Tips affixed to the dispenser tube on RCBS Chargemaster 1500 to avoid excess dribbles

[Jud96]

Try this. Works for me. You can also reprogram the speeds to dispense to your liking.

This is exactly what I did. I also messed with the programming so it trickles for 1.0 grains. Mine is really consistent now. I have compared my tuned Chargemaster loads on my Bald Eagle scale and 10 loads fell inside +-.05gr with no overthrows. I think that’s pretty dang good for a ChargeMaster.

 

[jepp2]

What do you think? Please advise me of better alternatives (tips?) to address this problem.

Will not help the CM folks, but it is interesting how Adam McDonald addressed this with his auto trickler. A very minor change to the "kick stand" which changes the slope of the trickler tube a small amount, lets it deal effectively with range of powder (and angle of repose) to meter powder accurately.

One more reason why I only use my CM as my auto dump for my FX 120i and V3 auto trickler. I also see what every charge weighs on a sale accurate to +/- 0.02 gr vs what the CM "thinks" it weighs. If you think that charge that CM says weighs 40.2 gr really weighs that, you will be surprised. I'm not bashing the CM, but just recognizing it's limitations.

 

[tmwinds]

This is exactly what I did. I also messed with the programming so it trickles for 1.0 grains. Mine is really consistent now. I have compared my tuned Chargemaster loads on my Bald Eagle scale and 10 loads fell inside +-.05gr with no overthrows. I think that’s pretty dang good for a ChargeMaster.

Exactly, may not work for every Chargemaster but it works for me. Besides I can’t see 1 or 2 kernels on the target.

 

[DiffEQ]

Lots of great advice.
If all else fails, use hyperbole and cognitive dissonance - repeat 1000× : "my chargemaster throws to the kernel, every time!"

 

[Straightshooter1]

This is exactly what I did. I also messed with the programming so it trickles for 1.0 grains. Mine is really consistent now. I have compared my tuned Chargemaster loads on my Bald Eagle scale and 10 loads fell inside +-.05gr with no overthrows. I think that’s pretty dang good for a ChargeMaster.

Yeah, I'd say +/- .05 is pretty dang good too. The best the CM might do depends a lot on the powder one is using. . . at least that what I've seen in some of my testing.

 

[divingin]

I did the McDonalds Straw Mod only I used a Chik Filet straw (because it’s the only fast food that I’ll actually eat) and it works great.

Do you have to recalibrate the straw going from beef to chicken?

Don't remember where I picked this up (might have been on here), but someone suggested using a barbed hose fitting as a nozzle thing:

 

[Hohn]

Is it not fascinating that a product with a long time on the market and a known shortcoming is allowed by the maker to persist with that shortcoming? It’s almost like they find it amusing to observe all the customers scrambling to mitigate what THEY should mitigate.

 

[dcali]

Is it not fascinating that a product with a long time on the market and a known shortcoming is allowed by the maker to persist with that shortcoming? It’s almost like they find it amusing to observe all the customers scrambling to mitigate what THEY should mitigate.

I don't think it's a shortcoming. It has to work with everything from ball powder to flakes, to big extruded sticks. What works best for one powder doesn't work for another. The stock configuration is pretty good if you tweak the software parameters. I haven't been able to do better by adding straws and other gubbins, but I have been able to substantially improve the speed/overcharge rate by setting the parameters. If they made a design error its that they made changing the parameters such a pain in the ass. It would be nice if it were just a set of dials or something similarly simple.

I think there's a reason that the high end RCBS has two tubes (as does the new Autotrickler, sort of).

 

[mikecr]

Biggest flaw* is that the CM1500 displays the setpoint charge -regardless of what it stopped on.
*Designed lie

I really like my CM, but I agree with Hohn. RCBS should have improved the design and results instead of leaving it a customer abstract. And there is no reason to think that their alternate offerings are better.
I've seen elsewhere that RCBS neglects product development, product service, and eventually product sales. This tells me their products were never theirs to begin with. Outsourced or bought.

 

[Homerange]

I don't think it's a shortcoming. It has to work with everything from ball powder to flakes, to big extruded sticks. What works best for one powder doesn't work for another. The stock configuration is pretty good if you tweak the software parameters. I haven't been able to do better by adding straws and other gubbins, but I have been able to substantially improve the speed/overcharge rate by setting the parameters. If they made a design error its that they made changing the parameters such a pain in the ass. It would be nice if it were just a set of dials or something similarly simple.

I think there's a reason that the high end RCBS has two tubes (as does the new Autotrickler, sort of).

Nailed it.

Biggest flaw* is that the CM1500 displays the setpoint charge -regardless of what it stopped on.
*Designed lie

I really like my CM, but I agree with Hohn. RCBS should have improved the design and results instead of leaving it a customer abstract. And there is no reason to think that their alternate offerings are better.
I've seen elsewhere that RCBS neglects product development, product service, and eventually product sales. This tells me their products were never theirs to begin with. Outsourced or bought.

However if it didn't one would immediately question every charge it throws was wrong.
Throw tolerance is clearly outlined in the specs and to not confirm the programmed weight was reached would only add user confusion to its operation.
Like damoncali says CM's operation is a quite reasonable compromise to accommodate the use of a wide variety of powders and when throw parameters can also be tweaked for the trickier types it can do a quite reasonable job for the vast majority of us.

Mine, well other than adding a bush to better manage extruded powder clumping I've left it as stock however YMMV.

​

 

[Big Mc]

I use the RCBS Chargemaster 1500 and find it's quite efficient in helping me load powder into cases. However, sometimes it dribbles a few granules at the conclusion of a powder load, and I have to repeat the load to get it accurate.

A friend of mine made a tip for me (pic) using his metal lathe, which I have affixed onto the dispensing tube and it seems like it helps resolve this problem to some extent, but I still get excessive dribbles and have to repeat loads maybe once out of every 10 cases. Perhaps there are other tips to affix to the end of the dispenser tube that might work better. What do you think? Please advise me of better alternatives (tips?) to address this problem.

I use a brass fitting for 7/16 fuel line . Get at any auto parts store.Just my two cents Tommy Mc

 

[mikecr]

However if it didn't one would immediately question every charge it throws was wrong.

I know of no other scale, reloading or otherwise, that shows anything but raw measure.
But they outright configured this one to lie.
Or kindly put, at setpoint it displays what's in memory rather than measure.
While the truth is: as it comes out of the box, user manual operation, nearly every charge it throws IS wrong.

There are always costs with snowing customers.
Early adopters and potential customers thought charges were true to the readings. Then the boards lit up with independent testing, showing most of their charges were likely overthrown. This did not go over well with a lot of folks, who felt deceived, and some resented the purchase. Some returned to what they had, or went a more traditional route. Others, like me, modified what they had to make it work.
That's just what I saw, and I always thought it was a bad move on the part of RCBS.

 

[Adam in WI]

I know of no other scale, reloading or otherwise, that shows anything but raw measure.
But they outright configured this one to lie.
Or kindly put, at setpoint it displays what's in memory rather than measure.

Not sure I understand what you're trying to say. If I set mine for 40.0 grains and it throws 40.2, it shows 40.2 with the arrow indicating overcharge on the display.

 

[dcali]

The chargmaster does show the correct weight - you just have to wait for it to finish. If you don't, you might think it's showing weight when it's actually showing the target. It's a bad design, but it does show the true weight eventually. In my experience, the scale is fairly accurate as well - better than the +/- 0.1 spec.

 

[Homerange]

The chargmaster does show the correct weight - you just have to wait for it to finish. If you don't, you might think it's showing weight when it's actually showing the target. It's a bad design, but it does show the true weight eventually. In my experience, the scale is fairly accurate as well - better than the +/- 0.1 spec.

That I did not know and as I need load some 223 today I'll leave the pan on for a while to check the target gets replaced with actual.
We see some comments of guys lifting the pan after a throw and returning it to the platen to get the actual weight however it's something I've never tried since throw checks have always been quite close enough for my modest needs.

 

[dcali]

That I did not know and as I need load some 223 today I'll leave the pan on for a while to check the target gets replaced with actual.
We see some comments of guys lifting the pan after a throw and returning it to the platen to get the actual weight however it's something I've never tried since throw checks have always been quite close enough for my modest needs.

Yeah, it stops at the target, beeps and does it counting thing. If you leave the pan in place for a couple seconds it will show the true weight. If it was a slow trickle, it will match the target. If a big clump fell in at the end, it will be a tenth or two over. You can almost tell which ones are overcharges by how quickly it stops.

It's annoying and not very intuitive. It should just show the actual weight at all times if you ask me.

 

[Adam in WI]

It should just show the actual weight at all times if you ask me.

Mine does. So do I have some oddball generation that fixed all the gripes? I don't understand half of the issues most of you are having. I can watch mine count up the grains as it's dispensing; and if it misses, it shows on the display. Color me confused. I think it's a great unit other than being somewhat picky about the types of powder it plays well with.

 

[RegionRat]

I have Chargemasters from different eras, one from the first runs and then one from much later, and they both show the value like has been said above.

The confusion comes from folks who were running fast and didn't want to wait for the reading to show.

When I run the Chargemasters, I run more than one so that one machine is running while the charge is being moved.

If you wait, you will catch the overthrows and it helps to have the pair running to make sure you don't stall while the bulk of the charge is pumping.

 

[Homerange]

Yeah, it stops at the target, beeps and does it counting thing. If you leave the pan in place for a couple seconds it will show the true weight. If it was a slow trickle, it will match the target. If a big clump fell in at the end, it will be a tenth or two over. You can almost tell which ones are overcharges by how quickly it stops.

It's annoying and not very intuitive. It should just show the actual weight at all times if you ask me.

Just a small batch loaded today to top up the varmint load box but with 2 different powder types and weights and 3 different projectiles without a single overthrow (as expected) and every throw correct to the resolution of the display.
Removing and replacing throws onto the platen resulted in zero changes to thrown or displayed weights.

Really couldn't be bothered to get out the Ohaus.

 

[dcali]

Mine does. So do I have some oddball generation that fixed all the gripes? I don't understand half of the issues most of you are having. I can watch mine count up the grains as it's dispensing; and if it misses, it shows on the display. Color me confused. I think it's a great unit other than being somewhat picky about the types of powder it plays well with.

If it’s like mine it will always stop counting up at the target, beep, flash the round count for a second, and then show the actual weight, which is usually the same as the target. But if it’s an overthrow it will show up accurately. The process takes about two seconds after the motor stops.

if you wait for it to stop, and then immediately pick up the pan, it will not ever get to the point where the true weight is shown. That’s where people get confused. They believe (reasonably) that the number shown when the powder stops dispensing is accurate when it is not.