Need a better way to dispense powder.

[sam86]

So for the last few years I have been scooping powder and weighing it in a powder dish on my digital scalet. Im about done doing that, yeah its accurate but takes way too long. Anyone use a digital electric dispenser? I have a single stage Lee Challenger press. What are my options?

[Rcmaveric]

I use the Lee perfect Powder Measure. Drops it right into the scale. Then use trickle. Ball and flake powders are normally dead on. Only stick powders need to be toped off with trickler.

I really want the auto dispencers. I can not justify the price though. I used to use scoops and it would take me some time, but by using the powder dispenser straight into the scale it save me a lot of time. I can quickly and accuratelt load rounds that way.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

[Gtrubicon]

The rcbs dispenser is great, yeah it’s pricey but worth it to me. I also use a lee deluxe perfect powder measure with an adapter that goes on my lee powder through expanding dies. Very fast and accurate when set up on a turret press.

[lightman]

I've had an RCBS Chargemaster for several years and love it. Before that I dipped and trickeled. The Chargemaster is way faster.

[jsizemore]

A friend got a RCBS Chargemaster setup. I carried my Denver Instruments MXX-123 over to check it out. It did really good. He has quit reloading so I haven't had a chance to check it's accuracy these many years later.

[iShoot17]

I agree that the RCBS Chargemaster Combo is worth every penny. There are more expensive options, and less expensive options. The combos can be had for around $200 used, and were even close to that new earlier this year with the promotions that RCBS runs!

[Skunk1]

I have a Lyman that I know was expensive but got it second hand from a guy that reloaded 8 bullets with it. I happy with it for what I paid. Will probably buy another just for the simple fact that they make life a lot easier in the reloading room.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[MyFlatline]

+1 on the chargemaster. I caught mine on sale. Love it..Worth every penny too.

[Ickisrulz]

How about just using a powder measure such as the Uniflow or one of the more precision models? Properly used, they provided enough consistency even for bench rest competitors shooting up to 500 yards (or so I've read).

[mattw]

Ok, lately I have been having fits with powder measures... I just started loading 32acp after all these years and my goto measure is a Uniflow. I love it for speed and accuracy about 3.5 grains of most powder and charge all the way up to 30/06 and 6mm/284 with it and a trickler to top off on bench loads. Then the 32's came along. I wanted to throw Titegroup, bullseye, and 231 accurately to around 1.8 to 2.1 grains. The Uniflow just could not do it, even with the small drum.

I had the chance to test with a Lyman 55 and a Lee Perfect Powder Measure. The Lyman just plain works, in fact it would go down to 1.3 grains of Titegroup.. will never need that! The Lee? I first lapped it with toothpaste for that minty fresh smile and then ran about 1/2 hopper full of International Harvester ultrafine graphite through it and then started testing. No leaks! :) That darn thing was very repeatable down to 1.6 grains of Titegroup and also very small charges of Clays. It worked very well, but the tiny handle and plastic do not instill a lot of faith and it will not mount in a 7/8x14 powder measure stand! Once again, wish I had a lathe and I would make a bushing to do just that! I am not sure if the Deluxe PPM is smoother or works better, but I have to give the little Lee credit where it is deserved.

My pecking order will still be 1) RCBS, 2) Lyman and 3) Lee. But, I did feel let down that my 30 year old RCBS just could not get it done!

[W.R.Buchanan]

Another way to go is with the RCBS Drop tube attachment for a drum type PM. You drop the charge short right into the scale pan and then trickle it to right on with the trickler that is built into the drop tube.

I got rid of my Lyman DPS 3 and can throw exact charges into either a digital scale pan or my RCBS 1010 pan if I need really accurate charges. It is actually much faster than the electronic dispensers.

The Electronic dispensers tend to be a little finicky with warm up, and if wind is blowing on them etc. This thing works great, it's quick to set up and accurate as your scale. A much better setup than just a scale and trickler.

Randy

[jmorris]

I have a couple of charge masters and they are ok for most uses and powders.

I wish they gave you more information about the parameters and how they effect its output. There are tons of videos and mods out there but most make it even worse than it is out of the box.

I would really like to be able to turn off the “auto zero” “feature”.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmxBSOOL7Ks

[jmorris]

If you have a decent beam scale, it’s not too hard to create a better machine, with more resolution.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nA0_KDjbBGQ

[jmorris]

This is it in a nutshell, minus tricker and scale.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UxPenA7c0hE&t=19s

[str8wal]

Lyman 55

[Outpost75]

I use RCBS Little Dandy for most of my loading. Have had several custom brass rotors made for black powder and for lighter and heavier charges outside the range of the factory standard ones. Minimum charge cat sneeze rotors I had done #0000 and #000 do 1.0 and 1.5 grains of Bullseye. Larger rotor I had made meter 38 grs. of Goex 3Fg for .44-40 and .45 Colt, also 27 grs. of 4198 or 30 grs. of RL7 for cast loads in .303 Brit., .30-30, .30-'06, etc.

[kungfustyle]

My RCBS Charge master lite has been working great. I also use a Lyman 55 for my pistols and a Lee auto disk. All three have their place for me. I will admit I just use the Lyman when the other two aren't piratical. By the way if you buy it at Brownells you get a lifetime warranty.

[BK7saum]

Maybe I'm the odd man out, but I have gone away from the RCBS charge master back to a uniflow dispenser, beam balance and a trickler. It is faster for me than the charge master for the 60-100 grain charges I measure. Even on the 20-44 grain charges, I find the beam balance or the new scientific digital scale to be as fast and more accurate than my Chargemaster. Maybe it's the lights in my shop, I dont know.

I have an electronic trickler that is pretty dang neat. Works like a charm.

[Lloyd Smale]

ive got a pact dispenser/scale that I really like but I believe there discontinued now. I also have a lyman all in one unit. It works well too but I seldom use it because it requires a 20 minute warm up. I guess if I was going to buy my first one today it would be the rcbs. If for no other reason then that if something goes wrong theres not a better company for standing behind its products then rcbs.

[dverna]

Another user of the RCBS Chargemaster. But I do not get hung up too much on absolute precision of charge weight. When I work up a load, I pick one that shoots well with a +/- .2 gr spread. That allows me to use a PM for the .223 loads. I load less than 50 hunting loads a year, and it is just as quick to use the Chargemaster, than fiddling with a PM.

There is some interesting reading that makes one question how much slight variations in charge weights affect accuracy....it is not as important as some think.

[str8wal]

There is some interesting reading that makes one question how much slight variations in charge weights affect accuracy....it is not as important as some think.

I agree that accuracy may not be affected all that much, but when you are loading a max of 4.8 grains of Titegroup in your 9mm, .2 grains too much could have a dire effect when you press the trigger.

[gundownunder]

Like the OP I have a Lee challenger. It's my only press and I have been using it for over ten years.
These days I reload for brother and my niece, as well as myself, so I needed to up my production rate.
I only reload for 32-20 and 357, and while some of the 357 stuff is full snort, none of it is on the edge.
I recently bought the Lee auto drum measure and with fine powders it is as accurate as I need. With 14 grains of 296 it will throw every load within .1 of a grain when check measured on a digital with 2 decimal places.
Screw the auto drum straight into the top of the expander die, adjust the measure, and start pulling the handle. The expander button activates the drum and as the ram is dropped back down, the internal spring cycles the drum back and recharges it.
If it sticks, or throws inaccurate charges, or no charge at all, your adjustment is off. It's quick, easy, and accurate, and thats good enough for me.