Powder scales

[bitbythebug]

I'm sure I'm trodding ground that has been pounded into concrete but bare with me. I have been using a mechanical scale for 35 years but I don't think it is very accurate. I want to be able to trickle load with precise accuracy and I don't think my mechanical is doing that for me 1) because I can't get close SD on my chronograph and 2) I weighed my charge and divided into 7000 grains and it should have loaded 267 of 223 rem and it only loaded 247 so something isn't right. I want to get a new scale and am willing to pay several hunderd dollars if necessary. Are mechanical scales more repeatable and thus accurate than digital or are the digital scales outpacing mechanical capabilities?
What are the best scales priced under $500.00 . Thanks for any info.

 

[MudRunner2005]

I have been using the RCBS ChargeMaster 1500 since 2012... Great scale, as long as you recalibrate before each use...Which I think is considered pretty standard practice for all electronic scales.

 

[Mateo]

What you are after is the GemPro 250
Precision scale with .02 of a grain accuracy vs. the .1 of a grain accuracy most other reloading scales are.
I use one and I have to pick between different size kernels of powder (N570) to get an exact charge.

 

[bitbythebug]

Have you had any trouble calibrating or getting it to read consistently

 

[FEENIX]

What you are after is the GemPro 250
Precision scale with .02 of a grain accuracy vs. the .1 of a grain accuracy most other reloading scales are.
I use one and I have to pick between different size kernels of powder (N570) to get an exact charge.

I have the Lyman Gen 6 and Gempro 250, very nice and accurate system to have complimenting each other ... very pleased with it.

 

[rcoody]

Have you had any trouble calibrating or getting it to read consistently

I have a chargemaster and a lyman powder dispenser. Neither are accurate enough for precision reloading but for just plinking ammo they are fine.

Now I use two gempro 250's sitting side by side. They do drift but are easy to reset. As long as both agree I am satisfied.

What I do is throw charges with a powder measure, weigh on one gempro, trickle with an omega electronic trickler and check the weight on the other gempro

and this is faster and more accurate than either of my electronic powder despensers

 

[cowboy]

I have been using a mechanical scale for 35 years but I don't think it is very accurate. I want to be able to trickle load with precise accuracy and I don't think my mechanical is doing that for me 1) because I can't get close SD on my chronograph and 2) I weighed my charge and divided into 7000 grains and it should have loaded 267 of 223 rem and it only loaded 247 so something isn't right.

Both mechanical and digital have their advantages and disadvantages. First of all I wouldn't get too fired up about getting + or - loads out of a pound of powder - I assure you that bulk powder suppliers are not using a digital scale when packaging their powder to get you exactly 1.000 lb of powder.

Here is a suggestion for you to be able to economically check your mechanical scale. You can buy a set of calibration weights or if you know of a jewelry store that will help you out take them a dime, penny, nickel, quarter and fifty cent piece and have them weight them to a hundredth of a gr.. Write the weights down and put coins in a pill container with your known weights for future use/reference. Use any combination of the coins to see what your mechanical scale is telling you. I usually check my scale 2-3 times with same test coins to make sure it is working repeatable. If your mechanical is not reading to your liking it would be time to move on or get it refurbished.

I'm a mechanical scale user and at times need to clean and wipe down the arm and pivot points with a dryer anti static sheet because of conditions where we live.

Then again sometimes we just want to try something new and I understand that also.

 

[cowboy]

Duplicate post

 

[J E Custom]

I'm sure I'm trodding ground that has been pounded into concrete but bare with me. I have been using a mechanical scale for 35 years but I don't think it is very accurate. I want to be able to trickle load with precise accuracy and I don't think my mechanical is doing that for me 1) because I can't get close SD on my chronograph and 2) I weighed my charge and divided into 7000 grains and it should have loaded 267 of 223 rem and it only loaded 247 so something isn't right. I want to get a new scale and am willing to pay several hunderd dollars if necessary. Are mechanical scales more repeatable and thus accurate than digital or are the digital scales outpacing mechanical capabilities?
What are the best scales priced under $500.00 . Thanks for any info.

Normally low SDs are the results of a good load combination (Powder, primer, bullet weight and case
capacity, Not the consistency of the powder charge it's self(Consistency helps when everything else
is right.

In my opinion the balance beam scales are the best, but the new electronic scales are very good also.

I have both and find they never absolutely agree with each other every time and every weight even if they are Zeroed with the same calibration weight. (They sometimes are several tenths of a grain
apart).

Just because you cant get the exact number of loads from a can of powder doesn't mean you are miss measuring. In some cases the powder and container combined weight is 7,000 grains (One pound).

A good balance beam scale is as good as any electronic scale but an inexpensive electronic scale is not as good and predictable as most beam scales.

I use the electronic scales for weighing brass or less critical powder charges because of speed. but
use the beam scales for my precision loading because I trust it and all of my loads are based on it
and I want to stay consistent year after year.

This is just My opinion and I am sure others will disagree and that's fine. It works for me and normally I am not happy until my SDs are in single digits ether.

J E CUSTOM

 

[petasucks]

Ohaus yj 103 I finish my charges with tweezer one extruded grain at a time it's freak awsome .jus my two cents good luck with all your options btw bout 150 with the adapter worth it too

 

[Canadian Bushman]

Normally low SDs are the results of a good load combination (Powder, primer, bullet weight and case
capacity, Not the consistency of the powder charge it's self(Consistency helps when everything else
is right.

^ This.
With the same load measured to the same .02 gns i can make single digit sd's as high as 20fps with shoulder bump, neck tension, or even brass lots. Reducing spreads isnt always about powder.

For beam scales and old ohaus or rcbs tuned by scott parker is hard to beat.

For digital i think AnD scales are the best for the buck. Gempro if you cant afford the AnD, just check it often.

 

[bitbythebug]

Went to buy another mechanical today and decided, after not being able to decide on which new one, to try and calibrate my old mechanical. I got some weights and found that it was indeed off and was able to re-calibrate it and now it reads great. I began to weigh many items that I new their weight and found that it was very close so I am good now for a while. I will try and work with it. I appreciate all your help. Many good answers. If it fails I now know what I will do to replace it, Thanks.

 

[bitbythebug]

Cowboy,I especially appreciated your thinking on the issue

 

[rcoody]

Went to buy another mechanical today and decided, after not being able to decide on which new one, to try and calibrate my old mechanical. I got some weights and found that it was indeed off and was able to re-calibrate it and now it reads great. I began to weigh many items that I new their weight and found that it was very close so I am good now for a while. I will try and work with it. I appreciate all your help. Many good answers. If it fails I now know what I will do to replace it, Thanks.

I sent an old Ohaus 10/10 to scott parker to have tuned up. It is accurate with my check weights. I have it for emergency backup and field reloading. The balance beams are very repeatable but accuracy will only be +/- 0.10 grain.