once you learn them it is pretty consistent. The powder dispenser really isn't any faster than I can do with a measure and trickler, but it does allow me to do something else while the powder is dispensing, like seating the bullet and crimping.

I'm happy to own a Harrell's measure and enjoy using it from time to time, but it isn't the best solution to my particular problem. Maybe it is for you. Afterall, the Harrell's measure doesn't require power to use.

[PbHurler]

I had a Harrell Shuetzen / Pistol model arrive yesterday. All I can really say is wow, what a nicely machined measure.
I played around with a few powders to checkout the operation and to learn the precision of the "clicks". Boy, you can really dial-in to the charge you're looking for with the adjustment knob. My only misgiving is I wish I'd have sprung for one earlier. Oh well, I guess good things can come to those that wait.
One question to those of you who record your settings: What is your preferred method (nomenclature) of writing the settings down?
6+3 clicks, 6.4+1click?.....etc.

Just curious, and thanks.

[btroj]

I call it 6.4 clicks. Doesn't matter what you call it as long as you know what it means and are consistant.
I write the setting on the powder container with a Sharpie. I still always weigh a few charges tomerify things. I also fill the measure and throw 10 charges before going for real just to settle the powder.

[country gent]

My Standard Harrels has thrown thousands of charges for 308, 223, and 243 win most with varget reloader 15 IMR4895 IMR4350 and Imr 4831. It really shines with a solid mount. I have a mount Adjustable for hieght to mount it above my dillon 650 over the charge die. It works like a champ. Almost all of my ammo was thrown thru this measure 200 - 300 -600 and 1000yds. I made High master both accross the coarse and long range with it in this manner. My Schuetzen measure really shines with Lil Gun for the Hornet and .218bee. For the 300 mag the standard is starting to run out of range. Id really love to get the bigger model set up for black powder but am holding off right now. I actually added a column in my notebooks for Harrels settings. I also have a bedding and mull that is accurate but requires 2 hands to operate so I have regulated it to use of Black Powder. I was always going to make a bigger version of the Bedding and Mull at work. One where the slide would transfer around 250 grns of powder back and forth. I was planning on a measure tube 5/8" od with 1/2" ID to shorten it up for Black Powder loads. All powder measures work to one degree or another consistency of operation is the key. Why most measures on progressives work so well is the press is so consistent in the operation of them.

[wch]

Don't overlook the Harrells loading presses-they're superb.