Powder scale

trazman

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Hy, i am thinking of buying a powder measure for reloading precision ammo...
It can be a standard one or something like rcbs charge master combo...
what do you suggest?

Or do you think the accuracy is much better with a standard scale?
 
Hy, i am thinking of buying a powder measure for reloading precision ammo...
It can be a standard one or something like rcbs charge master combo...
what do you suggest?

Or do you think the accuracy is much better with a standard scale?

It depends on how much you intend to reload. I have both an RCBS 10-10 AND a ChargeMaster The ChargeMaster is MUCH quicker...
 
I use a 5-0-5 and like it a lot. The auto dispensers are not for me. I do read where most people love them - matter of individual preference.
 
I use a 5-0-5 and like it a lot. The auto dispensers are not for me. I do read where most people love them - matter of individual preference.

I have both scales. Electronics are a whole lot faster but it don't hurt to check the electronics accuracy with the balance beam either. I have several check weights I like to use to make sure of accuracy. Don't ever hurt to check that.
 
My Hornady LNL auto charge has tried to kill me 1000s of times. I returned it to hornady the one they sent back does the same.
So I bought a Gem Pro jewel scale for just over a hundred dollars. It registers .02grains ACCUATELY and dependably. Now I let the hornady puke out its charge and check it on the Gempro. It takes about 5 second and I couldn't be happier.
 
I bought an old Lyman M5 and then sent it off to Scott Parker and had him tune it up. Very happy with it. I also can watch single grains of powder move the scale and it's dead on repeatable. I had a couple of electric scales and they all would drift. They also died rregularly. Gravity hasn't broken so my beam scale keeps on weighing. I just picked up a ohaus 1005 and I'm planning on sending it off to betuned up also. Just in case something bad happens to my M5.
 
I own two throwers and three electronic scales, plus a Pact auto measurer. All work well for their intended purpose. I don't own a beam scale anymore, but have thought about buying another 10-10 now and then. Now I check one scale against the other when I feel it's needed (almost never). Interestingly the Pact has been used maybe five times as I just don't need it much. But did have it out a couple months back with my brother in law. (he liked it so well, he bought a new one)

I've used throwers made by just about all the big players and maybe a couple others. The best one I've owned is a Harrell, but also much different as it's a true Culver style measure. (you count clicks with it). But on the other hand I've used the original Sinclair and another for long stints, and these are fantastic. At the range I use a Harrell and a small Pact BBK scale. With ball powders, it's good for +/- 1/10th grain or less, or a two tenth grain window. On the other hand with something like 4350, it's all over the place, so I throw a full grain short and trickle. The Lyman is slightly worse, but actually favor it for long grained course powders. I've used the Reddings (both 3BR and BR30), the Lee, and the RCBS. All were fairly good, and would rate the Redding BR30 the best of that lot. But I like my Lyman better!

To be fair to the rest, my Lyman has had some mods done to it. It has the Sinclair bottle adapter kit, and several different Sinclair drop tubes. I think the Redding and the RCBS would have been better with these drop tubes. The screw in bottle adapter is a must have for any of them! I also like the powder baffles they sell for some of them. (I don't use them with the Lyman as they don't work with it). The Harrell is like moving into a Cadillac!

If you use an electronic scale, I recommend using two scales in tandem. I use two Pacts plus the BBK. I always calibrate with the exact same weight (they do slightly vary). What you buy is your choice, but I always try to look for something U.S. made.
gary
 
I bought the new Hornady Beam Balance Scale from Midway USA for $65.

I can detect the difference between a single kernel of Varget powder, added or subtracted from the pan. That is less than .02 grain of detection ability.

Electronic scales jump in 1 grain increments; you can't detect intermediate values.

If you want to really get accurate with powder charges, then the beam balance scale is the only option. Electronic strain gauge scales are drifty and have poor resolution of slight differences in weight.
 
the scale I just bought is the FX120I scale . it is not a strain gauge type scale , it is the magnetic force type . it weighs to 0.02 grains . yes it will show the addition of one kernel of powder . yes it works well while I trickle powder in the pan , it does not lag .
 
Does the FX1201 still work when you pull the power plug? Do you or anybody around you know how to fix it when it goes haywire?

For the same price you could outfit a lot of people with the Hornady Beam Balance Scale, or you could buy the Hornady scale and also about all the other reloading equipment you really need.

Electronic components drift over time, while properly made balance scales do not. My MTM digital scale is already out of whack and will not properly calibrate, and it has only been lightly used for two years.

The guys who sell the digital scales never seem to offer something like a lifetime warranty against drift, while all properly made beam balance scales have that feature inherent in their design and will not drift unless damaged by improper use.

Digital scales are quick for weighing varying weights like brass and bullets that have a zone they need to be within. This saves you from moving a poise at each weighing. For weighing to the same weight every time, you do not move a poise on a beam balance scale, and they are the best for powder measure where you are weighing to the same weight each time. And you can get a good one from several sources for under $100.

A jeweler must weigh varying gemstones, so I would see why they would want a high quality digital scale. They don't want to shift poises every time they weigh a gemstone. With powder measure, you set the poises and leave them alone until you change powder charge weights. Digital scales have more minuses than pluses for weighing powder.
 
I was just wondering how cheap of a junk *** scale your saying only weighs to one full grain ??

Funny. I'll bet you am Internet dollar he missed a decimal point: meant 0.1 grain.

I'm not as convinced as FAL that all electronic scales are crap. I do believe the less expensive ones have the propensity to drift in a way that may actually matter. The higher-end ones not so much. I'm still a balance beam guy for powder, as I just trust it more...
 
Funny. I'll bet you am Internet dollar he missed a decimal point: meant 0.1 grain.

I'm not as convinced as FAL that all electronic scales are crap. I do believe the less expensive ones have the propensity to drift in a way that may actually matter. The higher-end ones not so much. I'm still a balance beam guy for powder, as I just trust it more...


Ive got both the RCBS Power "whatever" and their 10-10 beam scale. I normally use the electronic because its MUCHO quicker
 
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