RCBS charge master

[longrange1]

So I bought a CM from Cabelas here in Reno about 3-4yrs ago I had it about 2wks and returned it...pretty sure it was a bad unit as I tried all the tricks I could find and even talked with an RCBS tech that agreed about it possibly being a bad unit.

Anyway I'm back thinking about buying another one and would like to hear some feed back from you guys that are and have been using one for awhile...like a year plus...good..bad..other/better opinions?

I don't want just a scale as I have a Scott Parker tuned beam I've been using for about 6-7yrs now and have got pretty fast with it but just getting lazy I guess lol.


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[OpenSightsOnly]

No issue since 2012, also has the McDonald straw for kernel trickling.

I spent the time playing with the settings for the different rifle powders I use.

I also have a 1010 with the Omega trickler but stopped using that setup.

[huckberry668]

How was it a bad unit? What happened?

I've had mine for years and I like it. It's night and day compare to trickling by hand. The throws are not 100% reliable. It'll throw 2 to 3 out of 10 charges .1 to .2 grains over. I have a McDonalds straw in the tube but that doesn't seem to improve any. Here is my complaint, the scale read out doesn't tell you the actual weight as soon as the trickle stops. It makes you wait till it goes thru the charge count then shows the actual weight.

The scale accuracy and reliability is good. I measure the charges against a RCBS 505 balance beam scale and accuracy wise is impeccable. It's the consistency that needs work but I'm not sure it can be improved since the clumps in the drop tube is what causes the overage.

My buddy bought one a couple of weeks after me and he said his was 100% consistent every time with Varget. I've used IMR4064, Varget, IMR4831, 4350 and IMR4895 with similar results.

A little trick I did to make loading a little easier. Since I have a balance beam scale too. I grind off some material of 1 of the powder pan so they both weight exactly the same. I'd swap out the loaded pan for the empty one to help speed up the charging process.

[longrange1]

RCBS charge master

Thanks OSO.

HB668 the one I had had the same issue as yours but also would not throw an accurate charge consistently enough for me to be ok with it...the weights were all over...up to .6g +or-

I think it threw 20 charges in a row that were good once but most times 10-15 good then start drifting all over.


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[OpenSightsOnly]

If your charge weights are "drifting" you need to warm up the unit (I use 2 hrs), use a surge protector exclusively for the CM, and spray static guard on your bench and around the CM unit.

[Gringo Bandito]

I have had mine for a few years and have not had any trouble with it. I do warm it up for 30 minutes and I have noticed it is not effected by electronics like other scales cam be. I run a 1050 with a mark 7 and my gempro is all over the place when it is turned on.

[Socratic]

About 4 years, works perfectly

[bubbala]

I've had 3 bad ones. Gave up and got an omega trickler.

[eric n]

I've had mine for quite a while, many lbs through it.
Mine generally throws .10 light compared to a fx120 and parker scale.
I'm just throwing numbers out but it is a reasonably accurate example...
Out of 1000 charges.
25% will be within .02
70% will be within .10 (light)
The remaining will be mostly .20 out under target weight with a small sample over to within .10 and the rare one over .10
I have the primal rights straw mod and reprogram on mine.
I guess I should let it warm up and recalibrate but I just turn it on and let er rip because I just need to get close to trickle up.
Mine sits in the garage, away from fluorescent lights but is right next to a transformer and I can talk on a cell without drift. The only time I do get drift is if the wife or kid opens the door. Now the gem pro 250 was a whole nuther animal... drifted so much it was useless.
Sounds like you had a fickle one.

[bsumoba]

If you planning on doing precision type shooting, I would opt for a digital scale with a resolution of +/- 0.02 grains. For stick powders, that is about 1 kernel of powder, so that means you can get a powder charge within 1 kernel of each other in your loads.

I throw light with a Lee Powider Measure, then trickle by hand on the scale. I am pretty darn fast this way.

I think a CM is perfectly fine for most applications, but I just dont like the +/- 0.1 grain resolution and that it still can take a while for it to drop a charge with that kind of resolution. If you are multitasking and seating bullets between throws, then a CM and digital scale can be used together if timed right.

[longrange1]

thanks for the replies fellas.

after a little more(actually A LOT more)research and talking to a couple of ppl ive decided to go with the A&D FX120i and the V2 auto trickler...WAAYYY more than i was hoping to spend but the scale is the kinda accuracy im looking for and the trickler adds the speed....if im going to up grade may as well go all the way i guess.

[Kingair001]

Was thinking to get a RCBS

But I decided to go differently 😉

Picked this combo up yesterday





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[fx1974]

did not suit my workflow

I had the Chargemaster for a few months. It worked as it should. However it affected the rhythm of my workflow... so I let it go.

Before the CM, I was using powder measure + manual trickler. I would charge 50 then seat 50 and made for a solid workflow. Once I got a solid rhythm going, I could charge a cartridge in less than 10 seconds.

When I got the CM, it threw my rhythm off as I had to wait for the CM to dispense. Usually that is waiting 30 sec to dispense 50+ gr. After trying to fit it into my workflow, I decided to sell it and got back to powder measure + trickler. I am happy letting it go, I did not feel like I missed anything.

[bsumoba]

This is how I do it. Cheap Lee Perfect Powder Measures, each one set for a specific cartridge so no need to swap out powders or adjust the charge adjustment screw. Dump light, then trickle by hand.

[longrange1]

Damm you king you beat me to it lol...exactly the set up I'm ordering.

bsumoba nice set up...I keep it simple...I only shoot and load for one cal...I did just get a annealeez last Monday and a giraud trimmer last Friday...like a total over haul of my loading.


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