Advice on powder scale purchase

[rustythread]

I'm building myself a reloading bench and planning on resurrecting my ~30-year-old Dillon 550B. i expect that the vast majority of reloads will be handgun cartridges--38 Sp., 45 ACP and 9mm. Maybe later, some .223 and .308 rifle rounds.
It has been a great while since I reloaded, so I'll be re-learning from scratch.
Accordingly, I expect that most of my use of a scale will be for setting up and periodicly re-verifying the reloader.
My vision is less than optimal, which makes electronic scales with easy-to-read numbers tempting, but the stories about interference from phones and lights are concerning.
I would appreciate any suggestions.
Thank you.

 

[stanmerrell]

I have on old fashioned scale and an inexpensive digital. A Frankford Arsenal brand I believe. It works great. After awhile, I put the old balance beam scale away and just use the digital.

 

[DWalt]

I have used a simple Redding balance for over 35 years. There are similar models from other manufacturers. Its main use is for setting my Lyman 55 powder dispensers for handgun loads. I also have a Lyman 1200 DPS II digital scale/dispenser which I use for rifle calibers. Those are a little pricey but worth it if you are a serious rifle reloader. I have used it since 2008. Of course it can be used just for weighing if you choose, but there are far cheaper digital scales made for that purpose. I have never had any of the supposed electrical interference problems with the Lyman that some others have reported. The major irritant is that there is a half-hour warmup period required before use with the Lyman. I normally use a lab grade Ohaus quad-beam magnetically dampened centigram scale for weighing bullets and heavier things. It could also be used for weighing powder, but that requires doing a simple unit conversion from grams to grains (15.43 grains per gram). No trick if using a pocket calculator. My Ohaus, 311 gram capacity, approximately 4600 grains:

 

[6string]

If you're building a bench, then why not plan for an easy visibility shelf at eye level so you can more easily read the scale?
This will make a nice reliable beam scale more appealing to use.

 

[socal s&w]

^^^^
Good suggestion. A beam scale should actually be close to eye level anyway, otherwise the visual can be canted and reading is not as accurate an 'eye to scale' should be.
The old O'haus 10-10 beam scales are very good, I believe that RCBS bought the rights and are now makes them in China....Hmmmm. I bought a made in USA older used one for a great price, took it to a local O'Haus scale vendor to have it checked. It was perfect. I might recommend looking for a good used O'Haus beam scale.
Otherwise revert to most recommended digie's most of the earlier issues that you pointed out have been remedied.

 

[Sevens]

Personally, I’ll cast a vote against a shelf on the load bench for the scale. I much prefer the scale to live out it’s destiny on a shelf (definitely eye level!) that is in no way whatsoever attached to the load bench or any work bench that is subjected to constant/repeated action and vibration.

These days my scales sit on a very shallow upright multi-level shelf. I’m pretty sure this unit is a CD/DVD rack. I’ve got some ballast down low and at the top it is tethered to the wall.

Gravity seems to be a constant on this planet and my beam scales love that. I’ve always been a beam scale guy, suspect I always will be, but my scales live on a shelf that has no fan, no brass tumbler, no power tools and isn’t subjected to any movement.

 

[tominboise]

Much like Dwalt, my only scale is the Redding beam scale I got in 1972. It's worked fine in all that time and I have not felt the need to invest in a digital scale.

 

[hyena]

Same here. I took about a 40 year break and when I got back into it I still use the same Redding beam scale.

I did buy an inexpensive digital scale but it was erratic so I returned it. I suspect cheap is not the way to go on electronic scales.

 

[CactusCapt]

Older RCBS/Ohaus 5-10 and 502 scales are two of my favorites and can be had a very reasonable prices if you shop around at shows, classifieds and certain auction websites. Don't shy away from the more expensive 10-10 and 505 scales or their Lyman equivalents if you find them for a good price. Picked up a nice 5-10 at a garage sale for $15 recently- I cleaned it up, calibrated it and gave it to my daughter who I'm teaching to reload.

 

[austintexas]

I have a Hornaday GS 1500 and a Ohas 505 I bought in the early 60s. So far neither has failed me. Had a Dillon electronic that crapped out in about 3 years, had a 1 year warranty, new ones too expensive.
SWCA 892
.

 

[AzShooter]

I'd go with the Dillon scale. You already know their equipment and their warranty is fantastic.

I just found one of their scales in my garage that hasn't even been open yet. Funny the things you find when you don't expect it.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

It depends upon how much you want to spend. For what you described it will be used for I suggest a good beam scale.

I'm not a fan of the newer scales because they are not made as well IMO so I would suggest buying a used scale. I have both the RCBS 5-0-5 scale and an older Ohaus 10-10 scale which IMO is the best balance beam scale ever made.

The reason I have both is, I bought the 5-0-5 when I first started loading and the 10-10 later on used for a price I couldn't pass up. ($40) both have served me very well and I highly recommend them. If you don't intend on weighing bullets that are heavier than 511gr the 5-0-5 is just fine.

If you're afraid the older RCBS scale might be worn out or defective they have a lifetime warranty. The completely rebuilt me 5-0-5 scale for me without a charge, not even the return shipping. (RCBS customer service is second to none)

I know you didn't ask but for a powder measure but a Lyman 55 or an RCBS Uniflow.

 

[stansdds]

Beam balance scales are reliable and not prone to interference from fluorescent lights, cell phones, or most other electrical devices. Mine is on a wall mounted shelf so the bench imparts no vibration to the scale. It is at eye level and well lit, so it is easy to read.

 

[9mmPatriot]

National Metallic.
It just works.

[ame]https://www.amazon.com/National-Metallic-Electronic-Powder-Capacity/dp/B07HP3DWW6/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8[/ame]

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

I had lost the pan to my Ohas 10-10 scale and bought a Dillon beam scale at a stocking dealer. What a piece of junk!

I have 3 digital scales, as they age, they lose their ability to not wander around the desired setting. I found my 10-10 pan and trust it. I also have a Mid 80's Hornady "Magnetic Dampened" beam scale, it it extremely sensitive (in a good way!) and accurate. and repeats weights for days on end! I have

I have the large and small sets of Lyman Check Weights and check my scales often. The Ohas and Hornady have never changed!

I load on a 1984 Dillon 450, converted to a 550b, and load all the cartridges listed and more! Once the case mouth activated powder drop is properly set, it drops the same volume of powder until readjusted. If you change to a different lot # on your powder, you could have a weight change. (I buy 4 or 8 pound jugs of powder to deal with this!)

For pistol loading, When I think the powder drop is correctly adjusted, I drop 10 charges in the scale's pan and weigh and divide by 10. That gives me the true average. I do 5 on large rifle charges.

My Dillon success story is, In 1984 I loaded 20,000 rounds of 223 for my Mini-14 and got 1.5 MOA at best. I thought it was the ammo. I sold the Mine in about 1992 and in 1994 bought a Bushmaster AR-15 and scoped it with a Leupold Veri-X III 6.5-20x40mm AO That same batch of ammo shoots .1 to .25 MOA out of several rifles (So it wasn't my ammo!) That load was WW748, CCI Small Rifle Mag primers, and Winchester 55 gr FMJ w/Cannelure, and mixed military brass. It took most of a month to prep and load all those rounds! When I moved about 7 years ago I still had 6000-6500 left so I gave half to one of my sons that has a Stag Left handed AR. He gets the kind of groups I do with a Red Dot! (Thanks to his USMC training!)

I also loaded my most used cartridges, 45 ACP, 45 Colt, 44-40, 44 Special, 9mm Lugar, and 38 Special in batches of 5000. Depending on what sport I was shooting at the time, 5000 rounds was a 6 month to 2 year supply. Coming up with those quantities of brass, bullets, and primers wasn't difficult in the 80's and 90's, now, it is a big problem!

Have fun getting back to reloading, shooting it all, and reloading again!

Ivan

 

[LostintheOzone]

If all you do is check the powder throw from the Dillion a beam scale should be all you need. I need to break mine out and check my digital scale. The digital scale is supposed to check itself but I'm not sure if that's entirely possible. I think my beam scale is RCBS but I would have to check.

For pistol ammo it doesn't matter if you throw 0.10 grain +/-. For precision rifle ammo it matters. I load all my pistol and .223 with a digital Frankfort scale like this one.

[ame]https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EE6GHU8/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=Tyche-6065-20[/ame]


Works fine for my needs.

 

[Oil Field Trash]

Dillon digital for me

I too use the 550 Dillon (bought in 1989) and their digital scale. I keep a balance beam for back up but have never had an issue with the digital. Easy to read. Just don't have a fan overhead as it'll cause the unit to drift.

 

[fordson]

I use a digital scale for quick set up and weight checks. My “Master Scale”, an RCBS 10-10, is the finale word on all charge weight.

 

[WR Moore]

Don't forget the check weights. Found my Redding beam scale to be off 0.1 gr at something like 44 grain weight. No big deal, but surprising.

 

[mikld]

I Have tried 4 different digital scales over my 40+ year reloading career. None match the repeatability of a beam scale. The common problems I have had were short life (one died after 8 months), wandering zero, poor repeatability (weigh a charge, remove pan, replace pan, getting a different weight). I have a few balance beam scales and while a bit slower than a digital, they are consistently accurate and repeatable even my 30 year old Lee Safety Scale. I have tried all the common suggestions; AC over battery power, no fluorescent lighting, no open windows/breezes, no cell phone, no CD player/radio speakers on, and warm-up periods. All suffer from the same failures, but my bean scales (now using an RCBS 5-10 I bought used several [20?] years ago) are very consistently accurate/repeatable.

There are many "hints" for old eyes reading scale hash marks from magnifying glasses to digital cameras/tablets. I have my scale close, mebbe 18" away from my face, use a 100 watt desk lamp to illuminate the scale and focus with my mid lens of my trifocals. Works for me...