RCBS Chargemaster Lite | Ultimate Review

One of the most popular brands of reloading equipment has been Rock Chuck Bullet Swage (RCBS) because it was one of the first companies to specialize in reloading. Many people ask us what we think about their tools and how well we like them. Fortunately, we have used most of their reloading equipment in the past and have a lot to say about it, both good and bad.

I’ve been a fan of theirs for a while now because I believe they provide great equipment at an affordable price. This blog is designed to help you understand what an automatic powder-measuring tool is, what the RCBS Chargemaster Lite is, and how it helps you reload. 

What is an Automatic Powder Measurer? 

When I reload my ammo, I don’t think I’d be able to do it without someone or something doing most of the calculations. I’m just too bad at math to worry about calculating grains of powder to the 0.1 grain for each caliber I load. An automatic powder measurer gives me the confidence to know that even if my math skills are lacking, I can be incredibly accurate and precise in my reloading. As the name indicates, an automatic powder measurer will measure the powder needed for any weight in grains of powder you could ever need. 

The machine will do all the heavy lifting if you want to reload your 9mm, .45 ACP, 30-06, .308 Win, or 7mm Rem Mag. A few companies make some great auto measurers, such as RCBS, Hornady, and Frankford Arsenal. I’ve only used the RCBS and the Frankford Arsenal brands in the short time I’ve reloaded my ammo. 

RCBS ChargeMaster Lite

The Chargemaster Lite is RCBS’s response to the criticism of the Chargemaster being too expensive and big. It’s more than 50% less in price, but it still offers many features of the more expensive Chargemaster. You’ll first notice how easy the LCD touchscreen is to set up and operate with large, clear numbers to enter your load data. Having large bold numbers on your LCD screen might not seem important or needed, but it is when you have big hands or worry about hitting the wrong button for a specific load. 

The Chargemaster Lite can dispense with a great range of grain, between 2-300, with an accuracy of around 0.1 grains. When talking about volatile components, such as primers and gunpowder, it’s vital to be as accurate as possible. The accuracy of the powder measurer needs to be as high as possible to avoid injury and malfunctions while trying to fire your guns. The Chargemaster Lite will ensure that your precision is as close as it can be, and as long as you follow your load data guide for each caliber, you’ll have viable ammo. 

Where To Buy The RCBS ChargeMaster Lite

Related Article – Frankford Arsenal Vs. RCBS Hand Primer

RCBS ChargeMaster Lite Pros

1. The RCBS Chargemaster Lite is incredibly compact and will fit on most desks, benches, and tables.
2. The LCD touchscreen is responsive and easy to understand.
3. If you like, you can set the machine to dispense either manually or automatically to slow down or speed up the reload time.
4. An ambidextrous scale pan is a nice touch because it gives you more confidence in lifting if lefty and not as coordinated with your off-hand.
5. The wind cover is incredibly important because the scale is incredibly sensitive. The scale has to be sensitive because it’s measuring in grains, so any external factor, such as wind or vibration, can throw your scale off.
6. The quick-drain system is a great touch because it prevents your powder from flying all over the place when you’re done with it.
7. If your scale isn’t level on your table, you can get an off reading, which can mean disaster when charging your cases with your powder. The Chargemaster Lite has a built-in bubble level to show you if you’re level or not.  ALWAYS check to see if your scale is level to avoid mishaps or bad measurements.
8. The power supply is compatible with both 120 and 240 outlets for use in any place worldwide with electricity.
9. The powder dispenses very quickly compared to other models.
10. The on/off buttons for dispensing are made to be as durable as possible because RCBS knows those buttons often get pushed hard and very aggressively due to nerves and anxiety. For example, if I notice that I put the wrong number in and I want to stop dispensing powder, I’ve mashed the button very quickly to get it to stop. Some machines will wear down quickly with these buttons, causing you to buy new machines much faster than you’d like. 
11. The alarms and alerts on the Chargemaster are loud enough to alert you when your powder is finished and ready to charge your brass. Some machines are not loud enough to handle listening to music while you load or even have any noise around you and be able to know when you’re finished.
12. The Chargemaster Lite is incredibly accurate for every load.

RCBS ChargeMaster Lite Cons

1. For $300, I’d expect more features and customization, such as the powder calibration feature on the Frankford Intellidropper.
2. The calibration weights are too big for the scale to fit them evenly. It’s not a make-or-break issue, but it’s baffling that they’d put that much technology into the machine and not have a scale to fit the calibration weights.
3. The Chargemaster Lite was designed to be an economical version of the Matchmaster. However, it feels like they kept out the features that would make it worth it for the sake of cost.
4. A 1-year warranty on a product that costs over $300 is a risky purchase, considering comparable products offer significantly longer warranties. I don’t believe this product is designed to last more than a few years, so a 1-year warranty makes this powder measurer not worth the risk, IMO.
5. Even though the Chargemaster Lite is fast, the trickle speed is slow and takes about 10-20 seconds longer than its closest competitor, Frankford Arsenal. When you consider 10 seconds per load, if you’re doing 500 rounds, that adds quite a bit more time to reload.

Conclusion

If you’re a fan of RCBS products, the Chargemaster Lite won’t disappoint you. You can probably find it for less than $300 on some online stores, and you’ll definitely get a couple of years of use out of it. It’s one of the most accurate powder-measurers on the market today, and that matters almost more than any other attribute.

Do I think it’s better than the Frankford Arsenal Intellidropper? No, and nobody who is objective would argue that fact.

I do think it’s a little overpriced for what it does, but RCBS always produces great products that work. The Chargemaster Lite is incredibly easy to use and calibrate and allows you to load 3x as fast as manual scales. Overall, I think it’s a great product with just enough to make it worth it.