Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Canada Powder Scales - General Chit Chat

I own a number of scales, but generally use one of three - an Ohaus 10-10, the Lyman 1500 or a Lee Safety Scale. Admittedly, I used the Lyman 1500 the most.

Occasionally, I take one of my beam scales out and compare the results to the Lyman digital. In the past, the cheap Lee scale weighed the same as the Ohaus, which weighed the same as the Lyman 1500. (or no more than 0.1 grain different). For my recent work ups, I did not do that. There was never a difference in the five or six years that I had the Lyman to doubt that it would fail.

Yesterday, I wish that I had checked.

I was testing loads for my 6x45 - 85 gr. Speers and 85 gr. Noslers. For each of the two bullets, I loaded 10 cartridges x 5 powders. For the work ups, I used my Lyman 1500. It was calibrated immediately prior to use. It is also re-calibrated every 10 shots, just in case you were going to ask.

The first 20 shots with the 85 gr Noslers were uneventful, with velocities varying from 2715 to 2767 fps. That's on the money for what I had used in the past. When I started with the third powder, things seemed off. The velocities had climbed, and were hanging around 2800 to 2820 fps with the first five shots, so I stopped, and went to the fourth powder. The first two shots chronoed at approx. 2850 fps. Alarm bells went off, so I stopped shooting them. I tried the fifth. The first shot chronoed at 2917 fps. Full stop. The recoil told me that there was too much powder.

I shot a 223 Remington over the chrono to see if something was wrong with it, but the 223 ammunition numbers were fine.

Back to the house. I pulled the bullets and weighed the powder using my Ohaus and Lee Scales.

The loads with the third, fourth and fifth powders were heavy by 0.4 to 0.7 grains.

I tried the Lyman. When I turned it on, I noticed that the display read 23.2 grains with nothing on, or around it. I let it warm up, calibrated the scale and weighed the powder. The display showed an amount much less than the original charge weight. I threw the powder on my Lee again. The charge weight was supposed to be 25.8 grains, but showed 26.3.

The Lyman is dead.

I have never trusted a digital scale.
Further, the only scale I do trust is made by Ohaus. They make most of the beam scales sold by most of the reloading people in the business.

I agree that digital scales are more likely to be inaccurate and/or prone to breakage. There are several things that affect them. In no particular order - wifi, radio or other electronic signals, the batteries running low (for models that use them). They are more sensitive to damage or rough handling (strain gauge), air currents and temperature changes. While any scale needs to be handled carefully, I would argue that digital scales are more easily damaged by bumps and taps.

I have owned a Redding, Ohaus, Lee Safety and a few other mechanical scales. None was less accurate than the others. There is less to go wrong with a mechanical scale. My Ohaus and Lee Safety Scale are neck and neck. That upsets some people, but in the end, they are both mechanical scales - with fewer problems than the electronic ones.

The Jennings scale was a disappointment. My oldest grandson has it now.

vapodog;
Good afternoon to you sir, I hope the day's been a good one for you folks down in Nebraska and this finds you and yours well.

Way back in the day I started reloading with the "standard" scale back then which was an RCBS 5-0-5 made by Ohaus. It of course worked flawlessly for more than a decade, perhaps 15 years, whereupon I ended up purchasing an entire reloading setup from a friend and sending the stuff I didn't need to a nephew.

Well..... I sent the RCBS 5-0-5 to the nephew and kept the new to me RCBS 10-10 again by Ohaus and on more than one occasion since passing my late '40's I've regretted that decision. To my now getting to be semi-old guy eyes, it's much easier to have the 10-10 set incorrectly as it's tougher for me to read.

That said, it has never hopped out of place which I would suggest is possible with the 5-0-5, though honestly I can't recall that happening.

We tried an electronic powder scale at work doing some very fine measurements of chemicals and just couldn't get along with it. I want to say there was too much air movement where we used it in a finishing application room so it wouldn't settle down and zero.

While I'm not a complete Luddite in all areas, I'm afraid that the mechanical scale in combination with a powder measure works well enough for the volume of reloading I'm doing thus far.

Anyways, all that to say another vote for manual Ohaus scales and why I've voted that way.

All the best to you all this fall.

Dwayne

Have an ancient Ohaus that’s been in use for 50 years or so. Hell will freeze before I use one of those electronic things. KISS

Been using an old RCBS digital for a couple of decades now. Stays on all the time, and occasionally has to be jump-started when it gets confused. A while back, I bought a Chargemaster Lite. The 'structions say to keep it off and unplugged when not in use and to calibrate it every time, all of which I do. Every so often, I weigh the charges spit out by the Chargemaster on the old one, and they're always within .1gr. I also spot-weigh bullets on both as another check. So far, I'm perfectly satisfied with both, much happier than I was using a Redding BR-30 (IIRC) measure, which cut powder and was less consistent, in my hands anyway, than the e-scales. Use one of the little hand-held measures for some handgun loads (NOT with Trail Boss). Have a couple of balance beams carefully packed away for SHTF use, but they'd never survive on the crime scene that is my loading bench.

The CML throws charges just about as fast as I can grab a bullet, seat it, and put the little jewel I just made in the box with the others. Every so often it overruns a hair, especially with chunky extruded powder, but I dip out a grain or two with a little Lee scoop and dump it in the can. Occasionally it stops short, and I hit the trickle button to bring it up. Overall, it saves me a bunch of time, and my results have been excellent. Pretty sure at this point that I'd be more likely to futz up using a manual scale than an electronic, and no doubt my back and neck would take a beating as well. Have yet to see any big errors with either e-scale, but I keep an eye on the powder level in the cases just like I would if using a measure.

I'm glad that it's working for you! When I load up a bunch of the same cartridges, I have an old Lee Powder measure that throws pretty consistent charges. I still check the odd charge, but, touch wood, it continues working. I bought it 30 odd years ago on a trip to Washington, when I was stationed in BC.

I use a Hornady digital scale. I check a load every tenth on an RCBS beam scale, and I also have a known good 50 grain bullet that’s marked and I throw it in the powder pan on the Hornady every 5-10 loads. That process has kept me from blowing myself up so far.

I did a clean up of the reloading bench. I tossed a bunch of stuff, but added two new scales. I have a new Lee Safety Scale and a Lyman digital scale. The digital will be used when close enough is good enough, like case weights, bullet weights. etc.

I have several beam and digital scales. If I could only have one it would be the old RCBS beam.
I think it is safer to use....you always know what the last powder charge was. I prefer non digital stuff

50 year old Ohaus 505 still does the trick on my bench. Old school ‘digital’.

They haven't made those kind of scales since the 1930s! I won't buy anything imported from Ireland anyway!

Havent used a scales of any kind for more than a decade. Last one I had was an RCBS beam scale. Somehow the beam got twisted without me realizing it. Luckily I caught the problem before I shot any of those loads. I use nothing but dippers now.The dippers work great and are very consistent. I never run full throttle loads anyway. I am a firm believer in simplicity, and the dippers give me that, and very good accuracy in a variety of cartridges.

I switched to digital and will never go back. Currently using a Hornady Auto Charge to get within a tenth, and trickling the rest of the way up with an ebay digital scale and a Redding trickler.

The digitals are at least as accurate as my eyeballs were, trying to line up arrows and hash marks on beam balance scales.

I went the other way, from digital to RCBS 304.

I am good with the change.

JSTUART;
Good afternoon to you my cyber friend, I hope that my tomorrow has been a good one for you all in your today and that all who matter in your life are well.

Thanks for making me do a little research as I wasn't familiar with the 304 at all.

Color me impressed sir!

As noted previously, I don't hate the 5-10 I've been using, but the 5-05 was just as good for much less money and might I say, I believe it'd be easier for my now "old guy" eyes than this one.

Ah well, that's why they sell reading glasses one supposes!

Thanks again sir and all the best to you and yours.

Dwayne

I bought a GemPro a few years ago because I thought it would be easier. Used it a couple times and it’s just laying around somewhere. I checked it as I was told to do after every ten rounds or so. Didn’t take long to figure out I didn’t like pulling bullets and recharging rounds because it wasn’t correct.. I’m using a 505 and 1010 still. Edk

My experience has been different with the Gempro 250.
I’ve been using one for at least 5 years. I leave it plugged in and powered on 24/7 on my load bench. I have 3 test weights that are very close to my common charge weights and test the scale frequently while loading. Luckily I very seldom need to zero the scale. When I do zero the scale it’s never out more than .05 grain.

The only problem I’ve had is from a shock load. I’ve accidentally dropped a test weight into the tray before, and it took awhile to settle down and stay zeroed. No other problems.

I also have an old RCBS beam scale but I much prefer the Gempro 250.

Maybe leaving it plugged in is the answer. I would just plug it in about 30 minutes before using and it sucked bad. I might find it and give it a shot again. Thanks. Edk

I started with an Ohaus 10-10 tried two digital scales and have gone back to the 10-10.

I will use the digital for weighing brass.