Powder scale

[hhowe]

What's the best powder scale for the money? I currently use the rcbs range master 750. Don't want to spend a ton, but am willing to spend the money to get quality.

Thanks in advance.
Heath

 

[barefooter56]

hhowe,
Mechanical the RCBS 1010 scale. Digital ? How much$ is too much$ ?

 

[hhowe]

150-200 I just like the digital more than the triple scale

 

[barefooter56]

hhowe,
In that price range you could step up to the RCBS 1500 scale. That way if you ever though about going to a scale/dispenser combo you would only need to get the RCBS dispenser unit. Plus it has more capacity. Really, scales in this price range are good for +/- .01 of a grain variance at best and they all do that. Why do you want to replace your 750?

 

[Canadian Bushman]

hhowe,
In that price range you could step up to the RCBS 1500 scale. That way if you ever though about going to a scale/dispenser combo you would only need to get the RCBS dispenser unit. Plus it has more capacity. Really, scales in this price range are good for +/- .01 of a grain variance at best and they all do that. Why do you want to replace your 750?

I think you mean +\- .1 gn

Gempro 250 or 500 is a pretty good scale for the money and a good one will read +\-.05 if you stay on top of the drift.

 

[hhowe]

I just don't feel like it's very accurate and have to recalibrate a lot.

 

[barefooter56]

hhowe,
Canadian Bushman made a good suggestion. Gem Pro scales are pretty good. (And it is +/ - .1 not .01 sorry). Do you mean re-zero ? Or do you have to go through the re-calibration process frequently and not just 1 time before using the scale? Have you checked the accuracy with a set of the RCBS scale check weights? (RCBS part #s 98990 or 98992) To confirm the scale is "off"? Try plugging the scale in and turning it on and leaving it on overnight. Electronics like to work in a certain heat range . Especially electronic scales. Calibrate the scale per the instructions and check the accuracy with the scale check weights . (The weights supplied WITH THE SCALE ARE CALIBRATION WEIGHTS ONLY). You may also want to cut one end out of a box that is large enough for you to reach in and out of comfortably and cover the scale with it to use as a wind break. Make sure the scale is plugged into an electronic strip that has the capability of leveling out voltage spikes like are used with computers and don't use a cell or electronic phone in the room or a fan. This may help you to fix the issue with the 750 scale.

 

[Bigeclipse]

I think you mean +\- .1 gn

Gempro 250 or 500 is a pretty good scale for the money and a good one will read +\-.05 if you stay on top of the drift.

agree, however...I do not notice drift as long as I turn mine on for a few hours before I use it and recalibrate every time. I have only had it since Christmas BUT the most I have seen it drift was .04 grains and that was when I only had the scale on for 30 minutes prior to use and I noticed it immediately. I weighed a charge 40.0 grains, when I put the pan back on with out the charge it read +.04grains. I then poured the charge back in and now it still said 40.0 grains which I knew was really 39.96 grains. I left the scale on another hour and recalibrated and all was well. hasn't happened since as long as I leave the scale on for over an hour. during my loading session I will watch the pan and make sure it always returns to zero, which it has so far. I will also put the 20gram calibration weight on from time to time and it always gives me the correct reading.

I will say this... my RCBS mechanical scale is a 5-10 and although has served me well, it has proved to only be accurate to .1grains which is great but not perfect for what I wanted. I would weigh out a charge on the 5-10 and then check with my GEM pro 250 and my buddies RCBS digital and both would show the same (within .02grains of each other) BUT if we tried to weigh another charge with the RCBS 5-10 we would get a different result...for example we weighed 3 charges with the 5-10 which all showed to be level at 50 grains. When weighed on our digitals they actually were 50.04, 49.96, and 50.02....which as I said are pretty close together but if you take the low and the high of those three you get .08grain difference which some may think is fine but I don't.

The GEMpro 250 gets my vote and have a lifetime warranty (actually 25 years is what mine says) and I have heard if you have any issue they will fix or replace rather quick. Just my two cents.

 

[barefooter56]

Guys,
I hate to be the bearer of bad news but for this price range you have pretty normal results. To get a digital scale that weighs each charge exactly youre looking at 1000.00 to 2000.00 dollars. One issue I forgot to mention is the "I drop a charge in the pan and weght it. Take it off the scale then place the pan back on the scale it gives me a different weight" Issue is the type of weighing system the low dollar scales have. They have a strain gauge type of system that is affected by different side loadings on the pan. In short..if you dont replace the powder pan on the scale pan on the EXACT SAME SPOT you put a different side loading on the system and you get a different weight. Only the big dollar scales with the magnetic type of weighing system will give you the same weight every time you put the powder pan on the scale no matter where you put it on the scale pan. Take a look at the Sartorious GD 503 article in the " Gear Reviews and Buyers Guide" on the ACCURATE SHOOTER website.

 

[jmd025]

I just don't feel like it's very accurate and have to recalibrate a lot.

How long do you let it warm up before using it??
I use a 750 and back it up with an old 510 beam and a new 505 beam .
With any digital scale , the drift is cause by it not being fully "warmed up" , air currents, or fluorescent lights . The 750 is a pretty solid scale in my opinion

In my lab I use all Sartorius , and they are impressive . I can't afford that at home though .

 

[hhowe]

Thank you for the feedback gents! I will try the warm up in the 750, that maybe the issue because I haven't notice any issue until it got cold out. I may go ahead and get a gempro just to check it out

 

[Canadian Bushman]

I use an A&D fx 300i

This is a magnetic force restoration scale that easily repeats within .02 grains and has near zero drift over 7 hours of sitting ( the longest ive tested it so far )

The scale retails for 600 us dollars.

Very good option for serious reloaders looking for consistency and not looking to spend 1-2k

 

[Bigeclipse]

Guys,
I hate to be the bearer of bad news but for this price range you have pretty normal results. To get a digital scale that weighs each charge exactly youre looking at 1000.00 to 2000.00 dollars. One issue I forgot to mention is the "I drop a charge in the pan and weght it. Take it off the scale then place the pan back on the scale it gives me a different weight" Issue is the type of weighing system the low dollar scales have. They have a strain gauge type of system that is affected by different side loadings on the pan. In short..if you dont replace the powder pan on the scale pan on the EXACT SAME SPOT you put a different side loading on the system and you get a different weight. Only the big dollar scales with the magnetic type of weighing system will give you the same weight every time you put the powder pan on the scale no matter where you put it on the scale pan. Take a look at the Sartorious GD 503 article in the " Gear Reviews and Buyers Guide" on the ACCURATE SHOOTER website.

This has truth to it but I have compared my gempro250 to several 5,000 dollar lab scales sartorius CPA225D and it has been spot on out to .02 grains so I'm a believer! Either way it is more accurate and faster than a beam scale...at least the 5-10 and 10-10 I compared it too.
Also to test it's stability I have weighed charges then took pan and charge off scale. Left room for 10 minutes came back...put back on scale and same weight.so for 250 bucks it's a solid little scale.

 

[barefooter56]

jmd025,
I use both the RCBS Charge Master and ACCU-LAB units. Normally I just leave them plugged in and on. I do re-calibrate the scales before I use them every time. If you don't want to do that we have found plugging the scale in the night before and turning it on works well also.