Electronic Powder Dispensers

[TXCOONDOG]

Guess the older I get with eyesight, patience, etc., my Redding balance beam gets on my nerves because it's too sensitive (no air movement and don't breathe to hard) and can take forever to settle during load development.

Does any of the manufactures offer an accurate reliable/repeatable electronic powder dispenser that can be trusted to throw fine & stick powders charges?

My reloading room has LED lighting and wondered if the frequencies will mess with the electronics?

Comments, recommendations, etc. welcome

[RadarsRUs]

In my 10 + yrs of using it… When it come to larger (relative) Rifle reloading in .308, 6.5 Creed, etc. OR hand weighed charges for other load-development the RCBS Chargemaster has just been a SPECTACULAR piece of kit for the bench. I absolutely Love that thing.

It also has a very Stable digital scale in front that I use as my general reloading scale as well.

When this thing dies on me I may half a funeral for it…����

[rbuck351]

I have had very good luck with my Lyman #6.

[Txcowboy52]

I’ve had excellent results with the Hornady Auto Charge . Very accurate with all the powders I’ve used so far. It’s a smaller footprint on an all ready crowded loading bench, than most of the others.
Easy to set up and use !

[Coopaloop86]

Just my one and only personal experience but I had an absolute nightmare with a Lyman auto dispenser. After loading 100 rounds of .44, I discovered that my charge weights were varying quite dramatically. Like half to 3/4s of a grain dramatically. Pulled the rounds and verified. After web searches, emails, phone calls and everything in between, I gave up and trashed it. I moved it to a different location, different room, cleaned it, rubbed it with dryer sheets, you name it. Lyman wanted me to try everything in the world and the rare time I could speak to a human, would not entertain taking it back. I refuse to own a measuring device that I don't have the utmost certainty in its accuracy. My other gripe was that I bought it for doing small lots. I found that it took me just as long to get it set up and emptied as it did just setting my thrower and using my digital scale to confirm. I really didn't find any time saving for my own loading methods. Thats just my personal experience from my loading routine.

[winelover]

RCBS Chargemaster for over twenty years.............still going strong. Wouldn't be without one.

WInelover

[lawdog941]

LED's do put off a small frequency. I find that it's around 2-3 ft from the light. I usually just check with an old AM radio. You'll hear the difference as you get closer to the light. Mine is hanging over the bench about 3 ft and my RCBS works great.

[35isit]

I have a Lyman DPS1200. I load a lot of ammo with 5744. Never varies more than a tenth of a grain. I can't tell that difference on the target. Like a previous poster I did have trouble getting started with it. After the learning curve was over no problems in about 20 years. Have to keep moving air at a minimum.

[460S&W]

I have a Hornady Auto Charge pro and absolutely love it. I use it for precision rifle rounds for matches and it works perfectly. One of the best buys I’ve made in reloading. I have led lights everywhere and it’s seemingly unaffected.

[wv109323]

I have the discontinued RCBS. They quit serviving it many years ago. PACT made it for them. It takes about 45 seconds for it dispense a charge. Accuracy is within .2 tenths of a grain. I only use it for match loads.

[kungfustyle]

RCBS Chargemaster and if you buy it from Brownells.com they have a lifetime warranty.

[georgerkahn]

Guess the older I get with eyesight, patience, etc., my Redding balance beam gets on my nerves because it's too sensitive (no air movement and don't breathe to hard) and can take forever to settle during load development.

Does any of the manufactures offer an accurate reliable/repeatable electronic powder dispenser that can be trusted to throw fine & stick powders charges?

My reloading room has LED lighting and wondered if the frequencies will mess with the electronics?

Comments, recommendations, etc. welcome

I also have an RCBS Chargemaster. I added a little brass gizmo to it's spout -- cannot recall its name, etc., but its addition is not an uncommon practice -- and it is 99% spot-on, regardless of powder -- stick, included. At first, questioning accuracy, I'd have it set for 1.5 grains UNDER the charge I wanted, and then "finished" with a hand-crank Hornady trickler. However -- the RCBS proved itself often enough I very, very rarely resort to the lower charge + trickler routine.
geo

[Head Shot]

Hello:
I use a now discontinued AMT autoscale that is absolutely my go to electronic scale.
It could care less about frequencies as it uses a led bal beam light to detect scale zero per its setting and ive found it to drop chgs within 1/10th gr consistently if you don't get a breeze which it would possibly push scale pan down too soon and short chg but simply press the start button again and it'll finish.
Lyman later purchased the AMT autoscale and continued making it as autoscale but long been discontinued.
It uses a fast feed tube that when gets close to set powder chg shuts off then a slow feed tube continues the last few grains to get on chg weight set for.
You do need to balance and level the scale to get this to drop on wt but it's not difficult once you've done it a few times and you can always check with a digital scale as i do then run with it.
Head Shot

[country gent]

With my old rcbs electronic measure ( the 2 piece one) it was slow with rifle charges. I started dropping my base charge at 37.0 grns for the 41.5 grn charge of 4895 into the pan, This allowed it to start with the high speed, took about 10 secs to make the charge dead on

[Cast10]

I purchased a RCBS Chargemaster Combo some 10+ years ago. I checked and checked and re-checked. I don’t check anymore. Been a good unit. As far as I’m concerned it handles all powders.

[abunaitoo]

While not electronic, I've been using the old Lyman/AMT auto scale.
Probably not as accurate as an electronic scale, balance beam works just fine for me.

[TNsailorman]

I have a RCBS ChargeMaster that is also over 20 years old and still going strong. I wouldn't want to be without it. I cannot fault it at all. james

[hawkeye1]

I used the Pact dispenser and scale for almost 25 years. One of the dispensing motors finally gave up the ghost. Only drawback was it was kinda slow. When that died, I bought the Hornady Lock-n-Load Auto Charge. It seems to work well, but it has its weak points too. All in all it does good job. I just have to remember to adjust the dispense speed each time I turn it on, otherwise it drops too fast and will overcharge almost every time.

[TXCOONDOG]

RCBS Chargemaster and if you buy it from Brownells.com they have a lifetime warranty.

So Brownell's will cover it with the LT warranty?

[Targa]

I have a Chargemaster Lite and it does a really good job, I just wish it would stop working so I could have an excuse to upgrade it to the latest Bluetooth version..:bigsmyl2:

[TXCOONDOG]

I have a Chargemaster Lite and it does a really good job, I just wish it would stop working so I could have an excuse to upgrade it to the latest Bluetooth version..:bigsmyl2:

What advantages do you get with bluetooth?

[Targa]

I just like the added feature of the RCBS app that downloads on to your phone that allows you to store your load data. It has other features but that’s the one I like, certainly not enough to justify replacing the current one I have but it is cool.

[TXCOONDOG]

One more question for ya'll. Any issues with dumping powder out of the unit, etc ?

I appreciate the info everyone has provided thus far as it really helps a guy make the best decision possible!

[Soundguy]

I have an rcbs chargemaster light. love it.

[Targa]

No issues at all dumping the powder, it is a very convenient set up.

[Finster101]

I am still using an old PACT unit and love it. When it dies (hopefully not soon) I will replace it. I just don't know with what.

[Cast10]

Dumping is simple. I would suggest having the opening of the tube facing up first. Then lean the unit back towards the hopper side. Use your powder funnel in your powder can. Slowly open your drain a little bit so that it continues to flow into the can without stacking up. Holding it up also allows the tube to empty.

[winelover]

Here's how I drain my Chargmaster. I use a Dixie Cup bowl under the drain valve, open the valve and drain 98% of the powder into the bowl, when I have about three cartridge case left to charge. Dispensing those last couple of charges will get most of the powder out of the dispensing tube. The remaining grains, left in the tube are removed by gently tapping the tube, while spinning, with a ink pen, pencil or wooden dowel. The paper bowl is easily folded, to pour the powder, back into the container without use of a funnel.

Been doing it this way since I got the unit over 20 years ago.

Winelover

[jonp]

Wife bought me a Hornady Lock and Load https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1012762980/ for Christmas and it works great. Has an alarm if it's just a off the set value. I check it's weight with a GemPro 250 and it's always within 1gr or less. If I need anything more accurate I weigh every load with the GemPro. It's discontinued but you might be able to find one somewhere but with the luck I've had with this one or buy one of their new models.

[dale2242]

I have used the Hornady Auto Charge for years and I love it.
That`s all I use except when I am throwing small charges of ball powder.

[jmorris]

I have a couple Chargemasters but I don’t think they are the most accurate method but better than a measure, for some powders.

I wish one could turn off the auto zero “feature”, I don’t like measuring instruments changing things on their own.


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

[jmorris]

If you already have a beam scale, trickler and a measure, for ~$50 you could put together something like this.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GYWgAdKzHs

Gives more consistency than the .1 accuracy of the RCBS machines, even best case.

[jmorris]

These are the parts you would need.

The push button switch isn’t momentary, rather a latching switch.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UxPenA7c0hE