I need a reliable digital scale

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I too have a Hornaday GS1500. It's ok. It gets the job done.
I'd give it three stars if I was rating it. Not because it's bad but rather because it's just an ok tool that gets the job done. Like OP I didn't find any scales that didn't get some negative review so I took a chance on the Hornaday as it was an ok price and in stock at our local Sportsmans Warehouse.

I don't think it's the best scale for the money but I also don't think it's bad. Rather a fair deal for what appears to be a reliable tool.

I'd recommend it with the caveat that mines worked fine and like all things made in China, your mileage may vary.
 
Walkalong said:
I bounced my PACT off the tile floor in the kitchen and into the trash can many years ago. It was a very long time (A decade?) before I tried another digital scale.
I probably didn't allow it to warm up enough, or keep it away from outside influences, and simply lost patience. Or not, but I did get mad and destroyed it. *Sigh* Don't do that these days. :)
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I still have my PACT, I kept it as a demonstration piece for people who think
all expensive digitals made for reloading must be good, or at least adequate.
I lend the Pact to people for a weekend or so, and they give it back with the hair
standing up on their arms. It is unbelievably crappy. I don't know where
they engineered it, but it's the worst piece o' crap that ever missed a toilet.

I also have a Lyman (it works pretty fair!), a Hornady that works if you zero it for every measure,
a GemPro that works really well, a $22 counterfit GemPro that worked until it crapped out,
and a RCBS Chargemaster that works perfectly every single time, no exceptions.

GemPro is very good. RCBS is my highest recommendation.

That's my experience, YMMV.
 
bds said:
Out of curiosity, could you weigh some 1/4"x1/4" 20 lb copy paper pieces on the Gempro 250? I am curious if it will detect one piece and what it weighs (if you need precise measurements, use the calipers).
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I did this (Sort of) yesterday, but used a sticky note and eyeballed the 1/4" by 1/4". It weighed .10 every time except the first, when it showed .11. Used a pair of hemostats to take it on and off.
 
Load Master said:
Coming from someone who has a fascination with scales and have far more than I would like to admit, for digital, one of my favorites is the GemPro 250. It matters where it comes from. I would NOT purchase it through Amazon. The only place I trust for scales is Old Will Knott Scales. They have great customer service and stand behind what they sell. This said, I still would not be without my balance beam and my check weight set.
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Same for me except I have the GemPro 300 which must be the next evolution of the 250. So far, it is spot on with my 10-10 beam scale.
 
Frankford Arsenal Platinum is the best under $100 according to ratings at Midway and Amazon. I have one I and I can't find a single thing wrong with it. It calibrates with (2) 50 gm weights and I check it with a 20 and 30 gm weight, it always hits both accurately. I throw a bunch of powder and check it when I'm finished, always right on the money. I wish I could say the same thing for my RCBS Uniflow.

Over 100 bucks I have no idea what scale I would buy. I'm sure there are some good ones out there but for my needs (4-25 grains) I don't need a $250 scale. I have other reloading challenges that could use the $150.
 
I used a Dillon Determinator (the older model) for years, and it works well. It has drifted a few tenths occasionally, but has never failed calibration, and always tares back. I recently (early Father's day present) got an RCBS Chargemaster Lite, and love it. It's reasonably fast and almost never over or under throws. I've changed my order of operations to use the time it takes to throw to prime cases, and overall I think it is faster and less prone to mistakes.
 
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I have used a Redding #1 beam scale for all my LD rifle reloading for the 7 years I have been involved in it, absolutely consistent and accurate to my single check weight. After reading the above posts I plan on buying a check weight set though, to verify accuracy over the full range of weights. I have recently, in the last 4 years increasingly loaded pistol rounds. I purchased a Frankford Arsenal electronic pocket scale to help speed up the powder measuring for pistol cartridges. Worked just barely OK, accurate enough, but constantly needed re-calibrating. Thankfully it died 6 months ago and put me out of my misery! In my search for a better unit as a replacement, I came across a forum thread (rugerforum??) on scales and found a strong recommendation to look at 'Jennings JScale JSVG 20'.
All the specs looked great and then I found and bought a used ebay, unit, for $29. I am in love....fast, accurate, consistent to 100th of a grain. Absolutely worth a look. I tried to post a link to some ebay ads & one to the manufacturer but as I am a newby I can't post links yet. Unsure of the cost of a new scale but have several used ones on ebay.
 
Can you update us on the Gempro 250 when it arrives? I use my Hornady dispenser for a scale, but would like to get something else just as a scale. I use check weights of 20 and 10 grains to keep things honest.
 
CoalTrain49 said:
Frankford Arsenal Platinum is the best under $100 according to ratings at Midway and Amazon. I have one I and I can't find a single thing wrong with it. It calibrates with (2) 50 gm weights and I check it with a 20 and 30 gm weight, it always hits both accurately. I throw a bunch of powder and check it when I'm finished, always right on the money. I wish I could say the same thing for my RCBS Uniflow.

Over 100 bucks I have no idea what scale I would buy. I'm sure there are some good ones out there but for my needs (4-25 grains) I don't need a $250 scale. I have other reloading challenges that could use the $150.
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I have the FA platinum series scale. I have been using it for 2 years checking powder charges it is spot on. I have found if you let it warm up it works great. And I like the huge led numbers lol. I also have the Chargemaster 1500 it works great to. But I don't use it that anymore.
 
I have a handful of items. I have one Hornady LNL Autocharge on hand (POS) and a pair of Chargemaster 1500s which are my primary dispensers. I use an RCBS 505 BALANCE as my check most days. I have a Frankfort Arsenal pocket scale and an Ohaus HH-120 handheld scale. My show pony is a Mettler Toledo MS603S Analytical Balance, absolute overkill, but you don't find a scale or balance with more TRUE precision, repeatability, and reliability in the civilian market (which, in fairness, this BALANCE isn't available on civilian market). I'm working on a Dandy Trickler set up to convert it to auto dispense, but for now, I throw in a drop tube into the pan, then trickle. The Sartorius is good, but it's an entry model lab balance - more than a hobby reloader needs, but not on par with the commercial lab balances.

The fun part, is really the foundation of load development. If you're running an appropriate charge weight for your rifle and bullet, you just don't need extreme precision in your powder measuring equipment.
 
There are 3 that work really well, PACT, PACT and PACT.

I bought one in the '80s and they replaced it twice at no charge each time upgrading to their newest model. Both times were due to line surge (lightning). It is accurate to 0.1 gr. +/-.
 
+ 1 more for the Gempro. Mine is probably 4 or 5 years old. I drop powder with a Lyman Gen 6, and trickle onto the Gempro.
 
I bought the FA Platinum scale a couple of months ago. Seems to work well and has not drifted on me so far.
 
I'm on my second GemPro 250. The first one a bit problematic would not calibrate after a year or so and My Weigh sent me a new one under warranty The new one works perfectly. My advice is do not turn it off. Leave it on and calibrate it every week or so if you do not use it on a regular basis. I did not do this with my first GemPro.

I use the GemPro to check loads thrown by my RCBS Charge Master Lite. This combination is the best I've used to date. I also have an RCBS (Ohaus) 10-10, an RCBS Range Master 2000 and a Frankford Arsenal DS 750.
 
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