Recommendations for Electronic Powder Dispenser

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jmiles1960

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I am new to reloading my own ammo. I have LEE Challenger starter kit and have done 8x57 and 30-06 for my military rifles.

One step I always find tedious is measuring out the powder charge correctly and consistently. I have seen various electronic powder measuring / dispensing machine and would appreciate any recommendations for purchasing one. Brand? Best value? Etc.

What are you guys using and where should I shop?

Thanks and Happy Thanksgiving!
 
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DO NOT buy a PACT powder dispenser! ! ! They DO NOT support their equipment! I purchased a chrono and dispenser a couple years ago an had problems getting it to run right! NO PHONE number to call and when I did get ahold of them they referred me to a U Tube video. A good friend and reloader had problems with his scale(scale and dispenser are seperate devices linked together via an electronic eye)! Sent it to the factory and it took 9 months and many phone calls to get it returned!
jcelect
 
I read a lot of online reviews and decided that all automatic powder dispensers were junk. A friend had good luck with his Frankford Intellidropper and after long further consideration I took the plunge. Setting the level exactly and running calibration are essential. I have not had a bad throw yet using Bullseye and CFE Pistol. Only real headache is there is no convenient way to empty it other than picking the whole rig up and dumping it, then using canned air to clear the guts. There is a drain plug but I can’t make it work.
 
I've been using a Pact for many years, I did have to send it back once for an update....took awhile but works fine. I always double check the charge with a Dillon beam scale to be sure, seems it always comes out OK. Today there are major players in the field, RCBS, Hornady, Lyman to name a few. I really don't think that Pact is making them anymore.
 
Bought a PACT years ago it gave up after 2 - 3yrs . Bought a RCBS Chargemaster 1500 6yrs ago & haven't had a single problem . You can do some tweaks to them that improve speed & consistency . It's not perfect & does occasionally throw short or over . Exception rather than rule so it's livable for me . I do tons of load developement for both rifle & handguns & it does save me time . At the time I bought the RCBS , Lyman had come out with one but it was picky on powders so I got the RCBS . As to what is available these days I don't know as haven't been shopping & disposible income aint what it was .
 
Lyman Gen 6 Powder System.

I got one in 2017. Seems to work good - meters out charges fast but had occasions where it lost zero in the middle of charging a bunch of cases. Then it had to be re-programmed to finish up the batch of cartridges. I never did figure out what went wrong.

I've only used it for IMR rifle powders. Emptying out the powder hopper is a chore. I thought the instructions could be written better and I'd like the warranty to be longer.
 
I had the PACT about 15+ years ago. Would not recommend.
Bought an RCBS ChargeMaster when it first came out and have been very happy with it. Other than that, I have no knowledge of the other dispensers out there.
New reloader? Unless you are long-distance precision rifle shooter, there are very few cases where accuracy will be effected by a +/- 0.1gn charge error (.25 Auto, .32 Auto, and .32 S&W are about it that I know of) and every powder measure I have ever had will hold that range--though I did have a powder measure that would occasionally go 0.2gn over or under target with Unique, but it never effected anything and that was about 40-45 years ago.
Read your manual and follow their instructions. Start at start load and work up.
 
Many years ago (maybe 30) I was on a mission to develop loads for 3 varmint rifles for prairie dog trips. I bought an RCBS Chargemaster and it was a real time saver while doing the load development. Once the load development was completed I even used the Chargemaster to drop every powder charge for the actual loading. That amounted to about 3500 rounds initially and then about 1500rds each year there after. I also used the Chargemaster to work up loads for my CMP rifle. Those are usually loaded 500 at a time and I cannot drop them from a powder measure as the Varget load I use completely fills the case & I need to drop the charge through a drop tube to settle the charge.
The Chargemaster is not fast but I have my own way to speed up the process and I have been completely satisfied with it's performance.
 
I have been using the Lyman 1200 DPS for about 20 years . Upgraded it with the speed kit years ago. My friends have RCBS and Hornady dispensers. They all work great
 
I've also been using an RCBS Chargemaster for several years and have no issues with it. It is especially handy for load development, where you are making just a few each for a bunch of different powder levels. With stick powder you'll occasionally have a small avalanche of powder that puts you a few tenths over, but I keep a small spoon at hand to correct that.

It can take from 30-40 seconds to dispense a load. The only way I know to significantly speed that up is to buy a second machine. I just do brass work in between charging cases.
 
I bought an RCBS 1500 Chargemaster dispenser/scale back fifteen years or so ago, pretty much when they first came out. (Search on "chargemaster" and my name and you'll find me talking about it.) I loved it for the first several years, but it hasn't held up in a way that seems worth recommending (the touch pad for data entry isn't working properly), and my attempts to gain useful customer service help have been (unusual for the reloading industry) pretty fruitless.



For the money I spent, I expect a lot more than the RCBS 1500 Chargemaster has ultimately delivered.
 
Kleeber,
"It can take from 30-40 seconds to dispense a load. The only way I know to significantly speed that up is to buy a second machine. I just do brass work in between charging cases."

I bought a second plastic funnel/pan that the powder drops into. Using the scale and hot melt glue I got both pans to weigh exactly the same. That way the 'tare' is the same for both pans. Once I get started dropping charges, when one pan is full, I remove it and replace it with the second empty pan and while that one is filling I am dropping the powder from the first pan. Once I get 10 or 15 cases filled, while the powder is dropping, I can usually start seating bullets. Once I get into a rhythm things move right along.
 
mckenney99 said:
Kleeber,
"It can take from 30-40 seconds to dispense a load. The only way I know to significantly speed that up is to buy a second machine. I just do brass work in between charging cases."

I bought a second plastic funnel/pan that the powder drops into. Using the scale and hot melt glue I got both pans to weigh exactly the same. That way the 'tare' is the same for both pans. Once I get started dropping charges, when one pan is full, I remove it and replace it with the second empty pan and while that one is filling I am dropping the powder from the first pan. Once I get 10 or 15 cases filled, while the powder is dropping, I can usually start seating bullets. Once I get into a rhythm things move right along.
Click to expand...

Ah, I see. Clever.
 
A RCBS Chargemaster that i bought about a year ago to replace an old two piece RCBS that was made by PACT that was probably 25+ years old. I love this new one and use it for everything rifle and pistol loads. It gets a little tedious loading 100's of pistol rounds but being retired who cares. I bought mine from gunstop reloading supplies on sale
 
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If used with the correct sized dispenser puck, the RCBS manual dropper is relatively accurate. Not as accurate as a Dillon Press powder system, but close enough for 99% of the time.
 
Besides longevity (ie sample defects), the main issue with dispenser/scales comes from the scale. All of the digital scales under ~$500 share the same basic technology, ie strain gauge load cells. The most significant issue with that tech is that the cells respond to RF noise.

That noise can come from the power line itself (my PACT reacted any time either of its two power cords moved), and more likely over the air from anything that transmits (my PACT and Chargemaster reacted to those). That includes cell phones, WiFi, wireless phones, microwaves, motors, some A/V equipment, most fluorescent lamps, and more. When hit by that noise they will flutter, lose zero, weigh the same object differently.etc.

If you reload in a noise-free environment they may work OK for you, likely delivering +/- 0.06gr from target 80% of the time when they do not overthrow. The remaining throws will likely be +/-0.12gr with 1 or 2 per hundred outside those bounds.

That is in part why some people give these dispenser scales positive reviews while many others eventually give up on them. Those who give up either return to beam scales or buy the AutoTrickler (and perhaps AutoThrower) which are attachments to higher quality scales the least expensive of which is the A&D FX120i which can be purchased for ~$525. To that you can add the price of one or both of the "Auto" attachments.

That system (eg my A&D FX120i) does not react to noise and can deliver +/- 0.02gr from target or +/- 1 kernel, whichever is larger, consistently. Any dispenser scale can and will overthrow the target range for several unavoidable practical reasons, but this system allows you to simply scoop out a small amount of powder and it will do the final trickle-up again.

TLDR: The lower cost dispenser scales may or may not work well for you, and when they work they may not deliver the precision you personally want. Note that small variations can be especially important throwing light powder charges (up to and including typical 223/556 charge weights) depending again on your personal tolerance. Or they may not matter to you at all.
 
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Read post # 18 . Excellent advice there .
For back up you might want to pick up a Lyman 55 (or similar type) powder measure and a RCBS 5-0-5 , Dillion or similar 3 poise balance beam scale .
During 50+ years of reloading the Lyman 55 and RCBS 5-0-5 have never failed . The Lyman 55 can measure any powder accurately if you set it up and operate it correctly. I advise 3 poise balance beam scales because they are easier to set.
Gary
 
My Ly1200 has given me great service for 18+ years. It has changed my loading as I now size and prime, move a turret and dump powder then seat for rifle cartridges. If I used a single stage and wanted a faster way to measure 50 grains, I would use a Lee dipper to put 45 gr in the pan and then hit my fill button.
 
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