If you want precisely metered loads extremely fast, get the V3. I used to hate the charging step, now I enjoy it.
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Talk me into or out of an auto trickler v3
- Thread starter Sokam101
- Start date
Do cell phones and other electronics near the v3 affect it?
I use a gem pro 250 now and my cell phone being within 8 feet of it messes it up. (I like to use my phone for music when loading)
I use a gem pro 250 now and my cell phone being within 8 feet of it messes it up. (I like to use my phone for music when loading)
I keep my phone close to me and play music over a Bluetooth speaker, haven’t noticed any issues. Variances in temperature/wind movement will affect it though
I‘ve been using a charge master for several years, I considered the auto trickler but decided to just buy a second charge master instead and run them at the same time. Remeber 2 is 1 and 1 is none, if you have a failure. When I reload I’m doing it because I enjoy doing it, It’s not a race If I want to pump stuff out I have a Dillon 550 and xl750 with a case feeder. Lots of was to skin the cat!
Now that I’ve used the V3 it’s proven to stupid fast and I don’t have to dick around tuning it like the Hornandy.
The Bluetooth and app makes setting charge weight stupid easy.
It’s a worthy luxury.
The Bluetooth and app makes setting charge weight stupid easy.
It’s a worthy luxury.
Started loading on a chargemaster but it was slow and tedious work loading in any volume though I was getting between 2-6SD numbers in my 6BR. I always envied folks with the autotrickler v3’s as they looked super top notch and fancy. So they came into stock and I bought one. Got it late last week. Loaded up some ammo and holy smokes it’s insanely fast. And accurate. Obviously they’re expensive but the time it saves is invaluable.
How fast is one? Per round?
I am old skool and cheep. My Lee hopper gets set to w/in @ 3/10s and I can easily trickle single grains, pull a single grain w/ tweezers if I miss. From the time I put the cup under the hopper to the time I dump the powder in the case is maybe 40 seconds. Do 50, then seat.
I am old skool and cheep. My Lee hopper gets set to w/in @ 3/10s and I can easily trickle single grains, pull a single grain w/ tweezers if I miss. From the time I put the cup under the hopper to the time I dump the powder in the case is maybe 40 seconds. Do 50, then seat.
About 10 seconds, give or take. On a 550, it’s ready for me by the time a seat a round at a leisurely pace.
Nice thing about it, you can piece together instead of dropping all $1000 at once. Just get the scale, then autotrickler and manually throw loads, and if you feel like you need full automation get the autothrow last.
What’s your time worth to you? Mechanical scale accurate or better and a charge in 10-15 seconds?
Made the jump from balance beam and hand trickler to the V3. Bar none one of the best investments I’ve ever made.
Made the jump from balance beam and hand trickler to the V3. Bar none one of the best investments I’ve ever made.
I’m averaging around 8 seconds dropping 40.5 grains of h4350. Occasionally it’ll be longer and sometimes quicker but that’s where it normally runs. My chargemaster was close to 30 seconds, and my intellidropper was close to the same.
AutoTrickler
NOTE - As of December 17, 2020, Data Weighing Systems is no longer one of our authorized distributors. If you have a pending order for the AutoTrickler with DWS please contact us for more...
www.autotrickler.com
If you are serious about precision shooting and being wise with your time, this is an exceptional product.
This was an easy way to buy more time to do what I want.
This was an easy way to buy more time to do what I want.
It's a two part process. There's the auto-throw then the auto-trickler. The auto thrower dumps a big charge within two seconds of placing the cup on the scale, then the trickler takes over. So how fast it runs depends on how close you get the first throw to your target charge and how long you spend trickling. For my loads, I dump 28 or so grains, then trickle to 32.5 and it finishes while I'm still seating the bullet in the previous case. And you can adjust the angle of the trickler to balance speed and precision. At my angle, I'm rarely over by more than 0.02 grains, which is one kernel of Varget.
Another nice thing about the setup is you don't have to press a dispense button. As soon as the scale stabilizes to zero, it throws the next charge. As someone who would forget that on my Chargemaster, and reach for the empty pan and end up waiting an extra 30 seconds, that is a nice time saver.
And yeah, just buy it in parts. I bought the scale first and used a scoop and manual trickler, then bought the rest of the kit later. I don't have any of the Area 419 stuff, and I haven't seen any need to upgrade to those parts.
Another nice thing about the setup is you don't have to press a dispense button. As soon as the scale stabilizes to zero, it throws the next charge. As someone who would forget that on my Chargemaster, and reach for the empty pan and end up waiting an extra 30 seconds, that is a nice time saver.
And yeah, just buy it in parts. I bought the scale first and used a scoop and manual trickler, then bought the rest of the kit later. I don't have any of the Area 419 stuff, and I haven't seen any need to upgrade to those parts.
The clear lid is nice for being able to see if your seated high or standing. Haven’t found a reason that anything else is lacking. V3 kit.
As much as I want one the V3 makes a bigger impact on my loading than the 419 press would.
Wholeheartly agree with this statement. While a Zero would be awesome and I know Area 419 has some awesome things, my little coax does me fine. But it would be cool to have a Zero on the bench, with all the other billet toys lol
That’s good to hear you know how this forum gets you to spend money, I’m trying to figure out if I should start to reload and trying to figure out how much it’s going to cost me
Well you really don’t need to spend a ton to get started.
Less than 1k can easily make great ammunition.
By far the V3 is the most expensive thing I have and more of a luxury than a necessity.
Yes, it works really well. I shoot a lot of 6.5G 8208 loads, finer powders are even easier to meter accurately.
Reloading is pretty cheap. Reloading *fast* gets expensive.
BLUF: Go for it.
I waited and watched for a long time thinking my decade old RBCS was good enough and the expense wasn't justified. After the Wuhan Flu started, our budget grew due to less expenses and I finally bought an Auto Trickler. My ES's have gone down and the shot to shot consistency has clearly improved.
I waited and watched for a long time thinking my decade old RBCS was good enough and the expense wasn't justified. After the Wuhan Flu started, our budget grew due to less expenses and I finally bought an Auto Trickler. My ES's have gone down and the shot to shot consistency has clearly improved.
I highly recommend the v3 due to the consistent high degree of accuracy. I know you can do it with others but in the end it’s just money right!?
Question for the V3 Thrower and Trickler users--do you travel with it?
I don't shoot competitively (well, other than with myself and a buddy), but I do have a dose of OCD and GAS. I picked up the Fx120, and it is great for the amount of ammo that I load, but pretty slow with manual throws and manually trickling. I bought a CM, but haven't used it. I went back to an old Hornady Bench digital scale to see if I could stand the 0.1 resolution, and I am not sure I can.
But--I do travel a fair bit between two locations, and load at both of them. Do you have your V3 stuff set up to travel? How well does it pack up and set up again?
I don't shoot competitively (well, other than with myself and a buddy), but I do have a dose of OCD and GAS. I picked up the Fx120, and it is great for the amount of ammo that I load, but pretty slow with manual throws and manually trickling. I bought a CM, but haven't used it. I went back to an old Hornady Bench digital scale to see if I could stand the 0.1 resolution, and I am not sure I can.
But--I do travel a fair bit between two locations, and load at both of them. Do you have your V3 stuff set up to travel? How well does it pack up and set up again?
Does anyone know about the new V4? I am about to pull the trigger on this combo set up and now it shows a new version coming out this summer. It is the v4. I obviously want to be one and done here. So if anyone has any advice I am all ears.
It has just been announced and no one has had a chance to use one.
However, it looks good as it integrates the main throw unit with the trickler so you don't have two pieces of equipment to attach/use and you reduce "missing" by misaligning the trickler tube over the tray.
I have signed up to be on the interest list as I like the idea of having just one unit that drops the charge. Less places to clean up when switching powders.
However, it looks good as it integrates the main throw unit with the trickler so you don't have two pieces of equipment to attach/use and you reduce "missing" by misaligning the trickler tube over the tray.
I have signed up to be on the interest list as I like the idea of having just one unit that drops the charge. Less places to clean up when switching powders.
The V3 is $490. Does it need add-ons to $1000 to actually work?
I am just getting started with reloading this will be my first year. Is it worth the wait for the v4 or should I just buy the v3 and get going? I understand what you posted and it totally makes sense. I have all the old manual stuff to throw and weigh (redding thrower & old rcbs digital scale).
Adam specifically addresses this. The upgrade between the V3 and v4 is negligible. I would rather have the ability to throw accurate powder now, than later.
I love my ATV3. It is the single most valuable piece of reloading equipment I have ever owned.
Tough call to make. New gun products always come out in time with zero delay....
. As long as you have tools to do the job slowly, just wait for the new stuff. Also depends how much you plan on shooting this summer.Thank you niteqwill and sleeplz!! I think I will get the scale and go from there. I want to load up a shit ton of rounds but I also don't want to miss out on a new opportunity. I guess I will find out how much I like throwing manually....lol wish this wasn't as complicated as I am making it.
The v3 auto throw and trickler is $490. You still need the scale to make it work (+/-$500 at cambridge).
The V3 is a great setup. If I didn't already have one I would buy one.
I waited months to get my V3. If they are available now buy it. You could wait a year or more to get a V4.
I waited months to get my V3. If they are available now buy it. You could wait a year or more to get a V4.
If BigBlastin plans on throwing big powder it would be worth the wait. Big sticks of slow powder (like n570) can have an issue bridging in the hopper. My best guess is the v4 fixes that issue.
Can't tell you if its worth it as the answer depends on your situation.
So the V3 and V4 system without scale will supposedly be the same price -- $490. As others have said, the scale is $500 or more depending how you buy it and there might be a wait to get one.
The V3 throws most powders fine. I use it with IMR4064, H4350, 8208xbr, and RL22 just fine. It reportedly has issues with the large stick powders like N570, and while I have N570, I have not yet tried to use my V3 to dispense it - newish rifle and have not gotten around to loading rounds with N570.
I think the biggest difference between V3 and V4 is that V4 will have single hopper for the main and trickle throws rather than the 2 used in V3 (a large one for the main throws and a smaller one for the trickle). That adds a convenience factor in that you only have to clean out one hopped/unit when you change powders. A huge time saver? No, but added convenience and slight time saver. And both are things we look for in this hobby.
V4 will have a slightly smaller footprint as it won't have the separate trickle dispenser to the side. That is a real small space saver. V4's clear top will allow you to see (from standing) your exact placement of the powder tray/cup as the current version is opaque and you need to look from the side to make sure it is in place. Some might just go by feel (there is a guide to hold the tray/cup), but I like to visually confirm placement to avoid powder spillage.
One possible benefit of V4 ight be eliminating the problems with larger stick powders, but that is too early to tell if the dispensing system will make a difference.
Downsides between the two? Time. It is unclear when V4 will be out and as with all new things, it might have some bugs that need to get worked out once it is scaled up for production. My original auto throw and V3 have all worked as described, so I feel any issues will be minor or corrected quickly.
Timewise, you can purchase the combo scale and V3 from some outfits that might have them in stock, or you can purchase the V3 and scale separately. But that time should be more definite than the date V4 actually starts shipping.
If you need to purchase separately, go with the scale now and purchase the V4 later to spread out the purchase. You can easily use manual scoops and trickle the last few grains yourself. It will be slower, but the scale is very accurate and quick reading.
You can also wait to purchase a used V3 later as I am sure people who pick up a V4 won't have use for it and will seek to offset their spending. I know that I will likely try to sell my V3 if I end up with the V4.
My $.02
Very informative thank you! I was talking with my wife about this last night and she kind of pointed out the same thing. Just buy the v3 and when the v4 comes out sell it and get the new version. Really not too much difference at all and thank you for pointing all of that out. I want to start pumping rounds out so I might just order a v3. I need to put my press and thrower up and see if I really want to dick with throwing manually. I know long run I don't really want to mess with it. Seems like some people like the ease and convenience which I do as well.
