A good electronic powder dispenser/scale.

NorthBorder

NorthBorder

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I have never used an electronic powder dispenser or have ever seen one used in person. I would like some recommendations on what is accurate and easy to use.
RCBS has a Chargemaster 1500 combo for under $200. What other dispensers are out there for under $400 that you trust to be a good, accurate powder dispenser?
I have only used the Lee double disc measure for handguns and a Ohaus scale for my rifles. I think it may be time to move into the 21st century and a new scale would help.
 

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NorthBorder said:
I have never used an electronic powder dispenser or have ever seen one used in person. I would like some recommendations on what is accurate and easy to use.
RCBS has a Chargemaster 1500 combo for under $200. What other dispensers are out there for under $400 that you trust to be a good, accurate powder dispenser?
I have only used the Lee double disc measure for handguns and a Ohaus scale for my rifles. I think it may be time to move into the 21st century and a new scale would help.
Click to expand...

I had decent luck with my CM1500 when I had it and if you can get one for that, buy it, yesterday.
Anything in that price range uses a strain gauge for the scale. Most of the time they are accurate enough. Keep that old Ohaus around though, as you need to trust but verify charges on those scales from time to time.

If you end up going that route, do a "straw mod" and reprogram the scale. Those two things will increase the accuracy significantly. Plenty of YouTube videos out there on that.
The only other advice I can offer specifically on the CM1500, is that if its trickling up and hits the mark really fast? Drop that charge on your Ohaus and verify it. I found that when mine did that it was say a 1/2 grain low.

Best of luck!
 
I've had good luck with a PACT dispenser and scale setup. It is not fast but it has been a solid performer for me. I use the dispenser a few times every month and the digital scale at least once or twice a week. No problems for the past 12+ years of having it. My only criticism is it is slow to dispense powder and I have to let the scale warm up before using it. Other than this, I'm happy with the dispenser and scale. I will admit I do occasionally check the scale and setup comparing it to a Ohaus 10-10 manual scale too. More for my own piece of mind than anything else.
 
I have used a PACT scale for years. I do not turn it off. It is always warm and ready to run, I just hit Tare and load.
I think my dispenser is defunct, i haven’t needed it in some time. When loading target rifle ammo it would deliver -0 + 0.1
 
I have the CM1500 and it works for me. I did the straw mod and changed some variables to speed it up a bit. You didn’t say how precise you want it, but I tend to put the thrown charge on my gem pro 250 and fine tune it, usually +/- .1 gr. Sometimes the 1500 will be spot on, but I tend to check each one. This is primarily for rifle loads when I’m trying to be consistent, or doing load development.
A set of check weights will help verify the scale’s readings and give you a QC point.
 
I have the Pact scale with dispenser. I used for years. It is an accurate but slow process. Air currents and lights will effect the electronic scale and did at times for me. I have gone back to my Ohaus 1010 and the RCBS Micrometer stems in my Uniflow powder measure. Leave my primed shells in the tray and go to town dropping powder. Accurate as well...
 
If been using my Hornady Auto Charge for over 10 years now. It's always worked well for me. I've heard good things about the Frankford Arsonel's dispenser also.

Don't know anyone that has the Lyman but I've not heard anything bad about them yet outside of normal issues that plaque all of them.
 
Jim Watson said:
I don't get a goog on the company.
Click to expand...

They are still around, I have a couple of their club timer III's, my favorite timer, for personal use.

pact.com

PACT Inc Shooting Products

PACT products are guaranteed to improve your shooting, or your money back. Calculate your split times between shots, know your bullet velocity and reload.
pact.com pact.com

Its been years since they offered tricklers though. still have a few parts for them available though.

Shop - Page 2 of 3 - PACT Shooting Products

pact.com pact.com
 
Wonder why Yahoo did not pick up the straight pact.com connection.
Doesn't matter much:

***We do NOT repair Scales, Dispensers, or other Legacy Products.***​

Unfortunately, the life span of many of our older products has ended. The electronic components necessary to manufacture and repair those units have become globally obsolete. The only products we can repair are the ones currently for sale on our website. Please email us with any questions about our repair service.
 
Another CM1500 user here. I've done the program change and straw mods to mine. As far as accuracy I've found it as advertised, ±0.1gr and actually better. I check mine with my GM250 and find that it averages around ±0.05gr. I have discovered to minimize drift is to keep the pan on the scale as much as possible. Also when I see a zero shift I remove the pan Zero, place tray and Zero again. The reason for this is if I only zero some times it acts like it did not detect the change. Mine is around 8 yrs old if I recall.
 
Jim Watson said:

***We do NOT repair Scales, Dispensers, or other Legacy Products.***​

Unfortunately, the life span of many of our older products has ended. The electronic components necessary to manufacture and repair those units have become globally obsolete. The only products we can repair are the ones currently for sale on our website. Please email us with any questions about our repair service.
Click to expand...

All to common with electronics. Even if there were people that knew the boards like they know the back of their hand, diag/repair would cost more than a new unit, so throw it away.

That train of thought has been migrating into other items as electronics are implemented in them. Like the odds of seeing a 1923 Ford model T running 100 years from now are still better than seeing ANY 2023 vehicle do the same thing.

One was built simple to last, the other wasn't.
 
I have had the charge master for years and never had an issue with it.

I do double check it against another scale, something I always did and have never found it to be in error.

I would buy one again.
 
When my Lyman died, I got a Chargemaster Lite (now called Chargemaster Link because you can connect to your phone :thumbdown:). They go for closer to the $200 price quoted by the OP for the chargemaster combo.

Every charge that I have checked on a GemPro 250 has been less that the quoted .1 gr. accuracy, mostly they are balls on. The only downside is that it is pretty slow, but I think that is a product of giving the load cell time to normalize at the end of the throw. All in all it has been a great product for me. Way better than the Lyman.
 
If you are wanting under 400 then I say the RCBS charge master link. Very reliable. I use the charge master supreme and it has performed extremely well.
 
I wasn't looking for one but last fall I came across a Chargemaster 1500 for $100. After a quick lesson from the guy I bought it from on calibration and other little quirks, I've used it many times, and I'm quite happy with it. It is accurate compared with my two other scales, and for loading small batches of ammo with different powder loads, the dispensing feature is great.
 
I've had good service from my ChargeMaster 1500. I've had it for several years. I have not messed with the programing any and its fast enough to suit me. I will dispense a suitable charge for a 308 in about the time it takes me to seat a bullet. I use my old beam scale to keep it honest and have not caught an erratic charges.

A shooting buddy came over to load on my equipment once while his equipment was tied up in a move and committed that he liked my ChargeMaster better than his Lyman. He didn't provide a reason and I didn't think to ask.
 
That will give me something to do in the shop, I will see if my PACT dispenser is really kaput.

If my PACT scale should poop out, I could either
a. Buy a current model digital.
b. Dust off the old Lyman D7.

At present I am loading only bulk pistol ammo and just need a scale to be sure the pixies haven't messed with the Dillon measure setting.

Does anybody make a bushing bar for a Dillon measure?
I know one guy who treats the regular bar as a bushing; when he gets to a load he likes but wants to try another, he takes out the bar, scribes an index across adjusting plug and bar, tags it for the load, and buys another bar.
 
I bought a Lyman electronic scale and used it for maybe a month before it simply died. It was a piece of garbage, and was very susceptible to air currents, minor temperature changes, phases of the moon and sideways glances. I went back to my RCBS beam scale and haven't looked back.

If I felt the need to go with an electronic scale, I wouldn't mess with the cheaper ones, I'd go with a real lab quality scale. Unfortunately those aren't cheap, so I don't ever see myself moving away from my beam scale now.
 
I've been using a Chargemaster since shortly after they came out. I've been happy with it-thought it was the bee's knees. I have a RCBS beam scale that I bought just in case we encounter "Zero Dark Armageddon". It's still in the box. Not once have I thought to check the charge thrown by the Chargemaster against the beam scale. Now, I guess I get to see if I'll remain happy. Thanks for messing with my happy.
 
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