I'm looking for a reliable electronic scale for reloading use.
Any recommendations?
Any recommendations?
Reliable electronic scale
- Thread starter mojave30cal
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gmiller0737
Member
I've had this one for 6 or 8 months so far it's been good I still Verify on My old RCBS 5-10 Balance Beam Scale
National Metallic Digital Powder Scale 1600 Grain Capacity
National Metallic Digital Powder Scale 1600 Grain Capacity
Golphin
Member
I have a Lyman that has been good for a couple of years. I also use a beam scale and check each of them against each other before I start a load or if anything does not seem right.
rockquarry
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I haven't been impressed with electronic scales. If you want a reliable one that's not tempermental and the readings don't need to be regularly verified with a balance beam scale, you'll have to spend a lot more than the than the cost of the electronic scales that most handloaders use.
Ivan the Butcher
Member
As bazar as this sounds a $15-25 dope scale. I found 3 during an eviction and gave one to mom and one to my brother (for gold and silver trading)
They are in Grams, Grains, Carats & Penny weight. Ours run on one AA battery and are as accurate as my RCBS digital. You will need a pan of some sort too.
Ivan
They are in Grams, Grains, Carats & Penny weight. Ours run on one AA battery and are as accurate as my RCBS digital. You will need a pan of some sort too.
Ivan
I bought a fairly inexpensive one when they first became popular, but sat it on the shelf and use my RCBS 10-10. found it was often more hassle than the RCBS, and the one I had had an auto shut off after 10 seconds, so had to reset the Tare Wt and grains every time. I trust the balance beam, I didn't trust the electronic.
I have had an old Lyman LE 1000 for many years but it had a tendency to drift and needed to be re zeroed frequently. More recently I got a Lyman Pocket Touch which works well but the plastic pan seems to be electro static and powder sticks to it so I use the LE 1000 aluminum pan.
No problems so far.
No problems so far.
Ivan the Butcher
Member
To remove static charge from plastic parts: Wash in super soapy water, do not rinse, let air dry. For something that small I would a 1 cup measurer with a big squirt of dishwashing liquid in hot water.
Ivan
I Googled "dope scales" when I read this, and now the DEA is knocking on my door.
Hasbeen1945
Absent Comrade
I use a RCBS electronic scale. I calibrate, then weigh an object near the weight I’m weighing. When I’m finished loading I check the object I started with. My paper clip weighs 6.5 grains.
typetwelve
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This is what I've found as well.
With that said, I do like digital scales, with a purpose.
I recently bought a Dillon digital terminator scale and my first time with it was on Sat. I found that while it will drift a bit, if you zero it often it will work fine, and even when I was trickling on it (something they recommend against). Like you said, I did use my trusty bar scale to keep it honest.
My favorite thing to do with a fast digital scale is when weighing powder drops in case. I'll zero the primed case, drop the charge, then quick test it on the scale. This is an extremely fast process and something my bar scale just cannot do.
I cannot justify spending the super high amounts that some do...I won't drop $400-500+ on a scale.
Here's what I use: [ame]https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003TNZ37U/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_imm_FEYMM0KJCZNHMW3EK4RQ[/ame]
And the following check weights:[ame]https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005I0I39M/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_imm_8V6F6T3CKE4C27DQ3MV6?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1[/ame]
This scale and check weight set has served me well for about 10 years now.
And the following check weights:[ame]https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005I0I39M/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_imm_8V6F6T3CKE4C27DQ3MV6?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1[/ame]
This scale and check weight set has served me well for about 10 years now.
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I use a RCBS chargemaster scale and powder measure. Level on a wood bench and calibrate according to instructions. Expensive-Yes, accurate-yes, reliable yes. You get what You pay for. I also have a Dillon electronic and a Redding balance beam.
gregintenn
Member
I bought a little pocket model Frankford Arsenal from Midway years ago. It was on sale for $20. I didn’t expect much out of it, but it turned out to be pretty much all I use.
Twoboxer
Member
Sorry, no digital scale under $500 will be "reliable" in all reloading rooms. Some are DOA or die shortly thereafter, and once actually in use there's a high likelihood they will flutter and lose zero.
You can resolve those issues when caused by static electricity or drafts. But the problem of RF noise over the air or through the line are difficult to impossible to eliminate . . . if they exist in your reloading room. Today everything from cell phones to motors, WiFi to fluorescent ballasts, microwaves to A/V equipment is a transmission source. Since all scales under ~$500 use the same technology (strain gauge load cells), they are all susceptible to that noise. That fluttering and loss of zero (requiring constant re-zeroing) during or after any weighing renders that weighing unreliable.
So if you want to try a digital scale, buy any cheap one (eg on Amazon) that has a fairly high number of purchases and fairly high rating. Try it in your reloading room. If it works for you, you win.
If you can't stop it fluttering and losing zero, you're not out a lot of money. Then, if you still want a "reliable digital scale", buy the A&D FX120i for ~$5XX (depending on the Canadian exchange rate) from the source most reloaders use.
That scale is the least expensive reported anywhere that uses a different technology and can be safely recommended as reliable in *your* reloading room. It can also be expanded immediately or later with an AutoTrickler that converts it into a "Chargemaster" that actually works precisely and reliably to +/- about a kernel of powder.
You can resolve those issues when caused by static electricity or drafts. But the problem of RF noise over the air or through the line are difficult to impossible to eliminate . . . if they exist in your reloading room. Today everything from cell phones to motors, WiFi to fluorescent ballasts, microwaves to A/V equipment is a transmission source. Since all scales under ~$500 use the same technology (strain gauge load cells), they are all susceptible to that noise. That fluttering and loss of zero (requiring constant re-zeroing) during or after any weighing renders that weighing unreliable.
So if you want to try a digital scale, buy any cheap one (eg on Amazon) that has a fairly high number of purchases and fairly high rating. Try it in your reloading room. If it works for you, you win.
If you can't stop it fluttering and losing zero, you're not out a lot of money. Then, if you still want a "reliable digital scale", buy the A&D FX120i for ~$5XX (depending on the Canadian exchange rate) from the source most reloaders use.
That scale is the least expensive reported anywhere that uses a different technology and can be safely recommended as reliable in *your* reloading room. It can also be expanded immediately or later with an AutoTrickler that converts it into a "Chargemaster" that actually works precisely and reliably to +/- about a kernel of powder.
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I use the charge master lite. Level on the table, calibrate before starting every time, and it does just fine. Only times it ever weighs wrong is if I make the table jerk.
The first few charges take longer to finish dribbling in, it’s learning the powder, then it goes faster. Haven’t had any issues with it other than making the table jerk.
It never flutters or loses zero while going or when stopped, I still check every tenth round against the balance beam scale. Dead on every time.
The first few charges take longer to finish dribbling in, it’s learning the powder, then it goes faster. Haven’t had any issues with it other than making the table jerk.
It never flutters or loses zero while going or when stopped, I still check every tenth round against the balance beam scale. Dead on every time.
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9mmPatriot
Member
Bought that one from Midway in January when I started reloading, So far it has worked perfectly.
rcbs rangemaster 2000
Hello. I am an NRA high power service rifle shooter and i have been using an electronic scale since the 90s. We need very accurate loads and I have been using the pact electronic scale until very recently when i replaced it with the rcbs rangemaster 2000. I found the pact scale to be quick and extremely reliable and accurate when used with check weights. I zeroed the scale with the pan on it and when i removed it, i would note the reading of the scale minus the pan. As long as that reading remained constant, I would throw each charge into the pan and weigh it. The scale was very accurate to within + or - 0.1 grain. Lately, it began to fail me (not surprising since I had it since 1994 or thereabouts) so I began to look around. I have used rcbs equipment since the 70s so i looked at the rcbs website and I found the new rangemaster 2000 for $150 with a $50 rebate last year. I have been using this new rcbs scale and it is even nicer and quicker than the pact scale and just as accurate. Every 10 rounds or so, i will weigh a 20 grain check weight just to make sure that it is still on the money. I can usually accurately weigh out 100 charges or more before i have to adjust the scale. I would never ever go back to the balance beam again and I had a very good rcbs balance beam. Just my $.02
Hello. I am an NRA high power service rifle shooter and i have been using an electronic scale since the 90s. We need very accurate loads and I have been using the pact electronic scale until very recently when i replaced it with the rcbs rangemaster 2000. I found the pact scale to be quick and extremely reliable and accurate when used with check weights. I zeroed the scale with the pan on it and when i removed it, i would note the reading of the scale minus the pan. As long as that reading remained constant, I would throw each charge into the pan and weigh it. The scale was very accurate to within + or - 0.1 grain. Lately, it began to fail me (not surprising since I had it since 1994 or thereabouts) so I began to look around. I have used rcbs equipment since the 70s so i looked at the rcbs website and I found the new rangemaster 2000 for $150 with a $50 rebate last year. I have been using this new rcbs scale and it is even nicer and quicker than the pact scale and just as accurate. Every 10 rounds or so, i will weigh a 20 grain check weight just to make sure that it is still on the money. I can usually accurately weigh out 100 charges or more before i have to adjust the scale. I would never ever go back to the balance beam again and I had a very good rcbs balance beam. Just my $.02
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I've had an RCBS digital scale for over 30 years and nary a problem. I do unplug it when going on vacation, or the threat of a thunderstorm, but other than that, it stays on all the time. When I do turn it on after it's been off, I always let it warm up a bit before check weighing with it.
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