reloading scales what is your #1 choice ??????

[hound13]

I have 3 scales 2 electronic and 1 redding beam scale the electronic ones are lyman and rcbs 1500,out of all of them I like the rcbs 1500 easy too use and set up . the lyman one does not want to settle the numbers are not consistant the new redding one is used to verify my loads . so out of all that what do you guys like and why??????

[1Iron]

I haven't sprung for an electronic scale, but I use a RCBS 304 dual beam scale that is very accurate. I have had this scale for over 30 years.

1Iron

[country gent]

J have a 5-10 rcbs balance scales I use and currently a gem pro 250 digital I like alot. I have used rcbs digital Dillion ( early model with 1500 grn capacity) and a hornady. The 5-10 is always dead on and is quick and easy to set up. A bigger "foot print" though. When checked with rcbs check wieghts it is always on. An occasional spray down with canned air to get dust out ad its always on. The gem pro is a nice little unit reads in 5 diffrent scales and is accurate to .02 grns. Settles quickly and is sensitive enough to trickle into. The RCBS Digital was used with an early charge master and worked well. The Dillion was an early one good for wieghing but to slow for trickling.

[EDG]

I have a number of scales that I inherited, was given or wound up with as by-products of trades.
I have 2 RCBS 5-10s (micrometer poise), a Lyman 500 , RCBS 505 (3 poise), 2 AMT/Lyman Autoscales (same beam as the RCBS 5-10), Dillon 900 grain De-Terminiator electronic scale and a older RCBS 750 grain electronic scale made by Pact.

All of these are pretty good scales though I have definite likes and dislikes as follows.
My hands are a little shaky to use the RCBS 5-10 micrometer a lot. A few adjustments are ok but to do it a lot is pretty tedious. I dislike the 2 poise set up on the Lyman 500. You can miss set that scale easily if you are not careful. The Autoscales work great for long runs of large grain powders. The 2 digital scales are only used for weighing bullets and cases or setting a powder measure. When I set a powder measure I dispense 10 loads into a pan and weigh them and divide by 10 for the average. I found the electronic is worse than worthless when trying to trickle a load up to the finished weight. The digitals that I have are not sensitive enough to reacts to individual grains of powder. My favorite scales are the 3 poise types like the RCBS 505. For me they are easy to set without a tendency to make a mistake.
I forgot I had 2 Lee scales. I broke one messing around with it. The other is still in the box. They are too slow to settle for me- the dampening is too weak. Cheap magnets I would guess.

[USMC87]

RCBS electronic chargemaster and a Lyman 1000 beam scale.

[Lumpy grits]

Been using a PACT since they came out.
See no reason to change-
LG

[troyboy]

I am a long time user of the RCBS chargemaster, Lyman D5 and the Lee saftey scale. They all work well.

[hound13]

thanks for the read guys

[Rory McCanuck]

In order of preference;
RCBS 5-10: A joy to use, settles almost instantly. Micrometer poise.
Redding oil dampened(#1?): Small footprint, easy to set. I stop the pan swinging with my finger, I'm not in that much of a rush. 2 poise (like a 505)
Bonanza plastic beam scale: Uses a square plastic fan with 3 pour spouts. So sensitive you have to hold your breath. 2 poise (like a 505)
Lee Safety scale: Wow sensitive. Accurate. Fiddly; I had problems with it seating properly in the knife grooves. Vernier poise.
Hornady GS-1500: Digital, junk. Zero drifts, weight drifts, I don't trust it for anything critical.

[jmort]

Gem Pro 250

[betschet50]

RCBS 505 is all I use works well I bought a SmartReloader I scale digital scale and don't like it never use it.

[wolf3006]

Rcbs 505

[ozarkhillbilly49]

ohaus 1005/lyman m5. yeah I'm w way out of date. never seen gravity fail yet. best wishes to all.

[dg31872]

Redding beam scale bought new in 1962. Brown crinkly paint. It has been well cared for and gravity never changes, so I always have confidence in my charge.
Price printed on label shows $14.99.

[waarp8nt]

Redding beam scale bought in the early 90's.

[jeepyj]

Been using a RCBS 505 since 1978 and always been happy. I can't say I haven't wondered from time to time If I'm missing out on something hence following threads such as this.
jeepyj

[Poygan]

Redding scale I bought in the mid sixties. See no need for anything else. Bought a RCBS 502 at a yard sale and used it to compare accuracy with the Redding. They were .1 grain of agreeing with each other.

[ioon44]

Have a RCBS 10-10 from the 1980's, two older RCBS 505's, a older Quick Draw from Midway (Ohaus) and a new Hornady Bench Scale, all of these work great.

Scales I have got rid of is a Lyman 1000.
I have a AWS scale I got of flea bay worked ok for 6 months then went dead I sent it off for warrantee on the first of Feb this year and might get back by the end of May, when it comes back it will go back on flea bay.

[pertnear]

I have an RCBS beam scale bought in the 70's & it is still serving me well! A few years back I bought a Frankford Arsenal small digital scale from Midway on sale for under $20. Handy as all get-out but I don't use it for powder. Here is my simple rule of thumb:


To bring something up to a specific weight (like powder) use the beam scale.
To find out what something weights (like bullets) use the electronic.


FWIW...

[ioon44]

I have an RCBS beam scale bought in the 70's & it is still serving me well! A few years back I bought a Frankford Arsenal small digital scale from Midway on sale for under $20. Handy as all get-out but I don't use it for powder. Here is my simple rule of thumb:


To bring something up to a specific weight (like powder) use the beam scale.
To find out what something weights (like bullets) use the electronic.


FWIW...


These are good reasons to have both types of scales, I tend to check the electronic scales with a beam scale just to be sure of the powder charge.

[r1kk1]

I have a 10-10, Early Dillon electronic. Really like both of these. I also have an RCBS scale that works with the ChargeMaster.

take care

r1kk1

[Mal Paso]

505 with another 505 in my boot for backup.

And like all good things, including 4756 and 4759, discontinued.:(

[Bisbee]

Redding #1, just keeps on going and going without a question!

[Le Loup Solitaire]

Two Redding beam scales (brown crinkle finish) bought decades ago. Never out of kilter....checked periodically against a fixed weight set. Kept in padded wooden boxes and dust free. Always on the money. Yes the swinging beam is slower than magnetic dampening unless I slow it with a pencil point, but I like the accuracy and the reliability. LLS

[ascast]

I have an RCBS beam scale bought in the 70's & it is still serving me well! A few years back I bought a Frankford Arsenal small digital scale from Midway on sale for under $20. Handy as all get-out but I don't use it for powder. Here is my simple rule of thumb:


To bring something up to a specific weight (like powder) use the beam scale.
To find out what something weights (like bullets) use the electronic.

FWIW...

yup -- RCBS 5-10 bought in '81 for loads and RCBS electronic for weight segregating bullets , brass etc. The electronic is about the 1st gen and needs to be "rebooted" every now and again. still working

[Garyshome]

Old CH I got cheap

[gmsharps]

I started with a Lyman 505 and still have it. My wife got me a RCBS 304 one year for Christmas and that triple beam scale is a dream to use. It's fast and accurate. I use the 505 to do a check from time to time.
gmsharps

[Lead Fred]

I own 2 scales. Two 10-10 RCBS and Ohaus. Best scale ever made period.
My back up is a 1966 Bonanza beam scale. Its still brand new in the box, like the Ohaus.

Every electronic scale Ive ever used does not do what my rounds need to do.

[smokeywolf]

I use an old Redding oil damped beam scale and an Ohaus 3100 "Dial-O-Grain", also a beam scale. Both are great scales. Don't care for the electronics.

smokeywolf

[Petrol & Powder]

An old Dillon electronic and an old RCBS 5-0-5.

[1066]

I've just had a count up and find I have 32 beam scales and 3 digitals.

I think my favourite scale is the now obsolete RCBS 5-10. It uses exactly the same beam as the 10/10 with the rotating poise system and also has the approach to weight system, the same as the 10/10. RCBS discontinued them before the accountants started running the companies and the quality dropped.

I also like the even more obsolete Lyman M5 - the fore runner of the 10/10 but with a simple two poise system, very sensitive.

The RCBS 304 - Technically excellent scale but takes up a large chunk of the bench and is prone to air current errors.

The Hornady/Pacific "M" type. A good solid accurate scale with a heavy cast iron base but looks like it might have been made in a Russian tractor factory.

The Redding No 2 - A good simple two poise scale - older ones had a very nice engraved beam, the newer ones had an applied printed tape.

I also have a beautifully made oil damped Webster that is very sensitive and accurate.

My "go to" digital is an old Ohaus lab scale that reads to .02 grain - old but reliable, prone to drift a little but good for weighing cases and bullets.

[smokeywolf]

The RCBS 304 is the later iteration of the Ohaus 3100 and 1110, all great beam scales.

smokeywolf

[ukrifleman]

I use a Lee scale and am quite happy with it.
I know a lot of re-loaders criticise them, but they are just as accurate as any other scale.

Rest assured, no company would market a scale that wasn't accurate.

ukrifleman.

[tradbear55]

Rcbs 505 gets the most work, also have one of those cheapo Frankford Arsenal electronic scales. The electronic scale is to jumpy and inconsistent for me. I use it for weighing bullets and cases.

[John Boy]

136817
$48.16 plus free shipping!
- 1.7" LCD display
- Max capacity: 50g
- Accuracy: 0.001g ... the stain gage measures 0.01grs not 0.1gr like on the expensive digitals
- Units: g/oz/ozt/ct/dwt/gn
- Features: Memory function, auto power off, Auto calibration, Tare full capacity, Counting function
- Powered by 4 x AAA batteries (included)
http://www.dx.com/p/1-7-lcd-high-precision-digital-jewelry-scale-50g-0-001g-4-x-aaa-101011#.VSwhYvAYFuI

Put a dessicant under the cover during storage and the readings are dead nuts to a beam scale and the readings do not drift
Have one for backup and been using the other for 3 years

[r1kk1]

Wish it had more capacity John Boy.

take care

r1kk1

[1hole]

I know of people who just luv their digital scale but keep a beam around to confirm it. I've never heard of anyone using a digital to confirm a beam tho. ??

I once did factory level maintenance on a few digital scales in the space program. Everyone loves their digital ... until it crashes. I have a small digital for weighting cases and bullets but my powder gets weighed on my 50 year old beam scale which still shows the 269.9 gr. test weight dead on. Used correctly, I believe a beam is as fast as a digital and a beam follows a powder trickler very well.

The various digital auto powder dumpers aren't quite what most of us think of when talking about digital scales.

[fivegunner]

I have 2 Ohaus 10-10 scales and a RCBS 5-10. great scales.:D

[w5pv]

Thinking that I was getting one of the best I ordered a Redding scale for $89.00 when it got here it was a pile of junk as far as the material that it was made of.It was cast aluminum that was so thin when you breathed on it it would move ,attached it to an oak board and now it works just fine very accurate.Until I fixed it my self I was very disapointed.Why sell something that isn't up to par as far as materials go.

[John Boy]

Wish it had more capacity John Boy.

Scale capacity 50g (grams) = scale capacity 771.62gr (grains) What do you weigh that is 771 grains and has 0.01 grains accuracy!

[1066]

Thinking that I was getting one of the best I ordered a Redding scale for $89.00 when it got here it was a pile of junk as far as the material that it was made of.It was cast aluminum that was so thin when you breathed on it it would move ,attached it to an oak board and now it works just fine very accurate.Until I fixed it my self I was very disapointed.Why sell something that isn't up to par as far as materials go.

My remedy is to fill them full of Plaster of Paris or two part resin, adding as much lead shot or old bullets in the mix as you want. It doesn't really aid accuracy but sure makes them feel better and easier to use.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v639/allan1066/Targetmaster/th_20130124_191824-1.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/allan1066/media/Targetmaster/20130124_191824-1.jpg.html)

[dragon813gt]

I have an old Lyman bean which I forget the model number at the moment. Pretty much all beams are good. Even the Lee scale. It's problem is it's very accurate but light weight. This is why people have issues using it, along w/ setting the poise.

For digitals if you want a dispenser the RCBS Chargemaster is the way to go. For just a scale the PACT DPPS is the way to go. The PACT is made in the USA w/ as many US made parts as possible. It's sensitive enough to trickle powder onto.

There are many great choices at this point in time.