^^^ This
Completely agree
My digital works AMAZING to sit down and weigh 150 Of my Cast bullets at a time, i am picky with my bullets, after a pour each one gets weighed, i only keep them that weigh 1 grain apart, 1/10 over and they go back in the melt. I couldn't imagine doing this quantity of bullet weighing with my Beam scale, it would be a major PITA! As i said i keep a certified check weight by the digital, after weighing a half dozen or so bullets etc. i put the check weight on, so far so good 4-5 years and stil going. The digital has its place for me, but NOTHING will take place of my RCBS 10-10 for weighing powder charges
I use a digital scale - but on set up and periodically verify the charges on my redding balance scale.
Call in paranoia
Ballistic Products sent me an e-mail claiming they just upgraded their electronic scale. Their scales are sold by a number of other reloading suppliers because it's good. I periodically check mine with the supplied test weight and my RCBS test weights I bought for my balance beam scale.
Of all my scales- Redding #1, RCBS 505 and 1010, Lyman D-7, Dillion electronic scale, Hornady dispenser with scale I rely on and trust the 505 and D-7. I retired the Reddings years back, all the rest of the scales are several 10ths off sooner or later during the loading job. My Dillion and the Hornady both recommend a 15 minute warm up.Robert
Time to post this again... I passed a shiny new dime around to all my friends to weigh on their scale. Here are the results:
34.4 Dillon electronic
34.5 Lyman beam
34.5 Redding beam
34.5 PACT electronic
34.6 Dillon beam
34.7 RCBS beam
So which one do you suppose is right?
”We know they are lying, they know they are lying, they know we know they are lying, we know they know we know they are lying, yet they are still lying.” –Aleksandr Isayevich Solzhenitsyn
My Straight Shooters thread:
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...raight-shooter
The Pewter Pictures and Hallmarks thread:
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...-and-hallmarks
The U.S. Mint says new dime weighs 35.000589 grains
My cheap-**** digital says 35.0
I guess there is a lesson in there somewhere
The following table gives specifications for The United States Mint legal tender coins presently in production for United States Mint Annual Sets.
Denomination Cent Nickel Dime Quarter Dollar Half Dollar Presidential $1 Native American $1 Coin
Composition Copper Plated Zinc
2.5% Cu
Balance Zn Cupro-Nickel
25% Ni
Balance Cu Cupro-Nickel
8.33% Ni
Balance Cu Cupro-Nickel
8.33% Ni
Balance Cu Cupro-Nickel
8.33% Ni
Balance Cu Manganese-Brass
88.5% Cu
6% Zn
3.5% Mn
2% Ni Manganese-Brass
88.5% Cu
6% Zn
3.5% Mn
2% Ni
Weight 2.500 g 5.000 g 2.268 g 5.670 g 11.340 g 8.1 g 8.1 g
Diameter 0.750 in.
19.05 mm 0.835 in.
21.21 mm 0.705 in.
17.91 mm 0.955 in.
24.26 mm 1.205 in.
30.61 mm 1.043 in.
26.49 mm 1.043 in.
26.49 mm
Thickness 1.52 mm 1.95 mm 1.35 mm 1.75 mm 2.15 mm 2.00mm 2.00 mm
Edge Plain Plain Reeded Reeded Reeded Edge-Lettering Edge-Lettering
No. of Reeds N/A N/A 118 119 150 N/A N/A
I have the Gem Pro scales 250 series if I remember correctly. Its always been spot on to the check weights. A scales like any precision measuring insterment needs to be checked and calibrated periodically to remain at its best. I also use my check weights sets as shops use gage blocks. stacking them up to make the charge weight I'm throwing and checking the scales there to be sure. Even beam scales need to be checked occasionally for accuracy due to wear or dust in the knife bearings.
I tried a "nice" digital powder scale (in grains) several years ago, Jennings I believe. It worked fine for a month or so (less than 1,000 weighs) but soon needed to be "tared" every time I removed the scale, and checked for zero often. I re-calibrated it a few times (following directions to the "T"). Eventually it refused any "taring", "resetting" or calibrating. Could not reach any form of customer service so, $120.00 gone. No fluorescent lighting, no power lines near, no wild swings of temp., no low batteries, no power fluctuation. Went back to my Lyman/Ohaus D5 and Lee PPM for good, easy, accurate weights.
Found a deal on a Frankfort Arsenal digital scale mebbe a year ago ($17.00) and figgered it might be OK for weighing bullets, brass, etc. so I got it. I have found it is consistent, and is about .1 gr. lighter, different than my bean scales, across the board.
Just my experience, but I stayed away from digital scales for about 8 years and I still don't completely trust some numbers appearing on a display, seemingly at random, over my tried and true beam scales...
My Anchor is holding fast!
My Hornady scale (40$) does drift. After zero and calibration I write down the number put pan on zero and write the number without pan. And keep tabs on where it's at ever 5-9th round. If it drifts to much I zero and look at the numbers
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”We know they are lying, they know they are lying, they know we know they are lying, we know they know we know they are lying, yet they are still lying.” –Aleksandr Isayevich Solzhenitsyn
My Straight Shooters thread:
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...raight-shooter
The Pewter Pictures and Hallmarks thread:
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...-and-hallmarks
Are the readings repeatable? If you put a weight on, get a reading, take the weight off, put the weight back on; has the reading changed? If so you could have a friction issue, something rubbing. Of the readings do not stabilize you could have an insect problem. Ask me how I learned that one. Many things could cause a problem, just need to start eliminating possibilities.
The sooner I fall behind...the more time I have to catch up with
I calibrated both RCBS scales one a 5-0-5 the other a 5-0-2 both show 34.3 with a 2015 dime. So, how much do the dimes vary?
Dimes must vary in weight if we are getting varience in weight for new coins. I have always used new nickels as "check weights" as they are supposed to be 5 grams on the nose. 77.1618 grains
https://www.usmint.gov/about_the_min...specifications
BP | Bronze Point | IMR | Improved Military Rifle | PTD | Pointed |
BR | Bench Rest | M | Magnum | RN | Round Nose |
BT | Boat Tail | PL | Power-Lokt | SP | Soft Point |
C | Compressed Charge | PR | Primer | SPCL | Soft Point "Core-Lokt" |
HP | Hollow Point | PSPCL | Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" | C.O.L. | Cartridge Overall Length |
PSP | Pointed Soft Point | Spz | Spitzer Point | SBT | Spitzer Boat Tail |
LRN | Lead Round Nose | LWC | Lead Wad Cutter | LSWC | Lead Semi Wad Cutter |
GC | Gas Check |