The RCBS Chargemaster Combo and the Lyman 1200 DPS II are both on sale for about the same price. They function as both measure and scale, and claim accuracy to 1/10 of a grain. Does anyone have any experience with either or both of these? Is one better than the other?

I've got the older version of the RCBS with IR connection between dispenser and scale. When I first got it I used it a lot. It's great for auto weighing of charges in combo with a turret press where you have other things to do while you wait for the charge to be thrown.

I've found myself more recently just using the scale with Lee dippers. It's faster than waiting for the dispenser - and busy hands are happy hands. Waiting sucks. If I had to do it over again I'd probably just get a digital scale and a set of Lee dippers.

I have a hard time believing that they actually throw charges w/in .01 grains of each other.

I've found the beams to be more accurate and faster.

Good Luck!

Reloader

My brother has a pact and I don't like the IR connection. It seems if you bump the scale and break the link you have to recalibrate. A big PIA.

I've been looking at the RCBS model, if I got one that would be it I think.

I just ordered the RCBS, Natchez has it for $239, the best price i found, I will give a report after I use it for a while.

Yes, that is where I am looking at them, Elkman. It seems that the RCBS is the preferred version. Here is a link to one discussion about them -

http://www.shortmags.org/shortmags/snitzforum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=5425

It all depends on what you wish to use it for. If you plan on reloading mostly spheical or flake powders for hand gun rounds, most any manual hand operated powder dispencer will serve you well. But if like me you are going to reload mostly large and long extruded rifle powders like RL-22 and RL-19, a digital powder measurer might be worth considering. I have a RCBS uniflow powder measure and while it throws both flake and spheical powders well, its accuracy dispencing lages extruded powders is unacceptable to me. I found my self setting the RCBS at less than my desigered weight and then having to trickle each powder charge to atain the weight I wished. I found this to be unacceptable as I usually reload btwn 100 to 300 rounds per sitting. So I desided to give the PACT powder despencing system a try. I will list what I like and dislike about it after using it for the last six years..

Likes:
<>Accurate, and manetains it accuracy repeatidly.
It is VARY accurate in dispencing all types of powders, except BP. And yes it does acheive an accuracy to with in + or - 1/10 of a grain and rarely, and I do mean rearly varies more than 3/10 of a grain. I know this because I check weigh the first and every fith powder charge every time I reload with my RCBS 10-10 ballance beem scale. I check both my PACT and RCBS 10-10 scales before each use with my Lyman check weight set. If I wish to be exactly accuate, I can set my charge weight 3/10 under and use the trickle feature to atain perfection, but thats not nessasary. I STRONGLY doubt ther is ANY manual powder measuer/dispencer that can accutarely and more importantly CONSISTANTLY maintain a accuacy of = or - 1/10 to 2/10 of a grain while metering large long extruded powders like RL-19, RL-22, IMR-4350 etc. Thay do a great on parr job with flake and spherical but not long extruded.

<>Speed.
This system is much faster than my old way of first throwing than trickling the powder. I on average reload BTWN 100 to 300 shells per sitting. I use the time the PACT takes to dispence each charge to seat my bullets, which works out near pefectly. Set up time of the PACT was much faster than my RCBS dispencer

<>Confidence.
I now have great confidence in the consistantcy of my powder charge weights in my reloads.

Dislikes:

<>Scale is prone to being affected by external forces.
This a rahther minor dislike in my opinion, in that before you use it, you must make sure you have no ceiling fans on, are in line with a A/C register, or have it set up on the same table as you are seating your bullets on. I have mine set up on a seperate table in my reloading room and have no problems with it what so ever as long as i fallow the above. The Lyman unit seems to have some of thess problems solved by design.

<>Emptying out unused powder. This is my strongest dislike as the powder dispencer could realy use a system to do this like on the Lyman unit. If the Lyman unit was available when I bought the PACT I would have bought it insted.

All other dislikes listed about the PACT I dont find a problem. As far as the calibration/re-calibration issues, I simply preform other relaoding tasks as it does this. The new units made after mine, PACT claims thay are much faster and offer for a small fee to upgrade units like mine, but mine has been so accurate, I dont wish to tempt fate.

Although I have no experience with the Lyman model I would think it has clear advantages over the PACT as it is one, self contained unit that most likely would not suffer from most of short commings of the PACT I listed.
I also looked into buying one of the top of the line powder measures from makers on parr with Culver and the like, but thay were just as expencive as my PACT and the pact seemed to make more sence to use on large extruded powders. Even though some powder makers are making some of the large extruded powders in a "short cut" configuration designed to meter more accurately through dispencers, my powders of choice RL-19, RL-22, are not.

It boils down to this. You can acheive the same results using a good ballance beam scale, a manual powder measuer and a powder trickler, as I do with the PACT or would with the Lyman 1200, it will just take you longer, and if you reload as much as I do, alot longer. Also dont forget when you buy eithor thr PACT or the Lyman, you get a digital scale with it, and that is IMHO almost a must have relaoding item.

Cost of Lyman:
$227.74
Cost of PACT:
$229.99
Cost of alternative:
Dispencer from $25.00 for a Lee to $114.00 for a Redding to over $200 for a Culver.
Tricler from $8.00 to $10.00 and can be substituted with a modified 35mm film canister. Im not counting a ballance beam scale as thats a must have item.

I have the Lyman 1200 and it is great. I have had it since last Dec. and have loaded well over a thousand rounds with it. I have read on some of these forums that the Lyman is inconsistant and will lose zero. I have had no such problems. Since I started using it I have checked each load with my 505 scale just to be sure. I can count on one hand the loads that were off and these were less than 2/10. Last week I loaded 500 7.62x39 rounds and everyone was balls on, perfect. I really like the speed at which I can work my way up for load development. I think I would be lost without it.

I tried them all sent the RCBS back it was all over the place as much as a grain off.
at times I use a Pact as it is ok it is slow but for powders like 4350 it serves a function. I personely use a Brunno throw the charge on to a scale in the case and a bullet and done takes very little time only weigh every 5th one or so . I like the Pact scale.I don't see the need for the combo.spend your money on a Harrel , or Brunno
forget the electronics.

If I hadn't got the Lyman 1200 DPS II for less than $200 shipped, I would have bought the RCBS unit...be patient, the link is slow to open and times out sometimes, but it's worth the time once you get to read the review.

http://www.6mmbr.com/powderdispensers01.html

Wrongtarget,
Where praytell did you get a Lyman 1200 for under $200 shiped? if you please.

From Cabelas with a $25 discount and my Cabelas bucks....it was $199 shipped, regular price was about $234 shipped. Their price on the DPSII is $220 and $13.95 shipping.

Tim

Natchez has it on sale for $210...

http://natchezss.com/category.cfm?contentID=productDeta...330&CFTOKEN=62912940

The RCBS is $240...

http://natchezss.com/category.cfm?contentID=productDeta...ry=22&prodID=RC98923

Pact = RCBS.

The difference is the color of the plastic and labels

quote:

Originally posted by DobleTroble:
Pact = RCBS.

The difference is the color of the plastic and labels

Hmmm, this RCBS...

and this Pact...


Certainly aren't the same!!

WrongTarget is offering you good advice! I just purchased the RCBS Combo. I had a Lyman DPS that went sour! WWW.6mmBR.com completed a comparison on the Pact, Lyman and RCBS. The RCBS won hands down! I love the RCBS, do yourself a favor and go to the above website and checkout the comparison reviews, you will be glad you did! Good Luck !

I bought the RCBS, based upon the discussions at shortmags.org and the 6mmbr forum. It seemed worth the extra cash.