Rcbs chargemaster
- Thread starter Rockchuck
- Start date
It's a good machine if you're ok with 0.1 grain accuracy. Mine has lasted 6 years, so far.
Recently converted to battery power and the scale is now much more consistent.
Recently converted to battery power and the scale is now much more consistent.
Right. Get the brass insert for the dispensing tube and reprogram the machine to speed it up. You can search these forums for more details if you end up acquiring one.
BINGO!!
I have had and used one for years. Get one you will love it. It can be tweeked to fit your needs. Just my two cents . Tommy Mc
TheOtherZilla
Pull my finger
I have one.. Not real impressed as it has a few problems IMO. First and most frustrating is that fine grained powders fall out of the spout after the dispensing has stopped. Yes I have a set of tube bushings and have made the programming mods.. Stick powders are pretty OK.
Second. Scale drift. Sometimes it won't go back to zero .. After dumping the pan.
Third, as shipped it is sensitive to electronic and line interference.. Flourescent lamps or LED's or even curley que bulbs mess with it..
Fourth. Take the plastic door off and set it aside when using.. If you move it over the scale it will change the reading.
Finally , I purchased a battery UPS from staples to power mine. Most of the drift and zero problems went away. Still once in a while it just will not go back to zero.
I also got a new mechanical scale to cross check it with..
And then there is the powder dump door. Yes it works great until you forget to close it and add powder....
Second. Scale drift. Sometimes it won't go back to zero .. After dumping the pan.
Third, as shipped it is sensitive to electronic and line interference.. Flourescent lamps or LED's or even curley que bulbs mess with it..
Fourth. Take the plastic door off and set it aside when using.. If you move it over the scale it will change the reading.
Finally , I purchased a battery UPS from staples to power mine. Most of the drift and zero problems went away. Still once in a while it just will not go back to zero.
I also got a new mechanical scale to cross check it with..
And then there is the powder dump door. Yes it works great until you forget to close it and add powder....
3Ackleys
Gold $$ Contributor
I have 2 and have had very good results with both. I use the Area 419 powder cup ( it has a longer handle) and the dramworx pyrex hopper (no static) with mine. As far as leaving the drain open i use the "lid" from a box of Hornady 6.5 147 ELDM's. There is a cut out that fits perfectly under the drain. Then when you leave it open ( you will) the "lid" catches your powder.
bozo699
Gold $$ Contributor
All electronic scales drift some!... I have 2 chargemasters and they work perfectly fine for the most part. Your correct about lighting it can affect the scale so can temperature swings, wind or someone walking around in your loading room. The straw fixed most of my over charges, I believe in the instructions it tells you to remove the plastic cover while using the scale. Having it level is a must as with any scale electronic or not. I use to have mine hooked through a ups but I haven’t for a long time. During a loading session I might zero it several times but that’s no big deal I never see it drift more than .01 and when it does I zero it I throw one or two tenths light transfer pan to my gd 503 and trickle up to weight for my long range stuff everything else the chargemaster does fine on it’s own. As far as dumping powder by not closing the drain spout is your own fault and not the scales.... however I have done it as well and was very angry at myself!... I have read in this forum a few guys have drilled a hole in there bench and used a funnel and hose to drain powder back in its can and I plan on doing that just too lazy so far. I think the chargemaster is the best thing out there for the price, if money is no problem buy a A&D With V3 or If money is no object at all a Prometheus .
Wayne
I too have one and have used it for years (12 now). The straw mod eliminates most problems with clumps falling out when trickling the last little bit. There can be problems with line noise, but they can be eliminated by using a ferrite core on the power cord ($6 from Ebay), or there are other methods as well. It is critical that the Chargemaster be level front to back and side to side. Mine stays within +/- .1 grain (good enough for hunting and plinking), and for match ammo I weigh again with a jeweler's electronic scale and use an electric powder trickler to supplement. If you load a lot of ammo, it is a really good means of maintaining consistency and well worth the price.
Set it on a very smooth surface which will enable you to hand wipe any powder granules that inadvertently end up spilled or otherwise get there. Be willing to deal with minor idiosyncrasies' that plague it. I love mine, its 5-6 years old now. Great for weighing brass and bullets too.
I've had mine for about six months and like it. I use a voltage stabilizer and it's pretty consistent. It rarely goes over the set charge and normally is less than .1 grain under which works well for me. I double check each load on an AND EJ-123 scale and fine tune it.
Prior to the Chargemaster, I used a Lyman Gen 6 and it wasn't nearly as consistent and there were other things about the Lyman that I didn't like. It's been boxed up as a backup should I ever need it.
Prior to the Chargemaster, I used a Lyman Gen 6 and it wasn't nearly as consistent and there were other things about the Lyman that I didn't like. It's been boxed up as a backup should I ever need it.
jackieschmidt
Gold $$ Contributor
I started with the Chargemaster to load for Matches and Practice at the range, then switched to the Chargemaster Lite when it came out. I prefer the Lite for my short range Benchrest needs.
It has a much better wind guard, (it really works), has a built in level, does not drop unwanted kernels like the larger unit, and takes up less room on the loading table. At the range, I use a small motorcycle battery and a small inverter for the 110 I bought at Best Buy.
I have no complaints, except for that round count. That is useless for my applications.
It has a much better wind guard, (it really works), has a built in level, does not drop unwanted kernels like the larger unit, and takes up less room on the loading table. At the range, I use a small motorcycle battery and a small inverter for the 110 I bought at Best Buy.
I have no complaints, except for that round count. That is useless for my applications.
bozo699
Gold $$ Contributor
Jackie,
I been wondering about the smaller unit. That’s good info thank you for sharing
Wayne
NorCalMikie
Gold $$ Contributor
Had one for about an hour!! Watched that thing drift back and forth for that long before I boxed it back up and found someone that needed it more than I did. I'll stick with my 505 thank you very much. Havn't seen IT drift in over 20 years.
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