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Can anyone recommend a scale for reloading? It doesn't need to be fancy or expensive.

Is it worth the extra expense to get a digital scale? I was thinking of going with beam scale.

Member Joined: 27 Jun 2005 Posts: 1545 Location: Michigan

Member Joined: 17 Jan 2005 Posts: 138 Location: Parma, OH

Errrr.....as a last resort, yes use a beam scale.

If you have $100, get the PACT scale, I think Precision Reloading has them. Less time to settle, better accuracy, can measure up to 650 grains I think (about 1.5 oz) so it can be used for both powder and shot weight checks. Calibrate before you use it each time (temperature compensation) and you're good to go.

FWIW.

Mike Doerner

I used an Ohaus 505 beam scale for all my reloading needs for more than 20 years...rifle, pistol, shotgun. It worked just fine, just very slow and prone to sighting mistakes on the poise. Then one day my little brain started to wondering how the deli folks would make out if they had to weigh cold cuts and cheese on a beam scale? Or a butcher? Or the local postal clerk? Who, except reloaders, uses a beam scale for repetitive weighing tasks?

I bought a Dillon D-Terminator 1200 grain digital and don't regret spending the $$$ one bit. It's just as accurate as a beam scale with many benefits. I'll give you only one, as a dozen would be a waste of my typing skills if cheap price is your primary consideration.

What's your process to determine the powder weight that your shotshell powder measure is throwing? Throw it into an empty hull, then pour it into the scale pan, hoping that it all came out? Then fiddle with two, maybe three poise? Not me. I set the empty hull on the Dillon platen and push the tare button...that sets the readout to zero. I throw the charge and set the hull back on the platen. Voila`, its weighed! I then empty the powder back into the hopper, work the press and throw a shot charge. Without changing any setting, the shot charge is now weighed. Do the same procedure over and over (and over!) until you have the measure settings where they need be and are uniformly repeatable. Now time yourself how long that same procedure would take with a beam scale.

And it's really tough to misread those 1\2" tall digital digits!

I haven't gotten rid of that Ohaus 505 yet as it's not eating anything. But I might as well for as much use as it gets. I don't need it to check the Dillon's accuracy, I have check weights for that task.

Member Joined: 17 Jan 2005 Posts: 138 Location: Parma, OH

What he said as well regarding the tare function of the scale......Works for shot charges as well.

Mike Doerner

Joined: 02 Jun 2007 Posts: 107 Location: N.W. Iowa

Member Joined: 09 Dec 2005 Posts: 989 Location: Las Vegas

H&H: Nice offer from Mike and I would take him up on it! I have an RCBS digital and I think it works well. YMMV! For rifle and handgun I use a beam scale to double check but for quantity reloading I like my RCBS!

Matt

RCBS, they are fast and effiencient just calibrate and your off to the races Smile

I'm trying this new Universal Charge Bar and can see that I have to get a good scale. From the sounds of things, a digital is the way to go.

Thanks for the offer, Mark. But, I think I'm just going to have to throw more money into this hobby and get my own scale.

Are there any digital scales a guy should avoid?

I agree with the digital scale folks. I've had both and I would never go back to a beam scale except in an emergency.

Joined: 27 Apr 2005 Posts: 380 Location: Northeast Ohio

sothere,
I sent you a private message.

Thanks.