RCBS Chargemaster for $130 a no brainer?

[amheck]

I only load some pistol and .223 now (well, starting 223 soon) and eventually, I think I might like to reload 6.5 Creed to shoot out of my Riger RPR, but I haven't gotten that far yet.

But with a mixture of a pricematch, rebate and cashback, I think you can get the RCBS Chargemaster down to around $130.

Is this a no-brainer purchase at that price?

[ddixie884]

Yes..............................

[amheck]

ok, thanks, I guess I'm buying!

[Ivan the Butcher]

I have the first generation RCBS electronic scale/ electronic powder dispenser. These are all manufactured by PAC to RCBS' specifications!

Negatives:
I find the system to be very good with fine ball powder and it goes downhill from there! Using a good beam scale, powder dropping the bulk of a charge and trickling the last few tenths you have the same rate of charged cases per hour! With a good powder drop and suitable powder you can load 3 to 5 times as many per hour (that is why BR shooters do it that way!) About 15-20% of charges go overweight with extruded powders, and need redone! Depending on room temperature, start-up time is 5 to 20 minutes (including calibration)!

Positives:
Fantastic for load development. fairly quick for 5 to 10 rounds of one load. Very accurate charges, You are Below weight, On weight, or Over weight, in bold numbers! The ability to separate bullets or cases by weight, can't be done any other way with accuracy!

My Opinion:
You will need the other precision equipment for you 6.5 Creedmoor and 223 bolt action ammo. You can get by without the electronic system, put your money in a very good scale (RCBS or Ohas 5-0-5 or better) and a very good powder drop (Redding BR-30, Lyman 55 or better. The Harrell are big $$$, but they are the best!).

All endeavors in life are full of decisions and compromises!

Ivan

[amheck]

Well, it seems Cabelas is now charging tax in my state since they purchased Bass Pro. So I think that extra $30 seals the deal. I have some Christmas debt and just really don't need this, so yeah, I might just pass and deal with the 6.5 creed loads when I come to that point.

great post, though, its good to know for the future.

[stavey]

Love mine. For rifle loads of course .
You can reprogram them to throw faster etc...
Very easy and much faster. Just do a YouTube search.
.

[Regaj]

Coming from someone who spent decades using a conventional scale, I think the RCBS Chargemaster is the cat's meow.

The magic that lies at the heart of handloading... the thing that gives you the hope of making something better than the ammo companies can produce... is consistency. And a weighed charge is always going to be more accurate - and thus more consistent - than a thrown charge. Sure, a good powder measure and a fine-grained powder can get you very close. But, then, handloading is an activity which sweats the details.

And the more load work-up you do, and the more not-so-fine powders you use, the more you appreciate the Chargemaster.

When I think of the technology differences between modern-day handloading, and how it was when I started... digital scales in general, and the Chargemaster in particular, are at the top of the list of the things that got better. If my Chargemaster broke today I'd be buying another tomorrow.