Author Topic: Powder Scales (Read 1180 times)

hardly · « **on:** July 23, 2008, 05:47:17 AM »

I am presently measuring powder for my target loads with $1500 analytical balance. Very accurate but very inconvient since it's located 10 miles from my reloading bench. I am looking for something to have at home and am looking a Dillon Terminator, Lyman 1500 XP and the RCBS ChargeMaster 1500. Just wondering if these $150 scales are accurate how well do they hold zero. Can anyone give me a recommendation for either of these or something better?? thanks.

fastbike · « **Reply #1 on:** July 23, 2008, 07:30:48 AM »

Those will all work fine. A beam scale such as the RCBS 5-0-5 will also be accurate enough (~0.05 grain) and will be much less expensive. Just depends on what you want

Quote from: hardly on July 23, 2008, 05:47:17 AM

I am presently measuring powder for my target loads with $1500 analytical balance. Very accurate but very inconvient since it's located 10 miles from my reloading bench. I am looking for something to have at home and am looking a Dillon Terminator, Lyman 1500 XP and the RCBS ChargeMaster 1500. Just wondering if these $150 scales are accurate how well do they hold zero. Can anyone give me a recommendation for either of these or something better?? thanks.

stimpylu32 · « **Reply #2 on:** July 23, 2008, 08:06:01 AM »

hardly

Any of those will do you a fine job , it all comes down to the time you want to spend weighting charges and the money you are willing to spend , for that matter even the little $25 Lee scale will weigh charges at +/- .01 .

If money is not an issue then look at the RCBS Charge Master Combo , sure its around $400 but it will drop and weigh a charge while you seat the bullet in the round you just filled with just the tough of a button and will let you program your favorate loads for future use .

stimpy

quickdtoo · « **Reply #3 on:** July 23, 2008, 09:04:05 AM »

The Chargemaster Combo is less than $300 Stimpy, but it'll be $400 sooner than we like!!

The scale can be used independently of the dispenser too.

Tim

http://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/item.asp?sku=0004498923

http://www.6mmbr.com/powderdispensers01.html

stimpylu32 · « **Reply #4 on:** July 23, 2008, 09:37:38 AM »

Tim

I was going by the RCBS web site and we all know what those prices are like

they list it at $440

Thank god for midsouth and midway

Richard

LaOtto222 · « **Reply #5 on:** July 23, 2008, 09:16:20 PM »

I have a RCBS 505 and a Redding trickler that I used for years (still have them). It is dependable and felt I never got a bad charge. I now have the RCBS Charge Master 1500 combo. It sure cut down on the reloading time. I use a different method for it that the beam scale. I used to do 50 at a time and check levels in all of the cartridges before seating bullets. I now do them one at a time. While the next one is weighing up, I seat the bullet in the one I just dropped a charge into. Of course I visually check the powder level before seating the bullet as a gut check. This method works very well for me, usually I seat the bullet and put it into storage, just as the next charge is finishing. Good Luck and Good Shooting.

MnMike · « **Reply #6 on:** July 30, 2008, 06:15:53 PM »

I bought an DigiWeigh electronic scale on E-Bay for about $20. It weighs in oz., grams, carats, and grains. I have tested it many times with my old scale and it matches perfectly.

JMHO as a cheap SOB,

mike

PaulS · « **Reply #7 on:** July 30, 2008, 10:53:15 PM »

Mike,
Before you put absolute faith in that scale try this little experiment:
take one bullet - the weight doesn't really matter.
turn your scale on, warm it up and set the zero.
every minute or so measure that bullet's weight and record the exact weight shown.
Do this a minimum of 20 times.
If the weight that you measure varies more than .2 grain then be sure to check your loads with a balance scale.

nodlenor · « **Reply #8 on:** July 31, 2008, 03:31:38 AM »

I use a RCBS 10-10. It works great and is very accurate. I've tried more than one electronic scale and didn't like them. Give me a balance beam any day.

jgalar · « **Reply #9 on:** July 31, 2008, 11:52:39 AM »

Another happy RCBS 10-10 user here. I find it easy to use and quick enough for me. For what I use it for I have no need for a digital. There are plenty of balance beam scales out there for quite a bit less than $150.

PaulS · « **Reply #10 on:** July 31, 2008, 07:53:58 PM »

I have only tried a couple of electronic scales and they weren't the expensive ones either. The problem is that I couldn't get repeatable measurements on them within 10 grains from heavy to light. I did the test I listed above and it took a very short time to find out that the scale was useless for anything other than weighing letters.

beemanbeme · « **Reply #11 on:** August 01, 2008, 06:29:11 AM »

I've used a Ohaus 10-10 for a lot of years. A couple of years ago, I got a DPS 1500. At first, I would proof it against the 10-10 every time I set it up. It was always right on. And so, I soon abandoned that. The 10-10 now collects dust. I did have a power failure once. In the middle of a two day match and so the 10-10 was dusted off. (yes Virginia, I did reload by the light of a Coleman latern. I have a generator now)
I paid @ $250 for my DPS and if a fellow is just getting into reloading, that's an awful lot to spend when you can get a good balance beam for a lot less. You can get a good balance beam scale for a lot less than a 10-10 for that matter. With a balance beam, you don't have to wonder about electricity nor power surges nor is it right. The scale is as accurate as you are. I don't think a fellow should have an electronic scale as his only means of weighing powder.

victorcharlie · « **Reply #12 on:** August 01, 2008, 04:00:08 PM »

I'm another 10-10 user. I did buy an RCBS digital scale a couple of weeks ago....mostly to weigh bullets and cases.

I haven't used the digital enough to judge it yet....

Autorim · « **Reply #13 on:** August 01, 2008, 04:31:44 PM »

Doesn't anyone use powder measures?

dpe.ahoy · « **Reply #14 on:** August 01, 2008, 07:24:22 PM »

I've been using a Lyman 1200 since they came out. Sure wouldn't want to give it up. It drops a charge and I seat a bullet while it drops the next. I check it every time I turn it on and it warms up. Also have some Lee Perfect powder measures set to use for the standard loads that I don't change. Only thing to watch for with the Lyman is the use of flourescent lights close to it. Guess it can effect the thing. I also zero it every 10-12 drops just to be safe. DP

PaulS · « **Reply #15 on:** August 01, 2008, 08:55:39 PM »

Using a scale in that way (weighing the charge, filling the case and then seating the bullet would slow down my reloading.
I charge all my cases at once and set them into blocks. I then check the level of powder in all the cases against each other - that way I know there are no light or heavy loads. Besides - I don't where the turret out on my press by turning it so much.

wncchester · « **Reply #16 on:** August 02, 2008, 02:50:24 AM »

dpe.ahoy - (using a Lyman 1200) "It drops a charge and I seat a bullet while it drops the next."

Obviously, that's a workable system but I would be uncomfortable with seating one round while the next charge is being measured and weighed. Seating immediately after charging precludes comparing the powder levels for noticeable variations.

Much like PaulS, I batch process my cases through every step of loading while the cases are in a loading block. That works whether I'm dropping charges directly from the measure or weighting them before funneling the powder in. Then, before seating, by comparing the powder columns I can confirm that they are the same and there was no significant bit of trash, bug, pebble, etc., in any case before charging.

Okay, fact is, in 43 years of loading I've never had a single case that had such an inclusion but the potential for it remains real.

beemanbeme · « **Reply #17 on:** August 02, 2008, 07:49:07 AM »

Well Duh, mine is a DPS 1200 not a 1500. I had a senior moment. I don't think I could seat a bullet whilst mine was running another charge. I have a conventional floor in my reloading room and if I move around too much, especially if I do anything that moves or vibrates the table the Lyman is sitting on, it screws up the charge. Just kinda sitting there seems long but it's not compared to dropping a near charge and then trickling it up.
I like to batch load my cases so I can look at the powder level also. That's another reason why I don't like turrets or auto.

Autorim · « **Reply #18 on:** August 02, 2008, 08:13:50 AM »

I also batch load - in this order.

I clean, deprime after cleaning to ensure flash hole is clear - if you deprime before cleaning you will have cleaning medium in the primer pockets. Sometimes I clean primer pockets here, lube, size, expand, trim and deburr, prime, charge, seat, crimp, inspect, wipe down and put in zip locs with a 3x5 card that has all loading data including how many times the case has been fired. In the Dillon, I have an LED light mounted so that I can observe the case after charging to make sure they all look the same. If I have any distractions, I cycle the turret around and start all over.

I have a Redding balance scale I have had forever. When I set my measures, I set the scale 3x desired charge weight and meter three charges until it is balanced. Then I set the scale to the desired charge and check it. I check every 10 round or so the see that things are O.K.

One of the handiest things I have is a section of a 12 inch steel wide flange beam that I use to set the scale on. It weighs about 30 pounds and is pretty stable. I can also clamp the measure to it for rock solid dispensing.

MnMike · « **Reply #19 on:** August 02, 2008, 04:50:51 PM »

PaulS
I did your test. I can get the scale to read 0.2 gr high by placing the bullet as far from the center as possible in about a 30 degree arc toward the front of the scale. I was unable to get a variance greater than that with several different weights.

I would certainly recomend that anyone buying any scale test it as much as possible.

I would also recomend if you are loading maximum loads for a round (especially with smaller amounts of powder), buy a real good scale and don't even trust your powder measure.

I never load maximums, and I like this little scale.

good luck,
mike

PaulS · « **Reply #20 on:** August 02, 2008, 06:27:08 PM »

So the Digiscale is good to +.2 grains of the setting. That is good to know. It is better than the two I tested but my powder measures maintain better accuracy than that.
My beam scales are good for .05 grains and I can't tell the difference between thrown chages even with that scale. When they get the electronic scales to +/- .05 grains I may invest but for now I will keep my beam scales.

victorcharlie · « **Reply #21 on:** August 03, 2008, 05:17:03 AM »

Quote from: Autorim on August 01, 2008, 04:31:44 PM

Doesn't anyone use powder measures?

Sure do, but on rifle cartridges, I throw the charge with a measure and trickle up.

charles p · « **Reply #22 on:** August 03, 2008, 11:46:34 AM »

Make yourself some test weights at work, then purchase a beam scale and calibrate it to the test weights. Then get a powder thrower that drops a volume measure. Calibrate it to your test weight - and bingo. You might just have accuracy to within a kernel of powder.

beemanbeme · « **Reply #23 on:** August 03, 2008, 02:24:39 PM »

Uuuuhhhh, I'm not gonna walk all the way to the shop to find out but I thought the balance beams and the electronic scales were only guarenteed to +/- 1/10th of a grain not 1/100th of a grain.

When I get to be a good enough shooter to start sweating 5/100ths of a grain of powder, I'll be a lot better than I am now.

PaulS · « **Reply #24 on:** August 03, 2008, 06:14:21 PM »

Balance beam reloading scales are rated to +/- 1 grain for most of them but there are a few that guarantee accuracy to +/- 0.05 grains. I also have a lab scale that has accuracy to .001 grain but I don't use it for reloading. The two reloading scales that have the best accuracy are RCBS and Ohaus. You can find the specs onthe data sheet that comes with the scale.
Most of the electronic scales are only rated to +/- 0.2 grains.

quickdtoo · « **Reply #25 on:** August 04, 2008, 05:12:41 AM »

Lyman digital scales are accurate to +/- .1gr, love my Lyman 1200DPS 2 3!!

Tim

http://www.lymanproducts.com/lymanproducts/index.htm