Automated powder dispenser, what do you use?

[Gonna Shoot a Wabbit]

Following on from my thread regarding rifle case tumblers.

 

Most of the big manufacturers offer products, i have a budget of around £400.

 

Are any better than others? frankford arsenal, hornady, rcbs.

 

Some are more affected by warm up times than others according to google and you tube, any thoughts?

 

Thanks.

[old man]

Maybe look  at RCBS 505 powder  scales. Does  what it says dependably.

[steve_b_wales]

Personally, I use a RCBS beam scale for weighing the powder. It's very accurate. I also check a few of the weights on an electronic(battery powered) scales. The automated scales, although very accurate, are too slow for my liking. By the time that the powder is trickled into the pan, I can 'throw' at least 5-8 measures using my beam scales. As mentioned above, the RCBS scales are excellent. The one I am using was purchased in the early 1990's when  I used  to reload pistol calibres, and it's still going strong.

19 hours ago, old man said:

Maybe look  at RCBS 505 powder  scales. Does  what it says dependably.

+1

[Zetter]

I have a lymann gen 6 and to be fair its been good. I do get the occasional overthrow but not many. I also check it against my RCBS beam scales periodically and its spot on. Its worth turning it on and letting it warm up for an hour to ensure it stable and also dont use it dragughty areas. But so far no complaints its a hell of a lot faster than the beam scales if you want to run a batch as while you are seating a bullet in the press its dropping the next charge.

 

 

[otblue]

My reloading rooms are stacked high with reloading tools and gadgets but the one thing I haven't bothered with is an automated powder dispenser.

On the one hand it is not more accurate than a good beam scale nor as fast as a powder measure though it probably meets the sweet spot between the two.

I started with a laboratory scale (accurate but slooww) and graduated to an Ohaus 10-10 later rebranded by RCBS. That tells you how old I am. I still have that scale and it still works perfectly.

I've accumulated a Lyman since and it is not as robust. The Lee beam scale is total rubbish.

Electronic scales are OK but do have quirks (which are also found in automated dispensers).

Beam scales shine when dropping a slightly reduced load from a powder measure and then trickle charging up to your desired load. With practice this is as fast as most auto powder dispensers.

Electronic scales shine when weighing multiple items such as sorting cases or projectiles by weight.

From your previous post it seems you are reloading only for 243. Unless you have a precision custom rifle, powder charge variations of a few 10ths of a grain aren't going to make a difference in accuracy. There are more important factors at play first.

May I humbly suggest that you consider a good powder measure (Hornady/RCBS/Redding are all good) and a couple of electronic scales from eBay. They are listing on UK eBay for under 10 pounds. I suggest 2 so you can check one against the other. Also get a set of calibration weights. Things to look for in a cheap scale; Uses AAA or AA batteries and don't time out under 2 minutes. Maximum weight doesn't need to be more than i00 gram.

I no longer weigh individual charges (other than to do random checks) except for my most accurate custom rifles and even then its probably only OCD rather than performance based.

Hope that helps and is not too long winded.

[Gonna Shoot a Wabbit]

Great stuff as always, thanks guys.

 

Yes it is for a .243 SAKO85 varmint rifle and i already have an RCBS beam scale and powder trickler that i use for my stalking rounds and you are quite right. I have shot those thus loaded cartridges for years on deer without complaint.

 

I have also shot them out to 4-600 yards informally and 1000yds at a WMS firearms training day if i am honest never thought the loads were at fault for any accuracy issues. 

 

One of the considerations is also saving time, the thought of setting a reliable automated powder dispenser going whilst i press the bullet on a previously loaded case should i hope save me some considerable time  when  loading a batch up.

 

Thanks for all your input that i will take on board,

 

knowledge kindly shared is always helpful. 

[London Best]

On 14/11/2023 at 09:50, otblue said:

The Lee beam scale is total rubbish.

 

Many thousands of very accurate rounds of .308, 7x57, .375 H&H, .222 and .22 Hornet would prove you wrong.

Edited November 15, 2023 by London Best

[old man]

4 hours ago, London Best said:

Many thousands of very accurate rounds of .308, 7x57, .375 H&H, .222 and .22 Hornet would prove you wrong.

Agreed, I just found the 505 to be easier in some way, probably just me?

[London Best]

10 minutes ago, old man said:

Agreed, I just found the 505 to be easier in some way, probably just me?

I agree, the 505 does seem easier to set. 
But I have done over thirty years reloading on a Lee beam and never seen a reason to change.

[old man]

4 minutes ago, London Best said:

I agree, the 505 does seem easier to set. 
But I have done over thirty years reloading on a Lee beam and never seen a reason to change.

It certainly never let me down either, just had an itch and an opportunity.

[otblue]

On 15/11/2023 at 23:13, London Best said:

Many thousands of very accurate rounds of .308, 7x57, .375 H&H, .222 and .22 Hornet would prove you wrong.

To each their own but consider this. Ohaus/RCBS beam scales use an agate pivot bearing system just like laboratory scales and Lyman/Hornady/Redding use similar sophisticated systems.

The Lee scale uses a razor blade sitting in a V slot cut into the soft aluminium casting. Every time the scale is bumped microscopic grooves are cut into the casting. The arrow on the phenolic beam points to a V shape marker where the paint has been ground off the same casting.

RCBS 10-10 scale has a nice micrometer adjusted poise, the Lee has a dinky plastic vernier which requires some guesswork to get right. Operating the poise lock without moving the adjustments is a matter of luck.

Unless you are using lab grade calibration weights (which you should on any scale) you really don't know what the scale is actually measuring especially when you change settings. Repeatability is an issue.

The fact that you get accurate loads (whatever that means) simply lends credence to what I stated in my earlier post, namely that minor variations in charge weight make little to no difference in accuracy except in the most demanding disciplines. Factory match ammo is made by volume drops of powder, not by weighing individual xharges. I am reliably informed that allowable weight variation for 308 size cases is 0.3 grain.

Yes, the Lee scale can be made to work but just about anything out there is a better alternative.

Now don't get me wrong, I am  not a Lee basher. I own dozens of their products and most perform at least as well as their competitors but every company produces an inferior product now and then.

[London Best]

I agree with everything you have said. 
But would refer you to my earlier post which you have quoted. 
The Lee scale is perfectly satisfactory.

[steve_b_wales]

On 14/11/2023 at 13:52, Gonna Shoot a Wabbit said:

Great stuff as always, thanks guys.

 

Yes it is for a .243 SAKO85 varmint rifle and i already have an RCBS beam scale and powder trickler that i use for my stalking rounds and you are quite right. I have shot those thus loaded cartridges for years on deer without complaint.

 

I have also shot them out to 4-600 yards informally and 1000yds at a WMS firearms training day if i am honest never thought the loads were at fault for any accuracy issues. 

 

One of the considerations is also saving time, the thought of setting a reliable automated powder dispenser going whilst i press the bullet on a previously loaded case should i hope save me some considerable time  when  loading a batch up.

 

Thanks for all your input that i will take on board,

 

knowledge kindly shared is always helpful. 

The one thing that put me off purchasing an electronic scale is the slow time it takes to weigh the powder. 

[1066]

Here's my RCBS M500 scale earning it's keep:

 

[Andy H]

As per the the targetmaster post this will work with all balance beam scales it may be as not as fast as the new dispensing systems but it uses the balance beam as the master target load objective and that to me is a lot more reliable than strain gauge based weighing system's   that a gnat farting in the background or a fly passing by makes you doubt the results from it.

Edited November 19, 2023 by Andy H

[Rim Fire]

Lyman 1200 for me i only shoot vermin does the job very well