This brings up a bad memory that is as clear to me now, as when it happened. Back when I was living in Glendale it was around 2006 when Cabela's opened there big new store there. I went to check out all of their guns and reloading stuff. I ended up buying the then new Lyman 1200 DPS electronic powder dispenser "system".
At that time everyone was raving about these new electronic powder dispensers. How much faster, easier, and accurate they were. Plus they were, "cool as hell"... So naturally I had to have one. They also had .375 H&H Magnum brass and bullets cheaper than I could get them for anywhere else, so I bought a bunch.
I picked a load of 66.7 grains of IMR 4064, with a Sierra 300 Gr. Spitzer Boat Tail. I then plugged in and "Programmed" the measure / dispenser. What I thought was strange is this unit required a several minute "warm up mode", before using. So I let it "warm up" way longer than the few minutes required, as I got everything else ready.
And then started reloading. I checked the first several drops with my old Lyman balance beam scale, and they were right on the money. So I loaded a total of 60 rounds, and headed to the range the next day. The first few shots in my Winchester Model 70 were giving me hard bolt lift with flattened primers.
I then switched guns and put 3 more rounds downrange with my Browning A-Bolt BOSS, and got the same deal. Something wasn't right because these loads were under maximum, and there is no way the primers should have been flattened like that.
I called it quits, and when I got home I pulled the bullets from 3 rounds from the same box, and the charge weight was 71.5 Grains..... 1-1/2 GRAINS OVER MAXIMUM! That's a total of 4.8 grains difference from the load I had programmed. While not catastrophic, it was inexcusable... Not to mention outright dangerous.
I ended up pulling the bullets from all the rounds, and what had to be the first box I reloaded was right at 66.7 grains. (The correct weight). But they started creeping up from there. I then pulled all the bullets, collected all the powder, and reloaded all the rounds, checking every one on my Lyman balance beam scale.
I took that electronic scale back, and Cabela's was very good at giving me a full refund. I don't know if I "got a bad one", and I really don't care. Because I have never, and will never trust an electronic scale again.
Are the newer ones better? Perhaps, but I'll never have the confidence to use one again, without checking every charge against a balance beam scale. Because gravity never lies. And that being the case, there is no point in me getting another one. Live and learn.
