Cheap digital powder scale

[RandyP]

I have no negative issues with my MTM DS-1250 - I spent about $30 if my aging memory serves. I ONLY load low-mid level indoor range plinking ammo with Win 231/HP-38. I am certainly NOT worried about the scale's acuracy level as it is more than sufficient to MY needs and a great boon to my old eye balls - lol - I agree that the Lee beam scale is more 'precise' so if I had that need I might fuss with it. But I don't so I don't.

How many million rounds of safe, reliable and accurate ammo have been made by now using only the Lee dippers? I do not recall ever reading about a kaboom caused by someone using them? More often it is by someone who mixed up the powder they should have used or someone who double charged on their progressive press that didn't auto advance.

I am also NOT slamming those who have the need or desire and the wallet to afford the very finest in weighing devices, more power to them.

 

[gab909]

If you are atleast .5 grs off of max, I wouldn't worry

 

[cfullgraf]

This is your opinion, many, many times folks can also get value for $$$ spent. With this logic we should all be driving luxury cars and Land Rovers.

Agreed, it is my opinion. But I did qualify it relating the opinion only to digital scales and not luxury cars or anything else for that matter.

Agreed, folks can frequently achieve high value with products that are not high priced. Just not with the current crop of inexpensive digital scales, in my opinion and experience.

Today's luxury cars are overpriced, over rated, hunks of metal and plastic and no where near what they were 40-50 years ago. Again, my opinion.

But, hey, differences of opinion is what makes the world go around.

 

[stonecutter2]

I bought a Jennings Mack 20. Not incredibly cheaper than the other brands that have been named, but very accurate to .02 grains. So accurate, in fact, that it does drift by .1 grains occasionally for no apparent reason - vibrations, wind, whatever.
http://www.oldwillknottscales.com/jennings-jscale-mack-20.aspx

I wouldn't measure with a $13 scale. I mean, you should be within safe tolerances that the powder measured wouldn't be a big deal if it's off, but I think measuring powder accurately so my hands (or face) aren't blown off is worth more to me than $13.

I started reloading to save some cash. So, obviously I tried to find the best, cheapest things that were safe to use. I chose the Mack 20 because of the extra accuracy, but looking back i'd just get the Mack 100 - higher maximum weight, less accurate but still accurate to .1 grains which is fine.

The Mack 20 came with a little pan that I use to drop from my Lee Perfect Powder Measure onto, then transfer the pan/powder onto the scale, check weight, then finally pour into the funnel on the top of the powder through/expanding die. It works perfectly for the task.

 

[kingmt]

If it is within .01g ~ .2gr you will be fine. I say go ahead & blow the $10 to get your feet wet. This is what I did & soon spent more to get more. The bad part is it is going to suck batteries like crazy but maybe it will let you see what you actually want before dropping bigger bucks.

 

[jcwit]

Just a tip on batteries. Check out the Pre-Charged batteries at Harbor Freight. They run $10.00 for 4 AA's and can be recharged thousands of times and have no memory. I use them in my camera, radio "ya, I'm to old for MP Players or whatever, barely able to use a cell phone", and other stuff that take batteries.

Off topic I know, but might help folks out there.

 

[RE-15]

My 30 dollar electronic is just as accurate as my rcbs beam scale. I still check it often to be sure.

 

[frankge]

mtm mini digital is acuurate to .1 or .2 grains although I do notice it likes to got to a certain measurement at times. 40 bucks I think.

 

[Maximumbob54]

I started with the RCBS branded Ohaus 505 scale. I find it to be pretty fast. I can use a dipper to drop the bulk of the desired measure and a trickler to top it off. Mine doesn't bounce up and down or swing back and forth causing you to wait. The Hornady Lock N Load Auto Charge I bought is pretty tempermental to use. Plug it in as far from the plug as you can, wait fifteen minutes, use the check weights to calibrate it, and I still check it against the beam scale to make sure it isn't getting out of cal after a while. I don't like digital scales. They just aren't what most people think when they hear the word "digital".

 

[HOWARD J]

I have 3 scales
An RCBS 5-0-5----you can get this great scale e little less from DIlon
A Lee Safety Scale: been gathering dust for years.
An electronic scale from PACT
I check the PACT & RCBS against eachother---both work good.

 

[RandyP]

Like most discussions involving folks spending someone else's money - LOL - buy what you can afford and feel is reasonable that has performance that matches YOUR needs and budget, not everyone else's.

Reading some of the posts around the 'net I sometimes feel like we should be ashamed to be suggesting or buying crappy Dillons when Camdex makes a far superior press for a mere $20-30,000. And if O-Mygosh makes a $1000 balance scale accurate to a blond gnat's eyelash we should ALL buy it instead of the ratty toys we are using now.

I mean afterall, if I'm shooting a hundred rounds every few months I simply MUST own hardware that will make that hundo in 9 seconds rather than letting me enjoy some relaxing hobby time.

LOL

 

[jcwit]

Randy, thats the first time I've ever heard it put just that way, and you surely hit the nail on the head and drove it in all the way with one hit. Very well put.

 

[AK_Maine_iac]

I own two scales 1 Brand x beam scale and a 1 brand x electronic (110 volt)

What do I use the most my trickler to fine tune all loads. I don't care how slow it is.The older i get the slower i get. I want to go bang not boom No matter what brand one uses safety FIRST

I have never been one for saying one brand is better then another. What one person likes the other person may not. To each his own.

 

[RandyP]

Thanks -

I recall watching a youtube video of a very young lad in perhaps Australia loading .303 rounds with his Lee Loader (whack it with a mallet) The sheer joy in his voice as he explained what he was doing and why and how he was able to make ammo in under a minute stayed with me. I think of the video whenever I read posts that suggest I need to spend a zillion bucks on gear and measure things better than NASA just to make ammo.

Those who want to be microsopically accurate can do so and enjoy it as well. I think it is fantastic that there is a way for everyone to particpate in this great hobby at all budget and interest levels.

 

[addedpulp]

While obviously accuracy is important because an inaccurate shot is useless, my main concern is safety. I don't need competition accuracy. I don't hunt, I don't shoot incredible distances, I don't shoot in competitions. I just want to practice, and have some ammo sitting around in case I ever need it. I don't want to be unsafe, and in the event that I ever decide to load heavy loads that's definitely a concern, but many people here seem to suggest that, without an incredibly accurate scale, it's unsafe to load at all. Others suggest they load with basically just their dippers as a measuring tool. Kind of hard to tell what's fact and what's neurosis and justification for the money they spent on their tools.

 

[RandyP]

IF a shooter wants the ability to shoot sub-1" groups at 1000 yards, controlling EVERY detail of the ammo reloading to the 'nth' degree is critical. As is of course the shooter's skill and the firearm itself.

For MY target plinking, hunting and self-defense use I am totally satisfied with MOD accuracy (Minute of Dead) from me, my firearms and my ammunition. Everyone only has to make themselves happy. If it goes bang? It's all good.

 

[jcwit]

The digital scale I have used now for maybe 10 years now cost a whopping $40.00 bucks back then. It weights out to 2 digits and powder charge is always a frw hundredths light, but, AND HERE IS THE IMPORTANT PART, it repeats the same every time and has for 10 years. So is it an accurate scale? In my mind it defintly is.

Plus I never load to the max, I load for accuracy, which to me is much more important.

I have never seen the need to reload to max presure.

 

[LiveLife]

When I help setup new reloaders, I recommend they start out with a beam scale first, then adding a digital scale so they can "cross check" each other after zero/calibration. The lower cost of "cheaper" digital scales may be tempting at first, but I explain to them there are different grades/types of digital scales and not all may provide the accuracy and consistency needed for reloading, especially if they want to load at near max/max load data.

+/- 0.1 GRAIN accuracy will give you .2 gr variation and while this may be acceptable for reloading, not all "cheaper" digital scales offer this accuracy. You need to be careful of buying digital scale that only offer GRAM reading as 0.1 gram = 1.5 grains, which means variation of 3 grains! Even with .01 gram accuracy, you will have variation of .3 grains, which is too much for comfort for me.

.005 gram accuracy will give you .15 grain variation, which is the least amount of variation I would accept; and if price difference wasn't much, I would prefer .001 gram accuracy that will give you .03 grain variation.

Digital scales are temperature sensitive and should not be used in cold/hot garage/shops where temperature falls to freezing and rises over 95F (check your users manual for actual temperature range). I have used and recommended the older version of FA 750 digital scale (which goes on sale for around $20) over the years but recommended its use indoors along with a beam scale.

Regardless of the digital scale you go with, use of check weights (not the calibration weight scale comes with) is highly recommended to verify accuracy and consistency.