Thinking of getting an electric powder scale

[supv26]

I have always used balance beam type scales when I measure for rifle or magnum pistol loads. I have a Lee and a Herter scale now and they weigh pretty close to one another.

I have looked around on MidwayUSA for electric scales and have been reading the reviews. I see that some scales would not allow you to use a trickler. I really like my Hornady trickler and use it almost every charge.

Also, I see some are battery and electric operated which would be a plus. Also some have auto shut off if left unattended. I think that might be a pain if you have to recalibrate just because it shut off. I do not get in any hurry when I load and I could see mine shutting of between loads.

Give me some ideas on what some of the scales you guys are using.

[mooman76]

I use a Cabelas scale and like it fine. it has a shut off and doesn't shut off unless you haven't used it in a while. I sometimes tap the scale if I am doing something else to keep it on but you shouldn't have to recalibrate it just because it powered down. Battery is a plus, some scales if you plug them into a source and other things feed off that source it can cause fluctuations in your readings.
I can use the trickler with mine occationally. All I have to do is tap the scale to get a new reading because it won't show a new reading until I've addd a few tenths of a grain so taping it forces it to make a new reading. Electric scales are usually not quite as accurate a the balance beam scales and if you like to be precise enough to use a trickler on every load I can't really see any advantage to a electric. The electric is usually to speed up the operation but you sacrafice a hair of a grain or so.
I haven't used one of the good combo units so I can't atest to how acurate they are but that might be what you want to go with. They despence the powder close and then trickle the rest to give you a fairly exact amount of powder charge but the good ones run at least$200+. Hope I helped.

[1hole]

"Thinking of getting an electric powder scale"

Anyone can do as they wish but I wonder why anyone would want one!

I mean, it's not a bit more accruate. It's really no "faster" to use; a good beam scale will stop in a couple of swings anyway and they need no "warm up" time at all! Digitals usually don't follow a trickler very well. Many users say their calibration and zero drifts while in use (and all it needs do is be off just once with a high pressure load and you may never use it agian!). They are susceptible to stay electomagnetic influneces. They cost a LOT, at least if you get a decent one. I read of a lot of people keeping their beam scale just to keep their digital honest but never saw anyone say they use a digital to keep a beam honest. ????

But, other than that, I suppose digitals are fine. But not for me!

[Triggerhappy]

I got a Dillon and it works great. Seldom use the beam any more. FWIW.

[Green Frog]

The MTM unit that came out about a year ago is entry level (less than $40 MSRP) and will do the job of units costing 4-5 times as much. After that, you can go to the mid- to upper level units by Lyman, RCBS and Dillon and pay a lot more for additional capacity and bells & whistles. Are you planning on weighing primarily bullets, powder charges, loaded (or empty) brass, or what? Overall capacity of the scale will enter in depending on what you will use it for. I have the aforementioned MTM and a now discontinued Lyman pocket unit with a nominal capacity of 750 grains which is now replaced by their 1000 gr capacity unit IIRC. I would be satisfied to use either of these in virtually any reloading application within their capacity limits, both are repeatable to the 0.1 gr level which is as close as I am likely to need for my applications. YMMV, of course! :)

froggie

[beemer]

I bought a Pact BBKII it works fine but I still prefer the balance beam. It is useful in sorting boolits but I do very little of that.

beemer

[Pepe Ray]

PACT.
Some of the negative remarks above are made by guys who've never needed to weigh a lot of boolets ?Right?
I wouldn't doubt that with the variety of scales available, you will find some with attributed faults. I'm happy w/my old PACT. Trickler works fine "if scale already has a load on it."
It has check weights w/it. Don't need to verify w/a beamer.
Service is great. I thought I'd fried mine (thunder/lightening storm). A call to the service number, a nice guy talked me thru a "reboot", and I'm home free.
IMHO, concern over .01gr. accuracy in ANY powder weighing is OVERKILL.
Check out how the benchrest shooters do it , then THINK about it.
Pepe Ray

[Gerry N.]

I've got two electronics. I love 'em. Either is much, much faster than a beam scale if I'm checking dipped charges or sorting bullets. My expensive one, from Cheaper Than Dirt, a JS-50X has a 50 Gram capacity and can be set to grams, pennyweights, troy or avd. oz, karats, or grains. It discriminates to .005 grain and is accurate to .01. The one fault is it is overly sensitive. A gnat sneezing in the next county will disturb the read-out so the scale must be used indoors. It came with a 50 gram test weight which I had weighed at my local pharmacy on their $10,000 lab scale. It weighs 50 grams if it's clean.

It also came with four little plastic pans which will hold over 100 grains of powder. I was worried about them decomposing so I took one to my pharmacist. He said they are standard Lab scale pans and are, as far as he knows, inert. He gave me ten more to assuage my concern. They apparantly cost approximately nothing and change. I made up a teensy support block to set my trickler on. The scale shuts down the display after two minutes to save the battery and upon the pan being disturbed with .001 gr.comes back with the current display. I checked my old Redding beam scale and found it agrees with my electronic as closely as it can be read.

So the Redding rests comfortably in it's original box waiting for TEOTWAWKI when electronic things will become fancy paper weights. It's on the shelf with my spare buggy whip, butter churn, washboard and kerosene lamps.

I paid less than $50 for it on a web special from CTD. It's got a parts counting feature too.

I do recommend an electronic scale. Once you actually use one, you too will come over to the dark side.

Your mileage may, of course, vary. PS: Nearly all the name brand electronics are made by PACT.

Gerry N.

[jcwit]

I bought an inexpensive (cheap) electronic scale 4 to 5 years ago for around $35.00. Have used it eversense to check charges. Its right on the button since I've bought it, repeats right every time. I do check it every time I use it but have yet to have any problems.

I think if the scale repeats every time just what more do you want?

[Russ in WY]

I'm with Pepe Ray. I have 2 Pact scales & one of there powder dispensers. Both are plug in & thats the way I leave them, but turned Off. That way there is no warm up/drift. I did return the dispenser for there software update . Wow what an improvement, 3 x's faster and more accurate also. The ole Beamer sits in the box. IMHO they are faster & can use a trickler if neede. My 2¢ Russ.

[hotwheelz]

I have a RCBS range master 750 got it 2-3 year ago at first I double checked it all the time with balance beam and was allways very close. I just use the check weights now and calabrate it at the start of a reloading sesion only take 20-30sec. to calibrate it I have had no problems with using my trickler.

[Hardcast416taylor]

I still have my original Redding #1, and another model of it with a copper balance beam. I still have my RCBS 5-0-5 scale. I wore out my first Dillion electric/battery scale, they replaced it - back awhile ago. I`m still using the replaced Dillion and really like it.:wink: Robert

[Lloyd Smale]

ive got two pact scales and one dispensor and would never go back to a ballance beam again.

[dromia]

I've a Pact scale, along with the dispenser, that I've been using hard now for nigh on 5 years.

Its been worth every penny, just fire it up and away you go. I calibrate it every dozen times or so I switch it one just out of habit.

I check it each time I turn it on with check weights, as I do with beam scales, and its never been out yet.

[largom]

As you can see from all of the posts it's about 50/50 for and against. I have a Pact dispenser combo, a Dillon electronic, and an old Ohaus 5-0-5.
I can dump and trickel with my Ohaus just as fast as the Pact combo unit can, same with the Dillon. If loading a LOT of ammo I use the Pact and my beam balance at the same time. For casual handloading I just use my beam balance. My Dillon is very accurate, does not shut off on it's own, runs on battery or AC, and I have never had to recalibrate it. I use the Dillon mainly to weigh boolits and cases since doing that on a beam balance is a real chore.
I love my beam balance! Guess old habits are just hard to break.
Larry

[725]

Have used several different balance scales and tried the Dillon. Love the Dillon. Wore the first one out, sent it back and got some prorated adjustment to the price. Reset with a check weight is a breeze. Only caution I've run across is that you must have a draft free area to use it. Sensitive to air movement. I perch a trickler right up on it and have no problems zooming though load after load. Way faster than the balance scales with either a Lyman 55 to start the pan load or Lee dippers to load the pan. I never want to go back to a balance beam although I have two packed away.

[1hole]

(#9) "Some of the negative remarks above are made by guys who've never needed to weigh a lot of boolets ?Right?"

RAY - You are right, about me anyway. I do weigh a few bullets and cases with my balance scale but not a lot. Grant that a digital would be much better for that but....

My MAIN use of a reloading scale is to weigh powder! So, I want my scale to be absoulutely accurate and repeatable. From what I've seen and used, and what I read, digitals don't meet that criteria. Not saying that many aren't happy with digitals, I know they are. But I do NOT trust them and know for a fact no digital will ever last as long as a mechanical scale, given equal care.

I am convienced that those who find a digital to be significantly "faster" than a good beam scale are using their beams incorrectly! I may be wrong in that but that's my story and I'm sticking to it! :)
--------------------------------

(#8) - "My expensive one, from Cheaper Than Dirt, a JS-50X has a 50 Gram capacity and can be set to grams, pennyweights, troy or avd. oz, karats, or grains. It discriminates to .005 grain and is accurate to .01."

GARY - Wow, .005 gr. sensitivity and .01 gr. accuracy from a mail order scale! That's incredible accuracy and resolution, even from a lab type $10.000 scale that receives annual checks and adjustments by a qualified and well equipped scale technician! Are you sure you haven't slipped a few decimals in those figures?

[Gerry N.]

(#9) "Some of the negative remarks above are made by guys who've never needed to weigh a lot of boolets ?Right?"

RAY - You are right, about me anyway. I do weigh a few bullets and cases with my balance scale but not a lot. Grant that a digital would be much better for that but....

My MAIN use of a reloading scale is to weigh powder! So, I want my scale to be absoulutely accurate and repeatable. From what I've seen and used, and what I read, digitals don't meet that criteria. Not saying that many aren't happy with digitals, I know they are. But I do NOT trust them and know for a fact no digital will ever last as long as a mechanical scale, given equal care.

I am convienced that those who find a digital to be significantly "faster" than a good beam scale are using their beams incorrectly! I may be wrong in that but that's my story and I'm sticking to it! :)
--------------------------------

(#8) - "My expensive one, from Cheaper Than Dirt, a JS-50X has a 50 Gram capacity and can be set to grams, pennyweights, troy or avd. oz, karats, or grains. It discriminates to .005 grain and is accurate to .01."

GARY - Wow, .005 gr. sensitivity and .01 gr. accuracy from a mail order scale! That's incredible accuracy and resolution, even from a lab type $10.000 scale that receives annual checks and adjustments by a qualified and well equipped scale technician! Are you sure you haven't slipped a few decimals in those figures?

NO, I can read. If you like your beam scale, more power to you. I like my electronic. I was stating what is on the data sheet packed with the scale.

Gerry N.

[supv26]

Thanks for all the quick replies!!!!
I do like reading all the ideas and experiences people have had with their scales.
My Lee only goes 100 so I am limited with that one. The Herter goes to 320 so it's better for larger stuff. The Herter is also VERY sensitive as it takes a while for it to settle down. It does have little device to help slow it down but even the trickler will make it swing. I find myself using the Lee more because it settles fast. I compared the 2 last night and found they weigh exactly the same. I weighed a Q-Tip on both of them and they both weighed it at 3 grains.
I will search aound some more and keep reading the replies.
Thanks! :drinks:

[zampilot]

I compared several, RCBS, Lyman, PACT a few weeks ago. Ended up getting a MyWeigh from BACO, similar price as the others but more options for ounce, grains, etc. It's exactly on with my RCBS 505 also. Fast to use but I only use it to weigh cast boolits.:drinks:

[Lloyd Smale]

dont agree with the inaccuracy of an electonic. Maybe there was some junk scales in the beginning and you probably still can find bargin priced junk but my pacts have have tested against my balance beams to many times to doubt them. I have two of them and even test them against each other while charging and have never seen them inaccurate. As to speed with a dispensor. My pact has the upgrade and its still a tad slow but even before the upgrade if you got into a routine you could sit the pan in the dispensor allow it to fill dump it into a case put it back on the dispensor start it filling. While its filling take the round you just filled and seat your bullet. In the time it takes for you to seat the bullet the next powder charge is ready. Do it like that and its much faster then using a balance beam and a trickler. Plus it less work. Your not dinking around twisting the handle on a trickler. Now the downside is there expensive and about only good for stick powders. When im loading with ball powders i just set up a powder dump and fill cases as a powder dump is accurate enough for ball. But sit and load a thousand .308s with an extruded powder in one day and you thank God you have a dispensor!!
(#9) "Some of the negative remarks above are made by guys who've never needed to weigh a lot of boolets ?Right?"

RAY - You are right, about me anyway. I do weigh a few bullets and cases with my balance scale but not a lot. Grant that a digital would be much better for that but....

My MAIN use of a reloading scale is to weigh powder! So, I want my scale to be absoulutely accurate and repeatable. From what I've seen and used, and what I read, digitals don't meet that criteria. Not saying that many aren't happy with digitals, I know they are. But I do NOT trust them and know for a fact no digital will ever last as long as a mechanical scale, given equal care.

I am convienced that those who find a digital to be significantly "faster" than a good beam scale are using their beams incorrectly! I may be wrong in that but that's my story and I'm sticking to it! :)
--------------------------------

(#8) - "My expensive one, from Cheaper Than Dirt, a JS-50X has a 50 Gram capacity and can be set to grams, pennyweights, troy or avd. oz, karats, or grains. It discriminates to .005 grain and is accurate to .01."

GARY - Wow, .005 gr. sensitivity and .01 gr. accuracy from a mail order scale! That's incredible accuracy and resolution, even from a lab type $10.000 scale that receives annual checks and adjustments by a qualified and well equipped scale technician! Are you sure you haven't slipped a few decimals in those figures?

[280Ackley]

+1 for Lloyd's response. I have been using an RCBS digital for at least the last 5 years. I too had reservations about the accuracy and repeatability of this product. I have found by repeatedly checking my digital against my balance beams that the digital drifts maybe 2/10 of a grain under the right conditions. Do most of my loading in my basement and if I let the temp of the house vary more than 5 degrees the scale can drift. But, when I hold the conditions in the house constant over a day very little variation. I have checked loads in our lab with scales that are calibraited by professionals against my digital and my balance beam and the results have been very consistant. I liked Lloyd's point that one can be seating bullets while the trickler is running the next load. I do this a lot. I also like the the fact that when I am experimenting with a new bullet, I can work up in 1 grain increments with just a push of the button. Good digitals are expensive and I don't think this one will last as long as a balance beam, which will probabily outlast me. But, when this one goes it will be replaced with a new one quickly. Other than the RCBS case prep center it has done more to speed up my load times than any other tool I have purchaced.

[1hole]

Lloyd Smale/280 - "dont agree with the inaccuracy of an electonic."

Hey guys, I dint say they were "inaccurate". IF they are properly zeroed and calibrated I'm sure they are EQUAL in accuracy to a beam scale, that is within plus or minus .1 grain. And that's as good as any reloader really needs.

My point is that they CAN change or drift during use, that's a common fault unless what many owners (who like them) post. The two I've tried sure did. My point is that a beam scale does NOT drift or change zero during use. Nor if the house line voltage drops when someone turns the AC on, etc.


GERRY - ".005 gr. sensitivity and .01 gr. accuracy"

I'm sure you can read and accept your statement that your instrument's spec sheet says that BUT, I can assure you, that kind of sensitivity - and accuracy - is simply unobtainable in any consumer priced electronic scale. A sensitivity of .005 grain will note the difference between one or two penciled in periods at the end of a sentence! I can accept .05 grain sensitivity and .1 grain accuracy but not one tenth of either!

[pdawg_shooter]

I weigh all my cast bullets, after inspecting them with a 3x lighted glass. I also sort all my brass by weight. No way I would ever go back to a balance beam. The tare function on my pack lets me sort as fast as I can pick up and lay down the items I want to sort.

[marlinman2008]

i got one of those cheapo midway frankford arsenals for my case and bullet weighing on my match stuff but i never use it on powders i just dont trust nothing electronic with my life or the life of my guns so i use a lyman 505 beam scale and it works great one problem with the Frankford Arsenal electronic scale is that onece you take the weight off it you may have to reset it or it will read + or - .1 to 10 grains on the screen with an empty tray but when its right its right

[scb]

I got an electronic scale when I knocked my old balance scale of the bench and broke it. After I got the new one I got to thinking, what do I do if the power goes "out". I picked up another balance scale on e*** just to have one.

[Jon K]

scb,

How about an electronic scale w/battery back up, i.e. Lyman XP-1000?

Jon

[Dark Helmet]

Once you go PACT,.................:mrgreen:

[TAWILDCATT]

a question??are you weighing every charge???are you doing pistol or rifle or both?
I set up my measure and check and go I have never gone back and checked.I use the lee disk on my rifle and pistol.my 38 are loaded on a RCBS green machine in 20 yrs never checked it.and I shot compitition.I am not a master shooter my gun is.
I just wondered what your thoughts were on this.:coffee:[smilie=1:

[Lloyd Smale]

if that was the only electronic scale i could afford i woulnd trust it for loading either. I actually bought one two and only use it for weighting bullets. Buy a good pact or rcbs and dont look back. As to the power going off. I dont load in the dark anyway. Like i said i have two pact scales and a pact dispensor. Ive tested them many many times against each other and when i loaded for a long time i used both at the same time to double check and both were stop on and never missed a beat. Only trouble ive ever had was one power supply transformer burned up and pact replaced it for free. Ive used these trouble free for almost 10 years. Im not a causual loader either. My round counts for the year go into 6 digits. I buy only good equiptment and if i didnt trust those scales i wouldnt use them.
i got one of those cheapo midway frankford arsenals for my case and bullet weighing on my match stuff but i never use it on powders i just dont trust nothing electronic with my life or the life of my guns so i use a lyman 505 beam scale and it works great one problem with the Frankford Arsenal electronic scale is that onece you take the weight off it you may have to reset it or it will read + or - .1 to 10 grains on the screen with an empty tray but when its right its right

[Firebricker]

I'm with you Lloyd think I'll avoid loading by candle light LOL