Recommendations for a new powder scale for my dad.

[HOOfan_1]

So my dad has asked for a new powder scale for Christmas. He has an old Lyman beam scale, which was possibly made by Ohaus. He wants to replace it because he says in order to even register a measurement when he puts any weight on it, he has to tap it a few times.

He said he would like to try a digital scale. I told him that Beam scales are still considered the best, but are digital scales considered up to snuff these days?

He reloads for both pistol and rifle.

If digital scales are considered good enough, then I was thinking perhaps the Hornady Lock-N-Load.

 

[ColtPythonElite]

I have used the Hornady scales and like them. If my current digital scales needed replaced, I would buy the Hornady scales.

 

[Starter52]

Get him a digital scale!

Beam scales are dinosaurs.

 

[Blue68f100]

Step up the the GemPro 250. These scales are excellent and come with a near life time warranty (25-30 yrs).
https://www.oldwillknottscales.com/my-weigh-gempro-250.html

 

[RedLeg105]

+1 on GemPro 250!

 

[fotheringill]

Starter 52-

They certainly are BUT I have found that for precision loading a balance is better and faster unless you purchase one of the super duper accurate ones at $600 for weighing only.

 

[tightgroup tiger]

My Hornady bench scale does everything I need it to do. I also have the Hornady Auto Charge and use it for pistol powder when I'm hand loading. If you father loads a lot of rifle and wants to use this scale for it, the bench scale is probably the better choice when used with a trickler. My Auto Charge goes over weight alot with stick powder and it's annoying. If he loads rifle with a beam scale he probably already has a trickler.
The Gem Pro is the Crem de la Crem of the bench scales if you want to spend that much.
It has a .01 resolution if you want that kind of accuracy, I don't know if it helps any in accuracy but if he is OCD about his loads he may appreciate it.
I bought my Hornady bench scale years ago and it still is working fine and has never given me a bit of hesitation.

 

[muleman11]

Get him a RCBS chargemaster

 

[fotheringill]

Whatever you get, please investigate the warranty BEFORE ordering. There is a big difference among the candidates.

 

[kwg020]

Get him a digital scale!

Beam scales are dinosaurs.

I'm still using my Ohaus (RCBS) beam scale I bought in 1975. But, I'm a dinosaur too.

kwg

 

[LiveLife]

He said he would like to try a digital scale. I told him that Beam scales are still considered the best, but are digital scales considered up to snuff these days?

In the "Myth Busting Digital Scale" thread, we busted the myth that digital scales (even the cheap $20 ones) were not consistent or accurate enough for reloading - https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/revisited-myth-busting-digital-scales.821449/

I use 2 Ohaus 10-10 beam scales with .1 gr resolution but also use Frankford Arsenal (owned by Smith & Wesson) DS-750 digital scale with .1 gr resolution on my reloading bench on a daily basis. Both verify Ohaus ASTM Class 6 check weights down to .3 gr consistently.

BTW, FA DS-750 is $24.99 with free shipping - http://www.cabelas.com/product/shoo...battenfeld-digital-scale/1889212.uts?slotId=3

I have also been happy with Gemini-20 with .02 gr resolution digital scale but consider it too sensitive for everyday bench use and occasionally use it for more precise work like verifying Sport Pistol metering to .05 gr variance - https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/lee-proauto-disk-mods.828480/#post-10682624

 

[mdi]

FWIW; When I'm working up a load, I weigh every charge, with my beam scale (Lyman/Ohaus D-5). After I establish a good load, I will often use my digital scale for "production". The most irritating fact is my digital scale will not consistently measure .1 grain when trickling up. Perhaps I'm anal about powder charges, but these are my handloads and it's OK with me to be a bit more precise. When trickling up the digital readout will jump .2 grain at a time and removing .1 gr. and getting my charge just right can take longer than my old Lee scale...

Today's digital scales are much better than those of a few years ago when the conditions had to be considered when weighing powder. Power, battery or service power had to be consistent. Interference from fluorescent lighting and other electronic items near by (CD players and speakers) often led to errors. I had a digital a few years ago (highly recommended on a forum) and I could not use my fluorescent light above my bench. I had to "tare" every time the pan was removed and replaced. The auto shut-off time was way too short. I had to calibrate often and it soon I could not recalibrate at all. I could not find a service center so my $120.00 scale wound up in the round file...

 

[santacruzdave]

I have this inexpensive digital scale. I use it as a check system to validate I've set my beam scale correctly for pistol loads. Then I use a Lee Auto Drum and check every so often to make sure it is dropping the correct charge. I check powder drops on the beam scale. For rifle loads I use the beam scale and trickle up. I also verify I have the beam scale set correctly by measuring my first loads on the digital scale as well.

This is the digital scale I use:

 

[HOOfan_1]

Yes, he already has a powder trickler. He's retired, so has copious amounts of time, and he usually doesn't load more than 20 rifle cartridges at a time, or maybe 100 or so pistol loads at a time, so he doesn't really need an auto trickler or anything.

I think I will either go for the Hornady Lock N Load, RCBS Rangemaster, or I may step up to the GemPro 250. Not many good reviews on Brownell for it, but I guess usually only the unhappy people bother to go give a review.

 

[santacruzdave]

Check out the video, the WAOAW will actually track the grains dropping from a trickler.
Here is a comparison of inexpensive digital scales. WAOAW is quite a little marvel. Gempro 250 looks to be a good scale as well.

 

[LiveLife]

The WAOAW digital scale definitely seems to read faster than DS-750.

Owners of WAOAW scale, could you do the following for the myth busting digital scale thread and post your results? https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/revisited-myth-busting-digital-scales.821449/

Thanks in advance.

- Use new/clean 20 lb sheets of copy/print paper
- Cut 1/4" x 1/4" pieces using ruler/calipers and handle with tweezers to prevent contamination by finger oils (Each ream of 500 sheets should weigh 5 lbs and each 1/4"x1/4" piece "should" weigh around .0468 gr)
- Level bench/counter surface
- You may need to use cover or clear bowl to block air movement
- Remove questionable sources of interference or noise (magnets, cellphone, etc.)
- Use fresh batteries or allow the AC scales to warm up
- After calibrating the scale and zero/tare, place one piece of paper and check displayed weight
- If scale won't detect one piece of paper, place additional pieces until 1.0 grain reading is displayed
- If scale won't detect several pieces of paper, place a check weight and repeat the test

 

[LiveLife]

Amazon is doing a "Lightning Deal" for WAOAW digital milligram scale for $15.97 with Prime free shipping (1 hour left as of 4:39 PST) - https://www.amazon.com/WAOAW-Milligram-Reloading-Calibration-Tweezers/dp/B06W5VXN53

I went ahead and ordered one.

 

[santacruzdave]

I did the above test, sort of. I only have 24lb paper. Cut into 10 1/4" squares. Let the scale warm up for 5 min.
Use tweezers to handle squares. Had to set 3 on the scale before I got a reading, .3 gr. I inadvertently scrunched up a couple of 1/4" squares. When I dropped a scrunched up square onto the scale from a height of about 2.5", the scale registered .1 gr. I repeated the "drop" test with another few of on purposely scrunched 1/4" squares, each one registered .1 gr when dropped onto the scale from 2.5". Just genitally setting them on the scale requires 3 before the scale registers .3 gr. For 16 bucks!

 

[Dudedog]

I have a RCBS 5-0-5 works fine does not need power (trickle here if I need to trickle)
I have Frankford DS750, I use it most of the time. (round to .x) 4.34-> 4.3, 4.36->4.4 (using to verify charges not trickling into it.)
I also have the Gem 20, small pan but weighs tiny amounts .02gr res. LIke BDS I use it when I want to weigh something to that level. ( or trickle here if I need to trickle)

 

[LiveLife]

I did the above test, sort of. I only have 24lb paper. Cut into 10 1/4" squares. Let the scale warm up for 5 min.
Use tweezers to handle squares. Had to set 3 on the scale before I got a reading, .3 gr. I inadvertently scrunched up a couple of 1/4" squares. When I dropped a scrunched up square onto the scale from a height of about 2.5", the scale registered .1 gr. I repeated the "drop" test with another few of on purposely scrunched 1/4" squares, each one registered .1 gr when dropped onto the scale from 2.5". Just genitally setting them on the scale requires 3 before the scale registers .3 gr. For 16 bucks!

Thanks for doing the test.

When the scale arrives, I will repeat the test using the same paper I used for the myth busting thread for consistency of testing for sensitivity and repeatability - https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/revisited-myth-busting-digital-scales.821449/

So far, based on the reviews, looks like another good digital scale for reloading.

I also have the Gem 20, small pan but weighs tiny amounts .02 gr res. LIke BDS I use it when I want to weigh something to that level. ( or trickle here if I need to trickle)

Yes, AWS Gemini-20 scale I have with .02 gr resolution really has performed well as milligram scale showing sensitivity of single 1/4"x1/4" piece of paper with .06 gr reading. As to the small pan, looks like they fixed that issue with this Smart Weigh scale model that has larger platform to use with powder pans - https://www.walmart.com/ip/Smart-We...ion-Jewelry-Digital-Milligram-Scale/140748965



I recently bought a 50 g capacity milligram scale by Smart Weigh and while it is repeatable to .15 gr check weights, it is not as sensitive as AWS Gemini-20 - https://jet.com/product/Smart-Weigh...ack-SW-GEM50/bac0b6ec10d84abdbbdd95a6ff6b1f7c

 

[rfwobbly]

So my dad has asked for a new powder scale for Christmas. He has an old Lyman beam scale, which was possibly made by Ohaus. He wants to replace it because he says in order to even register a measurement when he puts any weight on it, he has to tap it a few times.

Even if you buy the digital, you ought to clean the teeter-totter knives of any rust and clean the gemstone pivot points with alcohol for him. One won't be any good unless the second can verify the first. IOW, if the digital starts to wander in the future then the beam scale will let him know, rather than having an avoidable accident.

 

[SC_Dave]

I have used the Hornady scales and like them. If my current digital scales needed replaced, I would buy the Hornady scales.

This ^

I have had reliable, repeatable results with this one.
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/340674/hornady-lock-n-load-bench-scale-electronic-powder-scale

 

[ArchAngelCD]

Might I suggest, no matter which digital scale you buy also send your dad's beam scale back to the manufacturer to be recalibrated. It's always a good idea IMO to have a backup scale and a good scale to check the other. Since be already owns a good scale having it repaired sounds like a good idea.

I use both an RCBS 505 bean scale and a Hornady GS-1500 digital scale. That works for me. I think Hornady has replaced the GS-1500 with the G2 1500 scale. I have never used the G2 1500 so I can't comment on it.

 

[LiveLife]

Regardless of scale used, I recommend a set of check weights to ensure your scale is accurate to .1 gr for the powder charge range used.

American Weigh OIML Class M2 check weights down to 1 mg (.015 gr) for $11 + free prime shipping - https://www.amazon.com/American-Wei...=1-1-catcorr&keywords=reloading+check+weights

Lyman check weights down to .5 gr for $33 and free prime shipping - https://www.amazon.com/Lyman-Reloading-Scale-Weight-Check/dp/B000N8LMFG

Ohaus ASTM Class 6 stainless steel check weights down to 1 mg (.015 gr) for $60 + free shipping - https://www.zoro.com/ohaus-calibration-weight-set-500-to-1mg-80850110/i/G0843236/

 

[Reeferman]

This ^

I have had reliable, repeatable results with this one.
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/340674/hornady-lock-n-load-bench-scale-electronic-powder-scale

I use the same one and leave it plugged in all the time. Matches with either my Ohaus 10-10 or 505 scales everytime.