powder scales

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What is better to own a balance beam scale or a electronic scale? What are the 2 top brands in both categories? I looking to but either one, but I want a working mans price!!

Thanks
buffermop
 
I use a hornady electronic, the something-1500. It is fast, much faster than a beam. However, it can be finicky, and needs to warm up so it does not drift. It also went stupid on me once, (i have thread on that subject) so I got an rcbs 502 as a backup/sanity checker.
 
I have been reloading for a long time and I am also a "gadget freak". I have replaced all of my reloading equipment several times over, except the cheap-o Lyman beam scale that came with my first reloading kit. Why? Because it simply works too well to replace. Sometimes simple is the best way to go.
 
RCBS 1010 all the way. Electronic scales can be very good. They can also be very bad. And unless you check them frequently, you'll never know. A balance beam scale will not drift. If you're extremely anal, you can check it in the beginning of your session and at the end. Same result? Everything in between was good too. Electronics can vary and drift at any time.
 
When I bought my Dillon press a couple years ago the guy I had bought it from had just about every option including a dillon determinator scale...I recal every time I use it just to be sure..works great
 
RCBS 1010 all the way. Electronic scales can be very good. They can also be very bad. And unless you check them frequently, you'll never know. A balance beam scale will not drift. If you're extremely anal, you can check it in the beginning of your session and at the end. Same result? Everything in between was good too. Electronics can vary and drift at any time.

The "1010" is the best beam scale on the market today. My rifle loads are dispensed on the RCBS Chargemaster and then weighed for accuracy on the "1010."
 
The "1010" is the best beam scale on the market today. My rifle loads are dispensed on the RCBS Chargemaster and then weighed for accuracy on the "1010."
said to be the best there is

Yup started w/ 1010 now have Chargemaster but still check on 1010 unless its plinking ammo. I DO use Digital for wieghing Brass, Bullets, etc so they are good to have.
 
I have a Pact digital scale and a RCBS 1010 and use both consistently. I'll get on a roll and will check powder weights every so often with the Pact and if it's off by more than a tenth or two from the desired powder throw, I'll weigh it on the 1010 to be sure. Digital scales are nice but the RCBS 1010 beam scale is absolutely consistent IMO.
 
You RCBS fans are going to love this. I bought a 1010 to replace my cheap o Lyman scale and experienced a lot of strange results on the chrono. Turns out that the 1010 is .3 grains off compared to the Lyman. I then unboxed a second cheap o Lyman scale that I had bought used (but unopened and not really used) for a back up. The second Lyman gave the exact same results as the original. Majority rules. I am sticking with the Lyman scales; the 1010 has been retired after a very brief career.
 
I use both a beam and a digital scale, mood dependent. My digital is an RCBS 750 Rangemaster. It's very accurate and has never drifted. It can also be run on batteries hence its name. It can be had for about $100.00 plus or minus. My beam scale is the newer Hornaday model (not the M series). It to is very accurate and is easily set to zero. One thing about it is that it has space to shift left and right in the cradle. I found that that can alter the measure. I made small spacers out of a thin Teflon strip and they just sit in the open space to keep it centered, works perfectly and both scales match exactly on readings. This scale is in the $80.00 range or so and its a very nice scale.

On beam scales, I like to have them straight on, eye level so I make solid wooden height platforms for them which also accommodates the thrower and trickler. You can read them wrong if you're viewing them from a number of different visual angles.

The RCBS comes with a couple weights to calibrate the scale with and they can be used also on the beam as a check as it comes with none. I have a set of Lyman check weights so thats mute. You may want to consider that or a similar set with whatever you decide on getting.
 
I use a lee balance scale. Cheap and it's accurate. I don't load rifle yet. So we will see how it does then. But as far as pistol ammo I weigh every 10 or so rounds. So not much of an issue with this scale.
 
I use a RCBS 505. In the book Long Range Precision Rifle, Cirincone says that he uses an electronic scale but advises that it must be more than 12 inches from all ferrous metal objects and that all electronic devices in the room should be off. "leave your cell phone in another room...if you weigh your powder charges during the daylight hours, you can weigh your powder charges with the lights off". Or you could complain about the electronic scale "drifting"... [hmmm]
Balances measure mass, scales measure weight. Grains are mass. I will stick to my balance.
White Feather
 
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