What very accurate powder scale?

[woodnut]

I have a fine Dillon powder scale; but it is getting old, like me. Seems like it wants to show varied results for the same amount of powder! Not a good thing. I do work with it and get the results; but I think it's time for a new scale.
I've looked at the Adams HLB153 and the GemPro 250. Both say they will work under fluorescent lights if they are high up. The Adams precision is .05 grains! I'm thinking that may be a headache to get to settle down if there's a hint of air stirring. My powder measure is a Harrell, but .....consistent to .05 grains?
So, what do you recommend I should get? Any experience with either of these?
Many thanks for your help!

 

[boomtube]

I grin when I read of people buying costly scales so sensitive they have to sand paper the last kernel to get absolute precision. IMHO, they are kidding themselves.

Reloaders have long been provided scales sensitive enough to detect diferences to less than .1 grain and that's as much as we need for the most demanding work. Small variations in primers and internal case volumes and powder lot and fouled bores and even the temperature will exceed the velocity effects of such minute powder charge differences. And, IF an accurate charge is working within the proper pressure range for the cartridge, small charge variarions simply won't have any provable effect anyway.

Get a beam scale from any of our common brands and know it will have all the accuracy and sensitivity you need and, if taken care of, it will last you forever.

 

[johnnyk]

woodnut,
I would stay away from the Adam. I see the brand occasionally while performing my job and they're cheap.
As for the GemPro, I have heard mention of it on here several times and it is always positive. I have no experience with them and never see them at any of the customers sites that I go to.

I'm currently using a RCBS ChargeMaster to get my charges to 1 gn shy of my desired target (i.e. 39.00gns if looking for 40.00gns), then I shift it over to my Mettler Toledo AB104-S and use my Omega 2-speed Electric Powder Trickler to get it spot on. Pretty slick operation, repeatable and very accurate. You should be able to find video(s) on YouTube on it, least that's how I found out about it.

The capacity and division or "readability" of the RCBS CM is 100g X .01g or 1500gn X .1gn, while the Mettler Toledo AB104-S is 110g X .0001g or 1600gn X .002gn. Is this more accuracy that you need? Only you can be the judge of that. Pick a system that works for you and stick with it till you're satisfied. That's pretty much what we all do. Good luck and happy hunting. JohnnyK.

 

[Michael Courtney]

I have a fine Dillon powder scale; but it is getting old, like me. Seems like it wants to show varied results for the same amount of powder! Not a good thing. I do work with it and get the results; but I think it's time for a new scale.
I've looked at the Adams HLB153 and the GemPro 250. Both say they will work under fluorescent lights if they are high up. The Adams precision is .05 grains! I'm thinking that may be a headache to get to settle down if there's a hint of air stirring. My powder measure is a Harrell, but .....consistent to .05 grains?
So, what do you recommend I should get? Any experience with either of these?
Many thanks for your help!

Most of the cheap scales will flip around a bit. High end chem lab scales have glass doors to protect them from wind effects, but that makes adding the powder a challenge.

Once you get the hang of it, you can average out the flipping in your head. Most scales also have a setting to internally average out the wind currents and such. The Satorius in the picture is high end. Most reloaders need nothing close to this nice.