RCBS chargemaster Combo ?

[Baddog 0302]

I did the search thing, found a $hip pile of WTB / WTS posts.
Is this the one you'll have ?
I've seen reference to a 1500, is that the old version and this one the new and improved ?
For those who use "LOG" type powders like 4064, 4198, ect. how much of a (+ - ) does your unit vary with the log powders ?

Thank you
RCBS Chargemaster

 

[Gustav7]

Thats a really confusing post.... but basically there's two Chargemasters:

The Chargemaster 1500 "combo" which is what you linked and is the original and more expensive unit
The Chargemaster Lite, which is the same thing but slightly smaller, all digital and about $100 cheaper.

I have both, and run both side by side throwing the same loads. My last shooting session, I had an ES of 26 and SD of 7 over 40 total shots. Good enough for me.

I throw H4350, RL26, and XBR 8208 out of them and they do fine. Idk what my variance is because the chargemaster is the most accurate scale I own. I do know that when the thrown charge is weighed on the opposite scale, it has always read the same (sample size is maybe charges).

 

[spmcpeek]

I have a 1500 and it works well. I had some issues with extruded (log) powders until I added a piece of drinking straw to the dispenser tube. The dispenser tube is threaded and the extruded powder tends to clump up on the threads and fall out in chunks. There are also some more professionally manufactured devices, but the straw works fine for me.

 

[spife7980]

The main original is the chargemaster 1500, which is usually 225-300 depending on the sales and rebates. Its a combination dispenser and scale. It is .1 grain accurate and when dispensing it has a variable speed motor, it goes fast when it starts and then steps down to slower speeds as it approaches the entered charge weight to speed up the time between completed charges.

There is the chargemaster light which can be had for around 175-225 depending on the sales. Its the smallest and slowest as it isnt a variable speed motor and I dont think its programable but it reads to .1 gr of powder just like the 1500.

And then the new matchmaster with dual tubes for improved trickling speed and a .04 grain accurate scale so it should be quicker and more accurate then the previously mentioned but its like 8-900 bucks so every one is going with the fx120i autothrow scale combo for that price.

Now, how do those scale accuracies align with individual kernels of powder? Off the top of my head I think individual kernels of 8208 is .015 varget is ~.02 grains and I think 4350 is around .025 and rl26 is .035 or so the expensive matchmaster should be accurate to +/- one kernel but the 1500 and lite models could have a variance of a two or three kernels before it might register a change.

Getting them to dispense smoothly and evenly so you dont get those bulky powders coming out in clumps is as much of a challenge as anything which is what the drinking straw mentioned above is intended to help with.
Ball powders are like liquid and will just pour out so the tube is sorta threaded or ringed inside so that it has something to catch on, these dispensers are designed to work with everything.
But the bulkier powders can catch and can clump on those rings inside the dispenser tube so the soda straw makes it smooth and you can limit how much is allowed to enter the tube so that they slide out one at a time (or using a reducing inert close the hole down so only individual kernels can exit at once).

 

[straightshooter1]

I did the search thing, found a $hip pile of WTB / WTS posts.
Is this the one you'll have ?
I've seen reference to a 1500, is that the old version and this one the new and improved ?
For those who use "LOG" type powders like 4064, 4198, ect. how much of a (+ - ) does your unit vary with the log powders ?

Thank you
RCBS Chargemaster

The Chargemaster does a very decent job of producing consistent powder measurements and mine has given me low teen SD's for the most part. But, occasionally, it'll measure a load that's as much as .08 grs off (that's +/- .08 grs or .16 grs difference from the light to heavy difference) resulting in an SD in the 20's. Like for 4064 that can be about 3 kernels high or low.

When I want really accurate loads, I'll use a second scale that has higher resolution and accuracy. Like in my case I have a GemPro 250 that has a resolution of .02 and is accurate to +/- .02. It's measure an average sized kernel of 4048 at ~.03 grs. In using the two scales I get my loads to produce single digit SD's consistently and low ES's in the low teens to single digits.

I'd say that for most applications, the Charge Master 1500 is a great choice to depend on getting good loads for good results. And if one is doing a lot of shooting, running two of them at a time will speed up the loading process.