Scales: Electric vs Balance, your preference?

DallanC · Site Admin Joined: Jan 18, 2005 Posts: 3572 Location: Utah

Title says it all, what is your preference and why?

Me personally I use a balance beam, but really only because when I have the $100+ a electronic scale costs I find something else to spend it on LOL.

What do you prefer?

-DallanC

Bushmaster

I have an 10 year old RCBS electronic. But I also have a RCBS 5-0-5 that I have had for around 20 years. It is my backup and is used when I am in doubt and need to check the electronic scale. No loading bench is complete without both IM not so HO...

sagebrush · Rookie Member Joined: Sep 05, 2005 Posts: 2

I have a eletronic scale and dispenser works great...the balance beam is just not very accurate at times, Dallen noticed you are from ut ..i live in Roy..

nedrob · Rookie Member Joined: Sep 04, 2005 Posts: 9

I have both and I find myself using the electric scale as backup. The reason is that I find that the electric scale is not as quickly responsive as the old relieble 505 for the type of reloading I do. The best case scenario I was able to produce was using an old triple beam from a lab to run a test batch for elimination of the most weighing error. The 505 was just as accurate as the RCBS electronic scale with reproducability and was easier for me to feel confident. In a more perfect world I would search sale on a industrial digital scale that has been certified and take even more time to weigh loads at a greater level of accuracy so i can make myself feel even worse at the range with one less thing to blame other than myself for fliers. It keeps life interesting because it only matters to me and the pack of nuts I call my friends. My wife commomly refers to them as the " Liars and Loafers Club" a bit harsh but, fairly accurate. regards nedrob

LittleMagnum · Member Joined: Jul 05, 2005 Posts: 105 Location: Vermont

Balance scale for powder charge's, electric scale for weighing cases.

Blaine · Member Joined: Feb 24, 2005 Posts: 260 Location: Maine

Same as Little magnum, I use the RCBS electronic for batching bullets and cases , but always weigh powder charges on the RCBS 5-0-5. I find the electronic varies from as much as .2 grs with second weighings of the same items. The balance scale is always the same. It may not be the actual weight of the item, but it is always consistent.

Blaine

Paul5388 · Rookie Member Joined: Sep 03, 2005 Posts: 2

I own this Mettler H80 and an H18.

Even though it has great accuracy, d=.1 mg, it needs a very special place to reside that is vibration free. IOW it's too sensitive for most applications that aren't in a lab setting. The same would be true for the older double pan analytical balances.

After checking my Ohaus 505 and an electronic with a full range of M2 calibration weights, I found the 505 to be better in terms of accuracy and duplication of results. Therefore, I use my 505 if I want to know what something weighs and the electronic for cases, bullets and etc.

DallanC · Site Admin Joined: Jan 18, 2005 Posts: 3572 Location: Utah

sagebrush wrote:

I have a eletronic scale and dispenser works great...the balance beam is just not very accurate at times, Dallen noticed you are from ut ..i live in Roy..

Welcome to the site. Yea I live in Alpine Ut.

-DallanC

DallanC · Site Admin Joined: Jan 18, 2005 Posts: 3572 Location: Utah

Welcome nedrob as well!

-DallanC

tbox61

I have a RCBS 5-0-5 that I have used for 20 years. I would love to have an electronic scale, but am too tight and not convinced myself it would be better than what I already have.

I do check the balance and re-zero every 10-15 rounds just to make sure that I am exact.

Kodiak

I have an old RCBS balance scale that is right-on for weight. A couple of years ago, I got a PACT elec. scale, not very good. It will not hold a "zero". The calibration wts. that came with it have been checked for wt. and are good. So I use them to "check" cast bullets on the elec. scales and when it goes "error", I check it with the wts., other than that, I don't trust the PACT for anything.

shrpshtrjoe

Howdy Dallan. I have a Cabelas digital but i find myself useing the 505. I dispence my charges light and trickle the remaining powder and the digital doesn't respond until two or three tenths wtf

. So i use it for weighing bullets and cases only.

Handloader

The balance beam (Ohaus) gets the nod for speed and accuracy. I bought an electronic dispenser/scale and it takes about three times as long as using the balance beam w/ a good trickler. I use the Redding Comp powder measure and that little gem throws most powders to within 2/10ths. Check weights show the Ohaus is slightly more sensistive than the electronics I've tried.

I like the electronic scale for weighing brass and sorting cast bullets. In this application it is faster.

Coyote_Hunter_

Started out with a used Lyman M-5 back in '81, gave it to my hunting buddy when I got a PACT. I had-trickle all the extruded powder charges and find the PACT is just as easy to use.

Still regret giving up that M-5, though, especially when the batteries get low.

calsibley · Super Member Joined: Jan 28, 2005 Posts: 317

I have two old balance beam scales, an RCBS and a Redding, and will keep using them as long as they perform well. What I'm wondering is are there any little oddities you have to watch for with the electronic scales? For example, my balance beam scales like many require that you tap the table near the scale to jump start them. They tend to do this with age. Tap too hard and you're apt to knock it off its setting. It's something else to load 15 or 20 cases before noticing you've moved that bar 3/10 or so down the line accidently. Do the electronic scales contain their little pitfalls that will also bite you on occasion? Best wishes.

Cal - Montreal Crying or Very sad