Digital scale in the $50 range?

[LiveLife]

If you not dealing with loads < 4-5gr a 0.1 gr is suitable. But once you get below 4 gr the whole game changes.

Most of my 380Auto/9mm/40S&W/45ACP/45Colt loads use powder charges less than 5.0 gr of W231/HP-38 and faster burn rate powders.

IME/IMO, 0.1 gr resolution is good enough for reloading and I do not see significant benefit gained from higher resolution such as 0.02 gr, especially if the additional cost is $120+.

Then if your using a powder that does not meter consistent your just compounding the problem.

Promo is larger than Unique flake powder that doesn't meter within 0.1 gr. Even with variance of .2+gr, I use around 4.0 gr charge for 9mm 124 gr, 40S&W 180 gr and 45ACP 200 gr bullets with decent accuracy.

 

[Otto]

The higher resolution of a 0.02gn scale makes it easier for me to fine tune the powder measure. And you don't really need to spend $120 to get 0.02gn accuracy. Another good scale is a Jennings Mack 20 for around fifty bucks @ Old Will Knott.

 

[LiveLife]

What I was trying to say is before the higher 0.02 gr resolution digital scales, what did bullseye match and bench rest/1000 yard long distance match shooters do to develop their precision match loads 50+ years ago with only 0.1 gr resolution scales like Ohaus 10-10 scales? I say they did pretty well.

And for recent decades, thousands of USPSA/IDPA/GSSF match shooters loaded their match rounds using only 0.1 gr resolution beam scales and they also did pretty well.

So for the casual reloaders, will 0.02 gr resolution digital scales make significant difference when many plated pistol bullets vary by 1-3+ gr and lead bulllets vary by 3-5+ gr and mixed range brass with unknown reload history and condition of brass is used? I think even when hand weighed powder charges are used, other reloading variables will negate the greater consistency from powder charges. And most of us use powder measures with progressive presses with a certain amount of variance that will make the use of higher resolution scale meaningless.

I think there is a point of diminishing return and that is 0.1 gr. Even if we had access to 0.001 gr resolution digital scales, I don't think we would likely benefit significantly enough to improve our loads. Am I missing something here?

 

[Matt Dillon]

What is the country of origin of the computer you are typing on,]

The U.S. Of A. Made by me!

 

[sauer1911]

I have a Redding scale that I got from Ebay for about $35. It is an old almost vintage powder scale that is good for up to 350grains. It is a beam scale with adjustable base to be real flat. Gets down to tenth of a grain.

IT WILL NEVER WEAR OUT AND NEVER NEEDS BATTERIES

I dont need speed, when I use the scale I make sure the fan is off, when your down to measuring grains, analog or digital the fan is a no no.

I go for tried and true stuff that works. There are a bunch of em on Ebay right now, from $8-$60!

Big BBQ with the money you save!

be safe

 

[Dudedog]

I like my DS750. I check it against my RCBS 5-0-5 and it seems to be good if you calibrate it and it has good batteries. I gets flakey when the batteries are weak,
About $30

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/17...scale-750-grain-capacity?cm_vc=ProductFinding

 

[ArchAngelCD]

I agree a cheap scale is just that but inexpensive doesn't always translate into cheap.

Even though the Hornady GS-1500 scale doesn't cost a lot it's a good product. It comes with the calibration weight, tray, and a good box. I think they eve supplied the first set of batteries but I don't remember for sure.
http://www.hornady.com/assets/files/manuals-current/metalic-reloading/GS-1500.pdf

 

[mgmorden]

The U.S. Of A. Made by me!

Unless you cracked out a soldering iron and a have a chip fab in the backyard then at best it's "Assembled in the USA from foreign parts".

Reaslitically there's bad quality Chinese stuff, and there's good Chinese stuff. There's bad quality American stuff and there's good quality American stuff. You can't really direclty equate country of origin to quality.

Remember Jennings and Raven pistols are American made . . .

 

[wrangler5]

To adapt a rule from the computer world to reloading scales: Cheap, Digital, Quality - pick any two.

That said . . . +1 for a beam scale. We all have access to laboratory grade gravity, and with a little care an RCBS or Dillon or Lyman (all made by Ohaus, as were a few other brands) will give excellent accuracy and repeatability for a very long time. (If you have the Lee scale and like it, so be it. But I've used Lee presses, dies, primers, case prep and most of the other stuff he makes since I started reloading, and that little scale is the one Lee product I have actually just thrown in the trash. It didn't begin to compare in convenince to my RCBS 5-0-5.)

A few of the 2-poise beam scales can be tuned up by a guy named Scott Parker, to respond consistently to a single grain of stick powder added to the pan. He doesn't work on the 3-poise models, saying they don't tune up as reliably, as I learned when I asked him about going over my 25 year old 5-0-5, which is a 3-poise scale. In the course of that exchange he said that the old Lyman M5 (a 2-poise predecessor to the RCBS 10-10) is the finest beam reloading scale ever made - I believe he said it was "superior in every respect" to the RCBS. (BTW, Mr. Parker will NOT work on the newer RCBS and other scales that are now made in Mexico - presumably because of quality control problems that the older US-made models just didn't have.)

Based on his comments I went looking for an M5 on ebay, and got one for $90 (delivered) not too long ago There were a couple of others that went for $75 or less at around the same time. Mine responds to each grain of Varget added to the pan, without a tune up. If you're not in a big hurry, you might keep an eye open over there. Even if you don't want an M5 there usually are a lot of other used scales that fit completely within the stated budget.

 

[kludge]

I have the one just like the American Weigh pictured above... except I got it shipped from DealXtreme or something like that for $23 (free shipping).

It would take a set of $500 check weights to determine which is more accurate, the $1500 Ohaus balance in my lab, or this $23 piece. Knowing that the Ohaus has never been calibrated it's anyone's guess.

MUCH MORE important for reloading is repeatability. That's all a free check weight will help you determine anyway.

Beware of digital scales that only resolve to 0.01 grams, because many won't resolve to 0.1 grains, especially if grams is the native measurement and the conversion to grains is done in firmware.

You need 0.005g resolution minimum and 0.002 and 0.001g resolution is better.

My scale purchased here...
http://www.dx.com/s/0.001g+scale

 

[LiveLife]

A few of the 2-poise beam scales can be tuned up by a guy named Scott Parker, to respond consistently to a single grain of stick powder added to the pan. He doesn't work on the 3-poise models, saying they don't tune up as reliably, as I learned when I asked him about going over my 25 year old 5-0-5, which is a 3-poise scale. In the course of that exchange he said that the old Lyman M5 (a 2-poise predecessor to the RCBS 10-10) is the finest beam reloading scale ever made

Both 5-0-5 and 10-10 have the same agate stone/knife edge setup but the difference between the two scales is the drum poise on the 10-10 that can provide essentially .05 gr reading between .1 gr drum poise lines while 5-0-5 has .1 gr increment notches.

To ensure accurate and reliable performance from your beam scale, make sure the knife edges are clean and without rust. Also, remove the covers for the agate stones (see above picture) with a Phillips screwdriver and make sure the stones/posts are clean and stones are able to freely "float" and "self-align" with the knife edges. If the posts below the stones are dirty and the stones cannot "free float", your scale won't zero consistently and your readings won't be consistent.

I can't say I tuned my two Ohaus 10-10 beam scales to the sensitivity of a grain of powder but both of them consistently detect 1/4"x1/4" thinner copy paper which weighs around .03-.04 gr. While RCBS 5-0-5 I had would detect a piece of 1/4"x1/4" paper, Lee Safety Scale showed greater sensitivity to a single piece of paper. Beam scales I have worked on typically had dirty agate stone "V" notches and/or dirty/rusty knife edges that would affect how the scale zeroed and read. Once cleaned, their repeatability and accuracy significantly improved.

 

[LiveLife]

For many that claim greater accuracy of sub $50 digital scales with .02 gr resolution, try this test.

Find the thinner copy paper (I use ones from Walmart for targets) and cut 1/4"x1/4" pieces and see if your higher resolution digital scales can detect and consistently weigh one piece of paper. Digital scales I have tried would start to barely detect 2 pieces of paper and would show .1 gr at 2-3 pieces. If your sub $50 digital scale can consistently read one piece of paper accurately to .03-.04 gr, I would tip my hat to the digital scale.

Keep in mind that if the paper stock used is thicker, it may read .05 gr.

 

[GaryL]

I bought a Hornady GS-1500 about a year ago and it's been working very well for me. It can be found for between $30 and $35 most places. As in the model number, it has a 1500 grain capacity so you can weigh bullets without a problem too.

I've been using the Hornady GS-1500 for 3 years and it is excellent. I also bought an ancient Pacific beam scale off of Ebay for cross checking. Both are right on the money. Keep your Lee scale and relegate that to cross checking.

I have a GS-1500 as well, for at least 2 years, maybe 3 now. Its a good little scale.

Also have had a Lee safety scale since I began reloading. I still use it, but relative to the Hornady scale, the Lee doesn't see that much use anymore.

 

[Onward Allusion]

Amazon has bunches of digital scales, ranging from el-cheapo ones that cost you $10 all the way to thousands. It all depends on what you want to do with one. For plinking loads that are loaded to min specs, just about any digital scale will do. For high quality precision rounds, you will have to spend some money, and it will probably not be a digital scale. Regardless, you need to purchase a weight calibration with the scale. I like to make sure my scales are in spec before each use.

 

[Onward Allusion]

The U.S. Of A. Made by me!

Betcha that almost all the components are from outside the US.