Best Digital Scale

[dwinters14]

I bought the Frankford Arsenal one with my first round of reloading equipment. I've been doing it for about 8 months now so I'm getting a feel for what I like and don't like.

This scale being one of them, it's a giant POS. It's so inaccurate it drives me up the wall trying to build loads.

Every single time I turn it on it registers a different weight for the pan, and every time I put a load on it, the weight changes for example one second it'll be 111.6 the next it'll be 111.2 and it throws my loads off accordingly so if I'm trying to get 22 grains on the 111.6, it'll read 22.4 on the 111.2

I've just spent the past 20 minutes trying to get a consistent powder throw for 10 ROUNDS and it keeps jumping all over the place so I'm fed up. I want something accurate to the .1 of a grain.

Any suggestions?

[kcstott]

You need to step up to a Magnetic force restoration scale and get away from the strain gauge scales. An A&D FX-120i would be a good place to start. this scale can be upgraded dow the road to take an auto trickle or an Auto throw combo. your choice Scale is about $500 but it's accurate to .02gr and repeatable to the same level. There are also better lab quality scales than this with higher resolutions. It's all up to you.

How much do you want to spend??



This is what i bought recently. Is it the best?? No but it's damn sure in the top five.

[dwinters14]

You need to step up to a Magnetic force restoration scale and get away from the strain gauge scales. An A&D FX-120i would be a good place to start. this scale can be upgraded dow the road to take an auto trickle or an Auto throw combo. your choice Scale is about $500 but it's accurate to .02gr and repeatable to the same level. There are also better lab quality scales than this with higher resolutions. It's all up to you.

How much do you want to spend??



This is what i bought recently. Is it the best?? No but it's damn sure in the top five.

Definitely not $500, at least not right now, as I'm only loading 1 caliber, and two bullets within that. One is plinking ammo, the other is the match stuff (which is got me red hot today trying to get a perfect load.)

I was looking on Midway and came across the RCBS CharMaster Lite. Wondering if this one is up there in quality.

[kcstott]

Definitely not $500, at least not right now, as I'm only loading 1 caliber, and two bullets within that. One is plinking ammo, the other is the match stuff (which is got me red hot today trying to get a perfect load.)

I was looking on Midway and came across the RCBS CharMaster Lite. Wondering if this one is up there in quality.

What are you weighing that is 111.2-.6 and you are trying to get 22 grains in?

You're not weighing the powder in the brass case are you?? If you're weighing the case with powder thats your issue. cases vary quite a bit.

You asked for the best. I didn't mention the the Prometheus a powder scale accurate to the kernel of powder. and it's only $5100.

I think you are going about this the wrong way. Get a good beam scale. An RCBS 510, Redding, Dillon any good beam scale. Then go buy a Uni flow. set it up til the load repeats to with in 1/10 grain. Then drop all your charges and don't look back. I loaded 1500 rounds of match grade ammo on a Uniflow and only now felt the need to upgrade to something more precise. You said match grade. Well who's match? what distance? what rifle? what caliber? and are we talking three gun? PRS, F Class, Palma, or long range bench rest? because not all match grade ammo is the same. what you need to get the job done on a PRS match is not going to be the same for a LR bench rest match.

[NorCalFocus]

Cheap (under $500) electronic scales give you cheap results. Even $500 electronic scales can give you headaches.

• First, is your cell phone near the scale while your using it?
• Are you using florescence lights over the scale?
• If your scale next to a computer during use?

All those things put off signals that can effect a electronic scale very easily.

The cheapest most accurate way to go is a beam scale like kcstott said. If your not going to do that, then a RCBS Chargemaster is about the best cheapest scale/thrower combo on the market.

I also would like to know that answers to the questions above.

[TexasJackKin]

I use a Gempro, is it the best? Not even close. I also have a good balance beam scale, that I cross check with. I also have check weights that I check the scales with. Are they traceable to the National Bureau of Standards? Not for what I paid for them!

I've got a piece of copper wire, that I'm saying weighs 5 grains, does it? Who knows, doesn't matter. It weighs the same as a load I like for my .45 ACP. A year from now, I can toss my "check weight" on the scale, and what ever it says, I adjust my powder measure to match.

Do I know exactly what my charge weighs are? No, I just know it's the same as my pet load. I could remove all the graduations from my balance beam scale, toss my "check weight" on balance the scale, and start loading.

I don't have my homemade check weights for everything I load, but enough to be confident that my scales haven't gone haywire.

Not everyone will agree with my methodology, but it works for me, YMMV!

[dwinters14]

What are you weighing that is 111.2-.6 and you are trying to get 22 grains in?

You're not weighing the powder in the brass case are you?? If you're weighing the case with powder thats your issue. cases vary quite a bit.

You asked for the best. I didn't mention the the Prometheus a powder scale accurate to the kernel of powder. and it's only $5100.

I think you are going about this the wrong way. Get a good beam scale. An RCBS 510, Redding, Dillon any good beam scale. Then go buy a Uni flow. set it up til the load repeats to with in 1/10 grain. Then drop all your charges and don't look back. I loaded 1500 rounds of match grade ammo on a Uniflow and only now felt the need to upgrade to something more precise. You said match grade. Well who's match? what distance? what rifle? what caliber? and are we talking three gun? PRS, F Class, Palma, or long range bench rest? because not all match grade ammo is the same. what you need to get the job done on a PRS match is not going to be the same for a LR bench rest match.

No, I always tare just the pan, and most days it weighs it differently. The most common number I've seen is "111.6" so that's what I always gauge my powder weights of off. So if it decides the pan is 111.7 and I'm looking for 22 grains, I'd load 21.9 and so on. I'm confident as well that my lee powder dispenser is 100x more consistent than my scale.

I'm going to be more vigilant in calibrating the scale every single time and letting it warm up. I'm going to try and rule out variables and yes sometimes I do have my cellphone and computer near the scale, unknowing it could cause issues. I will stop doing that.

The RCBS scale I was looking at seems to have the same issues as the frankford just at a high cost point

In terms of match, I'm talking about accurized bullets beyond your average 55gr. in 223. I'm talking the most accurate/consistent ammunition I can make, with the most accurate applicable bullet. In my case it's 75gr HPBT, because it'll have range, uniformity and versatility in it's application. I can hunt with it, I can punch paper out to 600+ yards, I can use it in sem-autos and bolt guns etc...

[DDRH]

Seems like you have a drifting issue. I'd recommend, like Kscott, the FX120. They have a 30% rebate (not for sure, i think it's kinda "while supplies last" type of deal)

MFR scales will help with drifting issues. I was using a CMLite and Gempro, but both kept drifting. Also, the FX120 has a decent sized cover to help with air movement causing drifts.

The FX120 with the Auto-Trickler makes reloading fun again

[JackEllis]

I've had the same problem as the OP using whatever inexpensive electronic scale Cabelas sells, except the drift for pan weight only was usually + or - .2 grains. I finally got an RCBS 5-10 beam scale and I'm happy with my setup, but there are some things to watch out for.

First, make sure you get a set of check weights for the beam scale. Second, make sure the beam scale can't "walk" across your bench. I have mine on some pieces of foam that don't slip easily. A friend of mine has his mounted on a piece of wood with cutouts for the feet. The way you zero the RCBS beam scale is to turn the foot at one end. Move the scale and you change the zero. Next, make sure you read the position of the pointer the same way each time. Not being OCD about reading the pointer consistently will throw you off by .1-.2 grains. Finally, if you trickle into the pan while it's on the beam scale, allow the beam to settle before taking a final reading. The beam is damped and will react slowly as weight is added to the pan.

I throw charges by hand, weight and trickle on the beam scale, and then periodically the beam scale by weighing on the electronic. If it's target weight +.1 grain -0 grain that's close enough for the distances I shoot.

The only thing in my reloading area that can affect the electronic scale is fluorescent lights, and I'm starting to think about changing them out. It has to be cheaper than a more expensive scale.

[kcstott]

No, I always tare just the pan, and most days it weighs it differently. The most common number I've seen is "111.6" so that's what I always gauge my powder weights of off. So if it decides the pan is 111.7 and I'm looking for 22 grains, I'd load 21.9 and so on. I'm confident as well that my lee powder dispenser is 100x more consistent than my scale.

I'm going to be more vigilant in calibrating the scale every single time and letting it warm up. I'm going to try and rule out variables and yes sometimes I do have my cellphone and computer near the scale, unknowing it could cause issues. I will stop doing that.

The RCBS scale I was looking at seems to have the same issues as the frankford just at a high cost point

In terms of match, I'm talking about accurized bullets beyond your average 55gr. in 223. I'm talking the most accurate/consistent ammunition I can make, with the most accurate applicable bullet. In my case it's 75gr HPBT, because it'll have range, uniformity and versatility in it's application. I can hunt with it, I can punch paper out to 600+ yards, I can use it in sem-autos and bolt guns etc...

[dwinters14]

Okay I'll do this and go from there. Thank you for the info!

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

[kcstott]

Okay I'll do this and go from there. Thank you for the info!

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

Oh and in my experience below 60 degree and above 80 a strain guage scale is a fancy paper weight. Unreliable readings. Very temperature sensitive.

[Mac Attack]

I have a Dillon Terminator digit scale and it is right on. I weighed charges on my Terminator and on my trusty 30 year old RCBS 505 beam scale and they are either right on or off by a tenth of a grain at most. Dillon scales are made by CED and are top notch.

[hambam105]

I myself am totally disgusted with this brand of electronic scale.

And I had been contemplating about buying a balance beam scale but I can't seem to locate the instructions on how to install the battery.

[kcstott]

I have a Dillon Terminator digit scale and it is right on. I weighed charges on my Terminator and on my trusty 30 year old RCBS 505 beam scale and they are either right on or off by a tenth of a grain at most. Dillon scales are made by CED and are top notch.

Right up till you put a class 1 check weight on it