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Electronic or Balance? |
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Focus
Optics Master Conquistador!! Joined: June/05/2007 Location: Maine Status: Offline Points: 1006 |
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Posted: January/10/2008 at 11:53 |
How many guys like me still using and trusting a balance beam loading scale? Electronic ones are nice for weighing brass and bullets but drifting and calibrating kinda leave me cold for weighing exact powder charges for me. Course I only load 20 or so at a time and my reloading doesn't entail hours at the bench so the balance and weighing each charge isn't really too burdensome I suppose.
Focus |
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I Can See Clearly Now......<><
If Accurate rifles Are Interesting.....I've Got Some Savages That Are Getting Mighty Interesting...... |
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Bigdaddy0381
MODERATOR Georgia peach Joined: February/27/2007 Location: Georgia Status: Offline Points: 13682 |
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I use electronic scales. |
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P&Z Firearms , Pro gun cleanings and gun repair and wood refinishing.
Ecclesiastes 10:2 |
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pyro6999
Optics Retard OT TITAN Joined: December/22/2006 Location: North Dakota Status: Offline Points: 22034 |
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i started using a balance beam 20yrs ago and until last year i started using a digital, both are good.
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They call me "Boots"
375H&H Mag: Yeah, it kills stuff "extra dead" 343 we will never forget God Bless Chris Ledoux "good ride cowboy" |
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Dolphin
Optics Master Joined: October/05/2006 Location: North Carolina Status: Offline Points: 1795 |
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I use the RCBS digital combined with auto dispense unit and would never do it any other way. Although I have never used the balance, the Lyman balance that came with the press does not exactly inspire a great deal of confidence, based on its cheap appearance. I have checked and re-checked the RCBS for repeatability and it is always on the money. I calibrate before every reloading session and frequently will recalibrate in the middle of a session. I use it on Auto mode. Just load the powder, set to Auto, punch the amount in grains, hit dispense and every time I set the tray back onto the scale, it dumps the same amount back into the tray. While it is re-dispensing, I am seating a bullet. Knowing my obsessive compulsive behavior, that balance would drive me crazy.
Edited by Dolphin - January/10/2008 at 14:30 |
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pyro6999
Optics Retard OT TITAN Joined: December/22/2006 Location: North Dakota Status: Offline Points: 22034 |
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well it can take a bit to get the scale to balance out unless you are way light or way heavy of course, if your within .5 grains +or- it can take a while, i hated that.
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They call me "Boots"
375H&H Mag: Yeah, it kills stuff "extra dead" 343 we will never forget God Bless Chris Ledoux "good ride cowboy" |
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silver
Optics Master Joined: November/04/2005 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 2291 |
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Lyman still sell refferance weights? Either style is only as good as the set up and calibration.
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"If we weren't all crazy we, We would go insane." Jimmie Buffet
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Steelbenz
Optics Jedi Knight ROLL TIDE ROLL Joined: January/03/2006 Location: Heart of Dixie Status: Offline Points: 5153 |
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Dolphin nailed it for me, That 5-0-5 scale dosn't inspire confidence in accuracy. I'm new to reloading but not to fine calibration work. The first time I threw a charge of Varget into a case for my .308 I was looking for a digital scale. LOL It looked like I was never going to get the bullet in the case. Then friends told me that that was about normal and that I should try 4064. Still I'm looking for a good Ohaus jewelers scale. A fair one can get you to about 1/30th of a grain accuracy. |
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"Don't argue with a fool! From a distance you can't really tell who's who!"
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Wally
Optics Apprentice Joined: November/08/2006 Location: 4 Corners Status: Offline Points: 124 |
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I'm a big fan of the RCBS Chargemaster as well. I've been totally satisfied. I've checked it every way I can think of, and it's never failed.
Steve
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Focus
Optics Master Conquistador!! Joined: June/05/2007 Location: Maine Status: Offline Points: 1006 |
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Guess I'm the last of a dieing breed......:>)
Focus |
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I Can See Clearly Now......<><
If Accurate rifles Are Interesting.....I've Got Some Savages That Are Getting Mighty Interesting...... |
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pyro6999
Optics Retard OT TITAN Joined: December/22/2006 Location: North Dakota Status: Offline Points: 22034 |
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my old man still uses the original lyman scale that my grand dad started out with over 50 yrs ago you are not alone
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They call me "Boots"
375H&H Mag: Yeah, it kills stuff "extra dead" 343 we will never forget God Bless Chris Ledoux "good ride cowboy" |
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Wally
Optics Apprentice Joined: November/08/2006 Location: 4 Corners Status: Offline Points: 124 |
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I've switched back and forth from balance beam scales to electronics over the last several years. I seem to always come back to the electronic. Some of the early electronics were a little iffy, but my latest, the RCBS Chargemaster has been very good.
Steve
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Longhunter
Optics Journeyman Joined: February/02/2006 Status: Offline Points: 466 |
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I'm with Dolphin. The RCBS automatic dispenser/electronic scale combination is great. It eliminates all the fiddling around to get an exact charge. If I didn't have this, I could happily work with an RCBS mechanical scale. These have been very reliable and accurate.
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RifleDude
MODERATOR EVIL OPPRESSOR Joined: October/13/2006 Location: Texas Status: Offline Points: 16337 |
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I have and use both. The balance scale just verifies the electronic scale, so that when they both agree (and they always do), I have total confidence in my charge weight. For most of my loading, I use the digital since it's much faster, but during a long session, I'll occasionally weigh a "reality check" charge on the ol' balance scale just to verify they still both agree with each other. Kinda like wearing both a belt and suspenders at the same time!
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Ted
Money can't buy happiness... but it's much more comfortable to cry in a Porsche than on a bicycle. |
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cheaptrick
MODERATOR Joined: September/27/2004 Location: South Carolina Status: Offline Points: 20844 |
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Me too....
RCBS 5-0-5 for me....I don't need no "steenking" digital scale.
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If at first you don't secede...try..try again.
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tahqua
MODERATOR Have You Driven A Ford Lately? Joined: March/27/2006 Location: Michigan, USA Status: Offline Points: 9042 |
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RCBS 510 and Uniflow here. Upgrading is definitely in order.
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pyro6999
Optics Retard OT TITAN Joined: December/22/2006 Location: North Dakota Status: Offline Points: 22034 |
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i use the uniflow myself and i hate it compared to the lyman no 55 the uniflow sucks i think as far as manual powder dispensers go, the charge master is nice i wonder if the unit pact makes is just as nice but $100 cheaper.
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They call me "Boots"
375H&H Mag: Yeah, it kills stuff "extra dead" 343 we will never forget God Bless Chris Ledoux "good ride cowboy" |
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tahqua
MODERATOR Have You Driven A Ford Lately? Joined: March/27/2006 Location: Michigan, USA Status: Offline Points: 9042 |
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Here is an intersting article, for those of us behind the times |
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pyro6999
Optics Retard OT TITAN Joined: December/22/2006 Location: North Dakota Status: Offline Points: 22034 |
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thanks for that T i guess i will go ahead and spend the money and do it right with the rcbs
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They call me "Boots"
375H&H Mag: Yeah, it kills stuff "extra dead" 343 we will never forget God Bless Chris Ledoux "good ride cowboy" |
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Urimaginaryfrnd
MODERATOR Resident Redneck Joined: June/20/2005 Location: Iowa Status: Offline Points: 14964 |
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I used the ballance beam since the early 70s but Christmas a year ago my son gave me a RCBS digital powder dispenser with digital scale. There is an enormous difference this is so much faster and accuracy is exceptionally good. I wouldnt want to go back but I'm not about to toss out the old proven equipment either.
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"Always do the right thing, just because it is the right thing to do". Bobby Paul Doherty Texas Ranger |
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cheaptrick
MODERATOR Joined: September/27/2004 Location: South Carolina Status: Offline Points: 20844 |
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Ah hell!! The older I get the more precious "time" is.
I guess I'll be getting the RCBS Chargemaster, is it??
Looks to be about $300...I might as well get that AND a Kahles off the Sample List........
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If at first you don't secede...try..try again.
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