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CZ93X62

Official forum enigma
I don't see any 900-shekel powder measures in my future.

I know beyond the shadow of a doubt that I am a Luddite In Good Standing. I have daughters that delight in emphasizing that with minimal prompting. But here it is here--I have an innate distrust of electronic gadgetry, and of life-saving/preserving tools that use batteries as a power source. A telescopic sight is high-tech in my world--only about 1/3 of my rifles use the things, and none of my handguns have EVER worn glasses. 2 of my more recent handgun acquisitions came with dovetail bases and rings, too. Doesn't matter--glassware on a handgun to me is like a camper shell on a Ferrari. An unnatural act. Fusion cuisine for the perpetually-indulged.

So, YES. I am Rip Van Winkle V.2.0. It gives me great joy to live in as uncomplicated a manner as possible in spite of a constant deluge of updates, upgrades, obsolescenses, and unsupported platforms.
 

Bret4207

At the casting bench in the sky. RIP Bret.
Didn’t get that far. I still couldn’t get over the price. And it only holds enough powder for 7 charges with max powder capacity? Those guys reloading artillery will grow weary of refilling the hopper!

Not sure who the market is?

The same people that buy a new $1K plus phone every 4 months, $75K pickups, spend $90K building a "tiny house" on wheels, buy $7500 boutique mixed breed mutts or lay out whatever it takes to have the latest progressive press to reload for the latest AR so they can impress the other Mall Ninjas...or whatever todays version of a Mall Ninja is.
 

Winelover

North Central Arkansas
Since I purchased a Chargemaster, many years ago, it's pretty much all I use. Particularly, like it for making ladder loads. I do a lot of testing............always looking for a better load. My Uniflow and two Hollywood's are dedicated to throwing, three different loads of Bullseye................for three different handgun calibers.

I don't foresee the $900 powder measure selling, in any quantity. If and when my Chargemaster dies............................I can replace it and get almost two more, for that kind of money. Three, if one went to the Chargemaster Lite.
 

Bisley

Active Member
Am I the only one on this forum (and I have been largely out of the loading game for almost ten years) to have "crunched" Lyman and RCBS hand-operated powder measures over IMR 4320, 4350, etc? You can also trim up the charge weight by trickling individual kernels out of a freshly tumbled .38 special case into the Redding scale pan as necessary. All it takes is a little patience. I can buy enough Federal Gold Medal Match .30-06 to trip over for what this sale is worth. Don't even need to link into my cell phone or I-pad.
 

Rick

Moderator
Staff member
In all the decades I've been loading ammo not once, not a single time did I ever feel even a little deprived for not using a phone to dispense powder. o_O
 

Winelover

North Central Arkansas
I never felt deprived not using an electronic device to dispense powder. A measure and scale is good enough for me.

Did that for years.............just too slow, compared to the Chargemaster. I use my, like Rick does. Seat bullet, in charged case, while waiting for the next charge to dispense. Never used loading blocks.
 

RBHarter

West Central AR
I never wanted a tool that could run off in the weeds if I turned on the lights . As a result digital scales are hopelessly stigmatized to me . The old M5 and Uniflows are getting me by fine . I have 2-3 tricklers but in a pinch about any 30 cal case makes a useful trickler . If all else fails I have a bowl and a silver iced teaspoon that doesn't match anything .
 

Ian

Notorious member
I can dispense exact powder charges with a Uniflow, trickler, and 5-0-5 scale faster than a Chargemaster. The advantage of the chargemaster is it can do the job just as well while I'm doing something else.

That said, I have a fundamental disconnect with digital stuff. Analog scales, clocks, vernier scales etc are all direct visual cues to me while digital readouts cause me to have to access another part of my brain to process. Digital is like speaking a second language where you know the words but are not fluent enough to think in the language so you have to think it in your first language and then translate every word and organize the phrase in the second language before speaking it. Digital speedometers are another example of this. Decades of glancing at the needle to see if it's "about right there" doesn't require thought, but "is 62 more than 60" requires an extra step for me. Same with having to program and recall data on a digital device, I have to fight the urge to jump over to the Uniflow and spin the adjustment to get the pointer on zero rather than punch in a bunch of numbers and load information on a telephone style alpha-numeric pad. Yeah, I'm a little bit of a Luddite.
 
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waco

Springfield, Oregon
I’m with Rick. The Chargemaster really shines with powders like SR4759. I use it for all rifle loading and just do other tasks while powder is dispensing.
 

Glaciers

Alaska Land of the Midnight Sun
I never felt deprived not using an electronic device to dispense powder. A measure and scale is good enough for me.

Digital micrometer are great, but, I will stick with the old non electronic loading equipment. Well a chronograph is OK. I'm good with the past.
Bought a new wash machine last year and the salesman indicated that I should get a full 5 years life out of it. Wow. When asked he stated that all the new stuff is electronic and will fail. My washer that we were replacing lasted 25 years. Safely stuck in the past.
 

KeithB

Resident Half Fast Machinist
Nothing wrong with "classic" equipment in any field. Nothing wrong with new and better equipment in any field either. I'm just happy to have so many choices that we can spend our time arguing over it instead of struggling to do a lot of things we now take for granted. I have a 0-1 mic I think is close to 100 years old and just built a diskless computer that was just introduced 4 months ago. Both are useful tools and have their place where they shine.

I'm kind if glad my Dr uses that "new and improved" tool of X-rays and other imaging technology instead of that old reliable analog tool of a knife used for "exploratory surgery".
 

Brad

Benevolent Overlord and site owner
Staff member
If I was loading lots of stuff with stick powders a Chargemaster might make sense. I don’t so it doesn’t?
 

Glaciers

Alaska Land of the Midnight Sun
Keith, your right of course. Lot of new and improved out there. I can honestly say I that do not miss the old belt drive drills my Dentist use back in the dark ages.
My concern is a powder scale that starts slightly malfunctioning while giving out readings you wanted, just don't trust it for that.. I just don't have the need to change.
 

Ian

Notorious member
I actually have a Frankford Arsenal digital reloading scale (bought on sale) that I use to double-check my beam scale settings. Its to double-check ME, not the scales. A few years ago I caught myself significantly overcharging cases because I was tired and had set the beam scale something like ten grains over, so now I always double check to make certain the thrower is actually throwing what I thought I set it to.
 

obssd1958

Well-Known Member
Being a belt and suspenders guy, my bench has a Chargemaster and a 5-0-5. First couple or three charges go from the Chargemaster to the 5-0-5 to verify. The last two or 3 charges go from the Chargemaster to the 5-0-5 for a final sanity check. Takes a little extra time, and probably ain't necessary, but it makes me feel better!
 

CZ93X62

Official forum enigma
Being a belt and suspenders guy, my bench has a Chargemaster and a 5-0-5. First couple or three charges go from the Chargemaster to the 5-0-5 to verify. The last two or 3 charges go from the Chargemaster to the 5-0-5 for a final sanity check. Takes a little extra time, and probably ain't necessary, but it makes me feel better!
Well--there ARE at least 2 of us "Belt + suspenders" throwbacks that post here. Holding up a 4" 686 or CZ-75B makes fashion and street sense to me.
 

Brad

Benevolent Overlord and site owner
Staff member
I rarely wear a belt and never suspenders.

I fly by the seat of my pants?
 

Rally

NC Minnesota
I always wear a belt and too often chest waders. Electric scales take too much monkeying around to zero and set up for me. I’d rather use two balance beam scales than any electronic scale, and I have one, just don’t trust them.