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I am ready to buy a powder dispenser and I am looking for advice. I had planned to buy the RCBS model but after looking around I see the Hornady is $100 cheaper and seems to do everything the RCBS does. My question is does the RCBS justify another $100 or should I go with the Hornady? Advantages of one over the other? Any other options to consider?

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I'm not sure you can find anybody other than John Barsness who has both and can compare them. I have the Hornady and like it for many reasons: the one-page instruction sheet, the unit's small footprint on my bench, and the three dispensing "speeds" (actually just changes in the time it changes from fast dispense to trickle, by weight).

If you check prices, you might be drawn to the Smart Reloader ISP. I wouldn't advise it. Its instructions are gibberish, it has to be re-programmed for every powder and charge to optimize dispense speed (or be horribly slow at the default settings), and it takes up a lot of room on the bench with its "warthog's face" styling.

I think you'd be delighted with either the Hornady or the RCBS.


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did not see this post till after i asked about the hornady in a diff post. but rocky you say things you like about the hornady any dis likes about it ?

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I have the RCBS and love it. No dislikes really. You do have to recalibrate every time you turn it on but its like that with every digital scale. I do like that I can store several (30) charges and that its been right every time against my RCBS 505 scale.


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I would get the less expensive one. I've used RCBS, Lyman, Lee and I think the other was a Pacific, not sure about that; didn't care for the Lee. When I use the dispenser I only want to get just under where I want to be and trickle the finish. With ball and flake powders any seem's to throu the right weights.

If I'm very carefull and worh the operating handle the same every time, then I can get consistent loads. But the way it works for me is to take the handle up to charge the cylinder with powder then knock it against the top stop a few times and settle the powder. Like tapping on a full case of powder with a pensile to settle the powder. I think that most any weasure will only be as goode as the person operating it.

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I'd recommend the Hornady, it's a really fast, modular setup, changing from dispensing pistol to rifle loads takes seconds, and it has a large capacity that can cover reloading for any cartridge.

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Originally Posted by DonFischer
When I use the dispenser I only want to get just under where I want to be and trickle the finish.
This is the same method I use, I do have a Lyman digital also, but it's much slower, so I use it just as a scale and trickler, which works well, I have used it to dispense loads and checked them against an rcbs scale and it's just as accurate but takes forever to dispense.

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Dislikes about the Hornady? A few. This is true of most digitals, but it is difficult to empty the thing, especially getting the feed tube completely empty. You don't want to turn the thing over and shake it (very bad for the scale), but that's about the best way to get all the powder out of the feed tube. I use one of those drinking straws you can bend, and blow into the feed tube. Works fine, but does leave some breath condensation in the tube. If you're changing powders to load something else right away, the new powder clumps in the tube.

Also, it is damnably easy to leave the drain valve open. Powder cascading across the bench when you next fill it is a major PITA. I painted a part of the valve with black marker so that the black shows when the valve is closed. That helps a lot.


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Originally Posted by RockyRaab
Also, it is damnably easy to leave the drain valve open. Powder cascading across the bench when you next fill it is a major PITA.


Thanks for that! I have the RCBS Chargemaster Combo, and it also has a drain valve that is easy to forget. When I read your post, I didn't remember closing the valve when I finished using it a couple of hours ago. Went and looked, and sure enough, it was wide open. What a mess that would have been!


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Well, 1000yd shooters don't use either. They use a normal powder measure to dump the bulk of the charge and an electric trickler to measure the charge to the nearest 10th (or 100th).

A friend had the Lyman, what a POS.

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I fail to see any difference between using a drum measure plus trickler or a digital dispenser to weigh out charges. Both weigh to the nearest tenth, one at at time. After all, xx.x grains of powder is the same no matter how you get there.


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I have the RCBS and like it well enough to buy it again.While the Hornady looks good,I have not used one.A friend with a Lyman likes my RCBS better than his.Opinions from shooters on other sites favor the RCBS over the others. Lightman


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I feel the same way about my Hornady. That's the point, really: BOTH units are top-notch and anyone would probably be happy with either the RCBS or the Hornady.


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If you mean a digital dumpster, I have no idea, only use manual powder handling tools. I have an old Redding Mod. 3 Master measure because only it came with a micrometer head the others charged a LOT more for. I have used the Hornady and RCBS measures and see no effective difference between them and my Redding. There can't be, they are the same design with only trivial dimensional differences between them .

Lyman's Mod. 55 is perhaps the 'best' (most flexible) manual measure in that it uses three sliding bars to control the volume of the drop, large to small, all of the others require a costly second chamber to deal with greatly different charges. Of course the Lyman requires the user have some comprehension of what he's doing with the adjustments and then be willing to experiment to find the best combination of bar positions for different volumes of different powders; not a lot of people fit that criteria.

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Thanks for all the replies, just ordered a Hornady. That will be the only red on my bench of green tools...

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Please let us know what you think of it. You aren't alone in wanting an opinion on them.


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Who makes the currant RCBS model? The older model was made by PACT I believe. Are they still making it? I have been trying to get a PACT all summer but no delivery as yet. Thinking of canceling and ordering a RCBS or Hornady. Have had bad experiences with Lyman model.


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As with most everything these days, the RCBS, the Hornady and the Smart Reloader units are made in China. I don't know about the Lyman. PACT advertises that they make theirs in the US.


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Thanks Rocky. I knew that PACT was made in US which is why I wanted one of theirs. Also like the idea of a separate scale.

Last edited by Prwlr; 09/06/11.

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