Anybody else going back to mechanical scales?

[dogdoc]

Glad to know I am not alone! I agree there are some uses the electronic scales alone excel at but for checking my powder measures on my Dillon presses beam scales are the the cats meow

[Gtek]

Still using but will admit to dropping on digital on way to case, two times same number feels better. Those fast powders with little numbers gets me really focused, seen photos and heard too much over the years of the KABOOM stories.

[reedap1]

My experience:

I like many here have been reloading a very long time. I only ever used balance beam scales despite being a retired scientist and using electronic laboratory grade scales most of my life. I resisted buying one of the electronic reloading scales until about a year ago when I bought a NIB RCBS 1500 on an auction site for $75.

I played with it for a number of months testing it, learning that I could reprogram it to make it run faster, but in every case checked each charge against my tried and proven Ohaus balance beam. I have a precision set of check weights and the Ohaus never lied to me. Always when I was using the RCBS 1500 I had elements of doubt in each charge in nearly every case I would use the RCBS, check the charge on my Ohaus and dispense it to the case..lots of wasted time and I still have my doubts that it is faster. I'm willing to bet that most reloaders who use electronic scales do not use a check weight procedure (not calibration) that we were so accustomed to doing in the lab. IMO if you do not routinely check your equipment for accuracy you have created doubt and in some cases dangerous reloading practices.

Just today, for example, weighing a hefty charge of 102 grains of H4831 for my 416 Rigby, I had an experience that contributed to my doubts on the electronic scales. I had the scale on for a few hours, filled the hopper with powder, and calibrated it. During my first dispensing charge I checked it on my Ohaus and found it to be significantly overcharged, I estimate probably at least 1-2 grains for the speed it moved the balance, despite the RCBS telling me the charge was 102.0 grains! If I had not checked this charge I would most likely not have noticed it even though I individually examine each case for powder levels before bullet seating and would have had an overcharge. So to answer DogDoc's original question-yes and I am moving back to balance beams for most of my reloading.

There is, however, one big benefit to the electronic scales and that can be exemplified by loading very large charges of powder...many powder measures won't throw very large charges, say over 90.0 grains well or have to be thrown in two steps which increases the potential for error. I now use the RCBS to dispense about 0.5 grains under my target and then trickle up on my balance beam. I realize loading such large charges is not common, but it is useful when you are doing that say for my 470 Nitro and throwing charges in the 115 to 121-grain range. I even use it as an "electronic trickler" for all my test loading where I am loading increasing charges for accuracy tests.

Sorry for the long-winded answer and response, but I'm glad that DogDoc brought it up...will be interesting to see the experiences.

Thanks
Paul

[GregLaROCHE]

I took a chance and bought my thirty year old son a wrist watch for his birthday. He had never had one before. He loves it! Now he doesn’t have to get out his phone to know what time it is, or carry his phone when jogging. Sometimes simple is better.

[Jack Stanley]

I tried the electric scales when the hit the market and was not impressed . The balance beam has never let me down .

Jack

[John Guedry]

My electronic scale never worked well even after a trip back to the "mother ship". R.I.P.

[30calflash]

I noticed the drift early on so I don't use it for weighing powder, only heads and cases.

[murf205]

Well dogdoc, funny you should ask. Yesterday I was loading some 9mm with Accurate #5 and adjusted the measure to throw 5 grs. Weighed it on my RCBS electronic scale and proceeded to charge 50 of those and left the 5gr charge in the scale pan on the scale. After charging about 40 cases I looked at the scale and it read 5.3, so I stopped and weighed that charge on my Redding scale and it read 5 gr exactly. I placed the charge back on the electronic scale and it read 5 grs again. I threw another 5gr charge(as per Redding ) and set it on the elect scale and it read 5 gr. After about 4 or 5 min, the scale drifted up to 5.4! No fan or breeze or my breath either. This RCBS elect scale has been pretty solid in the past and I would'nt normally let a charge sit on the scale that long but I'm going to check it more closely now and when I load a small case with a relatively fast powder, I will use the Redding beam scale.

[MT Gianni]

I bought a Lyman powder dispensing system in 2003. I bought an upgrade kit about 2005. If it died tomorrow I would have a replacement ordered by the end of the day.
I verify every 10th charge once it is set, just as with any mechanical powder dispenser. I resize and prime on a turret press, dump powder and push the reset, add a bullet and seat. The buzzer goes off letting me know the charge is ready long before I have the next cartridge ready to prime. It isn't a progressive, I watch ever process. It gives me exact measures with hard to measure flake powders. I would not want a scale alone but love a digital measuring system.

[unique]

If a choice exists between a mechanical device or an electronic device, I will pick the mechanical device. My reloading scale is mechanical, so is my wrist watch, I even have a rotary telephone... well you get the idea.

BTW I am an electronic design engineer by profession. I know too much what can go wrong. Ignorance is indeed bliss.

[todd9.3x57]

i have two beam balance scales that i only use once in a while, mostly to check up on the electronic scale, which i love!!!! it has been 12 - 13 years that i used the balance scale.

https://www.natchezss.com/hornady-lo...r-1000-gr.html

https://castboolits.gunloads.com/images/attach/jpg.gif

[Bigslug]

The only thing that will ever get me to go back to a balance beam scale will be the literal, powered-down end of the world.

[David2011]

I was introduced to balance beam scales in high school chemistry with one that would weigh a pencil mark on filter paper. My first reloading scale was a 5-0-5. My first experience with electronic scales was a Frankford Arsenal “cheap” digital. It’s fine for weighing boolits but useless for trickling a powder charge. For a long time I’ve had a 5-0-5 on the single stage bench and another on the progressive bench. After a friend had been using my reloading room and keeping his Charge Master in it, I really missed the CM when he got another reloading room and took it home. I ended up getting one for myself. It’s as accurate as a 5-0-5 every time I check it.

Use an electronic scale to check my balance beams? Not a chance! It doesn’t work that way unless the electronic one is truly laboratory grade. I’ll still trust a balance beam more in general, though.

[Mal Paso]

I've never had an electronic scale that was problem free and RCBS 505s have loaded all my ammo.

About 5 years in I bought check weights. Waste of money. The 505 was spot on.

I would like to get an electronic scale for weighing bullets but have been burned several times. The current electronic will run the batteries down when OFF.

[Bmi48219]

Barring abuse, a good mechanical scale will last a lifetime, or longer. I don’t believe the same is true with electronic scales. I think the reliability and life of a tool decreases inversely to the number of parts it contains.

[robg]

still use my lyman

[todd9.3x57]

dang that electric scale!!!!!

9.3x57 with 280gr RG GC (left, 5 shots/100 yards)


9.3x57 with 275gr WFN GC (left, 5 shots/100 yards)


270 win with 130gr Nosler BT (left, 4 shots/100 yards)


270 win with 140gr Hornady SST


35/30-30 with 200gr RCBS FN GC (sighting it in, 2 shots at 100 yards)


30-40 Krag with 165gr Ranch Dogs and open sights (7 - 10 shots are the group at 100 yards/ 1 - 6 shots are the sighters)



well, they are good enuff fer deer, so.........

beam balance is good, heck i'll even say great. i used them for very accurate "handloads" in my 20 Vartarg ( .2" at 100 yards, with a .1" group once in a while). then i got tired of my brass werk(trimming to exactly the same, neck reaming, pocket reaming, weighing the bullets......) and now i do "sloppy" reloads, 1/2" +/- at 100 yards/5 shots with an electronic scale/powder dispenser. i'll check it against my beam balance once in while, but the electronic scale is right on with beam balance. that electronic scale could break tomorrow and i will buy another one.

[ChuckJaxFL]

I’ve never used a mechanical scale. I’ve been a shooter since the early 80’s, but only started reloading around 2000.

I’ve only had one bad electronic scale, which was an expensive one. I have a Gen6 Lyman on which the scale is perfect through my range of check weights.

Oddly, my favorite one is a $20 wonder off of Amazon that suffers none of the issues that are described above.

But, to answer the actual question the OP asked, I actually am looking to add a 505 or a 1010 to the bench in the near future, just because I think they’re cool and I’d like to own one.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Muddydogs]

Back when I was using my Dad's reloading gear it was a mechanical scale and I just hated how slow it was. 30 some years ago when I purchased my own equipment I purchased an RCBS digital scale that I still use to this day, I don't even own a mechanical scale. Never had a problem with my scale, it always reads the check weights right and hasn't let me down in over 40,000 reloads.

[charlie b]

If a choice exists between a mechanical device or an electronic device, I will pick the mechanical device. My reloading scale is mechanical, so is my wrist watch, I even have a rotary telephone... well you get the idea.

BTW I am an electronic design engineer by profession. I know too much what can go wrong. Ignorance is indeed bliss.

I guess I'm the opposite. Mechanical engineer. I know too much what can go wrong with mechanical scales. So I guess ignorance is indeed bliss