Electronic scales

How many here use the likes of Chargemaster , the Lyman equivalent or etc for your reloading
I'm still tapping out each charge from a teaspoon on to a small electronic scale then checking with the balance beam every 5 loads

With the amount of calibres I have now I'm thinking there has to be a better way

Do those that use these devices such as the Chargemaster find them accurate and reliable?
Any problems I should look out for ? and of course finally, which one would you buy or recommend for someone to buy.
Thanks.

I’ve been looking into this for the same reason. Looking at various forums and reviews the charge master seems the most accurate and repeatable although there is a common mod required using a drinking straw I think. The Lyman gets poor reviews

Ive got a Lyman Gen6. It throws about 0.1gr light most of the time as that seems to be within its tolerance. For most loading, I dump a scoop of powder about 75% of the charge weight in tray first then let it do the rest, as this is faster than letting the machine do it all. I like it and dont plan on going back to scales & a trickler.

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I’m using the hornady one, works for me, blaser hasn’t exploded so must be semi accurate :thumbsup:

Got the chargemaster lite myself, did my first loads and was stunned by the chrono when I had half my rounds with the exact same MV, certainly made sighting in work easy.
No way will I be going back to the old way of doing things.

My personal belief is now to just use a very good powder thrower, and a balance beam. A good powder thrower should be +/- 0.1 grain charge to charge.
Check with the beam every once in a while.
If you are doing load developement, still use the beam to get that 0.001 result you want. For most hunting, and medium range target shooting a thrower is good enough.
The accuracy loss is negligible on 0.1 grain and is more likely to be less than by a seating /neck tension anomaly.
And the cost compared to an electronic charge churner is slightly less too.
Of course this is all just what I think, and hey I already have the thrower, if you are starting out and bought a good quality E scale system, you wouldnt need a manual thrower and beam scale untill the E one goes on the blink. :P

Lyman gen 5, love it.

I use a chargemaster.

Results may vary depending on the powder type you use and how much powder but I use only one powder AR2208 and two similar loads (.303 and 7mm08) and find it repeatable for that.

4 throws out of 5 are the exact same weight eg 43.0 gr for me. I allow +0.1 but reject 0.2 if I see it. About every tenth throw is +0.2gr.
Once it has dispensed the charge it beeps then takes 5-10 sec to stabilise and display the checked weight, which shows if its out or exact. I only wait and let it check every 5th load so some overloads will get through. However, I have confidence from hundreds of loads checked that very few are +0.3 or worse.

I also weigh my standard machine nut a couple of times each session and it always comes out at 44.3gr. So it holds calibration within sessions and between sessions to better than 0.1 gr.

Tips / superstitions for use:
Check the flush out tap is closed before pouring powder into the hopper. So it doesn't spill out all over the bench ...
Don't let powder grains fall into the hole where the load cell is (directly under the dispensing tube if you take off the black plastic doolacki.
I don't run the radio or anything else off the same power point.
Shed door is closed to keep out draughts.
Don't try to do anything else like seating bullets while dispensing all the powder. Any bump on the bench can give an out of whack weight.
I use a big MacDonalds Cream Freeze straw ( 0.308" dia) in the dispense tube which improves speed and consistency.
I've adjusted the dispense rate (goes in 3 steps) according to instructions posted by Spanners so search for that. The optimal weight breakpoints to slow down the dispensing will depend on your powder type and the total weight required so experimentation is needed.
The time needed to dispense a load varies a lot for me. The slower ones tend to be more accurate and the very quick ones are sometimes overthrows.

I'm loading ammo for short range hunting and for gongs out to 500m, its not long long range nor bench rest.

I can also get quick and accurate charges using a Lee loader plastic dipper followed by hand trickling into the electronic scales pan and if you don't have the money just now for the full setup that would be very good, just buy the RCBS scales part. I'm not sure the chargemaster is hugely quicker than a beam balance but its much less stress and frustration - just a period of "zoning out" towards the end of a session before the sweet job of seating the projectiles. I would say if you load more that 200-300 rounds a year its probably worth the money.

Charge master, I will never go back to spoons unless there's a power cut and zombies are coming.
I use the straw.
I use the check weights/calibrate every time, before starting.
Have tweezers ready to take out the odd kernal. Or dump back in the hopper.
Heaps quicker! Pour powder, seat, measure, pour powder.

At WBC 14 a very wise man told me that the chargemaster I was using at the time really wasn't up to the task.

Quite a few Guys were using them & he was quite correct.

It will show 51.5 for instance constantly but when checked with a proper scale they certainly aren't all 51.5 they can easily be .2-.3 either way.

Depending on the powder, powder throwers, even very good ones, will have the same sort of variance, the coarser the powder the worse it gets.

Not that I think it makes any difference, especially on big cartridges, would do on something like a 22 Hornet or subsonic rounds.

I have to hornady auto chargers that work mint.
I seat the projectiles as it's spinning out the next charge which makes for dam quick reloading.

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I use a Lyman gen6. Had it for around 6 yrs. Had a pact system before that which was OK.

There are a few tricks to get gen 6 to work well and accurately but they're pretty easy.

They also over time and use, require a bit of simple maintenance especially if you use different corded or fine ball powders.

My K Hornet has an average ES of 17fps depending on the day and projectile.
My 260 and 223 are around or under 12fps.

ES is not solely reliant on an accurate charge weight, but it is a good start.

I rarely shoot the 223 or K Hornet at ranges that I would even worry about a half grain fluctuation. But I never have that issue as it never throws a charge more than .1 out with any powders I have used.

By the time I seat a projectile the next charge has been thrown.
I have 2 separate check weights that have been verified on other devices and use them to check the scale before, after and sometimes during a session and it has never been out that I recall.
They are plasticy and tinny but for the money they're not bad. I would never go back to beam scales and would happily buy another if the one I have dies.






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I have a Lyman gen 6 also, I seat projectile while it drops the next charge and even me wobbling the bench around with the press doesnt seem to phase it.
It does like a decent warm up time tho but if warmed up throws .1 under or bang on 99% of the time.
As to the actual accuracy of the scales I cant comment as I have nothing of known accuracy to check them against but a cursory check of a few loads on my beam scales when I first got it showed it to be pretty bloody consistent.

Yup gen6 like these guys, also had some jewellery scales that were super accurate that I would check against randomly throughout a session.

I also keep my cellphone, fluorescent lights, WiFi devices etc away from them. Most newer ones are shielded but still I try keep things that'll interfere away from it as I've seen other models thrown out in the past.

+1 for the Hornady despenser.
Once I tweaked the programming (which is simple) I hardly ever get over charges.
I use to check every 5th one on my balance scales but dont bother anymore

I have the chargemaster, cannot comment on accuracy compared with another scale. It is faster and way less finicky than using a balance beam though. Overcharges are an issue I have had with mine, what helped was a plastic straw in the dispenser and it made a huge difference reprogramming the dispensing speed. Powders like 2208,2209 etc overcharge much less than the larger kernels of RL-50. Still probably overcharges one in every ten charges on average but is only .1 out.

I'm using a Chargemaster. I bought it from the States when they first came on the market (110v). I've not had a problem with it but it struggles with ADI2218 big kernels. I do have some concern about the accuracy of the loads, especially for small cases like the Hornet and check that it is still accurate about every 10 loads on a Lyman beam scale and check the relative volume on a block of filled cases. I've had three electronic scales (out of four) that began to drift off zero, so I remain somewhat jaundiced about cheaper electronic scales (like the Chargemaster) in terms of long term life and accuracy. The Chargemaster remains for me a very handy gadget.

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Originally Posted by veitnamcam

I have a Lyman gen 6 also, I seat projectile while it drops the next charge and even me wobbling the bench around with the press doesnt seem to phase it.
It does like a decent warm up time tho but if warmed up throws .1 under or bang on 99% of the time.
As to the actual accuracy of the scales I cant comment as I have nothing of known accuracy to check them against but a cursory check of a few loads on my beam scales when I first got it showed it to be pretty bloody consistent.

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Oh yes and mine has been thoroughly drowned from above when the wife and her friend decided they could replace the dishwasher themselves while I was at work, it still works perfectly after a few days in the hot water cupboard.
I reccomend it and any other similar device, balance beams and triclers are a slow painfull way to load 50 or a hundred rounds and throwers are a pain in the arse to adjust if doing ladders or trying different powders.

Know this is an old thread and all, but for what it's worth I use a Lyman Gen 3 electronic dispenser. It's usually about .2 -.3 of a grain out by it's 'own' confession. I 'always' use it in conjunction with my RCBS 10:10 balance beam scales and deliberately set the Lyman light, as (for example) 59.7 grains of powder can easily be 59.9 (or sometimes more) on the balance beam and then I just top it off with a manual powder trickler. 'Generally' (due to the bigger cases I load for) by the time it's spat out another load into the tray, I've already trickled the required amount of powder into the pan on the beam scales, and have placed it into the cartridge case, so there's no time really lost, unless, as some have suggested, you help the electronic scales out by dumping a load into the pan to give it a head start, which I've never done!

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Originally Posted by R93

I use a Lyman gen6. Had it for around 6 yrs. Had a pact system before that which was OK.

My K Hornet has an average ES of 17fps depending on the day and projectile.
My 260 and 223 are around or under 12fps.

ES is not solely reliant on an accurate charge weight, but it is a good start.

I rarely shoot the 223 or K Hornet at ranges that I would even worry about a half grain fluctuation. But I never have that issue as it never throws a charge more than .1 out with any powders I have used.

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I get a bigger ES than that out of my .300 RUM using my beam scales, I meticulously weigh every charge!

Lyman gen6. So much faster than measuring on the scale.

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Originally Posted by .300 RUM Guy

.. I 'always' use it in conjunction with my RCBS 10:10 balance beam scales and deliberately set the Lyman light, as (for example) 59.7 grains of powder can easily be 59.9 (or sometimes more) on the balance beam and then I just top it off with a manual powder trickler. ...

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I've read of this technique on various occasions and it amuses me. Why not just throw a slightly light charge from a basic thrower and trickle to finish? Faster than waiting for an inaccurate electronic thrower to do a no-better job.

Gen 6 for me.
It throws +/- 0.1 and seems to be repeatable.
I seat while next rounds are metering. I just ensure that I have finished seating before the meter slows down to trickle.

The only powder I dont use in machine is superformance.

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Originally Posted by 284 Gypsy

Gen 6 for me.
It throws +/- 0.1 and seems to be repeatable.
I seat while next rounds are metering. I just ensure that I have finished seating before the meter slows down to trickle.

The only powder I dont use in machine is superformance.

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Why's that, doesn't it meter well?

I just found the ball powders didnt meter as consistently. It tended over throw. And at that point it wasnt any quicker as I was dumping half the throws.
But that is just my experience with it.


I rate the Gen6. It makes doing 50 grounds a breeze.

2206h 2208 2209 2213 2217 N560 all meter well.

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Originally Posted by jakewire

How many here use the likes of Chargemaster , the Lyman equivalent or etc for your reloading
I'm still tapping out each charge from a teaspoon on to a small electronic scale then checking with the balance beam every 5 loads

With the amount of calibres I have now I'm thinking there has to be a better way

Do those that use these devices such as the Chargemaster find them accurate and reliable?
Any problems I should look out for ? and of course finally, which one would you buy or recommend for someone to buy.
Thanks.

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Having read your post again, here's my take on possible issues you might face with the Lyman Gen 6 if you go that way.

None of them are deal busters, all of them can be worked around.

I don't regret buying mine, and find that when used with my Redding T7 press, it makes reloading pretty quick.

I have been warned about using electronic sales under fluoro lights, so when I load in my garage (which has those lights), I turn them off and use desk lamps hung overhead. The reason for this is that there is a disruption factor to scales from this type of lights.

Similarly, I found that my Gen 6 would not settle down and register the test weight correctly when there was a makita 12v drill battery sitting near it.
I took it away and the Gen 6 sorted itself out immediately. lesson: don't use them near other power sources if possible.

The other issues are from the handbook. Don't use them with a current of air blowing through the room. It tends to unsettle them.

Don't leave powder in them when not in use, especially if you're prone to using different powders. A mix of powders,= a possible Kaboom in a firearm.

Don't use a vaccuum to clean out the powder reservoir at the end of loading. Disassemble the reservoir as per the instructions. a bit fiddly, but easy enough once you get the hang of it.

Don't put it on the same bench as the press, as the vibration from the up/down stroke of the press will unsettle it.
I got around this by sitting the Gen 6 on an old tv stand trolley so it's near to hand, but separate from the loading bench.
Reading another poster here, it doesn't seem to make any difference to the end result that it's sitting on the same bench.

The only other thing with the Gen 6 is that it has no memory for storing load weights. No big deal. I record every load I make up in a book. One book for 7mm08, one for 223 and so on.

Well I have a brand new, charge master sitting in the shed, bought in a few years back, thinking it would be the cats ass, damaged on arrival, so new one sent out, before this process was completed, I was loaned a Harrell's powder thrower, and the now. I have no desire. to even unwrap the charemaster,
Much prefer the Harrell's:thumbsup: or a Layman 55 powder thrower, and weigh loads till powder set up, the Harrell's can be redialed in to a click setting, that is 100% accurate,
I also work in an industry, that has had a few million $$$$ fuckups, because a digital gauge wasn't confirmed, against an analog gauge, hence a bit distrustful of digital sales, as even the dogs farts, seam to make them drift,
So if your not in a hurry, I can sell you a new charge master for 50%, (big bore, good bastard rate) the cost of a New one landed in NZ. its a 110 volt so will need a 240volt cable. Back in NZ likely Oct/Nov. for six weeks. PM if interested. I will newer use it.

I use a Harrell BR powder measure, a RCBS trickler and old Lyman scales. I set the powder measure to throw just under the desired weight and trickle up. Fast and accurate. Occasionally, I'll check the Lyman scales with some certified weights; it's always bang on though. I've been reloading since 1974 and have never seen the need to go electronic.

I did an experiment with a run of loads, ( about 50 ) just threw them from the powder thrower.

Out at 600 yds they all went 1/2 to 3/4 MOA. Some would have been effected by wind more than others.

If you want speed of throwing / dispensing powder it dont get much faster than a good quality manually activated powder thrower.

Same as 10- Ring been loading since early 70's and only use beam scale and weight each one, it's a bit slower but has served me well over the years. Must admit have been thinking of getting some electronic scales some day.

Just bought a Chargemaster Lite. Will let you know how it goes.