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Thread: Electronic Scales

  1. #1
    Boolit Master

    dale2242's Avatar
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    Electronic Scales

    I was weighing loads thrown my Lil Dandy and was getting very inconsistent readings from my Frankfort Arsenal scale.
    When I tested my charges against the FA electric scale I found it was all over the place.
    The batteries were replaced thinking that may be the problem.
    This has been tossed around here before but which electronic scales do you prefer and the price?
    I`m not interested in the top end stuff.

  2. #2
    Boolit Master TurnipEaterDown's Avatar
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    I do use the small Frankfort scale.
    At times, it gave me trouble, so I "figured it out".

    1) Keep cell phones away from it (probably goes for all of the electronic scales). The RFI from the phone will cause wildly erratic readings.
    2) Yes, keep an eye out for trouble, and replace batteries if you see drift.
    3) Write down the pan weight on the scale pan handle w/ Sharpie marker and look at the reading when you remove pan to dump powder. If not the correct negative value, try over.
    4) When trickling up to desired value, stop just short, gently blow on pan to lift the indicated weight 5-8 grains, and let it settle back. This helps with the '...darn thing jumped up 0.3 gr...' phenomena.
    5) Keep any scale away from drafts / wind currents. Furnace ducts 10 feet away can give you trouble.

  3. #3
    Boolit Master

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    I only use my electronic scale for tuning in the weight that I want because it is much faster than my M-5. Once I get close I used the M-5.
    NRA Benefactor Member NRA Golden Eagle

  4. #4
    Boolit Master
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    I have used a few different electronic scales and for weighing powder now I only trust my RCBS 505 beam scale.

    I use the electronic scales for brass and bullets as they are faster for this job.

  5. #5
    Boolit Buddy
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    Was having problems w/ getting consistent reading across my chrono, turns out it was my electronic scales was "lying to me. My Grandson (he's a math whiz), said when was the last you recalibrated your scales, ,, do what!!, he got on the internet, found the instructions for my model, "we" recalibrated the scales. Tested w/ known weights, works true now, go figure,,,( kids !!)

    coffee's ready, Hootmix.

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by dale2242 View Post
    I was weighing loads thrown my Lil Dandy and was getting very inconsistent readings from my Frankfort Arsenal scale.
    When I tested my charges against the FA electric scale I found it was all over the place.
    The batteries were replaced thinking that may be the problem.
    This has been tossed around here before but which electronic scales do you prefer and the price?
    I`m not interested in the top end stuff.
    I have pretty much always had a "thing" against electronic scales! But, there'd be no way I'd transport my good balance beam scales to range for load development there (complementing Buchanan press ). Hence, I sought out an electronic scale with similar wants as you posted, deciding to purchase a Dillon brand Determinator.
    By gum and by golly -- again, not any electronic scale endorser, I made a series of "check weights" -- carefully cut lengths of solder wire at different benchmark weights (e.g., 33.00 grams; 44.00 grams; etc. -- you get the idea?) to use as an accuracy comparitor on my pickup truck's tailgate. This Dillon scale has been 100% always dead on!
    In the house, too, when I load teeny cartridges where there's a smidgeon dif between the intended charge and a gross overload, I interrupt my progressive press loading cycle by removing/weighing each charge, again using the Determinator. One further "plus" is that it uses common AA batteries (or, 110VAC) -- as opposed to those scales that use the quarter-sized flat batteries which always seem to die when in the field, with no nearby stores having more than empty peg-board hooks (been there!) to attempt purchasing a needed replacement.
    If -- for any reason -- *I* was in the market for a replacement electronic scale -- this would be my choice!
    (What I have/do)
    geo

  7. #7
    Boolit Grand Master

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    In 50+ years of reloading I only used balance beam scales . Redding #1 (oil dampened) and much later a nice RCBS 5-0-5 (magnetic dampened) .... but ...having recieved a bunch of Amazon Gift Cards for Christmas I had some extra "money" to blow . I bought a little electronic scale and it arrived yesterday . It had some good reviews and wasn't expensive ...$20.00 so I thought I would try out modern technology . It's a DigiWeigh Poseidon X Series V3.00 Ammunition Scale ! I hope it works well because setting up the beam scale is tedious and it takes up a lot of room ...this little gizmo is 3 1/2 x 5 1/2 and only 3/4 " thick ...flat as a pancake .
    I would like to use it on my desk where a PC sits ... I hope the computer doen't mess with it's operation ... I can move it if needed . I haven't even read the instructions yet ...
    They are printed so small I can't read them ... I have to get them enlarged so the old half blind guy can read them ...getting old and going blind sucks ... And I'm the type that reads instructions ...Dang It ! So as soon as I can get readable instructions I'll be trying it out and posting how well it works .
    Gary
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    " Let's Go Brandon !"

  8. #8
    Boolit Master trails4u's Avatar
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    I, personally, have learned to not trust them. I'm sure the lab-grade ones are as advertised....but for my budget, there's nothing out there I would trust as much as my RCBS beam scale. It's really only important to me in my rifle hunting loads....I don't load pistol stuff hot, nor 5.56 plinking stuff, so I'm fine with a powder measure for those. Everything else gets weighed on the balance beam...
    "Do not follow where the path might lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail" Ralph Waldo Emerson

  9. #9
    Boolit Bub
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    I'm going back to my Hornady beam scale than I bought in the 90's when I started reloading. The small Frankford arsenal digital scale is reading low by about 1 to 2 tenths of a grain. That's bad because my 147 gr 9mm loads were loaded about 2 tens under max load. I have some wiggle room as the RMR bullets are shorter in length than the Hornady 147 I am using for load data.

  10. #10
    Boolit Buddy
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    Florescent lights above the electronic scale will mess with them.

  11. #11
    Boolit Master
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    I have a Cabela electric scale that plugs in and it works well but you can not dribble powder in because it will make it out of adjustment. I don't know how much it cost because I got it in a group of supplies nor do I know if it is still available. I use it all the time but have an old lyman slide scale too and test it from time to time. It is a lot easier to use the electric scale even though you do have to watch it to make sure it hasn't gotten out of adjustment.

  12. #12
    Boolit Master

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    I just ordered the Hornady G3-1500.
    I will be used mostly for weighing bullets.
    I will cross check against my other scales.

  13. #13
    Boolit Master
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    I have a Pact but only use it for weighing bullets. I trickle a lot of loads and it's useless for that. I'll stick with my old Lyman beam scale.
    "In general, the art of government is to take as much money as possible from one class of citizens and give it to another class of citizens" Voltaire'

    The common virtue of capitalism is the sharing of equal opportunity. The common vice of socialism is the equal sharing of misery

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  14. #14
    Boolit Master Shawlerbrook's Avatar
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    I am a lifetime beam scale user, but have used electronic scales for non reloading things. One thing to be careful of is electronic interference from other electronics like fluorescent lights.

  15. #15
    Boolit Grand Master

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    My Frankfort was giving me trouble too so I bought a GemPro 250. I use it to check bullet weights, verify my Hornady Lock-N-Load Auto and if I get near max to weigh every load so they are accurate. Also use it for testing of I want to be more precise than usual

    First scale I had was a Lee Balance. I still have it but never liked it
    I Am Descended From Men Who Would Not Be Ruled

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  16. #16
    Boolit Master
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    I personally have given up on my electronic scales. they all after awhile get Unreliable. Went back to My Ohaus Dial O grains. they were the best and still are the best.
    NRA Endowment Member
    International Ammunition Association
    New York, the Empire State Where Empires were Won and Lost

  17. #17
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    Winger Ed.'s Avatar
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    I don't trust them after they've lied to me a few times.
    I quickly went back to a beam scale.

    If you're looking for a cheap electronic scale--- you may be setting yourself up for failure.
    Like everything else: cars, Whiskey, steaks, etc- we live in a 'get what you pay for' world.

    Now days if someone of the younger generation does some math with pencil & paper,
    they'll double check themselves with a electronic calculator.

    If I use a electronic calculator, sometimes I find myself checking its accuracy with paper & pencil.
    In school: We learn lessons, and are given tests.
    In life: We are given tests, and learn lessons.


    OK People. Enough of this idle chit-chat.
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    EVERYONE!
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  18. #18
    Boolit Master
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    I use the Frankford scale and it works very good. Perhaps I finally got “the one” that works…


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  19. #19
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    i've been using the hornady lock-n-load powder dispenser for about 11-12 years and i like it. i check the weights on the lyman beam scale and they are right on.


    https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1012762980/

  20. #20
    Boolit Buddy
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    I have used a Pact for over 20 years I think. It has worked well but I always check with balance beam. Saves time in setting measures though.
    Did they go out of business?

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

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