Thread: Auto powder dispensers

With shooting a few more comps the round count is getting up and beam scales are getting tedious. I'm looking at auto scales and keen to hear about experiences with them and if there is a clear winner in the options, mainly thinking along the lines of rcbs chargemaster or the hornady equivalent but open to other suggestions (unless eye wateringly expensive)

I have one of these and would never go back, so fast and accurate https://www.autotrickler.com/autotrickler.html

A decent powder thrower is way quicker than any auto dispenser. Even my "budget" lee thrower will hold a charge from start to finish loading 50 rounds, I weigh every 5th or 6th one quickly to make sure im still on the money and its never deviated. Ive thought about getting an auto but it doesnt really offer any benefit apart from being able to change loads quickly for load dev etc and youre relying on the accuracy of electronic scales which most people will check against a decent beam scale every now and then anyhow. Once a thower is set up, away you go.

Originally Posted by res2

I have one of these and would never go back, so fast and accurate https://www.autotrickler.com/autotrickler.html

Don't forget to mention the around $1300 for the AnD balance and another $1100 odd for the V3 to go on top of it, if buying locally of course.

Originally Posted by Ryan_Songhurst

A decent powder thrower is way quicker than any auto dispenser. Even my "budget" lee thrower will hold a charge from start to finish loading 50 rounds, I weigh every 5th or 6th one quickly to make sure im still on the money and its never deviated. Ive thought about getting an auto but it doesnt really offer any benefit apart from being able to change loads quickly for load dev etc and youre relying on the accuracy of electronic scales which most people will check against a decent beam scale every now and then anyhow. Once a thower is set up, away you go.

I’ve never used anything else but a Lyman Gen6. I did have to strip down 100 rounds a mate did using a thrower due to errors.
Because he was using six different types of brass weighing the loaded round didn’t help me much but the discrepancies between loads was off.
It started when I chrono tested his loads, they were HOT!!
Anyway I pulled his loads apart and weighed the charges, the worst was 5gr over desired weight
The only thing we could put it down to was occasionally he felt the thrower jamb slightly, like he was cutting a kernel.
I’ve no experience using a thrower and don’t know if this was an anomaly but I do all his loading now lol
This could be one faulty product or something in its setup, I’ve no idea.
As you might expect my vote is for an auto dispenser

If you have a look at some of the US shooting forums there's quite a lot of debate on the issue of powde metering and the general consensus seems to be that the likes of the charge masters etc are great for "hunting accuracy" or loading pistols etc but if you actually want real accuracy then you can't beat a thrower and then trickling using a good beam scale. Trickling aside, there's a lot of throwers that are every bit as accurate as the autos and even more so in some cases. Just revisited some of those threads and funnily enough there's a lot of guys that reckon the Lee thrower is one of those "bahco knives" type items, it's cheap, and it does as good or better a job than all the more expensive options. Your mate who was getting 5gr (!!!??) differences in charge weights was obviously doing something very wrong and probably shouldn't be allowed near any powder, electronic thrower or not.

Originally Posted by Ryan_Songhurst

If you have a look at some of the US shooting forums there's quite a lot of debate on the issue of powde metering and the general consensus seems to be that the likes of the charge masters etc are great for "hunting accuracy" or loading pistols etc but if you actually want real accuracy then you can't beat a thrower and then trickling using a good beam scale. Trickling aside, there's a lot of throwers that are every bit as accurate as the autos and even more so in some cases. Just revisited some of those threads and funnily enough there's a lot of guys that reckon the Lee thrower is one of those "bahco knives" type items, it's cheap, and it does as good or better a job than all the more expensive options. Your mate who was getting 5gr (!!!??) differences in charge weights was obviously doing something very wrong and probably shouldn't be allowed near any powder, electronic thrower or not.

I was using a lee thrower and found it to be inconsistent and would throw different depending how full or empty the hopper was.
I agree in part that using a thrower either manual or auto then trickling the last .3gn into the pan on your scale is the most accurate way. This is what i do with my chargemaster lite

������
He’s a good bugger so I don’t mind loading for him
From the vids I’ve watched most autos will measure to 0.05gr that’s ignoring the times they dispense to much, which occasionally they do.
I load 0.1 high then remove one kernel at a time until it reads correctly, tedious I know but you get good at it with practice lol
I’m sure like with all things the more you spend the better accuracy you get.
I’m definitely not dissing the thrower. Cortina uses one and he’s forgotten more than I know.

I just recently sold my Gen 6 on here. Had it for a while and was a great wee unit for me.
Always wanted a V3 auto trickler and will get one when next overseas and can spend some of my US currency I get in tips.
Just bought a frankford arsenal intellidropper to fill in the gap. Got it brand new and way cheaper than the Gen6 cost me new.

So far I like it. Its fast. Can calibrate for powder. Loads are bang on the money when testing against good beam scales and my gold scales.
Most of all being able to store your load data velocity and groups with pics if you want. I am always losing my paper data.
I only load 3 rifle cartridges for myself and have those loads in the old grey matter but do a lot of loading for other people and being able to store as many as you want makes it a quick reference.
You can even select the load and send it via Bluetooth and it will drop that charge providing you have the correct powder in the hopper.
Bit gimmicky and sensitive to static but overall happy with it.
Couple screen shots below showing how the data is stored.

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Originally Posted by Noswal

I’ve never used anything else but a Lyman Gen6. I did have to strip down 100 rounds a mate did using a thrower due to errors.
Because he was using six different types of brass weighing the loaded round didn’t help me much but the discrepancies between loads was off.
It started when I chrono tested his loads, they were HOT!!
Anyway I pulled his loads apart and weighed the charges, the worst was 5gr over desired weight
The only thing we could put it down to was occasionally he felt the thrower jamb slightly, like he was cutting a kernel.
I’ve no experience using a thrower and don’t know if this was an anomaly but I do all his loading now lol
This could be one faulty product or something in its setup, I’ve no idea.
As you might expect my vote is for an auto dispenser

I used an RCBS Uniflow thrower for years. Dispensed just under and finished with a trickler on my old Ohaus D5 beam scales.
With the Uniflow like any thrower it is all about consistant technique/how you hold your mouth. When operating the handle I always did it at the same speed and always did the same "knock" at the end of the swing. Any sign of hesitation/crunching, that charge was immediately tipped back in the hopper.
Some powders are worse than others for chopping eg 3031, whilst ball powders are brilliant to dispense.

Consistancy with the Uniflow was very good and it's just an average type thrower not as good as say the Harrells.

Originally Posted by Noswal

������
He’s a good bugger so I don’t mind loading for him
From the vids I’ve watched most autos will measure to 0.05gr that’s ignoring the times they dispense to much, which occasionally they do.
I load 0.1 high then remove one kernel at a time until it reads correctly, tedious I know but you get good at it with practice lol
I’m sure like with all things the more you spend the better accuracy you get.
I’m definitely not dissing the thrower. Cortina uses one and he’s forgotten more than I know.

Cortina nowadays uses a Promethius Gen II which is hugely expensive (US5 grand, sponsored? ). It is a combination of a thrower then auto trickling.
Has nice green internal lighting that wouldn't be out of place under my Christmas tree.

Found this video interesting. You can skip thru it once you get the idea of what they are doing.

https://youtu.be/PqO0iWXLQIg Part 1

https://youtu.be/mqvbG2hzUgM

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ive got a charge master lite and use it as a expensive powder thrower, then i use my redding no. 2 scale to finish off. i find there a little to much variance between throws with the charge master lite. If i wasnt so anal it would suit most people down to the ground. If you have performed an optimum charge weight and you are sitting in the middle of a node, no doubt it will be sweet as.

Originally Posted by zimmer

Don't forget to mention the around $1300 for the AnD balance and another $1100 odd for the V3 to go on top of it, if buying locally of course.

combo deals for the whole set up happen every production run that made it nz$1800 all up for me. still not a cheap option, and well into diminishing returns area. But its the fastest way I personally have measured target loads

Originally Posted by res2

combo deals for the whole set up happen every production run that made it nz$1800 all up for me. still not a cheap option, and well into diminishing returns area. But its the fastest way I personally have measured target loads

Best deals I have seen are thru Kaizen Tactical in OZ, or get the V3 direct from Adam in which case landed cost is less than local.

Speed of dispensing is not an issue for me as I complete each round individually once powder in the case. Whilst I'm doing that the seating the Chargemaster has dispensed and the next charge is ready. Then onto the Fx300i and maybe a couple or kernels to add, then into case, projectile seated, runout checked (target ammo only), into cartridge box, and then process repeated. Use the same pan on the CM as the Fx. Overall the time taken to load a batch is about the same if you charge all the batch as one process. So again, speed of dispensing is no advantage for me.

Of interest is how bad the Chargemaster can be. It will quite often truck along dispensing almost the exact required weight and then out of the blue it throws a whammy, mine are mostly light. Good enough though for hunting ammo.

If my Chargemaster were to die I would consider a V3. The scale on the poxy thing has already died once and had to be replaced.