Reloading

[J E Custom]

+1 to what JE said. I just thought about one gotcha on a beam scale, if you have a ceiling fan or A/C ect that creates air movement, it can make your beam scale bounce around and give bad readings. I would imagine same goes for digital. So for me, I turn my ceiling fan off or down to low setting and make sure my A/C is blowing away from my reloading station.

Gary

It happens on both type of scales.

Even your breath can effect the reading. The fact that they are very sensitive is the reason that
they are so accurate.

The RCBS Charge master has a cover that swings over the measure to keep the dust of and
also block any wind that would cause erratic operation.

An enclosure that will hold the Scales, powder Trickler and powder measure and still allow you
to access the scales will make a big difference.

Spectweldtom built one for use at the range and it works great. PM him and he can show you
what it looks like and how to build one.

J E CUSTOM

 

[7 loader]

I won a 22-250, a h&r ultra varmint. Cheap gun but Neck sizing, and a little time has produced 3/4 in groups at 100 yds. Boomtube is right. Micrometer, and neck turning for a factory gun may not be nessesary. As for scales. I use a RCBS 1010 for powder, and a digital for brass and such.

 

[Jaybird00]

Get comfortable with what you have now before dropping that coin on a digital. It won't be any more accurate, but it will speed you up a little.
Have you researched the 22-250 much? It does not lend to using heavier bullets for accuracy. I have used hornady's 52 grain Bthp sizzles and is danged accurate in my savage.

 

[Trickymissfit]

I am one of those guys that like digital scales and think they work great for powder measuring but I am old and eye site failing for beam center. I think it is faster for me than a beam scale.

the antique beam scales system died almost twenty years ago! Now they are nothing but a paper weight or a door stop. I sent mine to the flea market about twelve years ago, and have never looked back! I fully expect to see them in the Children's Mesuem one of these days!

The idea of trusting a dial or digital caliper is OK, but also can be a problem. And trust me Hornaday hasn't got a man in that plant in China checking their output quality! (or RCBS & Lyman) You need something to check them with (forget that idea that they read zero at the zero point, as error tends to stack up during travel). Get yourself a couple dowl pins that are about .500" and maybe 1.000" (almost all are about a half thousandth oversize), and have somebody that works in a machine shope measure them for you. Then use them as a standard to check the calipers from time to time. The calipers you are using are not accurate for measuring small I.D.'s so keep that in mind. The blades have flat surfaces that will lead to error. I measure most of my case neck I.D's with a small hole gauge and a micrometer (a caliper will also work). Down the road buy yourself a good quality micrometer (Starrette, Brown & Sharp, Mitutoyo, or a Fowler), and it will last you a lifetime.
gary

 

[Trickymissfit]

perhaps in the last couple years the newest gen of digital have got more consistent. They are faster, I grant that..sorta... With mine, I have checked them against both a redding and an rcbs 1010 and the digital was never better than about .3 or so... I am anal about my loads, 3 tenths may as well be chuckin rocks at them!
Hey, if it works though, and you are having good luck with it than that is great.

Have a good one,
Gary

closer to the last twenty years. No lab would ever think about using that beam scale they used thirty years ago!
glt

 

[Trickymissfit]

I am on the fence on this one (Digital or balance scales).

I have and use both and they both have there strengths and weaknesses.

The beam scale is very consistant as long as you Zero it each time before you use it with
the weights provided.(Don't assume that it will always be dead on).

The Digital scales are faster than the beam scales and I use them most of the time to weigh
cases and bullets.

The Charge master powder measure uses a digital scale and if I'm going to use it I weigh
A charge and then adjust the weight to match the load data weight developed using a
beam scale.(The adjusted weight may not be the same numbers but actual powder charge
will be identical) .

I find that most digital scales do not allways agree with the beam scale by a few 10ths of a grain
so I use my beam scale as a "Gold Standard" to work off of. This does not mean that the beam
scale Is perfectly accurate at any weight, is is just very repeatable if set up correctly.(And I trust
gravity better than electronics).

Which is best? I don't know, but I am very comfortable with my use of both types and will stay with
both until such time that I have 100% confidence in the digital.

J E CUSTOM

do this:

take the calibration weights from your beam scale, and then weigh them on three different digital scales (be great if you had access to a good lab quality scale). Your not gonna like what you see! Most check weights are fairly close but no exact. I checked my scale (actually two table tops and a battery powered one) with two lab grade digital scales. I found the difference tobe about .025 of a grain, and very consistent. The small battery powered on was about .05 of a grain off. That's one half of a tenth of a grain. Can't get there with any beam scale on this planet
gary

 

[Trickymissfit]

Get comfortable with what you have now before dropping that coin on a digital. It won't be any more accurate, but it will speed you up a little.
Have you researched the 22-250 much? It does not lend to using heavier bullets for accuracy. I have used hornady's 52 grain Bthp sizzles and is danged accurate in my savage.

try the Sierra #1365 bullet over IMR 3031 powder at about 3500fps. Seat the bullet within .002" of the lands. The bullet computes to be a near perfect match for the 1:12 twist, and the combo has shot in the high oones more than a few times. Funny thing about this load is that when I tried it with 2015BR (a very close match to 3031), all I got was 3/4" groups!
gary

 

[diriel]

@trickymissfit,

Which battery powered scale? I have 2, I do not remember their names. One cost me about $30 and one cost me about $80, both are ***. I would very much like to find *ANY* digital scale short of a lab grade $5000 dollar one that really is worth while. Yes, I know full well a LAB grade scale is an awesome unit, they also cost an arm and a leg. I am not saying they do not exist, but I guess I did not have the patience to look hard enough for one.

A good beam scale is at least as accurate as any rifle can make use of. Both of my battery powered digital scales I will only use to sort brass. If you could post a link to a known good digital scale that is somewhat affordable, I would appreciate it. I will NOT be spending more on a scale than I would on a rifle

Thank you,
Gary

 

[Trickymissfit]

@trickymissfit,

Which battery powered scale? I have 2, I do not remember their names. One cost me about $30 and one cost me about $80, both are ***. I would very much like to find *ANY* digital scale short of a lab grade $5000 dollar one that really is worth while. Yes, I know full well a LAB grade scale is an awesome unit, they also cost an arm and a leg. I am not saying they do not exist, but I guess I did not have the patience to look hard enough for one.

A good beam scale is at least as accurate as any rifle can make use of. Both of my battery powered digital scales I will only use to sort brass. If you could post a link to a known good digital scale that is somewhat affordable, I would appreciate it. I will NOT be spending more on a scale than I would on a rifle

Thank you,
Gary

I've owned four Pacts, and still have three. All work well. The other Pact had the RCBS logo on it, and it was stolen from me. Otherwise, I'd still be using it. I've used the Lyman, and a Dillon in the past. The Lyman was always drifting on me, and the Dillon was pretty good. Might have also used a Midway (blue colored?). I know about a dozen shooters that reload with the same table top scale I use (some are so old they don't have the inferred port).
gary

 

[diriel]

Trickymissfit,

Thank you. I will look into the pact scales.

Gary

 

[Trickymissfit]

Trickymissfit,

Thank you. I will look into the pact scales.

Gary

I've just had really good luck with them, and just go and go. I did manage to scamble all the programing on my second scale, and they completely reset it up on the phone while the coached me thru the process. But according to Pact; they'd never seen on so scrambled!
gary

P.S. I might add here that if it can be broken; I'll find out how to do this! I like good reliable equipment, and try to simply look for items that work and last well. I don't think a guy has to run out and buy a Harrell measure (I did), when a plain jane Lyman #55 is 99.5% as good for about 1/4th the money. And believe me I've bought more than my share of junk thru the years (probably all of us here have). That's why I said to buy a good pair of mics from the start, and learn to use them. I might add here that there is no tool I wouldn't loan most anybody here if you were close by (sans two pairs of mics my Dad used and one other pair a long gone fellow gave me). I had to learn the hard way all too often.
glt