What shooting distance warrants a V3 Auto trickler?

[fatelvis]

Just wondering if you draw a line at any specific yardage, that you consider a high end auto trickler benificial. Past 300? 600? 800? I just saw my velocities for the first time after using electronic targets last week at 300 yds, and was totally satisfied with the 10.3 and 12.1 SD numbers using my CM1500.

 

[djporter]

Anything past 200 yards for me gets weighed & trickled.

 

[Mulligan]

I made highmaster F-open with a dasher using an RCBS Charge master.
I purchased a used 10-10 balance and tuned it with the help of @BoydAllen . When I started using it, I discovered my groups shrank and x-count went up a fair bit. For the purpose of doing some experiments and speeding up the loading process I bought an FX-120i and auto throw/trickler. I was worth the investment for what I like to do. I actually consider it an indispensable tool in my loading room.
I do shoot mostly at 600 and when I get a chance I shoot 1000 yards. I shoot F-class and IBS.

I did a little experiment a while back that you might be interested in.
I will not post the data as the haters and keyboard hacks on this sight breed like rats yet, I never seen their names in the top ten finishers at even the local shoots.

I loaded 5 rounds each of the following.
1.) Dispensed and weighed on CM
2.) powder thrower to get close and trickle up using the CM scale and trickling just to where the 10th rolled over.
3.) same as #2 above except used a tuned 10-10
4.) Same as #3 above except used a tuned 5-10
5.) used the FX-120i
6.) used just a powder thrower.

These were shot round robin at 600 yards.

Results
2,3,4,5 were the same
1 was good
6 not as good

Surprising enough, if you tune to the middle of a wide node, it will hide a multitude of sins.

I believe the CM must have some setting to “look the other way” if after trickling up the charge isn’t exact.... because mine will lie to you. When not using the trickler, it is as good as any other scale in the price range.


I will add, the time savings from the FX-120 is worth every penny.

Edit
To really answer your question, I mostly shoot at 600 and 1000 and think it is needed if competing at the higher levels.
CW

 

[big john 5394]

300 plus improved my score by at least 3 points at 300 and at 600 my low score was 597 at a 180 shot match. the cm can be +or - 1/2 a grain.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

you go shoot 3000rds loaded with a chargemaster or 200 rounds loaded with the finest scale out there and i assure you the guy with the chargemaster will have higher scores every time.

 

[TroyG]

What is one's time worth?

 

[Twoboxer]

The AutoTrickler has paid dividends for me whenever small deviations in powder charge can have noticeable effect.

Calibers with low case capacity, calibers used at distance, and load development when charge weights to be tested are supposed to be 0.2gr or 0.3gr apart.

Once available for those situations, the AutoTrickler makes reloading all my low/medium-volume rifle calibers a total joy.

 

[mikeinct]

I concur , the small cases benefit most from more accurate charge weights. I use a scale good to two hundredths of a grain. The 6mmBRX. We shoot 850 to 1000 yards.

 

[Falfan2017]

V3 is nice. Significantly speeds things up. Will it improve your scores? Probably not. But if you’re going to load 160 rounds for a weekend it sure is nice.

 

[Keith Glasscock]

It’s a tool to make your loading easier. The scale, and its repeatability is the key to consistency in charge weight.

Score difference? Inside of 800 yards, no.

 

[fatelvis]

300 plus improved my score by at least 3 points at 300 and at 600 my low score was 597 at a 180 shot match. the cm can be +or - 1/2 a grain.

What cartridge were you shooting in this instance?

 

[fatelvis]

you go shoot 3000rds loaded with a chargemaster or 200 rounds loaded with the finest scale out there and i assure you the guy with the chargemaster will have higher scores every time.

Please pardon me if I’m missing a punchline of some kind, but I assume you mean the guy shooting 3K rounds will benefit from more practice?

 

[fatelvis]

I purchased a used 10-10 balance and tuned it with the help of @BoydAllen .

Can I ask you Mulligan, what exactly did you do to tune it?

 

[Dusty Stevens]

Please pardon me if I’m missing a punchline of some kind, but I assume you mean the guy shooting 3K rounds will benefit from more practice?

Yes sir practice makes way more difference than the latest gadgets, like the guy at a fishing tournament with the flatbottom and 9.9 taking the check home every week.

 

[Twoboxer]

you go shoot 3000rds loaded with a chargemaster or 200 rounds loaded with the finest scale out there and i assure you the guy with the chargemaster will have higher scores every time.

So you advocate imprecise powder charges to improve precision?

 

[Dusty Stevens]

So you advocate imprecise powder charges to improve precision?

Not at all there CNN, a chargemaster isnt imprecise by any means- only to the people who have the high dollar scales. I can assure you powder measured to even .2 gr by a guy who can shoot will beat the guy who shoots 100rds a year even if his powder was measured to the .00001gr

 

[Richard Coody]

Yes sir practice makes way more difference than the latest gadgets, like the guy at a fishing tournament with the flatbottom and 9.9 taking the check home every week.

Opinions vary

Personally i believe all athletes perform at their best with the best equipment available.

Now you can get very accurate and consistent charges trickling on a quality beam scale but it is very time consuming and really a waste if you don't combine with all the rest of the steps to quality reloading. And even then if you don't have a rifle that can take advantage of these high quality reloads again you are wasting your time and money.

Someone who shoots 1000's of rounds of mediocre ammunition in a mediocre rifle will always be a mediocre shooter

 

[fatelvis]

Yes sir practice makes way more difference than the latest gadgets, like the guy at a fishing tournament with the flatbottom and 9.9 taking the check home every week.

It is quite humbling when a guy I shoot F-class with regularly spanks me with a stock Savage 223, and a $200 Mueller (spelling?) scope. Lol Be that as it may, I'm closing in on him, and I just bought a FX-120i and I'm going to trickle by hand (I only load 35 rounds a week for competition). One more variable eliminated, I figure.

 

[MikeMcCasland]

Not at all there CNN, a chargemaster isnt imprecise by any means- only to the people who have the high dollar scales. I can assure you powder measured to even .2 gr by a guy who can shoot will beat the guy who shoots 100rds a year even if his powder was measured to the .00001gr

Fair enough, but if we're all shooting 10,000 rounds a year, a good portion of those at long range, there's an advantage.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

Fair enough, but if we're all shooting 10,000 rounds a year, a good portion of those at long range, there's an advantage.

I agree. I just dont want folks to think that a fancy scale will beat practice. Reading a 1/2moa wind change is way more important than 1 kernel of powder