Digital powder scales.

[john_little]

Good evening all

Does anyone have experience of, dare I say, the cheaper digital scales on the market? There seem to be more and more available now, are any of them accurate enough to give repeatable measurements?

 

[Heym SR20]

I have a green digital scale - RCBS i think. I also have a lee balance beam scale. The digital works ok, but sensitive to vibration and needs regular recalibration. I bought a conplete load of reloading kit from somebody who was giving up.

i much prefer the mechanical lee type scale for checking loads - Just seems much more consistent to me. If you have a decent beam scale I would save your cash.

 

[john_little]

I have a green digital scale - RCBS i think. I also have a lee balance beam scale. The digital works ok, but sensitive to vibration and needs regular recalibration. I bought a conplete load of reloading kit from somebody who was giving up.

i much prefer the mechanical lee type scale for checking loads - Just seems much more consistent to me. If you have a decent beam scale I would save your cash.

That’s what I was thinking too, I have an old Lyman 500, it works ok. Just thought a compact digital would take up a little less space if trustable.

 

[petesv]

Hi john i had a gempro digital scale ,and all i will say i now use a hornady and rcbs mechanical scales they are much quicker and far more accurate.
Pete.

 

[Carlsuffolk]

A lot of the cheaper digital scales measure in .2 increments, so not good for reloading, check first before parting with any money

 

[NP435]

I have a PACT digital, and after i got the static handled works well, I also calibrate each time i use it. Hornady balance beam also on bench in case...............

 

[Pedro]

I've got an MTM case-gard digital scale which I've tried of late. However as with all digital stuff it seems, if you ignore it for a while it switches itself off. So no sneaking away to make a coffee half way through proceedings. I also wonder if I spill a little powder it'll go down the side and affect things. So I find myself shaking it upside down now and again. But for all that, it seems accurate.

 

[NP435]

I've got an MTM case-gard digital scale which I've tried of late. However as with all digital stuff it seems, if you ignore it for a while it switches itself off. So no sneaking away to make a coffee half way through proceedings. I also wonder if I spill a little powder it'll go down the side and affect things. So I find myself shaking it upside down now and again. But for all that, it seems accurate.

Consider canned air intended to clean key pads rather than shake the scale. Best wishes for good shooting.

 

[SamHuntVic]

I use the digital scale which came with the Hornady Classic Kit. It measures to .1 gr consistently. I have emptied a loaded cartridge and re weighed the powder a couple of minutes later and have the same result.
.1 gr is close enough for me.
Grant.

 

[Steff]

Some of the reasons why people don't get along with didital scales or why they thing that they are not precises:

1. Ignoring the warm-up phase
2. Not calibrating the scales before every use
3. Adding or removing of poweder while the pan sits on the scales

No. 3 is the most common error. Tricklers simply don't work with our regular reloading scales. Say you throw 44.0 grs. onto the scales, then add a little to arrive at 44.2. This may really be 44.3, but this isn't registered unless the you lift the pan off the scales and put it back on.

 

[Pedro]

Some of the reasons why people don't get along with didital scales or why they thing that they are not precises:

1. Ignoring the warm-up phase
2. Not calibrating the scales before every use
3. Adding or removing of poweder while the pan sits on the scales

No. 3 is the most common error. Tricklers simply don't work with our regular reloading scales. Say you throw 44.0 grs. onto the scales, then add a little to arrive at 44.2. This may really be 44.3, but this isn't registered unless the you lift the pan off the scales and put it back on.

Interesting...

 

[Steff]

Forgot one thing. Don‘t have the missus run the washing machine while you‘re trying to get constant readings.

 

[john_little]

Tried the scales in the Lab at work, measuring to 0.001 accuracy and in a glass bubble, they didn’t give a repeated reading. Think I’ll get an RCBS mechanical scale.
Thanks for the reply’s

 

[Steff]

Tried the scales in the Lab at work, measuring to 0.001 accuracy and in a glass bubble, they didn’t give a repeated reading. Think I’ll get an RCBS mechanical scale.
Thanks for the reply’s

0.001 what, please?

 

[john_little]

0.001 what, please?

Grams, it’s used to measure dry weight of digestate or some such, I was only playing with it

 

[Steff]

Thank you. And what was the magnitude of inaccuracy?
I don‘t think I need to tell you that 0.1 grains are the equal of ..00648 gramms.
If a reloading scale is capable of 0.1 grs. accuracy, it is fit for purpose.
It should also be clear that all reloading scales, be they mechanical or electronic, cannot possibly live up to the accuracy of laboratory instruments at a high multitude of the price.
It is of course up to you to use your own yardstick, but moving to mechanical scales will solve your perceived problem.

 

[1066]

Here's an interesting video about digital scales.

 

[bluesako]

I have a PACT digital, and after i got the static handled works well, I also calibrate each time i use it. Hornady balance beam also on bench in case...............

pact for me never had a problem with them, this is my second set in 24 years

 

[Sonicdmb73]

I have the MTM (iirc) scales I use them for weighing bullets but not powder.
Even if I calibrate every time them they are not accurate enough for loading.
I use my balance scales and a homemade version of the charge master.

 

[quarryman]

I have an Ohaus analytical balance,accurate to .002gn.I calbrate before each use but as I reload in batches of a few hundred at a time,it's not a big deal.It's accurate,consistent and well worth the investment.