Is anyone else running an RCBS Chargemaster 1500 combo? I'm interested to know how long it takes your machine to "settle" and start throwing the charge you've set. I was trying to push out a box of ammo using H1000, and for the first 10 charges I got overages 60% of the time. By the time I got up to 20 charges the failure fate had decreased to 50% before seeming to get it right fairly reliably. Still, it's a bit of a pain to have to dispense a couple dozen charges only to have to dump them because they were a few tenths of a grain over.
I even tried setting it low and use the trickle button to work my way up, but "trickle" evidently means "dispense anywhere from one half to one full grain of powder".
Go on YouTube and find the video about reprogramming it. I bought mine used and already tuned. Also a one inch piece of McDonald's straw in the end makes a good bit of difference.
I usually turn mine on, set up my bench, calibrate, and start rolling. So maybe 5-10min.
i had and played with a charge master for 2 weeks and never loaded one round with it because of the same issues....i tried every trick known for the CM(reprogram,the straw,level the unit in a piece of glass,leave the unit powdered up for 24hrs before use,wipe the intire unit down with a dryer sheet,ECT) and it still over or under threw about 40-50% of the time and the over-under throughs were .3 to .6gs. the one i had was most likely a bad unit but i never bought another one because i dont load in volume and i want my loads it be as consistent possible.
I've ran mine through 50-100 at a time without issue, but when it does throw over its normally only .1grs. I've enjoyed mine.
Same here lone wolf. Mine has been the best investment my reloading bench has ever seen. The only thing I have done is the straw trick and it works like a champ.
Originally Posted by LoneWolf
see now you guys are talking me into buying another one...how long have you guys owned them and where did you get them from? like i said i think i got a bad unit...the one i had was from cabelas.
I bought mine used from another match shooter. He had already reprogrammed it, so I just calibrated it and started loading. Been great for me. 1.438" 5 shot group at 415yards loaded on the CM.
I bought mine off a guy that works with my brother. He had bought it sometime prior and never set it up, then decided to buy a house and move and was unloading his reloading equipment. I picked it up for $180 in new unopened condition. I have had it for a couple years now and use it almost daily.
******...now you guys got me looking and i find this LOL....
http://www.natchezss.com/rcbs-charge...-110-volt.html
If it doesn't work out again, I could always use a second one to speed up my reloading
i will keep that in mind as im sitting here trying not to order one LOL.If it doesn't work out again, I could always use a second one to speed up my reloading
Don't forget the $50 rebate on rcbs
I bought mine a few months ago and I love it, I haven't had any issues so no reprogramming yet. I let it warm up while I get set up, so maybe 15 min I guess.
Some other notes, I leave my cell phone in another room when throwing charges and have my charge master set up in an area shaded from the fluorescent lights in the garage. Also is on a table separate from my press. Seems to stay more accurate when I do this because it's very easier to bump or shake a table lightly and have a few extra kernels drop. Maybe it's just the reloading God's messing with me though lol.
yep i seen that too...so that makes it right at $250 bucks...i guess i need to check finances.
i try not to have my cell on my bench and use incandescent bulbs...ive never gotten the hang of throwing and seating at the same time so i throw all the charges and then seat...im just not a multi tasker LOL.
Could be a electrical problem where it is being used. I had one that did not work properly, tried it at another location & worked correctly. Had it explained to me as dirty electric. The serious bench rest shooters use a battery pack.
did this to...i bought a clean power adapter that plugs into the wall and then to unit plugged into that....i just think i had a bad unit because everyone loves theirs.
Well, I tried the straw trick and the failure rate dropped to about 5% over a run of 100 rounds. Thanks!
Just unpacked mine tonight. Hopefully it does as well as all the reviews claim. I'm using it to replace a Hornady Lock and Load auto dispenser.
In the last week I loaded 250-odd rounds and was impressed by its ability to hold zero. I re-calibrated every 50 rounds, but I don't know if that was just me being cautious. The ammo was consistent too, delivering predictable 3 shot groups under an inch at 200 yards.
This is a note for LongRange. The humidity has kicked up quite a bit in SoCal today. I noted more over throws with the increased humidity, but still more accurate than I was on the Lee thrower. And after recalibrating around 15rds into 50 for a match tomorrow it calmed down to about 1 in 10. Last weekend I had my 243 on the chrono and had an SD of 5 with 41.5grs of H4350 poured on the CM under a 105 Berger hybrid with a CCI 200 primer getting 2971 to 2976 fps.
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