Elfster. CHARGEMASTER. Optional. Pen. Straw. Mod. (with pics)
- Thread starter elfster1234
- Start date
so what is your feedback on your own particular mod? I'd be interested in what you have to say.
I found it works well. I loaded almost 500 rounds with H4895 and had maybe 2 or 3 over throws.
I did have to adjust the 3rd parameter to switch to the slowest speed a little sooner. IIRC, up to 1.3 or 1.4. I am not at home right now to check. But with the original parameters, the unit stepped to the slowest speed RIGHT AT the charge. Fast, but a few more over throws, but not as many as before (stock, straw mod, crown shaped straw mod).
Watching it, in the last stage, it is dropping one or two granules of powder, instead of a clump.
When I am home, I will shoot some pictures of making the piece.
I did have to adjust the 3rd parameter to switch to the slowest speed a little sooner. IIRC, up to 1.3 or 1.4. I am not at home right now to check. But with the original parameters, the unit stepped to the slowest speed RIGHT AT the charge. Fast, but a few more over throws, but not as many as before (stock, straw mod, crown shaped straw mod).
Watching it, in the last stage, it is dropping one or two granules of powder, instead of a clump.
When I am home, I will shoot some pictures of making the piece.
It will not work with just the straw mod.... You need to have the smaller pen diameter pen insert and then you can use my settings... About the only time i use the classic mcdonald straw mod anymore is to empty the chargemaster when im done dropping powder for storage. That is why you need to make the pen mod removeable. I use the pen mod for both 223 and 308 all of the time. Its awesome!
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Yes i do obviously....... But you stilll need to get the powder out the main drop tube.
Thanks for the heads up. I'll go to the store later then to get the pens.The pens I have in the house don't fit in the dispensing tube. Is there a brand that you guys went with (BIC, walmart brand, etc)? I just want to make sure that I don't buy a pack and be stuck with 20+ pens!!
Also, do you remember the parameters on the CM for the straw mod only?
You use the pen mod in conjunction with the straw mod.... As in the original post, i wrapped blue painters tape around the pen insert until it was snug inside the straw mod,,,,,, but not too snug so you can easily insert and remove the pen mod....
This is a great modification. It does slow things down as noted, but I feel more confident with it. Watching it trickle 1-2 grains at a time makes me feel better. Even with the straw mod, I was getting overthrows every 6-8 dumps with 41.9 H4350. I loaded 100 last night with the pen mod and not one overthrow.
Sounds good jpistolero02! Were you able to find the longer 1-1/2" pen inserts with the two small interior channels as shown in the original post picture (last pic in the OP)?
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Yes, I was looking in my desk at the office and the very first pen I looked at had the one you suggested. I can see how it will be really good when I do my next batch of .223.
Turbo, just wondering if you're still using the mod and if you're doing anything different such as a different pen insert or settings?
I picked up a CM1500 other day and found this thread....good stuff. I have the McD straw and found a pen in my desk drawer. You say the shorter one doesnt work only the longer one. What makes the shorter one NOT work? The pen insert I have is 2.5" long and chokes down to the pen head size at the end. It does have some cerrations in the tube where the spring sat so should be good there. To make mine look like yours I just need to shorten it some and bore out the end some. Seem logical? Just tryin to get a feel on what makes the longer one better. Thanks and Merry Christmas!
I would guess that 2" would be more than enough... the 1-1/2 insert in comparison to the 3/4" insert gives the clumps of powder more time to break up and to get in a more "single file line" of powder grains when the chargemaster slows down once close to the target charge weight. The two grooves on the inside of the pen insert hole also helps "break up" any possible clumps of powder & helps produce this "single file line" of powder I was describing above. I think it would be possible to make the pen insert too long as it would increase the time to drop the powder and why I think the roughly 1-1/2" long pen insert works really well.
The reason why I like this pen insert better than orkan's chargemaster straw mod is the powder restriction is at the end of the tube, not the start of the tube = which produces a 1 to 2 grain powder drop at the end of the charge which IMO produces a more consistent powder drop & is more accurate. Second, the back pressure of the full tube of powder behind the pen insert helps speed up the powder drop when the chargemaster is under full speed at the start / middle of the powder drop. Third, I've tried this pen mod with the same settings with MANY different types of powder with great results = only one mod & one chargemaster settings. Finally, when done dropping powder, you obviously drain the main amount of powder from the side of the chargemaster & take out the pen insert to help get the powder out of the main tube ultra fast. If you put the right amount of tape around the pen mod in conjunction with the classic straw mod (as in my original post), the pen mod insert slides in and out with ease.
This pen insert with my chargemaster settings has worked amazingly well with varget for both .223 & .308 loads & I would never go back... And this is with VARGET! prob the hardest powders to drop & I have never had a single over / under throw (in terms of what the chargemaster reads) in over 1k powder drops (I know this sounds hard to believe, but once you get it set up just right it's amazing).... yes, it might take a small amount of extra time using the pen insert, but with my improved pen mod chargemaster settings it really isn't that bad & I feel I actually save time by not fixing f#cked up over / under powder drops & is one less thing I need to do at my reloading desk.
two charge masters with the pen mod would be a beast... just as long as you dropped your powder into your brass & transferred the seated brass into your ammo box & your shot groups out of your rifle that was done with ONLY one of the chargemasters (and not mixing finished ammo from two different chargemasters) as they might drift differently from each other. Two chargemasters with this pen mod would be close to non-stop dropping powder with no over / under powder drop fuck ups. Is the chargemaster the best in the world? no, but for me it's good enough up to the 600yard max range in my area & my sub-moa all day long threads prove this point.
The reason why I like this pen insert better than orkan's chargemaster straw mod is the powder restriction is at the end of the tube, not the start of the tube = which produces a 1 to 2 grain powder drop at the end of the charge which IMO produces a more consistent powder drop & is more accurate. Second, the back pressure of the full tube of powder behind the pen insert helps speed up the powder drop when the chargemaster is under full speed at the start / middle of the powder drop. Third, I've tried this pen mod with the same settings with MANY different types of powder with great results = only one mod & one chargemaster settings. Finally, when done dropping powder, you obviously drain the main amount of powder from the side of the chargemaster & take out the pen insert to help get the powder out of the main tube ultra fast. If you put the right amount of tape around the pen mod in conjunction with the classic straw mod (as in my original post), the pen mod insert slides in and out with ease.
This pen insert with my chargemaster settings has worked amazingly well with varget for both .223 & .308 loads & I would never go back... And this is with VARGET! prob the hardest powders to drop & I have never had a single over / under throw (in terms of what the chargemaster reads) in over 1k powder drops (I know this sounds hard to believe, but once you get it set up just right it's amazing).... yes, it might take a small amount of extra time using the pen insert, but with my improved pen mod chargemaster settings it really isn't that bad & I feel I actually save time by not fixing f#cked up over / under powder drops & is one less thing I need to do at my reloading desk.
two charge masters with the pen mod would be a beast... just as long as you dropped your powder into your brass & transferred the seated brass into your ammo box & your shot groups out of your rifle that was done with ONLY one of the chargemasters (and not mixing finished ammo from two different chargemasters) as they might drift differently from each other. Two chargemasters with this pen mod would be close to non-stop dropping powder with no over / under powder drop fuck ups. Is the chargemaster the best in the world? no, but for me it's good enough up to the 600yard max range in my area & my sub-moa all day long threads prove this point.
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Thanks bud. Good info! Im gona mess around with this pen insert I have and just see what it does "stock". If need be I will shorten it and bore/cut the funnel end down some. I think the way it is its gona pack off or something to the big restriction on the end. May give it a whirl tonight.
When I first got it out of the box it was reading really erratic off zero. Would zero out then go to -11 back up to +10 or whatever. I calibrated it again and it seemed to help but still didnt fix the problem. I read about everything from cell phones close by to florescent lights to static electricity. Solved all that and wiped it down with a dryer sheet and it was rock steady. Turned it on the next day and it did the same thing so calibrated, wiped it down and good to go. Are these things that sensitive?
When I first got it out of the box it was reading really erratic off zero. Would zero out then go to -11 back up to +10 or whatever. I calibrated it again and it seemed to help but still didnt fix the problem. I read about everything from cell phones close by to florescent lights to static electricity. Solved all that and wiped it down with a dryer sheet and it was rock steady. Turned it on the next day and it did the same thing so calibrated, wiped it down and good to go. Are these things that sensitive?
they can be sensitive.... what I did was take a had drive anti-static bag (im sure a mother board anti-static bag would also work & should be able to get one for free from the geek squad at best buy) & put a dryer bounce sheet inside the anti-static bag & folded it in 1/2 & put under the chargemaster as in this picture... this has damn near eliminated all static from my chargemaster. Florescent lights & cellphones are not good even tho my reloading room is full of florescent lighting and I have no problems.
try wiping down your removable black platform & metal tray with a dryer bounce sheet!
try wiping down your removable black platform & metal tray with a dryer bounce sheet!
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Yeah I wiped down the trey, pan and the powder nozzle. It did help but will try the antistatic wipe thing too. Thanks!
they can be sensitive.... what I did was take a had drive anti-static bag (im sure a mother board anti-static bag would also work & should be able to get one for free from the geek squad at best buy) & put a dryer bounce sheet inside the anti-static bag & folded it in 1/2 & put under the chargemaster as in this picture... this has damn near eliminated all static from my chargemaster. Florescent lights & cellphones are not good even tho my reloading room is full of florescent lighting and I have no problems.
try wiping down your removable black platform & metal tray with a dryer bounce sheet!
elfster1234
Not to derail this thread but, I can't find any footprint / dimensional data on the RCBS Chargemaster combo.
RCBS doesn't publish it or any of the vendors that I can find.
I'm seriously considering picking up one of these but want to make sure my relatively small bench space can accommodate it.
Would it be possible for you to take some measurements on your unit? Width, Depth and Height?
It would be much appreciated.
