RCBS chargemaster lite worth it?

[Freediver111]

Got an email from Natchez for 10% off reloading equipment. They have the RCBS Chargemaster Lite on sale for $200, so with the discount it would come to $180.

Is this scale/powder dispenser worth it?

I currently use a beam scale and Lee powder measurer. Most of my reloading is with Reloder powder. It's kind of a PITA though. Getting perfect powder dumps is next to impossible with extruded powder. I tend to just throw a light charge, put it on the scale and trickle up to 47 grains.

I like precision, and my groups show that I'm doing a good job taking my time and making very good reloads that have excellent ES and group extremely well.

Will the Chargemaster lite save me some time and throw a charge accurately enough, or should I just stick to my current methods and deal with the time suck it takes?

Basically looking for recommendations to speed things up yet not throw my accuracy and precision off. Oh, and reasonable costs to upgrade is a factor.....

 

[spife7980]

I cant speak to the lite, I only had a 1500 which should be a faster model. Sure it over threw often enough requiring a redo but that was a small price to pay for having the process automated, its spitting out powder while you seat a bullet, saves you having to focus intently on a step. I wont ever weigh powder in a nonautomated manner again.

Its too bad that the rcbs rebate is over, ended with march, but 180 still isnt a bad price to pay in order to not have to crane your neck to look at a beam balance again. I dont think youll be disappointed in it.

 

[Freediver111]

I cant speak to the lite, I only had a 1500 which should be a faster model. Sure it over threw often enough requiring a redo but that was a small price to pay for having the process automated, its spitting out powder while you seat a bullet, saves you having to focus intently on a step. I wont ever weigh powder in a nonautomated manner again.

Its too bad that the rcbs rebate is over, ended with march, but 180 still isnt a bad price to pay in order to not have to crane your neck to look at a beam balance again. I dont think youll be disappointed in it.

What would the price have been when the RCBS sale was going on? I'll do a little research on the lite, but it's tempting.

 

[spife7980]

What would the price have been when the RCBS sale was going on? I'll do a little research on the lite, but it's tempting.

The rebate levels were 99-299 was 25 off and 299-499 was 100 off.
So with the rebate I would have suggested the 1500 to reach the 300 mark easier to get the 100 off which would have netted the 1500 for 200 as opposed to the lite for 200-25=175: saving you 25 bucks to get the lite model instead. That is unless you needed to buy another 100 in rcbs products as well anyways which would have put you over 300 mark. https://www.natchezss.com/media/wysiwyg/pdf/reb/buygreen.pdf

They do it 3-4 times a year it seems but depending on what else you need to buy etc IDK if it would be worth the wait time for it to come around again if you were only gonna get 25 off of it, 5 less than what you could get it for today.

 

[Dooby]

The Lite is a good starter powder charge. But it's slow and mine drifted. I still use it for initial charge but my A&D fx120i with Auto Trickler is much faster and more accurate. I'd recommend the Auto Trickler if you're willing to spend that much. Makes reloading fast, accurate and fun again.

 

[Freediver111]

The Lite is a good starter powder charge. But it's slow and mine drifted. I still use it for initial charge but my A&D fx120i with Auto Trickler is much faster and more accurate. I'd recommend the Auto Trickler if you're willing to spend that much. Makes reloading fast, accurate and fun again.

Holy crap, that fx120i is $500!
I’m sure it’s nice, but I have other toys I’d like to spend $500 on. Still researching the Lite. Very tempted but how slow is slow? About the same time it takes to do it manually?

 

[Xander3Zero]

My buddy and I just got CM Lite's in the past few weeks and we're both loving them.

I just have mine plugged into a surge protector (no fancy UPC or voltage regulator like some are running) and I haven't noticed any drifting. I just follow the instructions: turn it on and let it warm up for about an hour prior to use. I stick one of the 50 gram calibration weights on the scale while its warming up and it will drift slightly in the beginning, but after its warmed up I've noticed no change.

Calibrate with the two 50 gram cal weights per the instruction, load a bunch of charges, and at the end I take one of the cal weights and the scale still reads exactly 50.00 grams. Through a couple uses over the past few weeks and the powder pan it came with has weighed exactly the same every time I've used it.

As for how long it takes, I have been throwing around 24.5 grain charges for 223 and it takes about 15 seconds or so each time. Its very fast to get to 23-24ish grains and it then it trickles slowly for the last half-grain or so. I would think that larger charges would only take marginally more time because it will just dispense at a fast rate until its near your set charge. Its much faster than weighing manually on a beam scale and trickling by hand. Its much more relaxing as well because you won't have to intensely stare at your balance beam while trickling one kernel at a time lol.

 

[tscoz]

My CM 1500 was one of the best investments I’ve ever made in reloading, especially when working up loads.

 

[wpierce]

I love my CM lite. It’s one reloading tool I will always have.

 

[SporterII]

I too like mine as a thrower.
One session dispensing " 26.2gr. I measure 26.1 on my old trusty 505. Not bad at all. Next session dispensing 44.50 I measure 44.2
I check with my Gem Pro [125.00] as I use the 505 to verify. They agree to .05gr.
I like my 505 and it repeats, The value is the value I developed loads with and that is MY real number.

 

[Harv24]

I too just snagged a lite for $200 plus the rebate...Very happy with it and a big step up for my precision reloading... Looking forward to seeing what my SD is next range trip.

 

[Freediver111]

Thanks guys!
My CM Lite arrives tomorrow! Can’t wait. I just did a reload session last night and once again, throwing powder, weighing on the balance scale, and trickling up was my least favorite step.

Can’t wait to have something that allows me to avoid that!