What scale do you like?

I would like to thank everyone for your comments.
There is no right or wrong here, just opinions.

I trust a beam myself. But I sold my stuff years ago and need to re-buy everything.
Got a bench and press on the way. Components will be a challenge.
 
The Norseman said:
I have both. I like both.

The RCBS I got when I started Reloading in 1978.

The Hornady got from the neighbor next door when
he was moving last year.
Click to expand...


I have the same RCBS Scale purchased new in 1984 has served Me well & I also have a small Frankfort Arsenal Electronic Scale


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
I have 4 scales I use; the most used is an RCBS 5-10. Easy to read and quick to adjust. Lyman/Ohaus D5, also easy to use and extremely consistent. A Lee Safety Scale, easy to adjust and read (if you take time to learn to read a vernier scale), lockable poise and while dampening is a bit slower, just as accurate and repeatable as my others. I also have a Frankfort Arsenal Platinum digital. Pretty good but I still don't trust digitals 100% after two previous fails. I calibrate it every time I get it out, "tare" it often and double check it against my beam scales during set up...
 
glowe said:
I just don't get it. I can see no simpler way to weigh and dispense powder than with an electronic scale. I have one I picked up at Cabelas years ago and it is so accurate that I can load down to a couple grains with great accuracy. I can do 1.1 grains accurately enough even for my 32 S&W. I can weigh up to 1500g and easily sort heavy bullets as well.

I might be a belt and suspenders guy, but I find the right dipper for whatever I am loading and check the weight with the scale. I do not use a powder dispenser, but weigh every load. I have not used a beam balance since college chemistry and they seem clumsy to me, so I wonder why does everyone likes beam balances?. Is it because they have never used an electronic scale, scale is easier to use than an electronic scale with a powder dispenser, or something else? Maybe I need a beam balance?
Click to expand...
I have owned 3 digitals scales and all have the same problems. The first two died early deaths starting with "zero wandering" and needed taring often. One I was not able to calibrate and it soon died completely. I cannot trickle up accurately on any, even my newer FA Platinum, "decent" performance so far . I throw a charge and weigh it, normally .1-.3 below target weight. Trying to trickle up is a very slow process, trickle and wait, trickle and wait. Most of the time when trying to trickle up the read out jumps .2 or .3 gr heavier, very difficult to go .1 grain. If I lift and replace the pan the weight jumps at least .1 grain. I have turned off all lights in my shop, turned off the radio/CD player, turned off any fans in the room and just used an incandescent 100 w desk lamp for light. Still very slow trickling. I have beam scales that are 99.9% repeatable, I can weigh 1/2 of a postage stamp, they never have batteries die, and none need a a "pure" power source, I can listen to my CD player and use fluorescent lighting in the same room...

I have the time as I'm in no hurry and never need 500 rounds "right now" so I weight a lot of my loads, and during a load work up I weigh each load to .1 gr... :rolleyes:
 
Last edited:
I have a Lyman 1200 DPS 3 Digital Powder Scale and Dispenser System 110 Volt. It has worked flawlessly for many years. I have check weights to verify its accuracy. It has been replaced with the Lyman Gen 6 Compact Touch Screen Digital Powder Scale and Dispenser. I'd buy it in a heartbeat if I needed one.
 
I've only owned 2 scales since starting out in 1980; an RCBS 5-0-5 and an older Pacific scale made in Nebraska. Both have served me well in 40 years. I've looked at reviews on some of the digital scales, and just keep using my beams.
 
I have been using a '70s ere Redding Beam scale. It is very easy to set up and it is quick. I do not use the oil dampening, I stabilize it with a pencil point.

Mals
 
stansdds said:
I have only one scale, the one I bought over 30 years ago, a Lyman 1000. If you want to spend big bucks, Ohaus makes great beam balance scales.

I think beam balance scales have advantages over electronic scales. They have no batteries to replace. They do not require electricity. They last forever.
Click to expand...

My experience is very limited but I must agree. I have one scale, purchased about 47 years ago. Ohaus 10-10 model. Still does everything I ask of it and does it very well and reliably. I may not last forever, but I think the old Ohaus will do so.
 
I forget how much I paid for my Lee balance beam scale, but it couldn't have been much all those many years ago. Yet, it is still going strong, and I have never felt the need for anything better.
 
I'm cheap. I don't do any competition shooting or worry about extreme accuracy so +/- a tenth of a grain is close enough for me. I load 3 different calibers and have a powder measure set up for each one so the calibrations on them don't change since I also use the same 3 powders in them all the time.

I use an electronic scale I got for $20 on ebay to check every tenth load as I'm loading on a single stage press. Before I start a reloading session I double check the electronic scale against the also cheap Lee balance beam scale I have.

The way I see it, the only way a problem could develop would be if 3 things went wrong at once. The balance scale would have to not catch an inaccuracy in the electronic one, the electronic one would have to somehow be off all of a sudden and the powder measure would have to start varying it's drop. In my mind the chance that all 3 of those things will occur is near zero. Oh, and I always look in the cases before seating the bullets so if the charge was significantly off I think I'd notice that way as well.

Some people need high end equipment to suit their applications. I don't think I do. My loads always work and punch paper just fine.
 
I bought a RCBS 10-10 back when I was single and had money. Works fine 30-odd years later. No point point in replacing it.
 
I use an Ohaus 10-10 that was included in a complete setup of used equipment I bought from a friend when I started loading about 6 years ago.

I love it. Admittedly, part of why I love it is 1/ it's a great scale and 2/ I enjoy the "tradition" associated with using it....doing things kind of the old fashioned way.

I have anti-interest in going digital. It adds yet another thing to manage (battery or cord on the bench) when I'm trying to simplify things. And it introduces yet another category of things to obsess over. (e.g. Are my lights impacting it? Is it repeatable and consistent over time? etc.)

I used a set of digital calipers for a number of years. Very slowly, over a long period of time, they started to **** out. I was fiddling with them a lot before I realized they were going downhill. I decided to get a set of mechanical calipers and as a result I eliminated a reasonable chunk of stress from my reloading life. That experience has kept me firmly planted in the beam scale world.
 
I have and use many scales but like the RCBS 510 and my go to most of the time is a RCBS 304 Balance Scale. Also have a 3 bean Ohaus but hardly ever use it. For quick weighing I also have a Dillon electronic that is at least 20 years old..Also do use a RCBS scale /measure just for large rifle loading. Seems to work just fine...but most handgun the Dillon powder measure works fine for
 
My ol' Ohaus...

Well, and the one in the bathroom that says I've managed to lose 20lbs since the advent of the DEM-PANIC!

CHEERS!
 
More seriously...

mmb617 said:
I'm cheap. I don't do any competition shooting or worry about extreme accuracy so +/- a tenth of a grain is close enough for me. I load 3 different calibers and have a powder measure set up for each one so the calibrations on them don't change since I also use the same 3 powders in them all the time.

I use an electronic scale I got for $20 on ebay to check every tenth load as I'm loading on a single stage press. Before I start a reloading session I double check the electronic scale against the also cheap Lee balance beam scale I have.

The way I see it, the only way a problem could develop would be if 3 things went wrong at once. The balance scale would have to not catch an inaccuracy in the electronic one, the electronic one would have to somehow be off all of a sudden and the powder measure would have to start varying it's drop. In my mind the chance that all 3 of those things will occur is near zero. Oh, and I always look in the cases before seating the bullets so if the charge was significantly off I think I'd notice that way as well.

Some people need high end equipment to suit their applications. I don't think I do. My loads always work and punch paper just fine.
Click to expand...

...I even use the old LEE DIPPERS (in conjuction with my Ohaus, an inexpensive Lyman electronic and my Hornady AutoCharge) as a way to further establish the accuracy of powder loads via a volume cross-check.

It is interesting how some of the LEE DIPPERS correspond very closely with some of my favorite pistol caliber loads with certain powders.

Cheers!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

S
New Member with 629 and questions!
Replies
9
Views
433
Stratman01
S
George_P_Burdell
Drop-leg holster - recommendation request
Replies
11
Views
604
walkin' trails
W
B
Bodyguard 2.0 defense ammo.
Replies
6
Views
309
IAM Rand
IAM Rand
S
.22 wheel gun with a decent da trigger?
2 3
Replies
54
Views
3K
Shibadog
S
C
BodyGuard 2.0 Problem .380
Replies
8
Views
249
Jra*1951
Jra*1951

Latest posts

Back
Top