# manual or electronic scale



## sagebrush (Sep 8, 2007)

which do you prefer?
I have both and been using the electronic for the past five or so years. At first I thought wow this is really cool. Now I'm coming to find out the electronic scales tend to drift some. sure you can calibrate it, from my own experience it seems to drift after about an hour from being on. It took me these last years to see this happen.

the one I have RCBS seems to go either +/- .5 to just under 1 grain. 
I think I will trust the manual more now. at least it will hold a zero


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## Al Hansen (Sep 7, 2007)

Never used an electric. Just the good ol' manual RCBS. 8)


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## longbow (Mar 31, 2009)

I had an electronic scale and had to keep calibrating it. Then I bought a match-grade powder throw and life was wonderful again. I check my charges every ten or so throws with my trusty RCBS beam scale. If I don't let the powder go under the baffle it never changes.


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

I prefer a beam scale with a powder thrower and a trickler. I set the powder thrower to be around .25 to .5 grains light depending on the load then trickle in the rest until its just perfect.

-DallanC


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## Frisco Pete (Sep 22, 2007)

The electronic scale certainly is quicker, and is especially useful for seeing how much each individual in batch of brass or perhaps bullets weigh (_for segregation or culling purposes_) because they give _actual weight_ quickly, not whether it is above or below the weight you set on the manual's balance beam.

However, they are fussy. You need to warm them up for at least 5 to 10 minutes. You need to calibrate them with check-weights every session you use the scale. The scale is very sensitive to atmospheric conditions, and air blowing from a open window, heater vent, or temperature swings can throw them off. Cheap ones seem to be problematic. The Lyman version, for example.

Balance beam scales are more reliable as long as you check them before every session for zero and make sure the beam is not sticking (it happens). But they are slow and require that you pay extra attention to the markings when setting them because it is somewhat easy for a user to screw up which lines and number mean which decimal place. I would recommend a beam first, and as a back-up, even if you get an electronic later.

My electronic scale is broken so I am using my old reliable RCBS/Ohaus beam scale. I would like to get another electronic scale again someday, however.


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## sagebrush (Sep 8, 2007)

i got my manual scale a 5-10 from the rock chucker combo kit I bought 30 years ago and to date it still works like a new one, I did try to sell at one time in a yard sale for $12.00 and no one seemed to be interested in it. I am glad now because the rcbs 5-05 now is $63.00 at wally world and on e-bay a used 5-10 is going for $40.00 + now.

i think the electric scale will be used for mostly weighing my round balls for the smoke pole.

Pete it seems you would have to re-calibrate the elec's about every 10-20 rounds just to make sure all your loads are the same.

I have been doing some load development and I would get good groups one day then the next day with the same powder charge they would be opened upped occasionally get some good groups. I think I know why now. some of the loads were a good .5 grain off from the others.


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## James (Oct 7, 2007)

Beam scale. Unless you knock it off the bench it will work accurately every time for many years. Likely outlast the guy who bought it.


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## reb8600 (Sep 8, 2007)

My RCBS scale likes to drift also. I do put the pan back on every round and make sure it is still zeroed. I dont trust it as much as my balance beam. The electronic is nice but you have to really pay attention when you use it.


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