The Modern Reloader – Digital Reloading Tools

Ol’ Grumpy pants came to the shop with a bag of spent.22250 Remington brass. He intended to load ammunition. Dad, who taught my how to reload many years ago, looked over my shoulder as I warmed up my RCBS ChargeMaster link and used the Universal Case Prep Station for trimming the cases to the correct length. I turned off the loud rotary cutter, checked the case dimensions using my Mitutoyo Digital Caliper, and used my phone so that the electronic dispenser would throw the right amount of Hodgdon’s H380 powder. When I felt the familiar gaze on the back of my neck, I asked him what he was looking at. When Ol’ Grumpy Pants, aka “Dad”, saw the author running the ChargeMaster Link using his phone, he shook his heads. Photo: Massaro Media Group. “When I first started doing this, there was not a single piece that required an outlet or battery,” he said. “What the hell is this crap?” I’m the first to admit that my father does not embrace modern technology as he once did, but there was a period when he did. The days of using plastic scoops to measure powder, or a dial caliper to measure with, are long gone. But there’s still nothing wrong with the tools I used when I learned to reload. Today’s ReloaderReloaders today fall into two camps. Those who want to save money (usually to shoot more for less) or those who are willing to spend as much money as necessary to make the best possible ammunition. I used to be a man who was more inclined to the first group, but as I grew older, I started to identify more with the second. I don’t have any problem with either. Or, a tool like the RCBS Universal Case Prep Station uses a variable speed electric motor to spin the cutting head for the micrometer-adjustable case trimmer–as well as the half-dozen threaded attachment ranging from primer pocket brushes, primer pocket reamers (in both large and small sizes) to chamfer and de-burring tools. Powder DispensersThe RCBS ChargeMaster Link, or even better, the MatchMaster, is a quantum leap for powder dispensing. Both dispensers are programmable and dispense powder with great precision (although the MatchMaster is by far the most precise machine that I’ve used). They can also be controlled from a smartphone. You can program the dispensers manually if you don’t have a smartphone. I know a lot of guys who do not own smartphones. The digital scales that are built into these units have been incredibly reliable, though I cannot say the exact same for other brands. I’ve tested them against my nest balance-beam scales for over a decade. Does this mean that I have put the balance beam scales in their boxes? This is not the case. Digital technology has crept up into our reloading equipment, such as this Lyman digital balance. Photo by Massaro Media Group. Electronic scales can be affected by a fan in the room. They don’t like breezes. Some people swear that fluorescent lights affect them. But I haven’t found that to be true. Electronic dispensers will increase your output without cutting any corners. CalipersMy machinist colleagues sneer at the sight a digital caliper. They only use analog calipers of premium quality for their profession. A digital caliper works well for me at the reloading table. I use a Mitutoyo CD-6 CS, mainly because it is a trusted friend, but I have an RCBS Electronic Digital Caliper that works just as well. Both are able to switch between inches and decimal fractions of an inch (down to 0.0005 inch), and millimeters (0.01 mm). They both measure just over 6 inches which is enough for most reloaders. This Mitutoyo Digital Caliper has been serving the author for more than a decade. Massaro Media Group. Sometimes I find that the elbow grease and handwork of case preparation are therapeutic. If that is what works for you, then go ahead. The ChargeMaster Link’s rhythmic pattern allows me to throw a precise charge within the time it takes to place the charge in the case and seat a bullet. The cartridge count on the machine allows me the assurance that each cartridge produced received a powder charge. I may weigh these electronically measured charges occasionally on a balance-beam scale, but I’ve come to accept that digital reloading is a great tool for us all. The target grids and bullseyes are measured in MOA. Subscribe to the Gun Digest newsletter and we will send you your print-at home target pack immediately. Enter your email below.