A&D FX120I and V4 worth it?

[Beluebow]

Ok guys still pretty new to reloading. Me and my wife have 6BR ,6.5x284,6.5 Grendel. Only reload for the 6.5x284 now plan on reloading for all. We do not shoot competition just for fun and hunting. I have a Hornady dispenser now and another scale that I check against. Is spending over 1000$ really worth it for what we do? Or am I just jumping in that rabbit hole deeper?

Absolutely worth it...any possibility you may want to travel deeper down the rabbit hole and develop more accurate,consistent ammo?? Is your time a consideration?....All of these things were reasons why I upgraded many years ago.

Typically in the past the cheapest place to get an A&DFX120i was here.... https://cambridgeenviro.com/products/balances-scales-fx-120i ......shopping around may yield cheaper prices.

 

[orkan]

Ok guys still pretty new to reloading. Me and my wife have 6BR ,6.5x284,6.5 Grendel. Only reload for the 6.5x284 now plan on reloading for all. We do not shoot competition just for fun and hunting. I have a Hornady dispenser now and another scale that I check against. Is spending over 1000$ really worth it for what we do? Or am I just jumping in that rabbit hole deeper?

You can't have someone else defining whether something is a good investment for you. Only you can do that.

If you're happy with what you have now, then continue being happy.

If you're not, and you think something else will make you happier, then buy that thing and find out.

Asking people here whether you will be happy with something else will be pointless, because most here simply do not have enough experience with enough different equipment to give you an honest answer. They will just try to assign their needs/wants to you.

My chargemaster 1500 combo sits up on a shelf, and probably won't come down unless someone needs to borrow it.

Otherwise, the autotrickler V4 and Prometheus handle all of my powder needs. The V4 is a pain in the neck compared to my Prometheus... but its still useful.

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[QuietTexan]

Does the screen mirror your laptop/ show the AMP press traces? That would be awesome, I got a USB button so I don't have to click my mouse/laptop to run the press ram, a screen like that would be next level.

 

[orkan]

Does the screen mirror your laptop/ show the AMP press traces?

Yes, and the AMP can run automatically. So it detects when you place the die on the load cell, and automatically actuates.

 

[KSAv8r]

I have used a RCBS ChargeMaster for several years and it works as advertised......accurate to +/- 0.1 grain. It would give an ES of usually around 20+ fps since there is a small variance between each powder drop. Plenty good for most calibers used for hunting out to somewhere in the neighborhood of 500 yards. YMMV.

My AutoTrickler v4 and A&D FX-120i scale arrived about 3 weeks ago. It is definitely a step up in speed and accuracy. Now seeing ES between 6-15 fps and single digit SD's without doing any extra trickling or weighing of the powder. Didn't change anything else. Same brass, powder, bullets, primers and reloading process. I was a little challenged with getting it calibrated since there are several settings in the app but Adam MacDonald immediately replied to my emails and has since done a video on YouTube on calibration. The engineering and precision of this device is phenomenal. A single kernel of Varget weighs 0.02 grains and it drops to the same weight or one kernel more......every time. There is a green light that indicates the powder drop is within +/- 0.02 grains of target. There is no way it will drop anything less than 0.02 grains lower than target weight but can drop more than 0.02 grains higher if not calibrated quite right. I think I had some static electricity issues when I first got it, which Adam indicates will go away after using it......and it has. You will not get a green light if the weight is more than +0.02 grains from target weight, so need to watch the display on the scale to see how much over and whether you want to accept this amount.

This has made reloading more enjoyable for me since I hated to weigh powder a second time on a beam scale to get the accuracy I was looking for. No more. I think he has a real winner here. If you need or want this type of accuracy and don't mind spending a little extra, I would highly recommend it. AutoTrickler v4

The new RCBS MatchMaster is $899. I haven't used one so maybe someone that has one can share their experience with us. I understand it operates on the same principal with a large and small dispenser tube but not sure of the type/accuracy of the scale they are using.

 

[Huntsman66]

You can't have someone else defining whether something is a good investment for you. Only you can do that.

If you're happy with what you have now, then continue being happy.

If you're not, and you think something else will make you happier, then buy that thing and find out.

Asking people here whether you will be happy with something else will be pointless, because most here simply do not have enough experience with enough different equipment to give you an honest answer. They will just try to assign their needs/wants to you.

My chargemaster 1500 combo sits up on a shelf, and probably won't come down unless someone needs to borrow it.

Otherwise, the autotrickler V4 and Prometheus handle all of my powder needs. The V4 is a pain in the neck compared to my Prometheus... but its still useful.

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Yeah people need to not even look at that photo… Or they will be eternally disappointed in their setup.. Good job tho, you definitely have all the goods!

 

[Justice1327]

You can't have someone else defining whether something is a good investment for you. Only you can do that.

If you're happy with what you have now, then continue being happy.

If you're not, and you think something else will make you happier, then buy that thing and find out.

Asking people here whether you will be happy with something else will be pointless, because most here simply do not have enough experience with enough different equipment to give you an honest answer. They will just try to assign their needs/wants to you.

My chargemaster 1500 combo sits up on a shelf, and probably won't come down unless someone needs to borrow it.

Otherwise, the autotrickler V4 and Prometheus handle all of my powder needs. The V4 is a pain in the neck compared to my Prometheus... but its still useful.

-----------
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Subscribe on YouTube
Amazon Affiliate

His question is valid because he didn't ask if getting a new V4 would make him happy. He asked if the V4 was worth the money. And then he put it into context for what he loads and what cartridges he has.

 

[orkan]

His question is valid because he didn't ask if getting a new V4 would make him happy. He asked if the V4 was worth the money. And then he put it into context for what he loads and what cartridges he has.

It's obviously worth the money. Everything is. Things that aren't, stop being produced. That's how it works in a capitalist society.

 

[JuddL]

I have used a RCBS ChargeMaster for several years and it works as advertised......accurate to +/- 0.1 grain. It would give an ES of usually around 20+ fps since there is a small variance between each powder drop. Plenty good for most calibers used for hunting out to somewhere in the neighborhood of 500 yards. YMMV.

My AutoTrickler v4 and A&D FX-120i scale arrived about 3 weeks ago. It is definitely a step up in speed and accuracy. Now seeing ES between 6-15 fps and single digit SD's without doing any extra trickling or weighing of the powder. Didn't change anything else. Same brass, powder, bullets, primers and reloading process. I was a little challenged with getting it calibrated since there are several settings in the app but Adam MacDonald immediately replied to my emails and has since done a video on YouTube on calibration. The engineering and precision of this device is phenomenal. A single kernel of Varget weighs 0.02 grains and it drops to the same weight or one kernel more......every time. There is a green light that indicates the powder drop is within +/- 0.02 grains of target. There is no way it will drop anything less than 0.02 grains lower than target weight but can drop more than 0.02 grains higher if not calibrated quite right. I think I had some static electricity issues when I first got it, which Adam indicates will go away after using it......and it has. You will not get a green light if the weight is more than +0.02 grains from target weight, so need to watch the display on the scale to see how much over and whether you want to accept this amount.

This has made reloading more enjoyable for me since I hated to weigh powder a second time on a beam scale to get the accuracy I was looking for. No more. I think he has a real winner here. If you need or want this type of accuracy and don't mind spending a little extra, I would highly recommend it. AutoTrickler v4

The new RCBS MatchMaster is $899. I haven't used one so maybe someone that has one can share their experience with us. I understand it operates on the same principal with a large and small dispenser tube but not sure of the type/accuracy of the scale they are using.

My thoughts exactly except I've had every version he's made. At the time of v1-v3 I was shooting a lot more than I am now and it was easy to justify, just for the accuracy and speed. If I was to do it over and I just upgraded to v4 and have not had a kernel in it yet...I'd seriously look at that Matchmaster before I went down the AutoTrickler hole unless you're a benchrest (both stool and belly) shooter or past 500 on smaller targets.

 

[Nuclear Worker]

Thanks for the help guys as usual it turns into a **** show. No I don't believe it will help me shoot better. Yes it will be way faster than the way I do it now but I don't know that 57.2 grains done my way is any less accurate than 57.2 grains done with a 1000$ dollar setup.

 

[chutinlead]

Thanks for the help guys as usual it turns into a **** show. No I don't believe it will help me shoot better. Yes it will be way faster than the way I do it now but I don't know that 57.2 grains done my way is any less accurate than 57.2 grains done with a 1000$ dollar setup.

I just snagged a FX-120i from CE and put a backorder in on the V4. I am really excited for a scale that doesn't drift like my old Dillon. It's frustrating and I would rather spend more time shooting than reloading.

 

[huntinghuasna]

The V4/A&D is faster and more accurate than most. Buy once, cry once!

 

[HuntnPack]

Ok guys still pretty new to reloading. Me and my wife have 6BR ,6.5x284,6.5 Grendel. Only reload for the 6.5x284 now plan on reloading for all. We do not shoot competition just for fun and hunting. I have a Hornady dispenser now and another scale that I check against. Is spending over 1000$ really worth it for what we do? Or am I just jumping in that rabbit hole deeper?

Thanks for the help guys as usual it turns into a **** show. No I don't believe it will help me shoot better. Yes it will be way faster than the way I do it now but I don't know that 57.2 grains done my way is any less accurate than 57.2 grains done with a 1000$ dollar setup.

OP,

I'd have to say it's probably not the time for you to consider an upgrade yet, without knowing how or why.

You may want to gain more experience & identify what your goal is in your reloading process & ammunition quality results.

With experience & identifying any shortcomings of repeatable accuracy & consistency in your process / ease of equipment usage, and ammunition quality produced,
you will then be able to evaluate better if there's a need to & if it's of value to you to upgrade.

Is the A&D / V4 "worth it", Absolutely. The equipment is Quality Designed & Manufactured and priced fairly.

Enjoy!!

 

[Nuclear Worker]

Your probably right I am very new to reloading. At this point we are hunters not target shooters. Other than checking a scope or other equipment we never shoot off a bench. We own our own shooting range. Most of it is set up for tactical pistol training. But we do have 18 steel gong targets and a running elk target. But they are all set up under field shooting conditions. Such as off your back pack or a stump etc.Am I wrong in saying that 57.2 grains with my equipment is the same as 57.2 grains with the FX? May take me longer but 57.2 is 57.2 please correct me if I'm wrong.