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October 29th, 2009
 Natchez Shooters Supplies currently has the RCBS ChargeMaster 1500 Scale and Dispenser combo (item RC98923) on sale for just $279.95, a very good price. These units have become increasingly popular over the past couple of years. Now even some short-range benchresters are weighing their loads with RCBS ChargeMasters. When these units are set up correctly (i.e. level in all planes) and kept away from wind drafts or electrical interference, they work very well. After acquiring his ChargeMaster earlier this year, Jason Baney, our assistant editor, told us: “Man, I wish I had this thing years ago… it probably cuts my reloading time in half.”
September 16th, 2009
Readers often ask: “What priming tool should I use?” There is no simple, clear-cut answer. Different tools have different advantages and disadvantages. Many short-range benchresters like the Sinclair one-at-a-time priming tool. They believe this unit has the best “feel” for seating primers.
 Others prefer the K&M tool, another “single-loader”, because it can be fitted with a seating depth gauge, for the ultimate in precision. On the other hand, one top shooter with a couple National Championships under his belt favors the modest $19.00 Lee Autoprime tool: “It’s simple, efficient and has served me well for years–I’m not convinced the fancy, expensive tools do a better job.”
This editor has tried all of these tools, and personally I favor the RCBS APS hand priming tool. It has two important advantages. Number one, primers are held in color-coded plastic strips so you never have to touch the primers. If you buy the pre-loaded strips, there is no chance of getting an upside-down primer, and you never have to fool with flipping primers in a tray. Second, the APS tool has a “universal” shell-holder. This employs spring-loaded jaws so it can fit any size cartridge, from a 17 Fireball to large magnums. The unit has a comfortable grip and plenty of leverage. Each time you seat a primer, the strip automatically advances. (NOTE: If you like the universal shell holder but don’t like strips, RCBS offers a new m90201 Universal Hand Priming Tool with a universal shell-holder that uses a conventional primer tray.)
 
Currently, only CCI primers can be purchased pre-loaded into strips. But there is an inexpensive tool that allows you to load Federal, Winchester, or Wolf primers into the strips. The strips come in a variety of colors (Red, White, Blue, Orange, Yellow, and Black), so you can sort your primers by color.
The RCBS APS hand primer is ideal when doing primer comparison testing. You can slide one strip of 25 primers in the tool, seat 5 or 10, then easily remove the strip with the remaining primers, and slide in a second strip with another primer type. You can slip the first strip back in a storage box and the primers remain ready to use.
As contained in the strips, primers can also be used in an RCBS 2000 progressive press, a bench-mounted priming unit, and a special device that fits into the top of a Rockchucker or similar press. I have loaded over 20,000 pistol rounds with an RCBS progressive press and I have had not a single flipped primer. Not one. The strip-priming system also makes it easy to switch from small to large primers on the progressive–this can literally be done in under 20 seconds.
The bench-mounted unit is ideal for priming large quantities of cases. The long handle provides plenty of leverage, and you can work fast, as the primers automatically feed through the system. When I load large quantities of varmint rounds, I use the bench-mounted APS system. The only gripe I have concerns the small plastic bushing that guides the primer seating rod. This bushing breaks easily and is easy to lose.
August 3rd, 2009
We regularly visit vendor websites looking for good deals. Here are a pair of attractive bargains we found at Midsouth Shooters Supply.
The RCBS ChargeMaster 1500 Combo (with scale and dispenser) is now on sale for just $299.99, item # 044-98923. This remains our top-rated electronic powder dispenser system. You can watch one in action below. This video, created by a shooter in Norway, shows a Chargemaster dispensing Vihtavuori N140 powder. Using a Casio EX-F1 camera, the video was recorded at a high frame rate — up to 1200 frames per second. This allows “Slow-Motion” playback. At the end of the video you can watch the charge being thrown in normal time. Note how it slows down to trickle the last few tenths of a grain.
 Midsouth also has the Caldwell Rock BR Competition front rest on sale for just $149.99, item 094-440907.
While many “Rock” owners end up replacing the front bag, this unit is a surprisingly good rest for the money. With a 15.5-lb cast-iron “slingshot” base similar to the Bald Eagle design, the Caldwell Rock is very stable. The captain’s wheel works fine for elevation adjustments. Windage adjustment is less than ideal, as a threaded shaft rotates the whole head to adjust windage, rather than sliding the head back and forth in a straight line. At the extremes of adjustment, that can cause some binding, but most of the time it works just fine. For Varminters this may be all the rest you need.
July 5th, 2009
When he chooses to measure his loads or sort bullets by weight, Forum Member Boyd Allen likes to use his trusty RCBS 10-10 scale. He finds that it works predictably, time after time, and it doesn’t suffer from the drift and calibration issues that plague some of the less expensive electronic scales on the market.
To make it easier to see the balance point, Boyd has adapted a magnifying glass with a mirror. This makes the end of his balance beam easier to view from his normal position on the bench. Boyd explains: “This set-up uses a cheap magnifier with positioning arms that was probably designed to hold and magnify small objects while soldering them. I think that it came from Harbor Freight many years ago. The mirror lets you look at the scale as if is was at eye level, and of course the magnifier makes the image easier to see.”
July 8th, 2008
 The RCBS ChargeMaster 1500 has been our top-rated electronic powder dispenser. It is very popular with precision centerfire rifle reloaders who benefit from weighing every charge. It’s a very versatile tool that can make your reloading much more efficient.
MidwayUSA has slashed the price on the RCBS ChargeMaster 1500 Powder Scale and Dispenser Combo, item 772151. The selling price is now just $272.46, marked down from $309.99. That’s a $38 savings.
Is the Unit Worth Buying?
Most RCBS ChargeMaster 1500 owners have been very happy with the devices. If you click the “Reviews” Tab on MidwayUSA’s ChargeMaster Page, you can read 87 reviews. The vast majority of the reviews are five stars. However, as with all electronic products, a small number of ChargeMasters have required repair or replacement. We do think RCBS now has most of the bugs worked out, and they are generally quite reliable (provided incoming voltage is uniform and the device is leveled properly.)
The units we tested showed excellent dispensing accuracy, delivering the desired charge within + or – 0.1 grain, 48 out of 50 times with H4350. (Weights were confirmed with a high-end digital laboratory scale.) The ChargeMaster works especially well for long, extruded powders, which are favored by long-range shooters. You can also speed the dispensing process by starting out with a scoop of powder on the pan (below your desired weight), and letting the ChargeMaster “top off” the charge.
ChargeMaster VIDEO
CLICK HERE to watch an excellent short video demonstrating the RCBS ChargeMaster 1500 in action. It shows how to calibrate the machine, how to weigh powder, and how to remove powder when you’re done.
April 20th, 2008
Readers often ask: “What priming tool should I use?” There is no simple, clear-cut answer. Different tools have different advantages and disadvantages. Many short-range benchresters like the Sinclair one-at-a-time priming tool. They believe this unit has the best “feel” for seating primers.
Others prefer the K&M tool, another “single-loader”, because it can be fitted with a seating depth gauge, for the ultimate in precision. On the other hand, one top shooter with a couple National Championships under his belt favors the modest $19.00 Lee Autoprime tool: “It’s simple, efficient and has served me well for years–I’m not convinced the fancy, expensive tools do a better job.”
This editor has tried all of these tools, and personally I favor the RCBS APS hand priming tool. It has two important advantages. Number one, primers are held in color-coded plastic strips so you never have to touch the primers. If you buy the pre-loaded strips, there is no chance of getting an upside-down primer, and you never have to fool with flipping primers in a tray. Second, the APS tool has a “universal” shell-holder. This employs spring-loaded jaws so it can fit any size cartridge, from a 17 Fireball to large magnums. The unit has a comfortable grip and plenty of leverage. Each time you seat a primer, the strip automatically advances.
Currently, only CCI primers can be purchased pre-loaded into strips. But there is an inexpensive tool that allows you to load Federal, Winchester, or Wolf primers into the strips. The strips come in a variety of colors (Red, White, Blue, Orange, Yellow, and Black), so you can sort your primers by color.
The RCBS APS hand primer is ideal when doing primer comparison testing. You can slide one strip of 25 primers in the tool, seat 5 or 10, then easily remove the strip with the remaining primers, and slide in a second strip with another primer type. You can slip the first strip back in a storage box and the primers remain ready to use.
As contained in the strips, primers can also be used in an RCBS 2000 progressive press, a bench-mounted priming unit, and a special device that fits into the top of a Rockchucker or similar press. I have loaded over 20,000 pistol rounds with an RCBS progressive press and I have had not a single flipped primer. Not one. The strip-priming system also makes it easy to switch from small to large primers on the progressive–this can literally be done in under 20 seconds.
The bench-mounted unit is ideal for priming large quantities of cases. The long handle provides plenty of leverage, and you can work fast, as the primers automatically feed through the system. When I load large quantities of varmint rounds, I use the bench-mounted APS system.
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