Digital powder measures?
- Thread starter BULLET 05
- Start date
I use my Chargemaster and another more accurate scale together as a part of my powdering process. At this point, I can't imagine not using my Chargemaster, and would buy another one today if mine broke.
Up above, mikecr linked to a search that will display a series of threads. The first post in the first thread gives the result of dispensing 50 charges on a CM and then weighing them on a Sartorius Entris.
I did the same thing when I got my Entris because I was curious about how my CM was behaving. I set it to dispense 30.3 gr of Varget and weighed each charge on the Entris. I only did 10 charges so my test may not be reliable, but I offer it for whatever it may be worth.
The 10 charges weighed as follows: 30.328 30.348 30.394 30.384 30.332 30.284 30.358 30.364 30.264 30.370
The average was 30.343, the ES was .13, and the SD was .04
Whether that's acceptable to someone depends upon the particular application and one's own personal level of tolerance. Would I use the CM by itself for hunting ammunition? Yes. Would I use it for 100/200 yard benchrest? As a matter of fact, I do. Would I use it for 600 yard competition? In that arena i use the CM to dispense .1 gr light and then use an Omega to trickle up the rest on the Entris.
Does that actually make a difference in my 600 yard scores vs. using the CM by itself? I'm shooting prone and neither my wind reading skills nor my technique is good enough to be able to isolate the charge from other variables that could have caused a missed shot. Nevertheless, I am happy to be able to eliminate one potential variable so that I know what I shouldn't blame it on.
I will say this: for a machine that not only weighs powder but also dispenses it, and cost me less than $300, I was impressed by the ES described above and am very happy with my CM.
Dave Rabin
I did the same thing when I got my Entris because I was curious about how my CM was behaving. I set it to dispense 30.3 gr of Varget and weighed each charge on the Entris. I only did 10 charges so my test may not be reliable, but I offer it for whatever it may be worth.
The 10 charges weighed as follows: 30.328 30.348 30.394 30.384 30.332 30.284 30.358 30.364 30.264 30.370
The average was 30.343, the ES was .13, and the SD was .04
Whether that's acceptable to someone depends upon the particular application and one's own personal level of tolerance. Would I use the CM by itself for hunting ammunition? Yes. Would I use it for 100/200 yard benchrest? As a matter of fact, I do. Would I use it for 600 yard competition? In that arena i use the CM to dispense .1 gr light and then use an Omega to trickle up the rest on the Entris.
Does that actually make a difference in my 600 yard scores vs. using the CM by itself? I'm shooting prone and neither my wind reading skills nor my technique is good enough to be able to isolate the charge from other variables that could have caused a missed shot. Nevertheless, I am happy to be able to eliminate one potential variable so that I know what I shouldn't blame it on.
I will say this: for a machine that not only weighs powder but also dispenses it, and cost me less than $300, I was impressed by the ES described above and am very happy with my CM.
Dave Rabin
Lapua40X
California Hunter Education Instructor
Ditto ..
I spun forty rounds last night. Four of them needed fine tuning by .1 t0 .3 grains loading 4831SC.
Might not work for fueling a space ship but, for shooting, I can live with that.
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Liven The Dream
Gold $$ Contributor
Gem Pro 250 for the money Outstanding.
Good Write up on this Forum .
The type of lighting in your work area and cell phones can drive then Nuts ?????
Good Write up on this Forum .
The type of lighting in your work area and cell phones can drive then Nuts ?????
Enough that I am considering the purchase of another so I don't have to wait for charges to finish being dispensed.
Gempro 250 is not a bad option at all. I'm using one right now in combination with a powder thrower to weigh out charges down to the kernel.
I've settled on a pretty quick workflow that totally eliminates trickling (though I have an Omega trickler). I just throw the charge and weigh it, usually it's between 0.1 - 0.2 low. I mentally note the weight and how many additional kernels it would take to hit my target weight (kernels weigh 0.02 each). I have a raised countertop that I keep a pile of loose kernels on and I use a straight edge to cut out the necessary number of kernels and slide them into the pan. Counting kernels hits the target weight so reliably that I don't need to reweigh and I can just drop another charge in the pan and move on. If it's more than a dozen kernels or so I will reweigh just to make sure I'm not 0.02 off. I do have tweezers to pull a kernel if needed, but usually I don't need that.
I can dispense a block of 50 cases with charge weights accurate to the kernel in about 17-18 minutes.
I've settled on a pretty quick workflow that totally eliminates trickling (though I have an Omega trickler). I just throw the charge and weigh it, usually it's between 0.1 - 0.2 low. I mentally note the weight and how many additional kernels it would take to hit my target weight (kernels weigh 0.02 each). I have a raised countertop that I keep a pile of loose kernels on and I use a straight edge to cut out the necessary number of kernels and slide them into the pan. Counting kernels hits the target weight so reliably that I don't need to reweigh and I can just drop another charge in the pan and move on. If it's more than a dozen kernels or so I will reweigh just to make sure I'm not 0.02 off. I do have tweezers to pull a kernel if needed, but usually I don't need that.
I can dispense a block of 50 cases with charge weights accurate to the kernel in about 17-18 minutes.
My CM worked well initially and I was able to weigh roughly to about 0.1gr. I could only verify with a RCBS 505. Unfortunately, after weighing about 500 rounds my CM flaked out and couldn't weigh within a 0.5gr or more. Needless to say, I am a more than a bit disappointed with it and RCBS. I've since gone the Entris 64/Dandy route and it seems like a great setup.
Lapua40X
California Hunter Education Instructor
Does "couldn't weigh" mean it didn't deposit the correct amount of powder within .5 grains or that it had a .5 grain error in actual weight? If the .05 grain error in weight was your experience, how did you validate that?
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Love mine....but finish off with an Omega trickler...I shoot 300 & 600 yards.
My CM has more than 0.5gr (not 0.05gr) weighing error in actual weight on a good day. I'm being generous. For that matter, it can't deposit the right amount of powder either since the scale is inconsistent. It's even overfilled a BR case with Varget more than a few times. I guess simply put the scale is hosed!
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