Scale suggestions needed

[jimlj]

I have a RCBS 505 scale, but I'm thinking I want a more portable electronic scale to move back and forth each summer and winter between houses.
My interest right now is light loads in 9mm, and standard loads in 32acp. I'm hoping for accurate and consistent. Oh, and like most of us that reload and cast boolits, inexpensive would be a plus, but not the deciding factor.

[JoeJames]

I am a bit frugal - some say, and I have used the little Frankford Arsenal digital scale for my pistol loads for several years - @$30 or so. It seems pretty accurate. I have of course checked it against a Lee beam type scale now and then.

This! ^^^

Randy

[metricmonkeywrench]

I would look on the secondary market for another balance scale. Perhaps upgrade to a 10-10 or its under appreciated brother the 5-10 if you want to stay with RCBS though I would not discount any of the Lyman, Lee or other makers models as well. I have not seen anything either way on the quality new RCBS scales.

I find the Frankford Pocket electronic model I have to be touchy and finnicky at times and use it more as a backup to the tried and true beam scales. The lighter the load the more flakey it seems to get, probably some technical explanation where it it more accurate in the midrange than on the ends of its measuring range or if the battery is not near new. I use my electronic scale with the x10 measure drops method, i.e. if my desired drop from the measure is 3.5g then 10 drops should equal 35g (3.5g x 10=35g) which seems to help with averaging out the light loads.

[cwlongshot]

Ill never rely upon a electronic exclusively...

You have a great scale. I do use a electronic but just for meanial tasks like sort bullets or cases.

I have a Hornady and a Cabelas scale. Small like a deck of cards.

CW

[pworley1]

I would also suggest you get a second beam scale and leave one at each house.

[C.F.Plinker]

If you get a digital scale get one that will read down to 1 milligram. This is .02 grains. If you get a good scale and then weigh the same thing ( such as a 1 inch length of wire) daily for several weeks you will get a feel for how much the "weight" varies. You will probably see that the extreme spread is either .02 grains or .04 grains. This should be good for weighing your pistol charges.

try to cut the wire to a length so that it weighs as much as your pistol charges do. Now you have a check weight for that charge. speaking of check weights, if you have a set try weighing them and see what the total spread is over time. You can also see if the digital scale agrees with your 505.

[414gates]

For pistol charges, you can get any milligram scale off Amazon, just check the reviews.

The error margin and drift are small enough that it makes no practical difference for handgun reloading.

I've tested about four different ones off Amazon, from cheap to $150, they all work exactly the same.

For rifle, I stick to beam scales.

[Winger Ed.]

The cheap electronic are great, until they lie to you.
After I 'unloaded' a couple hundred 5.56s, I dropped my Hornady one in the trash.

I'd get another beam scale to leave one at each place, or put the other in some sort of a hard case to take back & forth.

[stubshaft]

I've had too many problems with digital scales to ever get another one. I would look for a 10-10 or 10-5 and be done with it. My Ohaus 10-10 was bought in 1968 and still works fine.

[M-Tecs]

If I had to replace my Denver Instruments MXX123 it would be this one https://www.creedmoorsports.com/prod...r_sports_brand

[redriverhunter]

I will never purchase another pact. I have purchased this one https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1 I mostly use it to check against balance beam scale, and to weight bullets, it has work well so far no heavy or continues use.

[dale2242]

My Hornady scale serves me well.
No issues whatsoever.

[Bent Ramrod]

My most used electronic scale is an old Dillon D-Terminator; probably made in the ‘80s. Absolute accuracy is not the issue; where the problem arises is when I attempt to trickle in a couple more tenths of a grain. The display will do nothing, and then jump 0.3 gr or more.

So I use it for total weights, like weighing boolits or checking dumped powder charges, where it works fine and is faster than my RCBS beam scale. The beam scale comes out when I set up development loads, trickling up to different weights, 5 at a time for a box of 50.

Load-cell response must have gotten better (or more affordable) since the old Dillon came on the market, because the electronic scale on my 2011 vintage RCBS Chargemaster seems to trickle up accurately to within 0.1 gr variance, as checked on the RCBS beam scale. But it’s only dragged out when I “need” 100 or more of the exact charge for something. I must confess (as a certified High-Technophobe), that I’ve never learned all that Programming stuff that one is supposed to be able to do: storing loads and such. For exact weights or in fewer cartridges, it takes less time to set up the beam scale and trickle by hand from a powder scoop.

But in any case, I would assume that the electronic scales made now should be good enough. I would “Trust, but Verify” if I was buying one, though.

[MostlyLeverGuns]

I would get another beam scale for powder. The electronics just do not seem to be as consistent, with drift and varying sensitivity the problems. I have Hornady electronic to weigh bullets, check cases but check powder charges on an RCBS 505. The Lee Balance is very accurate, just a little tedious to use. The auction sites have balance beam scale available, prices look decent.

[Three44s]

I like beam scales, I would buy a second beam scale.

For years I used a 505 RCBS. Right now I am using a 5-10 RCBS. My 505 is on loan to a friend but I have one issue with it but I think there is an easy fix.

My issue involves when I lift the pan off the cradle the beam bangs down onto the scale frame and sometimes the “tenths” tab shifts up a tenth or more. The fix in my estimation is to secure a pencil eraser as a cushion for the beam to land on thus softening the impact and lessen the chance for the scale to “self-adjust”.

Three44s

[FWest]

I have a RCBS charge master 750. It's used as my primary scale. Check with test weights prior to loading, has not let me down. Can use 9V or wall plug.

[C.F.Plinker]

My issue involves when I lift the pan off the cradle the beam bangs down onto the scale frame and sometimes the “tenths” tab shifts up a tenth or more. The fix in my estimation is to secure a pencil eraser as a cushion for the beam to land on thus softening the impact and lessen the chance for the scale to “self-adjust”.

Three44s

You might also consider using a foam earplug which could give a "softer landing" than an eraser.

[beemer]

I also recommend a beam scale and just leave it there. If you don't let it corrode or damage it a good beam scale will be good a hundred years later. No batteries or power source to worry about. Gravity is consistent and free, at least so far.

[Tim357]

Since you are only loading for two cartridges, have you considered a powder dipper for each one? check your charge with your scale, then just use the dippers to load

[jimlj]

Thanks for all the input.
I found a used RCBS 10-10 and bought it. I didn't realize they had been discontinued, but I ended up paying about a third what new ones sold for.
It's completely crazy all the stuff I'm having to buy. Things I have several of at the other house. I was there last week and grabbed a powder measure thinking I was set. Nope, loading block, shell holders, powder funnel........I'm sure there will be more.