Best digital scale for trickling

[D.B. Cooper]

I know I've started a few other scale and measuring/weighing discussions in the past, and I've had a lot of difficulty in this area.

The Lyman 1500 MicroTouch scale I had bit the dust last week after about a year of use. It constantly flashes varying numbers on the screen, both positive and negative, anytime it is turned on. I have no idea why. I turned it on and it just started doing it. I tried relocating it away from anything electrical but not go.

So now I'm in need of a new scale. My plan is to load rifle cases using a powder trickler. So I will weigh the empty case on the scale, put the case on my press and load a charge that is 1-2 grains light using my Lee auto-drum powder measurer, and then return the case to the digital scale. From there, I will do some math and then trickle the last grain or so into the case with the case on the scale and the scale directly reading the weight.

Should I just go buy another Lyman or is there something else I should be considering? All of these different brands seem to have the same or similar specs and seem to vary only in total weight they can weigh and price.

 

[rayatphonix]

I use a Gempro and it’s worked for years.

 

[VAReloader]

I too have a Gempro, always plugged in to AC power, batteries just don't cut it.
Generally when I trickle, I will lift the pan and reseat it to be the most accurate reading.

 

[FROGO207]

Yeah that having to lift the scale pan to reset it is a PITA. I use a fairly good beam balance (RCBS 1010) to trickle up charges. With this type of scale you set the target weight and throw/scoop a light charge in the pan, set the pan on the scale and trickle up. No weighing the casing, math, etc. You can actually watch the pointer change when you add a few kernels of propellant to the pile.I have a couple digital scales and use them to weigh bullets or brass for sorting. The having to add a certain percentage to the weight or lifting the pan to trigger the next weighing process reset is too slow and tedious for me. OP I would skip the weighing of the cases and calculating total weight as that just adds a possible margin of error to each powder fill as all will be slightly different and a miss entered number along the way will mess your total weight up on THAT particular charge/round. My idea is the less total things you have to do with each round the less chance for error. Don't get me wrong there is plenty of OCD behavior when I trickle my loads as well.

 

[Bfh_auto]

I just got a Hornady G2 1500. I placed and removed the same item over and over. It always have me the same reading. I tried tricking it when it was calibrating and it failed.
I am pleased with it so far, but have only loaded 50 rounds.
I use the pan for trickling them pour it in the case.

 

[Chuck R.]

Yeah that having to lift the scale pan to reset it is a PITA. I use a fairly good beam balance (RCBS 1010) to trickle up charges. With this type of scale you set the target weight and throw/scoop a light charge in the pan, set the pan on the scale and trickle up. No weighing the casing, math, etc. You can actually watch the pointer change when you add a few kernels of propellant to the pile.I have a couple digital scales and use them to weigh bullets or brass for sorting. The having to add a certain percentage to the weight or lifting the pan to trigger the next weighing process reset is too slow and tedious for me. OP I would skip the weighing of the cases and calculating total weight as that just adds a possible margin of error to each powder fill as all will be slightly different and a miss entered number along the way will mess your total weight up on THAT particular charge/round. My idea is the less total things you have to do with each round the less chance for error. Don't get me wrong there is plenty of OCD behavior when I trickle my loads as well.

Same here, older 10-10 that I tuned. My digital scale works fine, both show the same weights, but I prefer the movement of the balance beam. I added a web cam to my laptop and at 3X can easily see the delta in a single kernel of extruded. Also added a "Dandy 2 Speed Electric powder trickler. No longer have issues with parallax:



at 3X:

 

[jmorris]

My out of the box and homemade trickler control can repeat to -/+ a single kernel.



I trust it more than the CM 1500’s, I don’t really like things changing without me changing them.

 

[Axis II]

My lyman micro touch works very well. I trickle all my rifle rounds.

 

[Nature Boy]

I too have a Gempro, always plugged in to AC power, batteries just don't cut it.
Generally when I trickle, I will lift the pan and reseat it to be the most accurate reading.

That’s what I use and also lift the corner of the pan to unsettle the load cell and get it to register the trickled powder more quickly

 

[someguy2800]

That sounds like a lot of work. Just drop the powder in a scale pan with a funnel on the end and trickle into the same pan.

Better yet invest in a Lyman gen 6 powder dispenser. Best reloading money I’ve ever spent. No more trickling, no more messing with powder measure settings. Just type in what you want, pour it in the case, seat a bullet, repeat.

 

[Walkalong]

I too have a Gempro, always plugged in to AC power, batteries just don't cut it.
Generally when I trickle, I will lift the pan and reseat it to be the most accurate reading.

I need to remember this, as I also have a Gem Pro. I have not been trickling anything lately, just throw and go, but will be soon.

 

[D.B. Cooper]

So, the problem I have with trickling powder into a pan directly on a scale is that I then have no way to get the weighed charge into the case. I can't find a funnel small enough to fit inside the 6mm dia case mouth. With the trickler, I can just set it such that the powder falls straight into the case.

 

[Chuck R.]

So, the problem I have with trickling powder into a pan directly on a scale is that I then have no way to get the weighed charge into the case. I can't find a funnel small enough to fit inside the 6mm dia case mouth. With the trickler, I can just set it such that the powder falls straight into the case.

Something's amiss...I use a standard RCBS funnel and a Forster funnel with a 5" drop and both work for my 6mm & .243

The funnel doesn't sit inside the case mouth, it slips over and the "internal" funnel does the work.

 

[Nature Boy]

So, the problem I have with trickling powder into a pan directly on a scale is that I then have no way to get the weighed charge into the case. I can't find a funnel small enough to fit inside the 6mm dia case mouth. With the trickler, I can just set it such that the powder falls straight into the case.

Here’s what you need

https://www.brownells.com/reloading...MIgoP2hpa53wIVFspkCh2USwG3EAQYAiABEgKNX_D_BwE

 

[Bfh_auto]

Something's amiss...I use a standard RCBS funnel and a Forster funnel with a 5" drop and both work for my 6mm & .243

The funnel doesn't sit inside the case mouth, it slips over and the "internal" funnel does the work.

View attachment 817795

Same here. There are better ones, but it works for me. Just be sure it's on square.

 

[Strat Rider]

Here’s what you need

https://www.brownells.com/reloading...MIgoP2hpa53wIVFspkCh2USwG3EAQYAiABEgKNX_D_BwE

That Lyman pan looks plastic. Folks have told me that the "non-metal" pans can have a static issue and not drop all of the powder. I've always used metal so can't comment.

 

[D.B. Cooper]

The something is amiss is I wasn't looking for the right thing or in the right places.

 

[1066]

Mt auto-trickler with a tuned Lyman M5 scale.

 

[FROGO207]

I use the Lee funnel. The bottom was too long to use for some brass. So I cut the bottom 1/3 or more off and now I can even use it for .22 Hornet in a shallow loading block. As far as a powder pan with pour spout you can buy one of the aluminum ones that would be used with a balance scale and zero it with the pan on it.

 

[JRWhit]

"So now I'm in need of a new scale. My plan is to load rifle cases using a powder trickler. So I will weigh the empty case on the scale, put the case on my press and load a charge that is 1-2 grains light using my Lee auto-drum powder measurer, and then return the case to the digital scale. From there, I will do some math and then trickle the last grain or so into the case with the case on the scale and the scale directly reading the weight."

Careful there. Brass usually varies in weight more than that 1-2 gns. It may not be enough to cause pressure problems but it would be enough to effect SD between shots and effect accuracy. RCBS uniflow mounted on the bench and verified by scale works great. Very consistent. As for getting the powder into the case, I'm not sure which die set you have but usually there is an adapter that set in with the auto drum removed that allows powder to be charged into the case with the powder pan.
I used an auto drum for a long time before converting to a uniflow. You can even adapt to fit on a turret and believe it or not the rotation and shake of the turret makes for very consistent drops. Kinda like a knocker.
"Sorry, came back to edit, somehow missed the part where you measure the case before hand. "

 

[berettaprofessor]

. I can't find a funnel small enough to fit inside the 6mm dia case mouth.

I made an adapter by cutting the base off a case, I think it was a 22-250, and then inserting the neck into the case I’m trying to fill and put the funnel into the cutoff end. I should have a picture of it somewhere.

And I use a Chargmaster life to trickle the charge into the pan and then dump it into the case using the adapter/funnel setup. Much easier than weighing the case and trickling directly into it.

 

[Nature Boy]

That Lyman pan looks plastic. Folks have told me that the "non-metal" pans can have a static issue and not drop all of the powder. I've always used metal so can't comment.

Its plastic and not an issue

 

[santacruzdave]

Cheap scale that responds well to a powder trickler:

 

[horsey300]

The something is amiss is I wasn't looking for the right thing or in the right places.

https://ads.midwayusa.com/product/1012952421/rcbs-quick-change-powder-funnel-kit
For the time being, this is working well enough for me
https://www.cabelas.com/product/BATTENFELD-DIGITAL-SCALE/1889212.uts

 

[jmorris]

I can't find a funnel small enough to fit inside the 6mm dia case mouth.

That’s because a lot of powders will have ridiculous bridging problems with such a tiny ID, in a funnel.

+1 on the Lyman pan, it’s my “goto”.