TECH TIP: How to Speed Up Your RCBS ChargeMaster 1500
The RCBS ChargeMaster 1500 electronic powder scale and dispenser is the most popular product of its kind on the market. In our original Electronic Powder Dispenser Comparison Test, the ChargeMaster normally dispensed most kinds of powder faster than competitive units from Lyman and PACT. However, after the initial release of the ChargeMaster 1500, RCBS “tweaked” the software a bit to achieve more consistent charge-throws. This slowed down the process somewhat. Some owners have wanted to speed up their ChargeMaster. This IS possible with a relatively simple reprogramming. Most of the internal parameters of the Chargemaster can be modified, under guidance from the tech staff at RCBS.
Gunsmith and Forum member NAT Lambeth reports: “I thought My RCBS ChargeMaster 1500 Combo was fast enough. But I still called RCBS and asked for the programing changes to see if I could speed it up. It was a lot easier than I thought. My 1500 Combo was taking from 15-30 seconds to dispense the powder to the tenth of a grain. I reprogrammed the numbers and now it takes between 7 and 15 seconds to dispense to a tenth. This effectively doubled my loading speed. I only changed the HSB_A1, HSB_B1, and BSP_C1 settings.”
Key ChargeMaster Parameters with Default Settings
HSB_A1 (15.68) Grains under target weight to go from full to high speed
HSB_B1 (3.42) Grains under target weight to go from high to slow speed
BSP_C1 (1.08) Grains under target weight to go from slow to final trickle speed
Nat cautions that you should talk to a RCBS tech before attempting to re-program your ChargeMaster: “You will benefit from talking to the RCBS tech. I have now gone back and played with the numbers a couple of times. (The numbers given to me by the tech at RCBS were still a little conservative.) I think each machine may have its own likes and dislikes. If you get too aggresive with lowering your numbers it will over-throw your intended load.”
Source for ALL the Parameters
There is an extensive discussion of RCBS ChargeMaster programming on the South Africa Hunting Rifle Shooting Assn. (SAJSV) Forum. In this SAJSV Forum ARTICLE, Jaco Brink lists virtually all the programming codes. Importantly, Jaco also provides the default values for various parameters. This is very important, because the ChargeMaster does not have a “return to default” option. Once you change any value, if you want to return to the original value you must enter it manually.
Jaco cautions: “I have to advise you to only make changes to your scale if you are confident to do so, and remember that there is not a ‘return to default’ setting in the scale. If all else fails return your scale to the default settings [I have listed].”
CLICK HERE for list of RCBS ChargeMaster Default Programming Values
Use a McDonald’s Straw to Reduce “Over-Throws”
Jaco Brink provided another useful tip to avoid “over-throws” (excess charge weight): “The RCBS employee advised me to take a McDonnell’s straw (because it is thicker than a normal straw), cut off about a half inch piece and put it into the tube where the powder exits. This caused the last part of an extruded powder to clutter less, and reduced the amount of overthrows dramatically.”
CLICK HERE for more ChargeMaster 1500 optimization TIPS.
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This works well. What I’ve also done is to wrap paper around a 3/16″ rod to create a reducer. Different reduction diameters work better for different powders Once I tune this, you can see the individual grain of powder that puts it over. Takes me around 28 seconds (for ~45 grains Varget, N550, RL-17), but the results are extremely accurate.
I recently called RCBS, Oroville, CA (1-800-533-5000, Monday through Thursday only) to speed up my Charge Master 1500. If you call RCBS, the person to speak to is Don Legg. Don’s the programmer and is the one you must speak with. I’ve been told that Customer Service Reps have asked for a script to assist customers with the reprogramming but as yet have not received one. You have to speak to Don. After reprogramming my wait time was greatly reduced.
Two other thing you can do is run the proper size tap into the dispensing tube as rcbs did a very rough treading job, this will allow the powder to not bunch up, also take a q-tip after rethreading and work some dry lab grade moly into the treads, works real well
Great info…thanks for sharing.
The draining process is a lot more involved than shown. There can be up to about 22 grains of powder left in the tube that delivers it to the pan. I put in 55 and hit dispense. This cleans out the tube. Nest time you reload, you don’t want to be throwing 52 grains of 4350 and find out the first 18 grains were Unique!
I put a black line on the tube to mark when the fill opening is faced down. When finished I get the remaining powder out by by tilting the measure left,right and forward.Seems to work real well.
What this device really needs is elimination of the delay after the goal weight is achieved. There is little or no value in the delaying to display a sequence number. After the goal weight is achieved, it would be much better to , then immediately display the actual weight of the charge in the pan – without the delay.
How about it, RCBS? This would be a big improvement.
The very last thing anyone needs to be doing with their CM is speeding it up. It ain’t a race folks.
Accuracy is more important.
My chargemaster 1500 is so slow what can be done? I have the one in Oregon and the one in Arizona that works very well . The time to throw 106 grs of retumbo powder The one in az is about 30 seconds the one in Oregon is about 2 minutes or more. I have seen in the manual about retapping, what size is the tap. And where can I buy a tap the right size and is also long enough.. thank you Darrell Mallery