tell me about automatic powder dispensers please :)

J

JR Hartman

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So, Hornady, RCBS, Lyman or other??

I want one of those that you pour the powder in, enter in your desired charge weight, and it pours it in the pan. you dump it in the case, and put the pan back on the machine, and it dumps another charge in.

They all make them sound like the best and the rest are crap.

I won't be doing any real serious volume stuff, and mostly lower volume for 8mm mauser and 7.5x55 Swiss. Some .223 and some .45acp.

thanks all :)
 
I have a 2 Hornady's & 1 RCBS and they all work great. Can't speak for any other brand's & I won't say one is better than the other. Buy the best you can afford & get dumping some powder.

Cheer's
 
Best thing since sliced bread. I've got an RCBS and love it. With extruded powders it'll over throw 0.1-2gr every say 20-25 loads. With ball powder maybe 1 in 50
 
Yeah I'm one of those nerds who may have used manual Lyman, RCBS, or Belding & Mull powder-dispensers, & has also spent tons of time with a spoon &/or powder-trickler over a balance-beam scale. Almost 9yrs ago, when my wife & I were preparing ourselves for the pending addition to the family, I was facing how much 'hobby' time I was already losing being married, & wondering how much more a child would represent?
Perfect justification for new toys. We vacationed in the US long enough to bring lots back duty-free, & happened to pass a Cabela's store with sales. I picked up an RCBS case-prep centre, which did wonders to speed up case preparation operations. I also picked up a Lyman DPS-II dispenser/scale unit, & later upgraded to DPS-III. Lyman is my only experience with automated units, so I can't really compare to anything more relevant than my old slow manual methods. I can now charge around 100+cartridges cases in less time than I'd do 20 before manually.
Some folks may complain about the accuracy of one brand over another. My Lyman is as accurate as the powder allows: small-grain easy-metering ball-powders are great; bulky long-stick granules are not. I've never had any significant over or under-charge problems. It will mess up with some awkward powders, but aside from a visual comparison of powder-level between all charged cases; the unit has an alarm if it goes significantly high or low. Some powders trip the alarm more than others.
I like it a lot & have no regrets about buying it.
 
I also have the hornady one. 2 things for me- #1 the beeping on the machine drove me crazy so it got a beeper-ectomy. #2 the factory default throw settings produce too many over-throws, so there is a way to slow it down and get it to trickle farther away from the target. For my machine this virtually eliminated over throws for stick powders (varget, 4895 etc.).

I love the thing! While the dispenser is throwing the next powder load I am seating a bullet. Makes loading much faster as by the time you seat a bullet and grab a new case the next load is read. I'm not sure there is much to choose between the hornady and RCBS one- but I haven't use the RCBS one.
 
I have the hornady unit. I got it because it was locally available and far cheaper than the rcbs. It has been pretty reliable. Over throws stick powder every 25-30 rounds.

I am actually sending it back to hornady this week as its stopped working. Acts like the dispensing tube is binding and then just shuts off. So now I am on the hook for shipping back to hornady and then an undisclosed amount of time for repair.

If money was no object I would have the rcbs on my bench. I will probably get one anyways now
 
I have been using my RCBS Chargemaster with Varget, works great. The best price is at Natchez Shooters Supply. Do the "straw" modification.
 
got a lyman dps 3, the speed of the powder being dispensed means nothing as I seat a bullet in a charged case when it is throwing the next charge, if your not shooting a wsm then you will never be waiting for powder, 100 rounds usually takes between 30 and 45 minutes, now keep in mind I run 2 presses and a bench mounted primer. I size on 1 press, clean the primer pocket, seat a primer, fill case with powder and seat the bullet, then repeat with another case........the thing I find more handy then the powder dispenser is the funnel pan from lyman, that thing rocks
 
But once cry once. RCBS ChargeMaster. The Hornady is a piece of junk. You have to reset it every time it goes over. The other brands (Lyman) have to warm up and not be near any florescent lights or drafts or they throw up to 3 grains difference in loads.
Just get an RCBS and be done with it.
 
tigrr said:
Buy once cry once. RCBS ChargeMaster. The Hornady is a piece of junk. You have to reset it every time it goes over. The other brands (Lyman) have to warm up and not be near any florescent lights or drafts or they throw up to 3 grains difference in loads.
Just get an RCBS and be done with it.
Click to expand...

This!

Bob
 
Of the units on the market, and willing to tweak as needed, the RCBS has the most positive following. It is far from perfect but it can be made to work.

The problem with all of these units is the scale and the precision within. It is rare from them to be really stable and not drift. For hunting, varmint ammo, no problem.

For precision work, I would back it up with a quality scale.

Another options is a powder measure and scale.. or as I load, with a Lee powder scoop and a scale. Fast, precise, and simple

Jerry
 
Absolutely, positively buy the RCBS Chargemaster!! I have both the Chargemaster and the Lyman DPS III, and I never use the Lyman anymore.

Changing over to a new powder or just cleaning it out after use is a pain with the Lyman. Also that ½ hour mandatory warmup is a nuisance.
The Chargemaster is a walk in the park in both respects..

Accuracy.....depending on how anal one is regarding overcharges, they both will do so, up to .2 gr., often enough to annoy an OCD type. The MacDonald's soda straw
modification in the RCBS unit makes overthrows very rare with extruded, coarser powders, and mine never overthrows spherical or fine extrudeds like 100V.

I have had mine for well over 3 years now, and it is the bee's knees IMHO.

Regards, Dave.
 
Are Chargemaster users taking other measures to reduce powder clinging to the plastic?

I haven't tried it yet but have read about wiping the inside of the hopper with a dryer sheet prior to adding powder, may try this next time.
 
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