Re: RCBS Chargemaster - Positive Experience
Well I received my RCBS Chargemaster Combo. Brownells had a $30.00 coupon and RCBS has a $50 rebate. Will cost me $250 after receiving the rebate back.
I researched and placed a straw in the full length of the dispenser tube with a small V cut into the straw back in the powder hopper to slow the rate of powder flow into the feed end of the straw. I also cut 6 small V shaped fingers out of the end of the straw. Lastly I reprogrammed the first three numbers in the factory program in order to increase the speed of dispensing.
I loaded 100 rounds of 40 S&W ammo with 8.0 grains of Hodgdon HS-6 powder. Out of 100 rounds, I had two that overcharged to 8.1 grains. Dispensing was plenty fast. I checked the first 50 charges on my balance beam scale and they were all within +/- 0.5 grains.
Didn't bother weighing any of the last 50 powder charges. If the digital scale stopped at 8.0 gr I dumped the charge into the cases.
I weighed a 1 gram brass calibration weight that I use with my balance beam scale. 1 gram = 15.4324 grain. The RCBS digital scale fluctuated back and forth between 15.4 and 15.5 grains. Spot on.
All in all I'm very happy with this first-use experience. HS-6 is similar to ball powders, except a little bit flakier. The Chargemaster had no problems quickly dispensing 8.0 gr loads thru my modified dispensing straw. I got the straw design from a web site where the author was loading 26.0 gr Varget for a .223 with very good results. I'll be using the same powder and charge for my 5.56 soon.
Well I received my RCBS Chargemaster Combo. Brownells had a $30.00 coupon and RCBS has a $50 rebate. Will cost me $250 after receiving the rebate back.
I researched and placed a straw in the full length of the dispenser tube with a small V cut into the straw back in the powder hopper to slow the rate of powder flow into the feed end of the straw. I also cut 6 small V shaped fingers out of the end of the straw. Lastly I reprogrammed the first three numbers in the factory program in order to increase the speed of dispensing.
I loaded 100 rounds of 40 S&W ammo with 8.0 grains of Hodgdon HS-6 powder. Out of 100 rounds, I had two that overcharged to 8.1 grains. Dispensing was plenty fast. I checked the first 50 charges on my balance beam scale and they were all within +/- 0.5 grains.
Didn't bother weighing any of the last 50 powder charges. If the digital scale stopped at 8.0 gr I dumped the charge into the cases.
I weighed a 1 gram brass calibration weight that I use with my balance beam scale. 1 gram = 15.4324 grain. The RCBS digital scale fluctuated back and forth between 15.4 and 15.5 grains. Spot on.
All in all I'm very happy with this first-use experience. HS-6 is similar to ball powders, except a little bit flakier. The Chargemaster had no problems quickly dispensing 8.0 gr loads thru my modified dispensing straw. I got the straw design from a web site where the author was loading 26.0 gr Varget for a .223 with very good results. I'll be using the same powder and charge for my 5.56 soon.