Digital scale recommendations
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lordpaxman
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Tagging in since I have a 250 that’s still working, but would like to hear what others have. I like the 250’s ability to show hundredths of a grain. Replacements would need to have that, and, be reasonable in price.
exactly
I have a Pact Precision from 1994 that still is my favorite scale but sadly no longer available. I also have a Gempro 250 that is accurate to the second digit BUT is tedious, very slow to update when trickling, and is painfully slow to use when weighing every charge. However I've waited many years to get a scale dispenser and finally purchased the RCBS Chargemaster Lite. I really like this scale dispenser. It speeds up my reloading and is plenty accurate and repeatable. I've checked many charges from the Lite on the Gempro and it's always very close. Most variations from the Lite to Gempro have been within 4 hundredths or less. Usually over the Gempro weight for instance 25.3 may be 25.34 or less. Plenty accurate for most all loading. Only 3 electronic scales I've used and the majority of my loading is to weigh every charge whether pistol or rifle.
Hondo 60
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Just bought a FA 750. (1/12/2020)
Been repeatingly testing it vs a Cabela's 1500 (2010)
So far so good.
Been repeatingly testing it vs a Cabela's 1500 (2010)
So far so good.
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D.B. Cooper
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I can tell you to avoid the Lyman 1500. Two of them died inside of about 18 months.
I splurged and bought the RCBS Chargemaster kit with dispenser and scale; that thing is beyond awesome. Best $400 I sent in reloading ever. However, I haven't used it as a stand alone scale; I typically use it in conjunction with the dispenser.
I splurged and bought the RCBS Chargemaster kit with dispenser and scale; that thing is beyond awesome. Best $400 I sent in reloading ever. However, I haven't used it as a stand alone scale; I typically use it in conjunction with the dispenser.
tightgroup tiger
Member
I have Hornady's bench scale and I bought the National Metalic bench scale and thr Hornady is 10 years old and wotking fine, I haven't used the other one enough to know how good it is but it is faster than the Hornady and I haven't seen it drift ever.
The Hornady doesnt drift either unless it is picking up vibration from the press.
Happy with both of them
The Hornady doesnt drift either unless it is picking up vibration from the press.
Happy with both of them
lordpaxman
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I agree. Going from a 5-0-5 and trickler to punching in a weight and hitting DISP is sweet. I did do the firmware hack and McDonald’s straw trick and that helped accuracy. If my CDO kicks in, I’ll tare the pan on the 250, throw the charge on the RCBS and then check/adjust on the 250.
I, too, have CDO. For those wondering, it's very similar to OCD, but in the correct alphabetical order.
I have a Hornady GS-1500 that is maybe 10 years old, and still working well. It can be a little funky about that last 0.1 gn from time to time, but otherwise it still reads correct (+/- 0.1gr) when I put my standards on it.
Shortly after I got it, I found several items that weigh in the range that I work with (~6gr - 70gr) and weighed them on a precision scale at work (one that gets a yearly cal cert, and can detect fingerprints).
This last year I got a Gem50 for Christmas. Played with it a little, but wasn't impressed with it's consistency. Some of the online comments suggested giving it time to "settle down" after shipping. So I haven't given up on it yet, but the jury is still out on it, and the initial impression is not confidence inspiring. That one is going to have to earn my trust, when I have the time and patience to run it through several weeks of random testing. I just brought it out, and tried 2 of my 'standards', and without doing anything (just turned it on), it was within 0.03gn on both. So that is promising.
Shortly after I got it, I found several items that weigh in the range that I work with (~6gr - 70gr) and weighed them on a precision scale at work (one that gets a yearly cal cert, and can detect fingerprints).
This last year I got a Gem50 for Christmas. Played with it a little, but wasn't impressed with it's consistency. Some of the online comments suggested giving it time to "settle down" after shipping. So I haven't given up on it yet, but the jury is still out on it, and the initial impression is not confidence inspiring. That one is going to have to earn my trust, when I have the time and patience to run it through several weeks of random testing. I just brought it out, and tried 2 of my 'standards', and without doing anything (just turned it on), it was within 0.03gn on both. So that is promising.
Am I alone in questioning the need of enduring the high costs of these automatic dispenser scales? After you have spent $200+ on one can you point to a measurable improvement in accuracy? Sorry, sports fans, I fail to see where accuracy to one hundredth of a grain is gonna' make a difference.
Yes, I'm gonna duck all the flack from you electronic users now. Let er' fly, but IMHO they are too expensive.
Yes, I'm gonna duck all the flack from you electronic users now. Let er' fly, but IMHO they are too expensive.
Dudedog
Contributing Member
Happy with my FA 750, what I use most of the time, make sure your batteries are fresh.
I also have a GEM20, and a 5-0-5.
I also have a GEM20, and a 5-0-5.
santacruzdave
Member
I think this is the successor to the WAOAW (no longer available on Amazon), which for a cheap scale is accurate, and fast to respond to a trickler. I check it with a 505 and it's right on the money.
https://www.amazon.com/Homgeek-Mill...TF8&ref_=ppx_yo_dt_b_bia_prsubswidget_dp&th=1
https://www.amazon.com/Homgeek-Mill...TF8&ref_=ppx_yo_dt_b_bia_prsubswidget_dp&th=1
When the automatic dispensing scales first came out I NEEDED ONE!!! Never got around to purchasing one and have never missed it. Most all of my powder weight measurements are to adjust and check the load that my powder measures are throwing. I load some .308 target where I weigh every charge but I pretty much have to trickle out the same amount for every load after dispensing the majority of the load from my powder measure.
lordpaxman
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I try to be considerate of all forum posters, so didn’t you read the title of this thread? If you don’t want/need/like/prefer digital scales, don’t use them. Please, no one’s feelings are going to be hurt.
D.B. Cooper
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It's really about convenience and consistency. If you recall, I have had fits, absolute fits, trying to get my cheap Lee Auto Drum to measure consistently. I spent quite a bit of money on digital scales, beam scales, this, that, and the other. When I bought the RCBS Chargemaster, that all changed. I can reliably load the same exact cartridge repeatedly, accurately, and easily. Could I weigh every charge on my Redding beam scale (which, by the way, is an excellent beam scale that I highly highly recommend)? sure. Can I load my ammo much faster with comparable precision with the Chargemaster? Absolutely. Is it worth $400? You be the judge. (But for me, and for what I do, and how I do it, yes! That's $400 I have zero regrets parting with.
Typetwelve
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This is something I really need to get here sooner or later.
When I first bought my Dillon last Feb, I got the "digital terminator" along side it. A VERY generous co-worker gave me a very old Lyman D7 scale (I was extremely grateful for that gift).
Long story short...I could never get the Dillon to work reliably and I am beyond glad that I had the Lyman to cross check. It was notorious for slowly drifing up the charge scale. I tried everything to get it to "settle down" per online recommendations but nothing would help. I'd begin with a charge of xx.1 and slowly it would drift. Eventually I'd be somewhere around actual xx.5 (despite the Dillon displaying xx.1) before I'd notice the change and cross check it to my Lyman. It ruined some charging sessions, thankfully I charge first, seat later.
Either way, I returned it and have used the Lyman ever since...but I'd love to have a digital at some point or another.
When I first bought my Dillon last Feb, I got the "digital terminator" along side it. A VERY generous co-worker gave me a very old Lyman D7 scale (I was extremely grateful for that gift).
Long story short...I could never get the Dillon to work reliably and I am beyond glad that I had the Lyman to cross check. It was notorious for slowly drifing up the charge scale. I tried everything to get it to "settle down" per online recommendations but nothing would help. I'd begin with a charge of xx.1 and slowly it would drift. Eventually I'd be somewhere around actual xx.5 (despite the Dillon displaying xx.1) before I'd notice the change and cross check it to my Lyman. It ruined some charging sessions, thankfully I charge first, seat later.
Either way, I returned it and have used the Lyman ever since...but I'd love to have a digital at some point or another.
Whiterook808
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Have you looked at the Gempro 350? I have that scale and I like it. I don't use it for trickling since I have a Chargemaster Lite. I mostly use it to check and set my powder measures on my progressive press.
I have heard that the 250 is preferred but they are no longer made. Anyone know why the 350 falls short of its predecessor?
I have heard that the 250 is preferred but they are no longer made. Anyone know why the 350 falls short of its predecessor?
tightgroup tiger
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For me, using my digital electronic powder dispenser isn't about gaining any accuracy over the other digital scales I have. It's about dispensing the pain in the ass powders like Unique or Bluedot or any of the stick powders for rifle loads without the pain of having to use a balance beam scale to weigh out every load.
The dispenser does that while I'm doing something else and the weighed load is sitting their waiting on me when I 'm ready for it.
If that reason has no merit for your process then don't use one. Many of us that own them, bought them for a good reason and get a huge amount of benefit from them when handloading.
lightman
Member
I've been real happy with my ChargeMaster. I use it as a scale and as a dispenser. I still have my old Herters beam scale to keep it honest. When I calibrate it, it returns to zero every time. I have never seen it drift. I expect its only accurate to probably plus or minus 1/10th grain but thats plenty accurate for what we do.
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