Scale recommendation

[15meter]

I did a search for digital scale recommendations, nothing came up less that 18 months old, in the world of electronics that is dinosaur age kind of stuff.

My buddy's Pet Loads by Ken Waters fell on his RCBS 505. Doesn't weight as consistently as it did before the bombing.

I've cleaned the bearings, stoned the knife edges with an ultra-fine Arkansas stone. Checked the squareness of the knife edges to the beam itself, checked everything with a 10x eye loupe and can see no damage. Just doesn't weigh as consistently as my 505. Slower to settle, ~ .2 grain difference between the two and a slight jerkiness as you are trickling up.

He's looking for recommendations of a digital scale, he had a Lyman top of the line digital push the button and it did everything for you--that also died and he's not interested in that level of scale again.

Decided he likes the digital, just not all the bells and whistles.

What is needed is a digital scale that he can throw a charge that is slightly under and trickle up to finished weight, already has the trickler, just looking for a reliable, accurate digital scale he can feed with the RCBS trickler he already owns.

Does such an animal exist?

[Petrol & Powder]

When you get down to brass tacks, electronic scales are basically a strain gauge, a processor and a display.

I had a few over the years and my old Dillon "Determinator" is still hard to beat. They changed the design years ago so I can't vouch for the new ones.

If you can find one of the old Ohuas scales, they are very good but hard to find in the correct size for reloading.

[country gent]

I have a gem pro 240 that's pretty good .02 grn reading also. Mine has been decent doesn't float or wander but trickling is harder than a beam scales. Once the digital settles they have a lag picking up small changes.

[EDG]

Digitals are terrible for trickling up to a charge. It takes more force to move the platen than one little kernel of powder so the tend to stick and slip.

I have 2 digitals and I do not use either for weighing powder. If you weigh powder at all you need to pick up the pan and set it back down with the full charge weight in it. It is better that you pick it up and set it down twice to make sure there is no stick slip. Under no circumstances should you trickle a load, pick it up and dump it in the case without reweighing the entire load once or twice.

There are scales that might do what you want and they are often discussed on the forums at Accurate Shooter where the guys try to load to .05 grains. That is 1/2 of a tenth of a grain. Those scales run from about $850 up to about $2000.

[jmort]

Digitals are terrible for trickling up to a charge. It takes more force to move the platen than one little kernel of powder so the tend to stick and slip.

I have 2 digitals and I do not use either for weighing powder. If you weigh powder at all you need to pick up the pan and set it back down with the full charge weight in it. It is better that you pick it up and set it down twice to make sure there is no stick slip. Under no circumstances should you trickle a load, pick it up and dump it in the case without reweighing the entire load once or twice.

There are scales that might do what you want and they are often discussed on the forums at Accurate Shooter where the guys try to load to .05 grains. That is 1/2 of a tenth of a grain. Those scales run from about $850 up to about $2000.

Exactly why the Chargemaster 1500 and Chargemaster Lite are such failures.
I heart my Chargemaster Lite

[dverna]

People can get really anal about scale accuracy. I doubt it really matters that much if you are "off" by .2 gr.

I use a Charge Master and love it. Easy to use and gives me sub-MOA loads...so good enough for my needs. I use a check weight to verify it but have not run into any issues, but I do not weigh many charges either....maybe a few hundred a year.

Most of my reloading is done on progressives so the ammunition is as good as what a Dillon powder measure will throw (usually +/- .1-.2 gr depending on the powder).

[15meter]

Even though I asked the question, I'm getting confirmation of my own view of digital scales. In a prior life I sold digital scales into the industrial market and to get the quality that is desired here you are looking at a $1000+ scale.

My buddy wants to go digital, I'm not sure that these digital reloading scales are as sensitive as my old RCBS 505.

Prices have crashed, resolution and accuracy have improved, just not sure we are to the sub-$200 / .1 grain accurate digital scale.

And there is a decided difference between resolution and accuracy.

I'd still like to hear anybody else's take on basic digital scales.

[15meter]

This for loading a 6BR Norma, we shoot a match out to 300 yards, the ten ring is less than an inch so you do have to be a little particular about your loads.

[XDROB]

Following.

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

[bullseye67]

Good morning,

This poses the impossible question??? Just like which came first, the chicken or the egg?

After years, ok decades of using a balance beam and trickling up to a weight. I was shown how a AND scale and power trickle work.....my....my....oh my!!! Speed and absolutely accurate!! Not cheap but the “friend” ok, more like “enabler” that showed me his setup went through 3 ChageMasters and another kind of auto powder system. When I bought mine they didn’t have the APP yet, so I actually have to setup a charge lock it in then it’s an auto throw and trickle. It measures to the tenth grain or hundredth gram. ALWAYS with BALL POWDER!!! With stick particularly large stick like regular 4831 it weighs to a kernel/stick weights to 02grn which is the average of 10 kernels/sticks of that powder. Now with the APP all you do is punch in the weight and away it goes.....perfect every time. It was the cost of 2 1/2 ChargeMasters when I purchased mine and I have now ordered the upgrades for using the APP.

After loading LRP rifle with it for more than a year. I would not hesitated to get another AND Scale and power trickle. 100 cases are twice as fast as dump and manual trickle and as fast or faster than using just a powder measure with ball powder. The best part is even with my sloppy old fashioned reloading practices, I have reduced my group sizes by 30-50%!!!!! Which I find incredibly satisfying when the only change was using a SUPER ACCURATE powder system. The biggest gains were with the stick powders the smallest were ball powders.

I still use a powder measure for pistol and for loading cast boolits in my rifle loads for fun plinking rounds. But when I am spending up to a dollar a bullet for premium results at 1000 plus yards. I wouldn’t use anything else....

Check out AUTOTRICKLER all those F-Class guys are using this system.

I am not in any way connected to or with this company.

Just my honest opinion.
Bullseye67




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[pertnear]

I found this digital scale on Amazon. I use it to check my swaged bullet weights. Occasionally I double check a powder charges from my beam scale. It is crazy accurate & I don't see why it could not be used for weighing powder charges. One really nice thing is it run off AAA batteries, not the button batteries that cost more than the scale!
Attachment 245998 Attachment 245997
Yep, they are identical! BTW: They throw in the batteries too!

[jmort]

Auto Trickler V3

Pretty cool and pricey
The $750 A&D FX 120i scale with the Lee Perfect Powder Measure and auto trickler is an interesting combination
Regardless, that is a real nice digital scale

[Idz]

I have a couple of DS-750s and they crosscheck within 0.1 gr, have excellent linearity and repeatability. I use them on a solid surface in my basement which has fairly stable temperature. Having used microgram scales I know the key to scales is stable temperature, stable surface, and a very gentle touch much more than whose label is on it.

[country gent]

The AMT auto, Charge masters, Lymans version, Hornadys version and the other measures work so well but they start with a fast trickle and then slow but there is no "break" in the flow from start to zero. with a scales the scales hits the mark and settles then has to "restart " when trickling begins. The lag between change and remeasuring is what makes trickling hard. On the measures the measure don't stop or settle until the charge is reached

[onelight]

I have 2 inexpensive electronic scales they are handy for some things like press mounted measures 0 the case and weigh after charging and half the time I reweigh it cause I still don’t trust the electronic but when loading around max or for hunting rifle loads I weigh and trickle and prefer to use an old fashioned beam scale.
I have never used any of the expensive electronic scales. Don’t load enough weigh every load any more to justify the expense.

[Kevin Rohrer]

I use the RCBS unit and have had no problems with it for the last 4-years.

[Bazoo]

I didn't see where anyone mentioned it, but RCBS will probably repair and recalibrate the scale for free. I have a 505 that was sent to me after my house burnt. Very thankful for it I might add, anyways it was sent loose in with a press and other items. I returned it to RCBS and they did whatever and sent it back. It's been fine for 4 years now.

[jsizemore]

I do the 6br norma. I bought a Denver Instruments MXX-123 years ago. The scale does show a kernel of Varget dropped in the pan but you won't be able to trickle the last bit. Tweezers and spoon. I weight sort bullets and cases and check bullets for bearing length. Single digit SD and ES. X-ring at 1000 and 76 at Hickory but missed the egg. Harrell's matched a sizing die from a fired case.

[Gus Youmans]

country gent,

I also have a gem pro 250 scale and it works great; however, I had to order a replacement power supply about a year ago and the representative gave me the impression that they are experiencing issues with the current production scales. Also, Uniquetek.com, an online retailer, has stopped selling them, I assume for that reason.

Gus Youmans

[15meter]

From my reading on this forum the 505 is obsolete and parts are no longer available or I probably would have recommended sending back.

The AnD scale is a quality unit, sold that brand 15-20 years ago into MFG. plants in Michigan and Ohio, all my customers were happy with their units.

Not sure my buddy wants to spend that much on a scale for one rifle, almost everything else he shoots is loaded with 5744/4759/trailboss/2400 cast boolit loads and thrown loads, checking every 5th to 10th one plus visual checks is more than enough.

But the AnD plus the powered powder measure with the powered trickler is an exceptionally cool system.

I didn't see where anyone mentioned it, but RCBS will probably repair and recalibrate the scale for free. I have a 505 that was sent to me after my house burnt. Very thankful for it I might add, anyways it was sent loose in with a press and other items. I returned it to RCBS and they did whatever and sent it back. It's been fine for 4 years now.