Electronic Powder Scale Dispenser

[PistolPete75]

Anyone have one of these? I'm looking to speed up my match load process. Measuring powder by hand with a regular electronic scale takes way too much time. What are the good ones out there?

[C.G.]

RCBS is getting good reviews, but it is faster but not anymore accurate than a beam scale.

[halifax]

Just got the RCBS Chargemaster a few days ago. Set it for auto dispensing 44.0gr after calibrating it. Threw a load into the pan and checked it on the beam balance...way over. WTF says I. Noticed the wind gaurd had a few grains of Varget stuck to the inside of it. Apparently the plastic gaurd was statically charged and attracting powder as it was airborne between the tube and the pan. The static charge also affected the pan weight and changed the zero by more than 2 gr. Removed the wind gaurd and everything settled down. Threw 20 charges and verified them on the beam balance. All were less than 0.1 off, usually between 44.0 and 44.1 but never over +0.1.

I think I'll be happy with this but for now the beam balance will stay were it is and serve to verify each charge.

BTW, the most disappointing thing was the plastic case is nearly paper thin.

[T-Bear]

I've been using my Chargemaster for the past 2 years. I will suggest you find a level place to put the scale and allow at least a 20min warm period for the scale each time before you use it. If you start weighhing charges right off the bat with a cold scale then keep using it until it warms up you are going to get inaccurate readings.
And QUALITY CHECK WEIGHTS and get them Calibrated at least every year. Because if you notice when you buy your RCBS scale, they will come with 2 50g wieghts with a little post on top. those post unscrew to reveal little pieces of metals to get them exacte at 50g, but over a period of time some will get nicked, dropped and that right there will jack them up.
Remember there your tools.

[Prc329]

I have a Lyman 1200 DPS 3. Great unit. It works very well and fast. The nicest feature is the auto repeat. Once the bowl is placed back on the stand it will automatically dispense and weight the next charge.

http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=279731

Midway has its predecessor on sale right now for $209. The DPS3 is $229. I have heard mixed things from a couple of shops about the RCBS and was told the Lyman was better or just as good for less money. I have been very pleased so far. Increased my production by quite a bit.

[PistolPete75]

I have a Lyman 1200 DPS 3. Great unit. It works very well and fast. The nicest feature is the auto repeat. Once the bowl is placed back on the stand it will automatically dispense and weight the next charge.

http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=279731

Midway has its predecessor on sale right now for $209. The DPS3 is $229. I have heard mixed things from a couple of shops about the RCBS and was told the Lyman was better or just as good for less money. I have been very pleased so far. Increased my production by quite a bit.

is it super accurate? i want to make sure the loads are very consistant. my dillon 550 just turned into a single stage press, and is hungry to load .308 please help feed a starving press.

[Prc329]

I have checked the occasional charge with my 505 and they have been pretty on. I would say out of the 100 rounds I did maybe 3 were under 0.1g.

[PistolPete75]

I have checked the occasional charge with my 505 and they have been pretty on. I would say out of the 100 rounds I did maybe 3 were under 0.1g.

that is excellent. tnx for the huge tip Nayt!

[30Cal]

You might try not weighing all the charges. You'll be surpised at how little that practice adds to accuracy.

[brando]

I've been using the Lyman DPS2 and it's a great time saver, but for making match ammo it's wise to double-check each charge with a traditional scale. For making plinking ammo I just let it fill the tray and then charge the case. If you handle it correctly, it's often within 0.1 grains. If you don't calibrate it often, use certain overhead lights, etc you will get wonky results.

[grammaton76]

Since no one's posted this article yet, here's the article which lead me to buy the RCBS Chargemaster:

http://www.6mmbr.com/powderdispensers01.html

I wanted something that'd dispense 50 DTC sized charges without a whole lot of scooping or relying on teaspoons.

Also wanted to be able to rapidly measure out charges for FN 5.7x28mm single staged, since Dillon won't do a shellplate for it... and manually cycling the powder dispenser would suck.

[olegk]

Since no one's posted this article yet, here's the article which lead me to buy the RCBS Chargemaster:

http://www.6mmbr.com/powderdispensers01.html

I wanted something that'd dispense 50 DTC sized charges without a whole lot of scooping or relying on teaspoons.

Also wanted to be able to rapidly measure out charges for FN 5.7x28mm single staged, since Dillon won't do a shellplate for it... and manually cycling the powder dispenser would suck.

Very usefull article.
Here is other thread:

http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/showthread.php?t=62053

[halifax]

Just finished a 20 rd reloading session with my RCBS Chargemaster 1500. This is only the second time I have used it. Noticed in AUTO dispense mode (where everytime you put an empty pan back on the scale it will automatically dispenses the same amount each time) it dispenses the charge, reads the sequential count number (CT=n), then displays the actual weight.

Several times the actual weight was over by up to 0.3gr. I verified this on my beam balance.

I poured that charge back into the hopper and tried again. It took 30 dispenses to load twenty rounds accurately. I can live with that, just must remember to wait for the final reading after the CT display.

Well, I'm off to the range.

[olegk]

Just finished a 20 rd reloading session with my RCBS Chargemaster 1500. This is only the second time I have used it. Noticed in AUTO dispense mode (where everytime you put an empty pan back on the scale it will automatically dispenses the same amount each time) it dispenses the charge, reads the sequential count number (CT=n), then displays the actual weight.

Several times the actual weight was over by up to 0.3gr. I verified this on my beam balance.

I poured that charge back into the hopper and tried again. It took 30 dispenses to load twenty rounds accurately. I can live with that, just must remember to wait for the final reading after the CT display.

Well, I'm off to the range.

So, this is despenser error, not scale error. Correct?

[halifax]

So, this is despenser error, not scale error. Correct?

Well, they do run in combination. I noticed when the dispenser gets to the last 0.1gr, sometimes 1 or 2 individule grains of powder will fall on the last movement of the dispenser tube and sometimes more depending on how many are sitting on the edge of falling. It's when a bunch are sitting on the edge and get dispensed that it goes over.

So, I guess, it's more of a dispenser error than scale error, but the scale still reads 45.0 at first, then the actual weight after the CT=n.

Real diffiucult to get just 1 powder grain to fall at a time even when I was doing it by hand.