MacTech
Member
What a difference between these two scales, the MTM was my first scale, and was fine for the small charges I was weighing out for my .45ACP, but now that I'm reloading for .30-06, I wanted something a little more reliable and precise
My biggest problem with the MTM Mini is it's "wandering zero" problem, when I set it up and weigh the 50 gram test weight with it, there's no consistency, sometimes it measures 49.98, sometimes 50.03, rarely does it measure a flat 50.00, I can take a powder pan with a charge in it, and the scale can read +- .3 grains, it also has a problem with not registering some powder charges properly, IOW, my target weight would be 4.9 grains, for example, and the scale would count up 4.6..4.7..4.8..5.0..5.1, completely skipping the 4.9 grain measurement, it would flop between 4.8 and 5.0
when I started metering out my 58.4 grain .30-06 charges, it would read 58.1...58.2...58.3...58.5 it refused to display the 58.4 weight
So, the scale was clearly tempermental, and it was time for a better scale, I stopped off at the gunshop, where I picked up a used, but in new condition, and calibrated OHAUS-made RCBS 5-10, the older style scale with the rotary fractional weight wheel, it looked to give much more control over the tenth of a gram weight than the much cheesier "sliding leaf spring" design of the current scale
It's amazing how much more sensitive this scale is, with the MTM Mini, it doesn't readily respond to my RCBS trickler, I have to lift the pan off the scale and put it back to have it re-weigh the trickled charge, with the RCBS scale, I swear I can see the beam move every time a single granule of powder fall into the pan
I have a LSWC bullet that measures out to be exactly 200 grains that I use as a calibration weight, it weighs out perfectly at 200 grains in the RCBS, yet it will weigh anywhere from 199.8 to 200.8 in the MTM Mini
the Mini will be relegated to backup purposes and range reloading use, all my powder charges will be weighed in the RCBS 5-10 from now on
It's funny, I would have thought the digital scale would be more precise, but in this case, it clearly isn't
My biggest problem with the MTM Mini is it's "wandering zero" problem, when I set it up and weigh the 50 gram test weight with it, there's no consistency, sometimes it measures 49.98, sometimes 50.03, rarely does it measure a flat 50.00, I can take a powder pan with a charge in it, and the scale can read +- .3 grains, it also has a problem with not registering some powder charges properly, IOW, my target weight would be 4.9 grains, for example, and the scale would count up 4.6..4.7..4.8..5.0..5.1, completely skipping the 4.9 grain measurement, it would flop between 4.8 and 5.0
when I started metering out my 58.4 grain .30-06 charges, it would read 58.1...58.2...58.3...58.5 it refused to display the 58.4 weight
So, the scale was clearly tempermental, and it was time for a better scale, I stopped off at the gunshop, where I picked up a used, but in new condition, and calibrated OHAUS-made RCBS 5-10, the older style scale with the rotary fractional weight wheel, it looked to give much more control over the tenth of a gram weight than the much cheesier "sliding leaf spring" design of the current scale
It's amazing how much more sensitive this scale is, with the MTM Mini, it doesn't readily respond to my RCBS trickler, I have to lift the pan off the scale and put it back to have it re-weigh the trickled charge, with the RCBS scale, I swear I can see the beam move every time a single granule of powder fall into the pan
I have a LSWC bullet that measures out to be exactly 200 grains that I use as a calibration weight, it weighs out perfectly at 200 grains in the RCBS, yet it will weigh anywhere from 199.8 to 200.8 in the MTM Mini
the Mini will be relegated to backup purposes and range reloading use, all my powder charges will be weighed in the RCBS 5-10 from now on
It's funny, I would have thought the digital scale would be more precise, but in this case, it clearly isn't