Digital Scale

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Still consider myself quite new to reloading. As such I still use the scale that came with my Lee 50th Kit. I enjoy reloading 223, 38 special and now 9mm.
My question is regarding digital scales, my LGS sells the: MTM Mini Digital Reloading Scale DS-750 Before coming across this I had been looking at the Frankford Arsenal digital scale. The MTM is about $10 more, is it worth it?

What do you use or recommend?

Thanks in advance
 
Hi T,

I would start with RCBS 505 scale first (or something similar) - there is one for sale on E.E - click here.

And if you are really set on going digital - I would go straight to GemPro250 - there is one for sale on E.E - click here.

I would also read the following article on "weight drift on digital scales".

Hope this info helps!

Cheers,
 
These cheapo digital scales are all more or less the same thing: 0.2gr accuracy (meaning if it shows 3.4gr, you're somewhere between 3.3 and 3.5), super easy to use, and all much faster than any mechanical scale. You could use a 20$ kitchen scale if it displayed weights in gr and it wouldn't make much of a difference. The least expensive I've seen is the BPI 1500 for 38$ at BSS, and it works fine for the 3 calibers you reload. The frankford and the MTM you're looking at are roughly the same thing.

If you feel like blowing around 300$ on powder measurement, don't get a gempro, get a Hornady autocharge or an RCBS chargemaster. Same ballpark as the gempro as far as price, but then you get a complete powder dispensing system, which will speed up your reloading.

The RCBS 505 suggested above is a mechanical scale, similar as your Lee, but better. I wouldn't buy that since you have the Lee.

If you're using the powder thrower that came with your kit, you shouldn't have to weight more than 1 case out of 10, probably less than that, so the scale is mostly used while you're setting up.

I'd go with the least expensive digital scale, so the MTM or the BPI. There's no sense in paying 300$ for a scale if your whole setup was only 220$ in the first place. If you ever want to get into long range shooting then you'll throw so much money at reloading that the 300$ gempro will be your 3rd backup scale anyway, and if you just want plinking rounds then 300$ is a good start when saving for a progressive press.
 
These cheapo digital scales are all more or less the same thing: 0.2gr accuracy (meaning if it shows 3.4gr, you're somewhere between 3.3 and 3.5), super easy to use, and all much faster than any mechanical scale. You could use a 20$ kitchen scale if it displayed weights in gr and it wouldn't make much of a difference. The least expensive I've seen is the BPI 1500 for 38$ at BSS, and it works fine for the 3 calibers you reload. The frankford and the MTM you're looking at are roughly the same thing.

If you feel like blowing around 300$ on powder measurement, don't get a gempro, get a Hornady autocharge or an RCBS chargemaster. Same ballpark as the gempro as far as price, but then you get a complete powder dispensing system, which will speed up your reloading.

The RCBS 505 suggested above is a mechanical scale, similar as your Lee, but better. I wouldn't buy that since you have the Lee.

If you're using the powder thrower that came with your kit, you shouldn't have to weight more than 1 case out of 10, probably less than that, so the scale is mostly used while you're setting up.

I'd go with the least expensive digital scale, so the MTM or the BPI. There's no sense in paying 300$ for a scale if your whole setup was only 220$ in the first place. If you ever want to get into long range shooting then you'll throw so much money at reloading that the 300$ gempro will be your 3rd backup scale anyway, and if you just want plinking rounds then 300$ is a good start when saving for a progressive press.

Well stated and I would agree but a bit further...

I have an ebay $30 digital scale that is used now strictly to confirm the settings on the mechanical balance scale. After watching the scale drift after a few minutes I didn't trust it. Can't speak to the digital units mentioned.

That being said I did find a considerable improvement going from the Lee safety scale to a RCBS 502. For myself it was much easier to read/notice trickled powder and the dampening is by far much more superior and faster.

From my experience knowing what I know now...if you have a price point less than a few hundred dollars to try and improve the speed and accuracy of your powder charges I would consider a used "better" mechanical scale. Nothing wrong with the Lee and I used it for a long time but the RCBS unit I have now is an absolute pleasure to work with and the cheapo digital scale is just that. Cheap. I wasted a bunch of my time trying to figure out why it was inconsistent...way more than $30. Cell phones, fluorescent lights all that garbage and on and on it went.

FWIW

Regards
Ronr
 
"I have an ebay $30 digital scale that is used now strictly to confirm the settings on the mechanical balance scale. After watching the scale drift after a few minutes I didn't trust it. Can't speak to the digital units mentioned."

The confirmed weights of the beam scale was determined when they made the scale. There is no changing, altering or adjusting them.
They are simply part of the scale.

"From my experience knowing what I know now...if you have a price point less than a few hundred dollars to try and improve the speed and accuracy of your powder charges I would consider a used "better" mechanical scale."

The RCBS 505 is as good a reloaders scale as any on the market.
 
I used a old RCBS balance beam scale for years and my only complaint is how slow measuring powder this way can be. I bought the RCBS Chargemaster Combo and this greatly speeds up the operation and takes the drudgery out of loading.

Before getting the ChargeMaster I tried using a small battery powdered digital scale but it was too sensitive to battery voltage and not as accurate as the balance beam scale. Also depending on how your seated in relation to the beam scale parallax can effect the reading. And the ChargeMaster is just as accurate as the beam scale and much faster. The ChargeMaster Combo will dispense the powder faster than I can keep up seating bullets on my Rockchucker press.
 
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I have the MTM DS-750 and have used it in the past as my primary scale when reloading rifle calibres. I load conservatively and nowhere near max loads so I was comfortable with the capabilities of the scale for 223, 308, 30-06, 7.5 Swiss, and similar cartridges. It worked fine as far as I could tell when sneaking up to weight with the powder trickler.

I would not use the scale as my primary scale for pistol calibres. Because there aren't any huge flashing warnings telling you not to use it for pistol rounds it's probably OK to do so, but I personally do not feel comfortable using it due to it's specified accuracy of +/- 0.2 grains. I want tenth-of-a-grain accuracy for pistol loads.

I now use the MTM scale as a quality control / sanity check for loads weighed on my RCBS M500. I just want to make sure that loads are not egregiously wrong and the MTM works fine in that role.

If you're interested, when I first got my RCBS M500 I wrote about the differences I was seeing on my Lee, MTM, and RCBS scales here:

https://www.canadiangunnutz.com/for...st-your-scales-Lee-vs-MTM-DS-750-vs-RCBS-M500

At the time I did not yet trust the RCBS scale. I have since come to trust it and it is now my main scale.

At my local shops the MTM and and Frankford Arsenal scales are priced the same. They are both $49.99 at Cabelas. When I bought mine the MTM scale was more commonly available.

Personally, I don't think I will buy another digital scale. Because the manufacturers do not list the electronic component specs for their scales there's no guarantee that a $50 scale and a $200+ scale don't use the very same load sensor. I'm happy with the RCBS M500 beam scale at the moment and find that I can quickly trickle up to weight on the scale.
 
"I have an ebay $30 digital scale that is used now strictly to confirm the settings on the mechanical balance scale. After watching the scale drift after a few minutes I didn't trust it. Can't speak to the digital units mentioned."
"From my experience knowing what I know now...if you have a price point less than a few hundred dollars to try and improve the speed and accuracy of your powder charges I would consider a used "better" mechanical scale."

The RCBS 505 is as good a reloaders scale as any on the market.

Agreed. I should have clarified...digital scale used to confirm balance scale setup... I am still getting used to the 502 I have and don't want any mistakes reading the poise. Really am happy with the 502 Bruce and can see why others like the 505.

Regards
Ronr
 
Hi T,

I would start with RCBS 505 scale first (or something similar) - there is one for sale on E.E - click here.

And if you are really set on going digital - I would go straight to GemPro250 - there is one for sale on E.E - click here.

I would also read the following article on "weight drift on digital scales".

Hope this info helps!

Cheers,

I would agree with GreenBob on the 505 and a cheaper digital to get started
 
Ive been using an RCBS 505 for close to 20 yrs, but a couple yrs ago I picked up a new Gempro 250. In the beginning I turned the scale on and off as I needed it and I was always waiting for it to warm up and stabilize after calibrating. I almost gave up and went back to the beam scale but then I decided to leave it plugged in and turned on all the time, no more problems. Its always ready to go on my bench, I quickly check it with a couple different test weights before I start, and I cant remember the last time I had to go through the calibration process.
its very accurate and a lot faster than the beam scale for me.
 
From what I understand, the gempro does not read well during trickling.

Very few entry level digi scales will... BUT you will figure out how much a kernel of powder weights so can quickly just add what is needed, take pan off, back on to confirm, into the case.

Much faster to take the pan off and put back on.

Gempro 250 is the most known entry level milligram digi scale. it works, it drifts, it will wear out. After killing a couple, I moved to the AND FX120i... yep, a lot of money BUT it works soooooo much better and eliminates all the questions about your powder charge. Now that an automated trickler is available, what a joy to use.

Balance beams are typically more reliable then cheapie digi scales but they are slow and that can be a huge negative when you need to load 250rds for a match.

For the average hunter and low volume, go decent beam scale. For the precision, competition and higher volume rifle shooter, make the investment in a quality magnetic restoration scale.

When shooters are willing to spend a few thousand on a scope but recoil on a couple of hundred more for a scale that will actually make the whole rig work, seems like false economics.

Jerry
 
Very few entry level digi scales will... BUT you will figure out how much a kernel of powder weights so can quickly just add what is needed, take pan off, back on to confirm, into the case.

Much faster to take the pan off and put back on.

Gempro 250 is the most known entry level milligram digi scale. it works, it drifts, it will wear out. After killing a couple, I moved to the AND FX120i... yep, a lot of money BUT it works soooooo much better and eliminates all the questions about your powder charge. Now that an automated trickler is available, what a joy to use.

Balance beams are typically more reliable then cheapie digi scales but they are slow and that can be a huge negative when you need to load 250rds for a match.

For the average hunter and low volume, go decent beam scale. For the precision, competition and higher volume rifle shooter, make the investment in a quality magnetic restoration scale.

When shooters are willing to spend a few thousand on a scope but recoil on a couple of hundred more for a scale that will actually make the whole rig work, seems like false economics.

Jerry

Agreed, but the OP said he reloads what seems like plinking ammos (9mm, 223, 38spl). His whole setup cost less than a gempro.
 
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