A bit off topic but i'd like to hear what brand and type of scales ya'll are using to weigh your powder on? I use a pact digital, a very old RCBS beam type and a older Hornady M scale. The Pact and RCBS are within a 10th of a grain from each other but the Hornady always reads 3/10s lighter then the other 2 scales. That's after cleaning and zeroing all three.

I use my Redding just to double check my Pact Powder Dispenser and scale. I have yet to have them read differently but doesnt hurt to double check....

I use RCBS electonic stuff. I believe that RCBS is built by Pact.
I still have my RCBS and redding manual scales but the Electronic is faster and just as or more accurate than the balance beams. Any time I have checked the electronics against the bal. beam they have been Right on.

Fireball

I too use a PACT Digital Electronic Scale and Powder Dispenser. So far, other than being slow with certain powders, it really works great.

I also use an older Lyman Scale, a Redding Powder Measure and a RCBS Little Dandy Pistol Powder Measure.

Larry

Gents,
It would seem by this small sample that Pact has most of us covered in the electronic era. I also have couple of rcbs 505's for double checking the Pact. For dispensing , I have 2 Dillon measures,a old pacific pistol measure and my Lyman 55. 45nut

I have been wondering about the PACT Digital Powder Dispenser. I see there about $150. at Midway. Is that a good price?
I may just have to get one.

Jules,
You and me both!
I'm getting ready to fire up the Dillon for some spring squirrel shooting, but... Normally I load 1or200 at a with an old single stage RCBS (rock chucker maybe?). For that I absolutely NEED the PACT!

steve

I'm probably the contrarian here but, I have actually gone back to a beam scale from an electronic for weighing powder charges. I simply think it's easier to add powder to the pan while watching the beam come up rather than waiting for the digital display to change. I use a (gasp) Lee Dipper to throw a lighter charge close to what I'm after and trickle up the remainder. Surprisingly fast actually.

I like the digital for weighing objects like bullets and such of a fixed weight.

I had one of the earlier powder dispenser/digital jobs by that outfit that went bankrupt and it worked well, just didn't really need it for what I was doing at the time and it took too long to drag out and set up.

I have my beam scale mounted at eye level on a level and sturdy shelf when I am seated at the loading bench. It makes it extremely user friendly to weigh powder charges.

As a matter of fact, I have a mint condition RCBS Digital that I would gladly trade for an RCBS 1010 beam scale in reasonably good shape.

None of this is meant to disparage digitals just relating a personal preference.

Regards

[ 10-14-2002, 05:14: Message edited by: Headstamp ]

I also have a Redding powder measure but it just collects dust these days....

I have to agree with Headstamp, I had an RCBS digital scale and measure a few years back. It took too long to set-up, and took around 28-30 seconds to dispense a load. I can do that in a third of the time or less with a beam scale and powder measure then trickling the last of the load. I have too little time to shoot, much less spend that much time waiting for the "electronic powder dispenser". It is good quality equipment of course, just too slow for me. I traded it to a friend and he uses it all the time and likes it.

I use a Hornady measure and an Ohaus 505 beam. I have thought about an electronic measure but have not ordered one yet.
Rick

[ 10-14-2002, 21:55: Message edited by: cricker ]

I have a '85 vintage RCBS 304 and it is as accurate as ever. Still would like to try an Lyman autoscale someday.

I use a late 70's vintage RCBS powder measure, beam scale, and manual trickler. I set the measure to slightly below the desired charge, throw the charge onto the scale pan, then trickle up to the desired weight. This works well enough for me.

Dave

I was wondering if any of you have used the Lyman 55 powder measure. I just bought a bunch of reloading equipment to start my own shop now that I got married and moved out. I bought a used Lyman 55 that is in good condition. I was wondering how accurate it is, I plan on using it for .308-.30-06, and .454 Casull and whatever wildcats come along with my new Encore itch that I'm planning on scratching come spring. Let me know what you if it's decently accurate, or should I sell/trade for a Redding.
Willie

I have a PACT scale but about all I use it for is to set the marks on my Redding 3BR powder measure. I have my different powders in bottles from Sinclair and have marked the bottles with the redding settings and the measure has always gone back to what I have set. I do from time to time check to make sure.

Tom,

Are those the Semi-clear "Nalgene" plastic bottles?

I lost a pound of IMR4198 and about a pound of R7 in those bottles. They stained yellowish and the powder smelled quite rank so I dumped them. I'm not sure whether it was light transmission or the plastic itself reacting with the powder chemicals. Never had any trouble with any other type of container so I'm assuming it might be worth putting the powder back into the original container and not using the bottles for long term powder storage.

Just relating an experience.

Regards

Mike,

The older unit I had used a ribbon cable between the measure and scale and assorted other things that needed to be done to get it going for the first use of the day.

The infra-red ports on the newer units of this type must be a lot nicer to deal with.

Regards

This written by Larry Sand>>>>

The PACT Digital Precision Powder Measure is powered buy a 9-Volt DC Transformer, and again plugged into to a wall outlet. Once the PACT Digital Precision Powder Measure has been connected to the power source, the SCALE light on the dispenser will slowly blink, and the scale should be reading 00.0. Now we need to make these two units talk to each other. Start by pressing the "CAL / MENU" button on the scale. The scale will ask if you want to calibrate, tell it NO by pressing the "ZERO/NO" button on the scale. Next the scale will ask if you want to print, again tell it NO by pressing the "ZERO/NO" button on the scale. Now the scale will ask if you want to go into the trickel mode, tell it YES by pressing the "GRAMS/YES" button on the scale. Now the scale has activated the Infrared Data Port.
Once all this is done, the SCALE light on the PACT Digital Precision Powder Measure should have stopped blinking, and be on steady. If it is still blinking the holes for the Infrared Data Transfer are not properly lined up so the data is not being transfered properly, or the scale is not in the trickel mode. Now we are ready to calibrate the dispenser. What this operation does is records the flow properties of the powder being used. This step must be done anytime you use the dispenser if it has been powered down, or anytime you change to a different powder.

To calibrate the dispenser, start by pouring the desired powder into the powder dispensers resesvoir, and press the "CALIBRATE" button on the dispenser. The dispenser will start and stop several times, running both the high speed, and slow speed powder tubes. Once the dispenser has completed its calibration cycle, the "CALIBRATE" light on the dispenser will quit blinking, and be on steady. Depending on the powder being used, the dispenser will dispense roughly 150 grains of powder during the calibration cycle. Now we are ready to dispense powder.

Yesterday I was loading for my .243 Savage Striker, and was dispensing 35.5grs. of H-322 powder. Once the scale and dispenser were set up, I then simply pressed 35.5, and then depressed the "MEMORY" button on the dispenser, at which time the memory light on the dispenser light up. At this point, the Scale, Calibrate, and Memory lights on the dispenser should be ON, and not blinking. To dispense the set charge of 35.5grs., I simply depress the dispense button on the dispenser. Using Hodgdon's H-322, dispensing 35.5grs. takes 35 seconds. (I should also note that dispensing 44.0grs. of Hodgdon's Varget also took about 35 to 40 seconds, however dispensing 37.0grs. of IMR-4320 takes about 50 to 55 seconds.) When the proper charge is deposited on the scale pan, and the dispenser has completed it cycle, the dispense light on the dispenser will quite blinking, and the decimal point on the read out of the scale will quite blinking. (If the decimal point on the display on the scale is blinking, the scale is still reading, and the weight has not stabalized yet.

I loaded 171 rounds of .243 ammo yesterday, and for the most part, this system is quite accurate. There are times that the dispenser will stop a tenth of a grain or two short of the desired charge weight. When this occurs, simply momentarily depress the dispense button on the dispenser prior to taking the scale pan off of the scale. When doing this the dispenser will add a few kernals of powder, and make the charge weight right on the money. In the weighing of 171 charges yesterday, only 5 charges were one tenth of a grain heavy.

So far I have only tried H-322, IMR-4320, Varget, and W-748 in this powder handling system. However I did note that different powders have different flow properties. In fact the literature that comes with the unit states that with extremely fine ball powders such as Hodgdon's H-110, it is possible for the powder to jam between the two feed tubes in the dispenser. So far I have not encountered this problem. It is also my experience that this dispenser dispenses longer grained extruded powder faster than it does shorter grained extruded powder, and ball powder.

All in all I am truly pleased with the performance and accuracy of this system. As far as setting up these units to start loading, believe me it took much longer to write out the proceedure than it does to actually do it. Is it worth the price paid, well in my case, my PACT Powder handling system was a gift, however if you load a lot of ammo, and are using long grained extruded powders, this system is invaluable.

Headstamp I appreciate the input but I haven't had any problem yet. Some of the bottles I have used for about 10 years with no problem. Thanks

Good to know Tom

Regards

And for the record, I've been using the RCBS digital scale since '96 Love it. Back then they were made by PACT and probably still are, I've loaded thousands of rounds without a hitch, smooth, easy and accurate.
Wes

Wes,
Keep us in the loop! I think I'd like one pretty quick. Bday is first week in Novemeber and I'm thinking it is EXACTLY what the little woman wants to by me.

steve

Wes[/qb][/QUOTE]Wes,
I already have the scale. I'm looking for the PACT Digital Powder Dispenser.[/QB][/QUOTE]

Well ok there about the same price.

Wes,
Let me know what ya find out.

I use the RCBs Powder Dispenser and scale also and load all my rifle casings with it. I check the scale against another Pact digital scale and its always right on.. The PACT warranty is great as I have had my powder dispenser in twice for repairs as the rotor washers were worn, and Pact fixed it for free. All you have to do is send $7.50 (to cover return UPS) and it takes less than 2 weeks.... It does take about 28 seconds per load but after prepping the case carefully, why rush things and possibly throw more powder than you need..

Has� ANYONE seen a benchrest shooter use one of these electronic "doohickeys" ?

A Lyman 55 converted by Neil Jones, a Harrel (from Sinclair) and even the Redding BR are what you see when bughole shooters load� so why bother ?