Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Powder Scale

Looking for a new electronic scale. Any guidance?

Scale only, or one that dispenses powder?

Subscribed.

Been using an RCBS Digital Pro......for 20++ years...same one !

Made by Pact....I unplug it when not in use...warms up fast & accurate

I check my loads from my Redding Match grade 3BR measure on this scale

I like my chargemaster lite for large capacity cases with fairly good precision (±0.1 gr). I expect purists to want a triple beam for even better precision.

These little Chinese scales are all over amazon and ebay under a variety of goofy chinglish names, and are usually around 15-20 bucks. They seem to work quite well, are fast enough that trickling is no problem, and seem accurate and repeatable enough that my eyeballs couldn't do any better with a beam scale. Ditch the tiny little pan it comes with and use a regular powder pan.

I have no plans to ever go back to a beam scale.

Thinking of trying dispenser Steve but could do just scale.

Just an FYI. All Hornady, RCBS electronic dispensers and scales are only guaranteed for 1 year. There is no repair that I know of as Ohaus quit repairing all scales beam or otherwise a couple of years ago. So consider the cost and figure you are just SOL after a year and 1 day. Although Gem Pro offers a 2 year. Beam scales are still limited lifetime and are just as accurate.

I have used two different RCBS beam scales, a GemPro 250 electronic scale (accuracy of 2/100 grain) and an RCBS ChargeMaster 1500 over the past many years. The RCBS ChargeMaster is all I use anymore and I would replace it immediatly if it stopped working.
Natchez usually has a good price on them, and they now have a Chargemaster Light version that is just as accurate as the 1500 (1/10 grain) for a lower price.

Charge Master all the way.

This!

Charge Master all the way.

I use an RCBS ChargeMaster Lite for dispensing and weighing powder and it has worked well for me. My RCBS M1000 mechanical scale for weighing/checking dispensed powder also works well. I have 3 other digital scales but they are just too finicky for my liking. They either take too long to settle on a measurement or need be calibrated too often to be trusted.

Not exactly electronic, but I have the Dandy Omega trickler that I use with a Lyman M5 scale. The M5 is sensitive enough that I can see 1 kernel move the pointer and is very accurate when checked against my check weights. It combined with the Dandy Omega works really well and the scale doesn’t drift as it did with my chargemaster.

I use a powder measure to throw about .3gr light into my scale pan and then use the Dandy to finish up the charge. The Dandy shuts off automatically when the scale pointer reaches zero.

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1012901750

John

I get good results with a GEM20. It's quite good indeed for checking a powder measure. It is precise enough to weigh charges for a small batch but it gets very tedious quite soon. If I were weighing every charge, I would get a Chargemaster or Auto Charge. As it is, I use a drum powder measure, and the GEM20 is more than accurate enough to check that. My drum throws charges with some powders more precisely than what the Chargemaster is advertised for, but the Chargemaster may be more more precise than they advertise. The RCBS Match Master is claimed to have a higher 0.04 grain accuracy in "match mode." The GEM20 indicates precision to hundredths of a grain, but the accuracy is probably a little less. They advertise 0.001g which is about one and a half hundreths of a grain, and we'd round up to two significant digits. I doubt that accuracy greater than the GEM20 is practical without an analytical balance, which becomes even more tedious. On the other hand, the person with an Ohaus-type mechanical balance has no practical disadvantage and their equipment will probably last longer.

I do weigh every charge so Powder Master might be a good candidate.

I was in the market to replace a Lyman a short time ago and got some good direction from Antelope Sniper and others who steered me to the RCBS Powder Master. I'm glad I bought it. There is also a rebate program by RCBS if you buy by 31 October, IIRC...

Just purchased the RCBS Charge Master. We will see how she works out when it arrives. Thanks for the input.

I have a Chargemaster 1500 system I could probably let go. I upgraded to the the A&D Fx120i V3 and don't see that I will need the RCBS any more. It has served me well and I have no complaints for normal loading. Its a little slow for my needs now days, but it does the job.

I use a 1500 rcbs scale/dispenser and when it croaks I'll have another of the same.