Why do I even ask this question?

[drive_accord_ingly]

Does anyone use one of those electronic scales that trickle the exact weighted charge and then stop?

I have been using my RCBS powder charger and beam scale to load up those rounds for decades. Works fine. That green powder measure is extremely accurate and I have nothing but praise for that combo/approach.

But I just gotta ask. Are the electronic doohickeys worth it?

 

[Pinecone]

ABSOLUTELY.

I have an RCBS Chargemaster. It is not perfect, but it works well. And all reports were that it was better than the competition.

I tried to order a PACT, but was a bit upset when they took my order charged my card then NOTHING. I called them and was told it would be at least 6 weeks before it shipped. Really? You can't tell people that when they order.

The only issue is, the Chargemaster is not fast enough. So I charge the primed case, seat the bullet, then wait for the next charge to finish dispensing. I realy need a second one, so no waiting.

 

[BUFF7MM]

Chargemaster 1500 here and it's way faster than beaming it. I did a couple of small mods to mine to speed it up a little, changed the speed times between where it goes from dropping powder on the scale to trickling it on to the scale. Not a whole lot of speed added but it spends less time trickling since it gets closer to the programmed charge weight before it switches over to trickle. Mine also runs between seating and crimping to speed things up a little.
Definitely a plus when working up test loads, switching charge weights is a snap.

 

[Shooter88]

I to use the RCBS Chargemaster. Used it for about 3 years now and still going strong. Just because I'm paranoid, I have always cross checked 10% of the rounds I reload on a traditional style scale, and it always reads the same which proves that its accurate and consistant. Easily worth every penny.

 

[Traveler]

I bought one of these. It is very quick to throw a charge, and can't cut powder. It is not as quick to change charge sizes though.

http://www.quick-measure.com/qm.htm

 

[molonlabe]

My 510 scale lost accuracy and was off abort 4 tenths a gram lighter on a pistol load after dropping 50 rounds. There are people on the internet that will repair them. I assume wear on the knife edge. Since then I use the RCBS digital and check it periodically with weights.

 

[Broncolou]

I have a PACT I was selling because I dint leave it setup and had to recalibrate the every time I set it up. It also threw as much as 2/10 off target and it had to check and trickle to get precice. I still have it and will sell for 2/3 of new if your interested. PM me if you are. I just went back to hand throwing my precision stuff and the rest is done on my 1050&650.

 

[Jmorrismetal]

I modified an old 10-10 I had with a photo switch and built a trickler to work in conjunction with an RCBS measure. Has a resolution within two kernels of powder, quite a bit more resolution than a chargemaster can give and a lot cheaper.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nA0_KDjbBGQ

 

[Sticky]

Good ol fashioned beam scale is still my go to.. I have had a couple of electronic scales over the years, but the beam is still my favorite. Never fails me..

 

[K31]

For working up loads you can't beat it. Drop 5 charges at one weight, punch in the next one, drop 5 more,...

I like the Lyman having tried the RCBS and PACT. Lyman changed it's configuration in the current generation though, I guess to look like everyone else. I like the previous setup better.

 

[noylj]

I have a ChargeMaster. I like to work up loads in 10 round batches. Resetting a standard powder measure can easily take 10 minutes to get repetitive charge weight drops. Trickling means that I am trickling and doing nothing else.
Having the ChargeMaster means, that if the charge weight is over about 4 grains, by the time I have cycled my press partially (place a bullet on the case, making sure it is square, and raise the ram so the cases go in the dies at the respective stations), my CM has already dispensed the charge and I just pick up the pan and pour it into the powder die and into the case. Sometimes I might have to wait 5 seconds or so.
The powder DISPENSER will occasionally over-shoot by 0.1gn, which is meaningless in terms of accuracy, but I have NEVER had it over-shoot by 0.2 gn and it can NOT undershoot. When I get a 0.1gn over-shoot, I can simply dampen a finger and pick up one or two kernels of powder (showing how really insignificant 0.1gn of powder is), and I either then have the correct weight or, if I somehow withdrew too much, the dispenser will trickle the charge back up.
So, like EVERYTHING in life, it is only "worth it" on a person-by-person basis.