How to speed up charging rate

[bench]

How to get a little faster at charging my ammo.
I use a RCBS Charge Master 1500 then to a Gem Pro 250 with a battery operated trickler and then I put every charge on the beam scale just to confirm the electronic scale never lies to me.
I would sure like to have a system that is faster but just as accurate.
Or is charging just a slow process???

 

[Ledd Slinger]

It's faster if you're not so paranoid. LOL ;D

I could see doing that if a recipe that grouped with great accuracy all of the sudden went haywire, but I really don't see the reason for all that. No offense, but in my opinion, you are creating your own misery. When it starts to feel like work instead of pleasure, it's time to take a step back.

 

[savagedasher]

When did Reloading turn into a Race?

 

[bench]

Wow you guys are being a bit harsh
Its not work and its not a race.
I just have about 3000 rounds to load for several rifles for PD shooting and would like to save some time
Was just checking to see how others loaded and measured the powder charge.

 

[mikecr]

Why not just use your ChargeMaster as intended?
If all you're doing is walking shots into PD mounds, you could go back to a std powder thrower. Right?

 

[Ledd Slinger]

PD shooting ??? That makes your method even crazier! ;D

I thought you were honing a rifle to set a benchrest world record! I use a powder thrower or my Chargemaster alone for varmint rounds because I really don't give a hoot if I screw up a handful of rounds and miss a few PDs or ground squirrels. But I've never lost any accuracy with using the chargemaster. Some folks use the Chargemaster by itself for loading competition ammo during a shoot. If anything, that should give you a little comfort...

 

[dsandfort]

I feel your pain. There are posted methods for "hacking" the factory settings for your chargemaster. Specifically, you can adjust the weight thresholds where the motor slows from fast to medium and from medium to slow. I use 2 units side-by-side and adjust them so one is throwing while I seat a bullet. Once seated, the other charge is ready. Really speeds up bulk loading.
Search in the articles section of this site.
Good pasture poodle shooting!
Oh yeah, if the chargemaster "never lies", why the extra steps?

 

[Deleted old_dood]

if you're electronic weighing while trickling up and then weighing again, why bother with the Chargemaster for the initial throw? A Chargemaster is much slower that a regular powder thrower. I throw to within .3 grains or better, Omega trickle on the FX201. I don't see a need to verify with a beam scale. can charge 50 in about 20 minutes that way. I've got a Redding BR30 measure. with spherical powders I check the throw on the FX201 and when it's correct, I charge directly into the cases...and that's it.

 

[Martin52]

How to get a little faster at charging my ammo.
I use a RCBS Charge Master 1500 then to a Gem Pro 250 with a battery operated trickler and then I put every charge on the beam scale just to confirm the electronic scale never lies to me.
I would sure like to have a system that is faster but just as accurate.
Or is charging just a slow process???

My main charging system used to include a Gempro 250. Whilst it's a good value for money scale (at least mine was), it does not handle powder trickling very well although measures static weights eg cases, accurately.

I moved to a magnetic force restoration gauge, (A&D 300), this type of scale recognises a single kernel almost instantly.

My suggestion - keep the Chargemaster, throw under weight charges, replace the Gempro with a MF scale, trickle up on a Dandy battery operated trickler. (Keep the GP for case and other static weighing).

The change to a MF scale cut my reloading time in half - important as I'm time poor with work etc.

Martin

 

[rduckwor]

Ditch the Chargemaster, get a Lee powder thrower, drop a few tenths short and trickle up with your Omega.

Fast and easy.

RMD

 

[bloc]

What cartridge are you loading for? I ask because most measures are . . . oh, I dunno . . . ± say, .2 grains.

The larger the case volume, the less that degree of variation will influence your loads.

For example, I use a garden variety RCBS Uniflow measure for everything from .380 up: .2 grains is a much higher percentage of the total charge in a .380 than it is in a .223 Rem., .225 Win., 300 Savage or 6mm Rem. In a .380, it might change the point of impact . . . but in the .223? Not so I can notice.

 

[amlevin]

Don't know why you bother with the extra weighing.

I load right from the Chargemaster and am more than happy with the results. Friday my "fresh from the Chargemaster charges sent a bunch of 77 gr SMK's into a single hole at 100 yards. Out of 50 rounds only half a dozen didn't go through the same hole and were less than 1 bullet diameter off of center. ( shot 10 5 round groups). In each case the error was strictly me, not he charges.

I get similar results at LR, using the charges that come straight from the Chargemaster without any "check weighing". I find that spending more time on case prep yields better results than "picking fly poop out of the pepper" by check weighing on 2 or more scales.

 

[BoydAllen]

If you insist on your overboard approach for PD ammo, sell what you have, and get a magnetic force restoration scale of good quality, an electric trickler, and an ordinary powder measure. Throw light and trickle on the scale. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxMzbAt4bj0

 

[savagedasher]

Buy a Dillon and don't worry. ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D Larry

 

[CatShooter]

How to get a little faster at charging my ammo.
I use a RCBS Charge Master 1500 then to a Gem Pro 250 with a battery operated trickler and then I put every charge on the beam scale just to confirm the electronic scale never lies to me.
I would sure like to have a system that is faster but just as accurate.
Or is charging just a slow process???

If your final station is a beam scale (which is good), then why the hell are you bothering with all the other garbage.

As Boyd said... get a powder measure and a trickler - throw light and trickle - it is far faster and more reliable than any of the garbage you are doing...

 

[BoydAllen]

One more point, with a tuned balance scale, and a web cam to put the image of my scale's beam pointer on my computer screen, I can easily see differences of charge weight of .05 grains. IMO that is plenty good for any application except possibly top level 1,000 yard benchrest competition, and overkill for any hunting application. Balance scales respond rather quickly when trickling.

 

[Syncrowave]

I use an RCBS Uniflow measure and, if it's throwing pretty accurately, only weigh every 10th charge on an RCBS 10 - 10 beam balance.

I'd lose my mind if I had to weigh every charge on a GemPro, let alone a GemPro AND a beam balance.

Then again, I'm shooting SR so it probably doesn't matter that much, at least for me. For LR rounds and hunting stuff, I'll throw a light charge, then trickle up on the RCBS 10 - 10.

YMMV.

 

[Webster]

Sounds like compulsive behavior. Very excessive for a hunting rifle. You need to test your method at the range and give it up if it doesn't help. You have an extremely accurate laboratory scale and you don't trust it. Does your beam balance ever show the GemPro was wrong? I doubt it and you still insist on doing it. What size groups are you shooting? Questionable even for competition. No-one else does it. The wind and temp changes in the field will make a bigger difference. A PD doesn't know the difference between a rifle that shoots a .25 or a .5 group. I like 8208 powder, it's fine and meters well in a powder measure. You will probably have more variation with a course powder like Varget. Did you ever load with your standard load then load some up .1 0r .2 gr more and shoot them at the range to see what the difference is? Just because your fussy about something doesn't mean your making an improvement. Differences in barrrel temp, primers, bullet weight, bearing surfaces and ect. swamp any other tiny improvements. Just find an accurate load and go hunting. Good luck I wish I could go with you. Ohio sucks.

 

[amlevin]

One more point, with a tuned balance scale, and a web cam to put the image of my scale's beam pointer on my computer screen, I can easily see differences of charge weight of .05 grains. IMO that is plenty good for any application except possibly top level 1,000 yard benchrest competition, and overkill for any hunting application. Balance scales respond rather quickly when trickling.

Boyd-

Maybe he should just sell off what he has and get a Prometheus (after a year or more of waiting 8))

 

[amlevin]

Ohio sucks.

And not just because of the lack of Prairie Dogs