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Been using a Chargemaster Lite for a few years now. Has a few quirks and needs “watching” a bit, but overall I really like it. Generally, it dispenses about as fast as I can seat a bullet over the last one. I cross-check it against an old RCBS e-scale periodically, and they always agree. Might be better and/or faster, but this works for me. I also have a Little Dandy I use for some handgun loads, but I gave up my other measures.

I have had a Chargemaster Lite for several years now, and like it a lot. I think it is faster for doing load work ups, where you’re constantly changing the powder charge, or for small batches of ammo. For me the cut off is about 20 or 25 rounds; more than that, and it is usually faster to take the time and calibrate the powder measure and then just throw all the charges at once. My unit does have a difficult time with super fine ball powders like Big Game and Hunter. It tends to throw slight over charges with those. It works fine with stick powders and coarser ball powders like 760.

That reminded me, my CM even has similar problems with fine stick powder like AR2205 (IMR4227) at light charges, like 16gns for the 357mag.

Agree with Pappy and Speedgoat. I have an older Pact unit that works well. By the time I get a bullet seated and the cartridge boxed, it will have the next charge ready to go. People who complain about being slow must be trying to charge a whole tray of cases before they start seating bullets.

The only thing that is a little time consuming is cleaning it out and re-calibrating to change powders, but that takes some time with a powder measure too.

Jerry

I have never changed over. My RCBS 5-10 and RCBS Uniflow has always worked just fine. Once you figure out the way to use the Micrometer Measure, it is pretty easy to reset. I have never seen a real advantage to changing to electronic. I guess that I am just old.

The powder measures on my Dillon 550 do get a little help from an aquarium bubbler zip tied to the hopper. That makes them more consistent/accurate.

Bob R

I like the hell out of mine too

+1

I have a RCBS unit thats 20 years old if it's a day. It constantly wanting to recalibrate but when I put the charge on the scale it's always been accurate. I have found when working up loads where I want varying grains of powder and different powders it's much faster for me to use a cereal bowl with the powder and a spoon and measure each charge.

Speed & versatility...
With spoons, Autotrickler V2 and FX-120I I can charge 70 rounds of match-grade ammo (.308) in an hour. + - 1/10th of a grain, single digit SD for 20 rounds. Hunting ammo is generally done on the 20yo PACT.

I really like my Chargemaster when I'm loading 50 or more rounds of the same powder. At least I do after reprogramming it a little. Before reprograming it would give several overcharges. Seat a bullet and the next charge is ready. Usually I do my loading in small batches of 20 or so rounds with just one powder. When doing that I just use Lee dippers and the scale on the Chargemaster so that I don't have to screw with cleaning powder out of the RCBS unit when I'm done or change powders.

Never cared for the RCBS. Far too many overcharges with Varget.

The AutoTrickler is great but a lot of money to load a thousand rounds per year.

Good powder measure and trickler setup maybe.

This what I do not like about the Chargemaster.

[video:youtube]https://youtube.com/shorts/6Jm-Q_EOZxE?si=yFs8dw345ffPXRYq[/video]

Have had my chargemaster for more than a decade........never had this happen once......fake news !!!!!

Hey dickhead,

Glad yours works. No matter how I ran mine it gave me problems.

Never had an over charge? that is fake news.

I don't remember mine ever overcharging by more than .1 or maybe .2. I've actually had 2 Chargemasters. The first one was bought about 2006 or so and gave very few overcharges. The flood of 2016 ruined it so I bought another about 2018. The second one gave several overcharges so I started looking for upgrades that could be done. The straw trick and reprograming did much to improve it. It is a little slower but still is ready with the next charge by the time I seat a bullet and get the funnel on the next case.

I bought some “overserts” for mine from MK Machining. They did help. It may be a good option if you need a little more accuracy. If anybody wants to try one send me a PM, I am not using the ones I have.

“Oversert”

The biggest difference between the RCBS and AutoTrickler, other than price, is the speed at which the scale registers. This is why the AutoTricklers seldom have overcharges.

Or you could just buy a Prometheus setup.

Anyway for a thousand rounds a year, a good manual setup or be one of the lucky ones with the RCBS.

I was in the anti electronic camp....but then my shooting partner bought the fx120 with the v3....and I was blown away by how fast it is and it's always within .02 grs....yes, hundredths. Mine throws 80grs in about 5 seconds.

I hd a cheap Hornady that I could not stand, gave it away. Bought a RCBS MatchMaster and have been very happy with its performance.

Call me old, but I load twenty rounds or less with a custard dish full of powder, a teaspoon, and dust it into a pan on a Frankford Arsenal electronic scale. More than that gets thrown with a Redding 3BR powder measure. Seems to work.

RCBS Chargemaster revolutionized my reloading. Should have done it years ago. I cannot throw charges of ANY powder with anything like the accuracy provided by the RCBS.

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