Do I need a digital Scale?

[Idano]

ranger335v,

I have to agree with you when it comes to trickling powder nothing beats the the 10-10 scale. You are also correct about warm up and fluctuations with the line voltage affecting the accuracy. This is why I only use the battery and turn it on 10 min before I calibrate it and I calibrate it. See I use my digital for checking my powder measure dispense repeatability and if it varies I want to know how much, so for my application I prefer the digital.

By the way nothing personal, but I hate pneumatics with a passion. Nothing more aggravating then having the seals dry on Bimba cylinder and the nimrod on a previous shift slapping a little grease on the shaft so it would run through his shift and stick me with the replacement It's good to hear from another electrical mechanical enginer .

 

[delta53]

Glasses?

I refuse to admit age is creeping up on me as long as they make something to make life easy I will use it. And yes I still can find my way to my loading bench and can still read a newspaper.But digital is the way to go for anyone after all it is 2009 right ?

 

[snuffy]

A thread on this subject is bound to generate a lot of diverse opinions. I had a ohause ballance beam scale, before that I had a hornady of the same type. In '92 I bought a RCBS digital pro,(made by pact), I was amazed at how fast and accurate it was/is. So dies the asertion that they won't last!

After reading a couple of threads like this, I bought a set of scale check weights, made by Lyman. They come in two little plastic boxes, they are used to check the accuracy of ANY scale.

http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=212586

http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=612694

My digital scale ALWAYS weighs these check weights the same each time. At first, when I got the digital, I would cross check powder charges against my ohause scale. It was the same with boring repeatability. I stopped doing that after a couple of months.

I partenered the digital to it's conterpart pact powder dispenser 4 years ago. Now I have trickled powder charges for my precision rifle loadings.

Some of the digitals won't react to small increased weights like in trickling. I have heard that the new dillon digital is like that. If you would buy one that is like that, I would return it with a note that is is USELESS as a powder scale!

 

[The Bushmaster]

Snuffy...I bought my RCBS Pro (made by Pact) in '92 also. Mine came with check weights (20 gram and 50 gram). And it is faster then any balance beam and repeatable and has lasted this long...Also...I very rarely use my RCBS 5-0-5 and then just to varify my electronic...

 

[ranger335v]

It's our own money, we all get to use what floats our own boat. For me, it's a good beam scale.

Long life scales? Bushy, Snuffy, to an old guy like me, '92 was only a short time ago! Give us an update in 2032 just to make it about even with my trusty old 1010 and Herter's scales ages right now! And, if you REALLY trust the digitals, shouldn't you be checking your beam against the electronic instead of the other way around??

I do use a loading block and visually check EVERY CASE for a consistant charge level, even those individually weighted, before seating. Thus, I never need to weigh cartridges to check for possible "empties". Never had a squib load nor blown a case, not even a blown primer, so something is working.

 

[snuffy]

Snuffy...I bought my RCBS Pro (made by Pact) in '92 also. Mine came with check weights (20 gram and 50 gram).

Yeah, so did mine, but those are calibration weights. You COULD use them to check if the scale weighs them the same each time you turn it on, but thet're way too heavy to test the lower limits of accuracy.

And they surely won't last as long either. ????

I took this to mean a couple of years, not half a century! It's real hard to hear voice inflections and see facial expressions with the written word on a forum like this. As you said, to each his own, I'll keep using my digital. I gave away the ohaus, now I only have a cheap lee, that I seldom use.

 

[ranger335v]

Quote: And they surely won't last as long either. ???? I took this to mean a couple of years, not half a century! It's real hard to hear voice inflections and see facial expressions with the written word on a forum like this. As you said, to each his own, I'll keep using my digital.

No sweat Snuffy. I'm just pontificating with a grin, not red-faced stomping in sweaty opposition! I know that only with a few challanges can we really present our positions clearly on some issues. If YOU and BUSHY is happy with them crop-failure digital scales, I'm happy for each of you!

Especially so since I'm sure you take no offense at me keeping my obsolete 1010. Actually, I think it's just getting broken in good now! And time is largely related to how much of it each of us has used. To me, a half centry isn't really all that much!

Enjoy life to the fullest every day, it won't last nearly long enough!

 

[Guybo]

Digital scales are nice i've just never bought one. I've used an RCBS 505 for 16yrs and still do. I like to use a powder measure to get close and then trickle the rest. Not saying i won't ever buy a digital because i really would like to have one to weigh bullets and brass. May just have to ask Santa for one this year.

 

[Deavis]

A digitals "zero" calibration will drift during use and you won't really know it most of the time. They mostly drift due to voltage changes and the units internal temperatures, two things you have abslutely no control over.

1) Warm up your scale before using it
2) Don't load in places with extreme temperature fluctuations
3) Connect your scale to a UPS or similiar line conditioner to provide a clean/steady voltage source

All within your control and something you should be doing with your electronics anyhow. On a personal note, I hate to burst your bubble but I work with someone who personally used a very expensive "digital scale" to measure layer deposition changes in the nanometer range. Why they did it that way, I can't say, but they did it.

I know most of us are anal, but I doubt most people shoot guns on here and could reproduce a specific effect on their shooting from +/- 0.05gr of powder, which is the real fluctuation we are talking about. There are far too many other variables that cloud that change.

If you have the $$$ get a digital scale, they are great for quick reads and you can always check the load on your balance. I'll bet you the beverage of your choice you won't be able to tell the difference in a string of 10 shots measured on each of them. You just have to wait until I'm back in Texas so you can drop off my winnings

 

[qajaq59]

My guess is that a digital scale will last as long as your computer does.
Anyone using a 25 year old computer out there?

 

[The Bushmaster]

My RCBS digital is 15 years old...Does that count, qajaq59??

Snuffy...According to the instructions (and I still have them) that came with my Powder pro digital the 20 gram and 50 gram weights are all I need. Once calibrated with these weights (20 then 50 then 70[20 + 50]) all is good even down to 1 grain or less. I believe there is a limit as to how light I can weigh a given quantity of powder on the digital, but I'm not loading .22 shorts...Every time I validate the digital with my RCBS 5-0-5 balance scale it's right on...

 

[xsquidgator]

Get a digital.

I just got the inexpensive RL750 (750 grain capacity) for about $30 from one of the mail order places. It's gotten so-so reviews, being on the bottom end of the electric scale food chain, but just a couple hours use with it made me a believer.

The first time you throw a 4.0 charge on it and see that it takes about 1 second to stabilize out, followed immediately by a loaded round and that reads out stable within a second or two, well that's all it took for me. I'm glad to have my balance beam scale as a backup and as a check, but the digital is the way to go lemme tell you.

 

[Deanimator]

I could be wrong but it seems to me that depends on the caliber. I have some light 9mm loads that the difference in the bullet and brass between one round and another weighs more than the powder charge.

I find that identical rounds using a particular brand of case all shake out around the same weight more or less. Once I find out how much a particular brand should way, it's really easy to ID a problem.

I recently loaded a bunch of .38 Special wadcutters for a D/A revolver league. Some of the cases had VERY tight flash holes and were pulling the decapping pin out of the size die. I discovered this when a primer wasn't punched. I ended up weighing the rounds I'd loaded and found one that was significantly heavier than the rest in the headstamp.

This is something you should pay attention to, especially when using maximum loads in rifle cases. If you find a max load that uses commercial cases, do NOT attempt to use the same load in military cases. The military cases are thicker and thus heavier. They have less powder space and using max loads developed in commercial cases can lead to dangerously excessive pressures. I once warned a friend of this when I noticed that he was substituting Lake City cases for the commercial cases in the .308 load he was using. He chose to disregard the warning and ended up blowing out a case. He was uninjured, but he damaged his gun, fortunately not seriously.

 

[Deanimator]

I give anyone credit to anyone who has been loading for a long time and used a coventional scale for a long time.

When I load rifle, I use an RCBS Rock Chucker single stage. I individually throw, trickle and weigh each charge on a Dillon mechanical scale. Electronic scales that will reliably react quickly enough to use a trickler tend to be quite expensive. There have been some fairly detailed discussions of this issue in usenet rec.guns over the years.

For pistol I use a Dillon RL550B. I throw five or so sample charges and weigh them on my Dillon electronic scale. If they're correct and consistent, I start loading.

 

[terry264]

I like the beam/balance scale for trickling up to max. loads. Can't seem to bring myself to trust a digital for that. Hard-headed or old fashioned I guess, he he. But if you want a set of digital scales to play with, midsouthshooterssupply.com has one on sale right now for $24.99. May even get one myself for other than max. loads as the ones I have used so far belonged to someone else. The balance beam scales I have used for years have an "approach to weight warning" and magnetic damping features and are pretty fast. I like to see each kernel of powder that trickles in actually make a difference. Especially with max. loads.

 

[Oohrah]

After using the balance scale for 45 years, I bought a Midway
one on sale for 1/2 price. Hope it wasn't a mistake. Have not
read the directions yet and hope it is simple!!!

 

[Geno]

Why? I can achieve MOA groups with my reloading set-up. I have the Lee Anniversary Kit...exactly the kit that you are buying. It works.

 

[Deavis]

Anyone using a 25 year old computer out there?

There are plenty of embedded systems out there that are 25 years old. Actually, when I was interning in grad school I had to reprogram a system using an Intel CPU that was made just 2 years after I was born. It was fabbed in 1981 and worked like a champ. The hardware will continue to work for a long time, especially with the thick gate oxides used in non-high performance systems. The reason you upgrade computers is because guys like me keep coming up with integrations that push the MHz of your box farther and farther for less money. We get paid really well to make transistors faster but basics of the strain gauge in your scale isn't going to change for a LONG time.

 

[BAGTIC]

Been loading 47 years without a digital scale.
Get yourself a good supply of loading trays.
Fill them with primed empty cases.
Adjust your powder measure and check it against the scale.
Fill them all with the powder measure.
Tap the trays a few times to settle the powder.
If any look conspicuously fuller/emptierthan the others dump them back into the powder measure and refill.

 

[dakotabob]

I just finished tossing a $200 digital RCBS scale into the trash. It must have not survived my last move very well, even though packaged up well. Only a year warrantee and after talking to RCBS, it would cost more for them to look at fixing the scale than it would cost for a new one - so into the trash.
Digitals are very quick and easy, which spoils you, but the beam scales will last forever. RCBS has sent me any parts I have ever needed for both my 5-10 and 5-5 beam scales at NO CHARGE and they both measure as good as they did 20 years ago.

 

[snuffy]

I just finished tossing a $200 digital RCBS scale into the trash. It must have not survived my last move very well, even though packaged up well. Only a year warrantee and after talking to RCBS, it would cost more for them to look at fixing the scale than it would cost for a new one - so into the trash.
Digitals are very quick and easy, which spoils you, but the beam scales will last forever. RCBS has sent me any parts I have ever needed for both my 5-10 and 5-5 beam scales at NO CHARGE and they both measure as good as they did 20 years ago.

Bob, that scale was probably made by pact. My RCBS is, knowing that, I called pact to ask for a shipping addy. The scale refused to calibrate. They talked me through a factory recalibration, it fixed it in no time! Still using it 5 years later.