E-scales w/Auto Feed

[dale2242]

First things first: Are these things worth the money?
If they are good enough to justify the cost, which brand to buy?

Pact?
Lyman?
RCBS?...........dale

[dale2242]

I can`t believe that with nearly 12K members on this forum, someone of you don`t own or can comment on this....dale

[mike in co]

what is the question////no one knows what you asked...

[hcpookie]

I just put down $150 on a top-line balance scale and I can't justify 2x that for the electronic one.

I think if you're doing a string of different loads or calibers say for example with a few buddies, then it would be a huge time saver and may be worth it if you can get the buddies to all go into it together.


After my personal experiences with cheaper digital scales, I'm curious how consistent the scale throws powder... I would like to know if there's a certain amount of fudge factor built into these so if it is set to 10 grains it may throw 9.8 - 10.2 grains?

[Smokin7mm]

I think what he is asking is the digital scales with the auto powder dispensers. I just receintly got the RCBS Chargemaster combo. So far I love it. Takes away alot of the neck strain I used to get from reaching for the powder measure to drop the charge, set on scale (digital), trickle to weight, dump charges in case, repeat. I have revised my loading process a little. Before I charged all the cases before I seated bullets. Now when one charge is done, I charge the case, put the pan back and it starts filling. While it is filling I take the charged case and seat a bullet. Just about the time I am done seating the bullet the next charge is finishing its final trickle, repeat. Should have gotten one years ago.[smilie=w:
Bret

[BeeMan]

My wife bought me the PACT scale and dispenser combo at least 5 years ago and it works fine. I mostly use it for rifle loads and have developed a process that seats a bullet, etc. while the next powder drop is measured.

If you don't get more responses here, use the search function as this has been discussed a few times in the past.

[Firebricker]

The only one I've used is my pact and it works well I definately recomend their's but It's the only brand I've used. The reason I tried Pact first was because it was made in U.S.A. since it works I'll never switch. FB

[yondering]

This is a second-hand opinion here, but FWIW:

A friend of mine has the Lyman digital powder dispenser/scale. He says it works ok, but is pretty slow, and a real pain to change powders. It has to be partly disassembled to get all the powder out of it.
He said he wants to buy the RCBS unit instead.

[TAWILDCATT]

I use powder measure and set and go.so I dont check but when setting up.I also dont use max charges.if your just shooting to enjoy you dont need max.
My 1903 shoots 1 inch groups at 100 yds with cast.I am now going for garands.
do you think factories check every one at million and half a day.I use an old redding scale to check and have RCBS scale beside it.thats good enuf for me.

[Lloyd Smale]

had the old pact (before the speed upgrade) it was slow but worked well. Now i have the lyman and it works well and is a hell of alot faster.

[pdawg_shooter]

I have never used an auto dispenser but I will NEVER give up my Pact scale. Sooooo much better than a balance beam. Especially when weighting my cast bullets.

[Storydude]

I LOVE my PACT combo. sure, it's not blazing fast but then again, if I wanted speed instead of total control, I'd use a lee powder scoop.

I prefer the PACT to the others due to the ease of changing powders. Just tip it upside down back into the bottle. no fooling with sliding parts, knobs, plugs and the like.

[Slow Elk 45/70]

+1 for the RCBS unit, once you developed a routine as described in post #5 it is tough to go back to the old methods I used for years.....I'll keep the RCBS, good piece of equipment , IMHO

[Marvin S]

I have a RCBS chargemaster 1500 and love it. You will have the ones that say there is no use for one but they have never tried it. Simple to use and feeds all types of powders with no cutting and crunching. Just punch in how much you want and hit dispense it will refill automatically when the pan is returned and the scale zeros. You may have a over shoot by a couple tenths on the first charge or so but it seems to learn fast. I would not go back unless the power went out.

[dromia]

I have the Pact set and love it, had it over 5 years now and find it the bees knees for load development where you are doing 5 or 10 rounds and then going up an increment for the next lot.

As has been said I seat the boolit whilst it is pouring and is plenty fast with the charge being dropped and waiting by the time I've seated the boolit and got ready with another case.

I like the flexibility of having the scale and dispenser seperate as well.

[dale2242]

Thanks for your responses. I guess with 12 responses the question wasn`t THAT hard to understand. Hornady has come out with one with 3 feed speeds. I think I will wait to see how it pans out......dale

[Marvin S]

The RCBS varies the speed depending on how close it is the the target weight.

[mike in co]

Thanks for your responses. I guess with 12 responses the question wasn`t THAT hard to understand. Hornady has come out with one with 3 feed speeds. I think I will wait to see how it pans out......dale

notice no responses till someone made a guess at what you were talking about,,,4 days later.......we answered his guess.....
ouch

[WildmanJack]

Dale,
Although some of us didn't have an answer to your question, there was no doubt as to what you were asking. Apparently some folks just need things spelled out a bit more for them to understand what is being asked.. To be perfectly honest I wondered the same thing myself..
Jack

[monkeymt]

You may want to read these tests done for all three machines.
http://www.6mmbr.com/powderdispensers01.html

Mark