New addition RCBS Chargemaster 1500

Road_Clam · April 11, 2015, 07:05 AM

Well I've been thinking about this upgrade over the past 6 months and finally decided to pull the trigger and buy the chargemaster. After spending about a week with the new unit I am just delighted as to the speed and trouble free accuracy and consistency. I first loaded up a run of 460 S&W mag which uses 50 gr of H110 ball powder. The first aspect you realize is that the unit is speed programmed from the factory "conservative". I did a lot of research and of course like most "man things" the chargemaster can be hot rodded with just some simply reprogramming. Speeding up the parameters is especially beneficial if you load the big stuff such as 50+ gr charges. The default setting from going full speed to medium speed is 15 grains under your programmed amount. I dropped that parameter to 7 grains , and this alone was an instant substantial speed up in the process. I ended up tweaking all three available speed parameters and now the thing just flies ! I can have a fresh 50 gr charge ready in almost the same time as to seat a bullet. So safe to say my load time will be cut almost in half. I've even put the chargemaster to the ultimate test with loading the problematic 4064 matchstick powder , and the unit threw perfect 44 gr charges for my 8mm Mauser loads (I did have to do the famous "McDonalds straw mod" when metering 4064). So in closing if any of you are thinking a digital charge system, DO IT ! you have my two thumbs up !

cwall64 · April 11, 2015, 09:33 AM

I too wet back and forth on buying one and read every review I could - finally picked one up about a month ago and just love it. Every time I check it against my old balance beam it seems to be right on the money. For the price I just hope it last for a long time!!!

hounddogman · April 11, 2015, 11:36 AM

I'm a big fan also, the charge counter is a nice feature also

noylj · April 11, 2015, 02:00 PM

Better put that "wind shield" back on to prevent drafts from upsetting the balance.

Paul B. · April 11, 2015, 03:04 PM

Guess it's maybe 4 or 5 years back now but I did the load work up for my ex-son in law's .300 WSM using the components he was told by a friend to be good. No problem with the brass, bullets or primer but cringed when he handed me that pound of IMR4831. I'd quit extruded power that had large granules years ago preferring to use ball powders. Now here I'm stuck with a 4831. For some reason I've always had trouble getting consistent charges with 4831. I'm pretty anal about accurately weighed powder charges so it was an 8 hour session in a hotter'n hades shed to get the first series of loads made up.
Well, the loads got shot up over the week end and it was time to work with the promising loads. I had to go to Sportsman's Warehouse for more powder and bullets. My wife went along to look at clothes and while she was waiting for me to get my stuff, I pointed out the Chargemaster 1500 and said, "One of these days I'm gonna get me one of those things." She smiled sweetly and and said, "Why not today?" Guess you know why I've kept her these last 45 years.

I've used it for my rfle loads ever since but still use the RCBS powder measure for most handgun loads. It handles small and large charges of Bullseye, 2400 and W231 very nicely, but Unique not so well. Guess I can't have everything my way.

Anytime anyone asks about the Chargemaster I tell them it's a healthy two thumbs up.
Paul B.

Mac Sidewinder · April 11, 2015, 07:46 PM

Does the chargemaster do very well with small charges? Say from 3 to 6grs? I load mostly handguns and always thought I would like one but wasn't too sure if I would get enough use out of one to justify the expense.

Mac

Monte · April 11, 2015, 08:33 PM

I picked one up in january and love it, could not imagine being without it.

Mac Sidewinder, I use it with Bullseye for 380(3 grs) and 9mm(3.9 grs) and it works great.

ETA: I could charge cases faster with RCBS uniflow, but with the chargemaster I know it's right on every charge. And with the chargemaster I can seat bullet in charegd case while it's dispensing the charge for the next case.

Road_Clam · April 12, 2015, 07:32 PM

I've loaded about 160 rounds thus far and only had about 2 over throws. and IMO the overthrows are no big deal as they are only +.01 gr and when your talking a 50+ gr charge .01 is nothing. It's just so convenient to NOT have to babysit my precise load by hand trickling anymore !

noylj · April 12, 2015, 07:46 PM

Loads of 3 grain and less are too small to ever get the dispenser out of trickle mode, so time to dispense increases. You can program it, but I'm not sure that it would help with such small charge, as the faster speeds would probably still overshoot.
The most I have ever had was a 0.1 gn overshoot and that is NOTHING. If one is obsessive, one can simply lightly wet their finger and remove a couple kernels of powder to get the "right" weight.

April 11, 2015, 07:05 AM	#1
Road_Clam Senior Member Join Date: November 21, 2013 Location: New Hampshire Posts: 1,695	New addition RCBS Chargemaster 1500 Well I've been thinking about this upgrade over the past 6 months and finally decided to pull the trigger and buy the chargemaster. After spending about a week with the new unit I am just delighted as to the speed and trouble free accuracy and consistency. I first loaded up a run of 460 S&W mag which uses 50 gr of H110 ball powder. The first aspect you realize is that the unit is speed programmed from the factory "conservative". I did a lot of research and of course like most "man things" the chargemaster can be hot rodded with just some simply reprogramming. Speeding up the parameters is especially beneficial if you load the big stuff such as 50+ gr charges. The default setting from going full speed to medium speed is 15 grains under your programmed amount. I dropped that parameter to 7 grains , and this alone was an instant substantial speed up in the process. I ended up tweaking all three available speed parameters and now the thing just flies ! I can have a fresh 50 gr charge ready in almost the same time as to seat a bullet. So safe to say my load time will be cut almost in half. I've even put the chargemaster to the ultimate test with loading the problematic 4064 matchstick powder , and the unit threw perfect 44 gr charges for my 8mm Mauser loads (I did have to do the famous "McDonalds straw mod" when metering 4064). So in closing if any of you are thinking a digital charge system, DO IT ! you have my two thumbs up ! __________________ "To be old an wise you must have been young and stupid"

April 11, 2015, 09:33 AM	#2
cwall64 Member Join Date: March 18, 2015 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 63	I too wet back and forth on buying one and read every review I could - finally picked one up about a month ago and just love it. Every time I check it against my old balance beam it seems to be right on the money. For the price I just hope it last for a long time!!! __________________ NRA Endowment Member

April 11, 2015, 03:04 PM	#5
Paul B. Senior Member Join Date: March 28, 1999 Location: Tucson, AZ Posts: 3,802	Guess it's maybe 4 or 5 years back now but I did the load work up for my ex-son in law's .300 WSM using the components he was told by a friend to be good. No problem with the brass, bullets or primer but cringed when he handed me that pound of IMR4831. I'd quit extruded power that had large granules years ago preferring to use ball powders. Now here I'm stuck with a 4831. For some reason I've always had trouble getting consistent charges with 4831. I'm pretty anal about accurately weighed powder charges so it was an 8 hour session in a hotter'n hades shed to get the first series of loads made up. Well, the loads got shot up over the week end and it was time to work with the promising loads. I had to go to Sportsman's Warehouse for more powder and bullets. My wife went along to look at clothes and while she was waiting for me to get my stuff, I pointed out the Chargemaster 1500 and said, "One of these days I'm gonna get me one of those things." She smiled sweetly and and said, "Why not today?" Guess you know why I've kept her these last 45 years. I've used it for my rfle loads ever since but still use the RCBS powder measure for most handgun loads. It handles small and large charges of Bullseye, 2400 and W231 very nicely, but Unique not so well. Guess I can't have everything my way. Anytime anyone asks about the Chargemaster I tell them it's a healthy two thumbs up. Paul B. __________________ COMPROMISE IS NOT AN OPTION!

April 11, 2015, 08:33 PM	#7
Monte Member Join Date: January 26, 2014 Posts: 23	I picked one up in january and love it, could not imagine being without it. Mac Sidewinder, I use it with Bullseye for 380(3 grs) and 9mm(3.9 grs) and it works great. ETA: I could charge cases faster with RCBS uniflow, but with the chargemaster I know it's right on every charge. And with the chargemaster I can seat bullet in charegd case while it's dispensing the charge for the next case. Last edited by Monte; April 11, 2015 at 08:40 PM.

April 12, 2015, 07:32 PM	#8
Road_Clam Senior Member Join Date: November 21, 2013 Location: New Hampshire Posts: 1,695	I've loaded about 160 rounds thus far and only had about 2 over throws. and IMO the overthrows are no big deal as they are only +.01 gr and when your talking a 50+ gr charge .01 is nothing. It's just so convenient to NOT have to babysit my precise load by hand trickling anymore ! __________________ "To be old an wise you must have been young and stupid"

April 11, 2015, 11:36 AM	#3
hounddogman Member Join Date: September 17, 2014 Posts: 69	I'm a big fan also, the charge counter is a nice feature also

April 11, 2015, 02:00 PM	#4
noylj Senior Member Join Date: October 21, 2007 Location: Between CA and NM Posts: 858	Better put that "wind shield" back on to prevent drafts from upsetting the balance.

April 11, 2015, 07:46 PM	#6
Mac Sidewinder Member Join Date: March 2, 2012 Posts: 84	Does the chargemaster do very well with small charges? Say from 3 to 6grs? I load mostly handguns and always thought I would like one but wasn't too sure if I would get enough use out of one to justify the expense. Mac

April 12, 2015, 07:46 PM	#9
noylj Senior Member Join Date: October 21, 2007 Location: Between CA and NM Posts: 858	Loads of 3 grain and less are too small to ever get the dispenser out of trickle mode, so time to dispense increases. You can program it, but I'm not sure that it would help with such small charge, as the faster speeds would probably still overshoot. The most I have ever had was a 0.1 gn overshoot and that is NOTHING. If one is obsessive, one can simply lightly wet their finger and remove a couple kernels of powder to get the "right" weight.