Balance Beam or Digital Scale

I have a Lyman Gen 6 digital powder dispenser/scale. I use it for standard lower target loads for plinking around. if I'm wanting to load for accuracy in smaller amounts I have a beam scale. as a few have said, why not have both?
 
OK here is my take on this. I have been using a 5-0-5 beam arm scale from RCBS for years. I load for 22/250 all the way up to 338/378. Have misread the beam arm and or knocked the poise of it's indent when loading for 22/250 and just a slight error in powder weight on this loading can have severe repercussions, such as separated case heads in the chamber. I stopped using a beam arm for this reason and resorted to a digital electronic scale. No more mistakes or overloaded loads. It is easy to knock the poise off its required indent on the beam arm and not notice. This can have disastrous repercussions for overloads. Many individuals may never run into this problem, I did and I went electronic, end of problem. Have also noticed, with MY rcbs 5-0-5 scale I will pour a powder measure into the pan, tickle up to correct weight, pour the load into the case, then re weigh. I get different weights of .01 to .05 grains just as often as not of the load I have just carefully weighed out. Don't like that when I cant figure it ou. Your mileage may vary.
 
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eaglenester.
That is one reason why the 10/10 is so superior to 505's and it's peers.
The settings, they are locked down with a grub screw bearing on the 1/10'th gr. graduated rotating barrel.
Short of jarring the whole scale off it's zero, the charges will stay exactly where you set 'em.

Also, 10/10 has the "approach to weight" feature ... a real time saver.
Dump the charge a half grain light from the measure, twist the trickler a couple times, beam rises steadily to .. bingo. All done. Next.

resorted to a digital electronic scale. No more mistakes or overloaded loads.
Click to expand...
My experience is opposite.
The last digi, a Dillon Determinator, caused such grief as to burn a new custom 6.5/06 barrel to cinder(1000rnds) chasing loopy charge weight variations. Never did get a LR load together for that one before it was too late.
A couple shots at comfortable max., then a soft one, then hard bolt lift and ejector marks/loose pockets. All at identical charges according to dillon.
Drove me batty figuring out the cause .... a wandering scale, reading the same with more/less powder in the pan. Turns out it was positioned too close (3 feet) to a flourescent light ballast. Dud scale.
Can't trust those wired up gizmo's anymore.
They do get used to weigh brass etc. ... but never powder.
Ironically, the 10/10 is noticably faster over a loading session.
And, I trust my cart's once again.
 
if you go digital, make sure your scale is heated up before using (a few hours), then calibrate, check weight before and after session...
and get something decent like a gempro 250.
 
Have a charge master and I forget the name of some other electronic medical scale but honestly keep going back to my old 10/10 or 5/10. I seem faster with the old scales and trust them which is big with me
Cheers
 
I use a gempro and it is more accurate then any beam scale I used.
I use check weights before and after every round. Then at the end I weigh a couple randomly
Always within 0.02 of a grain. Have a 10-10 back up just incase.
 
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