What has everyone found as the easies and most accurate on the market. Read reviews on the Lyman DPS III, the Hornaday lock an load, and the RCBS. They all sound good and seem to have draw backs. Trying to get answers from folks with more experience using the type of equipement than I have.

I can't make a comparison but I will speak well on the Lyman. I've had mine since they first came out w/o any problems.
Actually, I had one problem with it throwing up goofy numbers and the lady at the factory said "wipe it down with an anti-cling cloth like you put in the dryer". I did and I've had no more problems.

I've had my RCBS for about 3 years now and haven't had a single problem to date.

They have a review on the 6mmbr site.
RCBS comes up the winner.

Hal

I like my RCBS too.

I haven't used any of the ones you have listed but I have been using the Pact Dispenser/Scale set up. It's a 2 part unit and the scale can be used independently from the dispenser.

http://pact.com/index.php?opti...iew&id=14&Itemid=126

The 6mmBr review is old, both the Lyman and the Pact have been updated since, the Lyman DPS 3 is much faster and very easy to clean/dump the powder. The Pact is the only US made unit, the Lyman and RCBS are made in china.

http://forums.accuratereloadin...=884102177#884102177

I own a PACT. I have used the RCBS version. I know someone who has the newer Lyman. I don't see a lot of difference between them as far as performance except that the new Lyman can memorize charges, which might save some time.

my rcbs has had zero problems, but to tell the truth i really don't use it much. when i do its usually for somthing like 4350 or 4831 and then i throw a charge close with a measure and let the thing finish it out. otherwise it's just to slow

quote:

Originally posted by graybird:
I've had my RCBS for about 3 years now and haven't had a single problem to date.

Same story only going on 5+ years.

Anything that depends on an electronic scale as opposed to a balance beam is going to introduce significant compromises in weight accuracy. Add to that the fact that the "automatic" powder dispensing machines are no faster than doing the chore manually (drop then dribble), such machines seem to be a solution looking for a problem. If you want to spend $300 for a new gizmo, fine; I'd rather spend it on shooting equipment and supplies that really count.

I'm own a PACT. It's the RCBS version and he had between 15 or 20 yeras old with me, in use for 30 / 40 rifles cartridges, two days a week. Only one word: EXCELLENT. In this time I had only one problem -a cell broken- and RCBS solutioned inmediatly. Never other problem with the scale or the dispenser. From 1992 or 1993 to 2010 !!!

I use two Lyman Autoscales (old as dirt) that are extremely accurate, a Lyman DPS with updated kit, and about to buy a second for a song (from a dumb dipshit who can't figure it out). When you shoot around 3000 rounds a year, anything that speeds up the process helps. Good shooting.

Been using the Lyman DPS 3 for a couple of years. It does make a difference if you don't let it warm up like the directions say.

I do not agree that electronic scales introduce inaccuracies. For the first couple of years that I had my Lyman, I proofed it against a Ohaus 10/10 on every set up. It was right on.
I'm not sure but I believe that the 10/10 balance beam scales are +/- the same as the electronic scales. The Lyman is said to be accurate within 1/10grain.

As far as are they worth the money? Each has to decide that for himself. They are luxury items but then a Ohaus 10/10 is a luxary item compared to a Lee $5.00 scale or a set of dippers.

This may not eliminate ALL zeroing problems----but--it will help with the majority of them I am told---as mentioned in the instructions of my PACTand I am told the RCBS as well, users should allow a 15 minute to 1/2 hour warm up before calibrating, zeroing and using the scale--I realize that this requires that you actually READ the directions and plan ahead and for some people this is a problem---but it works. Just the same as the Lyman...........

I believe it was 1994 when I got my PACT.

I had the old model RCBS, fine as far as it went. I sold it at a gun show and got the newer version a couple of years ago, which was a big improvement. Much faster, and not limited to 99.0 gr like the old one. My next charge is nearly weighed out by the time I have a bullet seated. I wouldn't be without it.

The Lyman is supposed to have a 30 minute warm p. I find that I can turn it on and by the time I get a cup of coffee and get my ducks in a row on what I'm gonna be doing at the bench, the 30 minutes are gone.
I've read post that said some folks leave theirs on all the time but I'm not comfortable with that. But, there's no reason why you can't turn it on as soon as you get home even though it's gonna be a couple of hours b/4 you reload.

I've had the RCBS unit for 2 1/2 years now. No real problems. As others have said, it really wants to be "warmed up" before you start using it, and to be calibrated at each setting.

The only minor annoyance I have is that it over charges by a couple tenths of a grain once and a while. No big deal, I just dump those back into the hopper. For me it only seems to happen with Varget.

One of the features it has is to automatically repeat the same weight as you just did (empty the tray, but it back empty, it starts dispensing as soon as it reads zero). It'll also memorize charges, but I never use that feature.

It also keeps a running count of how many charges it's measured. This is a handy little thing to have when loading pistol cartridges. eg- if I'm loading 50 cases and I think I'm done, the running count better say 50. If it says 49, I've missed a case, if it says 51, I've double charged. No substitute for being careful and inspecting each cartridge, but it's another checkpoint.

It does get a little tedious waiting for the charges to meter out, and I'm sure you could go faster with a drop measure, but I'm in no hurry.

I also have a secondary scale just to make things are legit.

No experience with the other brands, but I'm guessing they're functionally equivalent.

-nosualc

I have both the newer RCBS ChargeMaster 1500 and the newer PACT sitting on my bench. Reason is I looked like you did. Kind of wanted the Pact as made here in Texas - kind of wanted the RCBS as it was faster. My best bud who loads here with me a lot went and bought the Pact after I got the RCBS so we would have 2 set up.

The RCBS is faster and much faster near the end of the load as it trickles up. It does set up faster too. The RCBS is better on accuracy for now. The Pact cleans up a bit easier. The RCBS has a auto throw feature whcih starts the next charge when the pan is replaced. The placement of the beam (IR link between the hopper and scale) is more critical in the Pact and does not enter into the RCBS.

If one had to be fixed both are really about the same. The load sensors are NOT warranted past the base warranty on either unit which is the most likely to need replacement in my mind. But even though RCBS warranty is great - - for this item I would bet on the Pact as being here where you could call them. You can call RCBS but the unit is not likely going to be fixed by a person - so the call rep is not so helpful. So it is likely a replacement scenario.

You have to rezero both sometimes. For what it is worth the weight sensor varies less on the RCBS 1500 than on the RCBS 750 which is of course half the scale. We keep the check weights sitting there and every 5 or 10 or so check a charge on another super accurate lab scale as well. If it out 1/10 I go on - when it gets to 2/10 or more got to rezero and recheck.

If you keep environmental changes down whether temp, or draft etc and let them warm up they do a nice job. The RCBS stores load data if that is important to you. The Pact calibration of the powder thrown seems more rigoursly correct but the differences dont hold in practice.

No problems with either one. I like the RCBS as I use it and Gary likes the Pact as he uses it. I think the RCBS is more cost now than when I got mine and Gary got a nice deal on the Pact when he bought it and a chrony. The speed thing is not that big really, in the overall scope of loading, unless you are doing a big run of loads.


If the RCBS broke I would buy another one.

quote:

Originally posted by Stonecreek:
Anything that depends on an electronic scale as opposed to a balance beam is going to introduce significant compromises in weight accuracy. Add to that the fact that the "automatic" powder dispensing machines are no faster than doing the chore manually (drop then dribble), such machines seem to be a solution looking for a problem. If you want to spend $300 for a new gizmo, fine; I'd rather spend it on shooting equipment and supplies that really count.

Using a powder measure and a trickler is soooo much faster too.

quote:

Originally posted by Marty:
I had the old model RCBS, fine as far as it went. I sold it at a gun show and got the newer version a couple of years ago, which was a big improvement. Much faster, and not limited to 99.0 gr like the old one. My next charge is nearly weighed out by the time I have a bullet seated. I wouldn't be without it.

Using an RCBS 1500 and seating the bullets while it is dispensing is soooo much faster too.

quote:

Enjoy creating conflict while you can. DO NOT put off belittling 22 caliber stunt shooting of deer or fighting pressure wars on the forums. All of a sudden one day you wake up and feel agreeable to everyone, WTF!

.......Hot Core new years resolution/2011

I've been using the RCBS 1500 Combo unit for a few years with absolutely no problems. The outfit is great. I also seat the bullet while it is dispensing, so the time issue is a non-issue. I need to buy another one to reserve as spare if my main squeeze ever goes down. Would only go back to balance beam in dire emergency Waidmannsheil, Dom.

I've tried seating a bullet while the dispenser is running and found that it changes the powder charge. Either you need an extreamly stable bench or a seperate table for the dispenser.

RCBS because that's what is easier to find at local stores and I have had good luck with them. Plus, they're made not far rom here. My second choice is Redding.

Lou

You definitely need to have the powder dispenser on a different table.
If your working at the bullet press vibrations from working at the press table will cause powder to jiggle out of the electronic dispenser tube.

I set my dispenser up on the clothes dryer machine. It's a step behind the press bench and has a nice flat top, and is electrically grounded to help deal with static electricity.
I do that before I set up the press which is warm up time the scales need.

My Chargemaster dispenser is a few years old and jammed up on while dispensing very fine grained H110 powder.
Apparently it was one of the unit that was of early China manufacture and internal parts were not made to tight enough tolerances so powder was able to work its way into areas were no powder should be.
RCBS send me a new dispenser that works perfectly with H110 now.

You do not need to have the dispenser on a different table IF you seat the bullet while the dispenser is in fast mode immediately after hitting the dispense button. IOW, have the case with bullet ready to seat and as soon as you hit the dispense button, seat the bullet. Any vibrations from seating will not bother the dispenser while it is actively spinning.

My process is:

1. Dispense 3 or 4 cases to get a head start
2. Have a bullet ready to seat and charged case in the shell holder
3. Hit DISPENSE for charging next case
4. Immediately SEAT BULLET
5. Move seated bullet to loading tray or box
6. Pick up next charged case and look in to VERIFY CHARGE
7. Place case in shell holder

Usually the machine has beeped showing finished dispensing, WAIT 5 SECONDS and it will display actual weight charged, if it went over dip a little out with a small spoon or Lee Dipper.

8. Swirl powder into case
9. Move funnel to next case after checking for powder bridging
10. Place pan on pedestal
11. Grab next bullet and keep in left hand
12. When machine zeros, hit DISPENSE


You have a constant recalibration of the machine everytime you pick up the pan; the display will read -155.0 on mine. If it doesn't look for the problem or rezero, recalibrate whatever. This has only happened once on my machine in years and it was a couple of granules of powder on top of the pedestal under the pan.

The process becomes habit especially the looking in the case to verify powder and checking for powder bridging in the funnel. The count feature is useful as nosualc mentioned since it is a guard against missing a case or double charging.

I used to set the charge low .1 or .2 grains and tap the dispenser tube to drop right on but have cut a small section of a drinking straw and put it in the end of the tube and it will now drop right on 90% of the time.

It was always frustrating for me using the balance beam with several anomalies. I trust my RCBS 1500 much more and my 50 gr check weights supplied with it and the constant check with the weight of the pan being ALWAYS 155 gr reassures me all the time. EVERYTIME I have to pull a bullet and reweigh the charge it ALWAYS weighs the EXACT same charge my spreadsheet tells me I charged the first time.

Need a new slogan:

quote:

You can have my RCBS 1500 Chargemaster when you pry it from my cold dead fingers!

quote:

Electronic powder dispensors and scales

Some folks like "thingys"

quote:

Originally posted by vapodog:

quote:

Electronic powder dispensors and scales

Some folks like "thingys"

Hey vapo, see if you can talk farmers into retrograding

this video explains quite well

I have the new Hornady model and well it is a little slower than the RCBS unit, it has yet to throw an over charge load, seems good so far and was on sale at Sinclair's a few weeks back $229.00. FS

What Sam sez is true. The 1500 is very sensitive to vibrations. (I don't know about the rest). The only way I could seat a bullet while the next charge was falling was to use another table. I couldn't do much of anything on the bench the Lyman was sitting on without it screwing it up.
In WV, there was a deep freeze in the same room with my reloading bench. (conventional floor) When the freezer would kick on or off, it would cause my dispensor to give me a wrong charge. While the freezer was running, it didn't seem to bother the dispenser.

Vibration is a problem as can be power.

The strain gauge type sensors used in these are dependent on very stable voltage and current. It could be that when the freezer kicked in it disrupted the power momentarily especially if they are on the same electric circuit. You would see it rather pronounced with a scope on the line as a spike.

Of course if the table is rattling that is something all together different.

Plugging your powder dispenser into a UPS back up system like you may have for your computer will eliminate a lot of this.

Might not be your problem but others can have it.

And no question that an ultra-stable-built-like-a-tank bench is indispensable in loading operations.

I load all of my ammo including match on my RCBS combo unit--also use a digital lab scale to check before I start.

Works great ---- finish weighing dump in the case hit dispense again, place bullet on top of the case , seat in the arbor press, place loaded round in box ---- repeat process. All of my rifles shoot 15 fps or less deviations so I would say this works.

Also do a lot of prep work such as measuring bearing surface of each bullet. Have to let the scales warm up and have clean power to them (no fluorescents on the same plug). Times and technology pass some people by but to say the electronic scales are not accurate stems from ignorance.

Have any of you guys tried this gizmo - seems the best of all worlds.
www.targetmasteruk.com

I do a lot of reloading but seldom much of the same load at any one time. because of this,the warm up time and the clean up time my 1200DP don't get much use. It had been a generous gift so I keep it.I guess if I believed in going out and killing a lot of varmints it would get more use. roger

quote:

Originally posted by Boss Hoss: All of my rifles shoot 15 fps or less deviations so I would say this works.

Even absolutely, precisely matching powder charge weights (the kind that can only be measured accurately on a good balance beam scale) cannot guarantee velocity spreads of less than 15 fps from "all of my rifles". It is in the nature of many powders to produce much larger spreads than this regardless of how they are measured.

My wife bought me a Lyman for xmas a few years ago. Took a half hour to warm up and threw accurately about 20% of the time. Took it back and got an RCBS combo. I have never looked back. I only use it for rifle cartridges as I load handgun on a Dillon RL550 or with an RCBS Uniflow measure. My only complaint is if I have the window open I have to block any breeze as it will throw it off. I have never had a problem with it on the same bench with my press, seating bullets while dispensing.

quote:

I have the window open I have to block any breeze as it will throw it off.

A small breeze will do the very same thing to a balance beam scale!