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A powder measure is not a necessity for reloading, but it can certainly speed up the process. A powder measure dispenses powder charges that have been measured by volume by means of an adjustable metering chamber. Measuring powder by volume isn’t quite as accurate as measuring by weight on a scale, but it can be very close. In fact, once they are properly set up, high quality powder measures can repeatedly throw consistent powder charges again and again. The accuracy of powder measures is affected by the consistency of their use, so a consistent motion when operating the measure is critical for consistent results. Powder type can also affect the operation and consistency of a powder measure. Ball powders typically meter much more easily than stick powders simply due to the shape of their granules.
A powder measure and scale work together as a team and while a scale can be used without a measure, a measure cannot be set up without a scale. A scale is necessary to verify the weight of powder being metered out by the powder measure. Once the measure is set up, the scale is still used to periodically verify that a consistent weight of powder is being thrown by the measure.
The powder measure is also very useful when every charge is being weighed. For this, the measure is set up to throw a charge just slightly below the desired weight, then a trickler is used to bring the charge up to the desired weight on the scale. The powder measure speeds up this process by getting the charge close to the correct weight before being placed on the scale. A powder measure isn’t necessary for weighing charges, but it can really speed things along.