Electronic scale

[joeb33050]

After posting the thrilling saga of my latest reloading error I was advised to buy an electronic scale by several folks. I did, I bought a Hornady GS-1500.
After weighing a lot of bullets and nuts and washers and so on, I find that the RCBS 10-10 averages .3 grains higher than the Hornady electronic. I don't know which is "right".
The Hornady ONLY has even numbers to the right of the decimal point. 0, .2, .4, .6, .8------never a 1,3,5,7 or 9.
The pamphlet says resolution is .1 grain, so I think the even numbers is correct. Are they all this way.
???????????
joe b.

[pdawg_shooter]

I have used a Pact for years now. Comes with check weights and weighs to 0.1 gr. Still have my Reading balance beam for backup but haven't used it in years.

[captaint]

Joe, I have the MTM elec scale and it reads regular #'s past the decimal. Only thing I don't like about mine is that you get static electricity and lighter powders tend to "fly" all over. The little pan that came with the MTM is plastic. I'm going to start using the alum pan that goes with my old RCBS balance beam. I think that will eliminate the problem.

[Rocky Raab]

My RCBS (made by Pact) digital scale shows all numerals after the decimal, also. That "even numbers only" is odd. Clearly, the readout might report to the NEAREST tenth of a grain that way, but that is not the same as weighing to WITHIN a tenth of a grain.

Still, that is plenty accurate for reloading purposes. Really.

[markinalpine]

...reads to 0.1 grain. I also bought a set of check weights, and it shows this scale to read accurately. I just leave it plugged in with the wall-wart power supply. On battery power, it turns off after a while by itself, usually just when you need it. :confused:
It does turn off if there is a power drop, which we have occasionally, but it warms up quickly. I'm thinking of getting the largest capacitor I can find to bridge the power input to "smooth" out any power drops. This would be a lot cheaper than buying a Uninterruptable Power Supply.

Mark :coffee:

[handyrandyrc]

Joe, I have the MTM elec scale and it reads regular #'s past the decimal. Only thing I don't like about mine is that you get static electricity and lighter powders tend to "fly" all over. The little pan that came with the MTM is plastic. I'm going to start using the alum pan that goes with my old RCBS balance beam. I think that will eliminate the problem.

Wash the pan with some water and soap. Don't rinse it, and let it dry. The detergent will de-static-ize the plastic.

I have the same MTM scale, with the same plastic pan. ;) I love the scale -- the pan drove me nuts until I tried this trick I read from Lee Precision.

[joeb33050]

Just got a response from Hornady, the scale measures in .2 grain increments according to them. Can this be?
joe b.

[jar-wv]

If you wanted to throw a charge of 10.6 gr it could be anywhere from 10.50 to 10.70? I really like to get a bit closer than that if I can, though it may not make all that much differance. I'd get a set of check weights, may help your conclusions on what its actually doing.

I know a guy that has an RCBS and he says slight temperature changes effect his readings. I'll just keep on struggling on thru with balance beam.

jar

[jhrosier]

If you wanted to throw a charge of 10.6 gr it could be anywhere from 10.50 to 10.70? ...

No, it would be somewhere between 10.4 and 10.8 .

I think that I will stick with my trusty Lyman 10-10.

Jack

[Bret4207]

Joe, I have the MTM elec scale and it reads regular #'s past the decimal. Only thing I don't like about mine is that you get static electricity and lighter powders tend to "fly" all over. The little pan that came with the MTM is plastic. I'm going to start using the alum pan that goes with my old RCBS balance beam. I think that will eliminate the problem.

I'm told if you wipe the pan down with dryer softener sheet it'll stop that.

[Hardcast416taylor]

I am still using my 2nd Dillion electronic scale. First 1 died after about 3 yrs. Back then they replaced it with another, and it still is working fine. It measures .1 gr. under zero according to my laboratory weight testing set. I still have 3 beam scales put away in their boxes for just in case need. Robert

[captaint]

Handy - thanks for the tip. I'll try that, sounds like it will work. Thanks again, Mike

[JIMinPHX]

Clearly, the readout might report to the NEAREST tenth of a grain that way, but that is not the same as weighing to WITHIN a tenth of a grain.

Still, that is plenty accurate for reloading purposes. Really.


That sort of depends on what you want to do. Try loading for a .25ACP & then see if you still feel that way.

[runfiverun]

get a little graphite on that plastic pan and the fly-aways will go away

[montana_charlie]

Just got a response from Hornady, the scale measures in .2 grain increments according to them. Can this be?
joe b.
I picked up a cheapo digital scale on eBay a year ago that was said to read down to a tenth. Like yours, it only displays 'even numbers' in the tenths position.
Obviously, the math program in the chip 'rounds off' to the nearest even value...and you can't know if it is rounding up, or rounding down.

I consider a scale like that as fine for bullets...but not powder.
CM

[Dan Cash]

I have a My-Weigh digital that also displays/reports in .2 increments. I bought it primarliy for heavy BP bullets but use it also for smokeless powder after much comparison with my RCBS 10-10. Though the 10-10 is graduated to .1 gr., it is not that consistent. In experimenting, I have weighed a washer that reported 57.2 gr. on the digital scale 10 times in a row. Same washer on the RCBS balance wandered back and forth between 57.1 and 57.2 or slightly more. My solution: Don't push the envelope. Both are more accurate & consistent than my various powder measures.

Dan