Corey

One point to consider - Set up time takes a little longer in order to warm up the digital scale. You should turn you scale on at least 20 minutes before you begin to weigh.

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Originally posted by Corey:
I am thinking of buying the RCBS Electronic powder measure and scale. I think it would speed up my reloading process and deliver more accurate weights of powder. Does anyone out there have them? Do you like it? Thank you.

Corey

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But I have the RCBS digital scale. Takes about 20 min to get warmed up and setttled. You need to place it out of drafts (AC/heat) and on a surface that's not going to get jostled by your reload operation -- a separate bench from the press bench.

The digital scale has its applications. I use it to weigh brass, bullets. I double check charges off a beam scale with it.

BUT --

The digital has a 0.10 gr. increment. The scale somewhere has to make a distinction between 0.04 gr. and 0.06 gr. The 0.04 gr. will read "0.00 gr." and the 0.06 gr. will read "0.10 gr." -- Neither reading is correct!

For accurate charges, I use a beam and trickler. I can get the witness mark on the beam probably to within 0.01 gr. That's WAY more accurate than a digital that is rounding off to a tenth grain.

The digital is EXCELLENT for tasks like fast weighing the powder capacity of a case. Or the weight of brass, a bullet, etc.

My choice would be the RCBS Uniflow charger, a beam scale, and a trickler. I trust the Uniflow for tossing accurate loads for "plinking."

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.223 Ackley Improved Wildcat Forum:
http://www.hotboards.com/plus/plus.mirage?who=223ackleyimproved

Its so much more convenient than another scale, I won�t part with it.

After adjusting, I throw some charges for the powder to settle. then I do 10 charges in some jar and weigh them. I not this result before and after powder charging in my books. This takes out the decimals.

But I don�t think wheter X.04 or X.06 is really any difference. In a 25 Auto maybe ..

Hermann

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Take a look at a review of those items at this site:

www.realguns.com/archives/032.htm

FWIW, I went back to using my balance beam scale after using a PACT digital scale for a while. The PACT scale was great for sorting brass by weight or for measuring case capacity in terms of H20, but it would start to drift and be inaccurate when I would use it for weighing powder charges (especially when I needed to trickle in a few kernals of powder). I don't like having to recalibrate frequently.

Save your cash and buy something else.

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I know the next rifle will be perfect.......

[This message has been edited by Need Just 1 More Gun (edited 04-25-2002).]

If all you are ever going to use are powders like AA2230 or Bullseye or Unique or an extruded type powder such as Varget or IMR-4895 you should be OK. However if you are going to load H110, AA#9, WC820 or similar type powders (powders of VERY fine granule size) you will jam up the works, as did I. I had 3 of the RCBS Powder Master Elect Dispensers, before we (RCBS service dept & I) were able to sort out what the problem was. Every time I tried to load .30 Carbine, that was the last time that that unit would work! Turns out that the fine granule powder I was using (AA#9 & WC-820) was working it's way into the bearing surfaces of the dispenser tubes and jamming them up quite solidly.

In the end, RCBS being the great company they are, gave me a full refund INCLUDING my shipping costs! The only caveat to this story is that this all happened to me about 2 years ago. So it is possible that RCBS has sorted out this problem with the "newer models". You may want to check on this with them BEFORE you purchase if you intend to use a very fine ball powder like the ones mentioned above.

Further the Electronic Scales, in my opinion are no where near as accurate or repeatable as a good quality balance beam scale, such as the RCBS 10-10. Unless of course you are willing to spend many hundreds of dollars for a top of the line Ohaus electronic scale.

Genghis, hit the mark, (The digital has a 0.10 gr. increment. The scale somewhere has to make a distinction between 0.04 gr. and 0.06 gr. The 0.04 gr. will read "0.00 gr." and the 0.06 gr. will read "0.10 gr." -- Neither reading is correct!). To my way of thinking + or - 0.1 grain is not good repeatability, hence not an accurate scale! On the other hand there are those that will argue that + or � 0.1 grain will make no difference in your loads. Well, perhaps. In a cartridge such as 30-06 or 300 Win-mag 0.1 grain one way or the other may not be noticed. But can the same be said for 9mm Luger or 25 ACP?

Just my 2 cents worth,

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Abe

If everyone thought like me, I'd be a damn fool to think any differently!

Many new hand loaders believe that target accuracy is achieved through proper charge weights. In application, you can load by charge volume and achieve target accuracy if you have addressed all other accuracy gremlins. Many bench rest folks don�t bother with weighing each powder charge down to the tenths of grains. Most throw on volume and shoot.

Maintaining consistent case volume is critical in maintaining pressure and in turn, maintaining low SD�s. One way to accomplish this is to purchase premium brass, trim all to the same length, and segregate the cases by weight. If the volume of the pressure vessel is consistent (case volume), and you are burning the same amount of fuel (powder), and you are maintaining consistent resistence (bullet friction), then you can control velocity SD. Of course, once this is accomplished, you can then focus your attention on the other 75 common accuracy gremlins in order to achieve target accuracy.

Throwing precise charge weights is far down the accuracy variable list.
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Abe - I agree that the auto thrower is not good on ball or flake powder. All my big bores shoot H-4831SC or simular extruded powder. I use a Harrel and a Redding thrower for my ball powder. The best way to ensure your scales are accurate is to use a set of check weights. If I am going to throw a 53gr load, I zero my scales with a 50gr check weight. Many scales are not properly calibrated throughout their weight range. I have found a few balance beam scales off by a grain or two as you move through heaver loads. The only way to know is with a check weight set.

[This message has been edited by Zero Drift (edited 04-25-2002).]

Charge volume, not charge weight. Makes a lot of sense to me. I'd be interested in seeing some real data on it. I'd be interested in running some real data on this idea.

Anyone want to list the "75 accuracy gremlins" ???

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.223 Ackley Improved Wildcat Forum:
http://www.hotboards.com/plus/plus.mirage?who=223ackleyimproved

I don't know if you have ever been to a benchrest match, but a majority of those guys load by volume--and they shoot tiny groups.

The only way to know for your gun is to try doing it both ways for a sizable # of rounds, and see if the accuracy or SD of velocity is substantially different.

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I know the next rifle will be perfect.......

quote:

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Originally posted by Need Just 1 More Gun:
I don't know if you have ever been to a benchrest match, but a majority of those guys load by volume--and they shoot tiny groups.

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FWIW, I've been noticing the apparent discrepancy btwn 100-200-300 yd benchrest shooters, many of whom throw charges rather than weigh, and the long-range boys, including 1k-yd benchresters, who from what I gather, weigh their charges, almost exclusively. For these guys, getting ES/SD numbers down close to/in the single digits is critical.

Go figure...

Also, FWIW, I'm kind of swinging the other way, myself. I started out by getting a Pact electronic dispenser and scale set. Supposed to be accurate +/- 0.1 gr, though I hear a lot of people claim 0.2 or so. Biggest problems w/ mine is it frequently needs re-zeroed, and a tendency to over throw on heavier charges of stick powder. I've somewhat overcome that by either setting the dispense value a couple tenths low, or throwing a light charge (0.5gr under target weight) w/ my Redding BR30 (even worse w/ stick powders) into the pan, and then put the pan on the scale and hit 'Dispense'. Usually the dispenser/scale combo will hit right on +/- 0.1 w/o taking so long.

I've been considering investing in a good balance beam scale, for a variety of reasons. But I'll start another thread for that.

Monte