Exaggeration might be amusing but doesn't help a new guy.
If you couldn't make 50 rifle rounds in 2 hours with that gear, you should apply for disability benefits.
NEW to hand loading can someone send me a step by step book/video/website on hand loading .308
- Thread starter Kylito
- Start date
If you couldn't make 50 rifle rounds in 2 hours with that gear, you should apply for disability benefits.
Some people mistakenly believe that a reloading forum would be a place you get friendly advice about starting to reload.
Exaggeration might be amusing but doesn't help a new guy.
If you couldn't make 50 rifle rounds in 2 hours with that gear, you should apply for disability benefits.
Oh NO! that would put me on the same level with you.
You said it would take a week of hard labor to make 50 rounds using that gear. That's misleading, and not correct. So i said if that's true you must have a disability. I apologize for my mistaken belief you were joking.
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I like beam scales because they're accurate and don't cost a whole bunch second hand. The only problem is that they're awful slow. For rifle, if you aren't looking to dump a bunch of money on a quality digital scale, I would buy a beam. For pistol loads, I would get almost any cheap digital scale that does grains with a low overall capacity (~50 grams). You just don't need the same level of accuracy as you do with rifle, and you can get something off Amazon for under $50. You should-double check the charges from the cheap digital on your beam at the start of each session just to make sure it's accurate enough. I've loaded many, many, many, lol, pistol rounds with just a cheap DS-750 and have never felt the need for anything better. Yes, I still have all my fingers! If and when you decide that you enjoy reloading, a nice digital scale should be one of your first upgrades.
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Bubba Yugga
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Midwestern Ontario
Those cheap Amazon/Walmart scales, especially with the 2 decimal grains readout, are surprisingly accurate for their price.
Powered by AAA cells, they get wonky when they discharge (way too soon) and even then may have a bit of hysteresis in the load cell, so sometimes do little fibs.
What I did is get two of them, with USB-C input for power to avoid the low AAA wonkiness.
Then I check weigh them against each other. "Trust, but verify".
They're cheap enough to afford buying a couple, and satisfies my "two is one, and one is none" OCD-ness.
A newbie should start with a decent quality beam scale. Electronic scales have numerous pitfalls and limitations.
When you have 2 scales reading differently, how do you know which is right. So obviously you need 3 scales, minimum..
Bubba Yugga
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Midwestern Ontario
I do, but they only act up when the third one's turned off.
Actually, tossing the charge between the two until they both agree on a value that you wanted, usually works.
The probability of them both agreeing on the same incorrect value is pretty miniscule and, by then, that error will be slight.
When the scales read the same or close enough, you don't have a problem.
But if you have 2 scales so you can compare readings, then how do you know which is right when the readings differ? Obviously you use check weights, right? But you can use check weights with only one scale. So I don't see the value of 2 scales myself.
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Bubba Yugga
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Midwestern Ontario
You seem to be assuming that the errors are constant and consistent. That is generally not the case.
You turn them on, let the circuitry stabilize, tare (zero) them, and they generally will agree to within around .03 grain.
Dynamically, they will be more inconsistent, so the solution is to toss the charge between them to give them multiple votes.
Tare one while the charge is in the other. Generally they'll come around and agree and you'll actually see which one was fibbing when it changes its mind and agrees with the other who was more consistent at that time.
I can pretty much get away with trickling with one and checking with the other and, as long as the second agrees with the first, into the case the charge goes.
If I give a hoot about ES and SD, I go to the more expensive stuff. But for any work inside a couple hundred yards, this is plenty fine...
You turn them on, let the circuitry stabilize, tare (zero) them, and they generally will agree to within around .03 grain.
Dynamically, they will be more inconsistent, so the solution is to toss the charge between them to give them multiple votes.
Tare one while the charge is in the other. Generally they'll come around and agree and you'll actually see which one was fibbing when it changes its mind and agrees with the other who was more consistent at that time.
I can pretty much get away with trickling with one and checking with the other and, as long as the second agrees with the first, into the case the charge goes.
If I give a hoot about ES and SD, I go to the more expensive stuff. But for any work inside a couple hundred yards, this is plenty fine...
Maybe you need better quality scales?
Bubba Yugga
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Midwestern Ontario
When cash flow permits. We're on a newbie's thread, remember?
I'm describing how one can cope when just starting out on a limited budget.
Bubba Yugga
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Midwestern Ontario
That's a good $400 investment there I'm sure, and something for the OP to look forward to eventually.
Maybe just using an RCBS 5-10, Lee scoops and a trickler will suffice to start.
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Junk equipment is never a good investment. Requiring multiple units because of poor reliability is not good advice for a new reloader, and leaves room for error and mistakes. Your experiences with the cheap electronic scales is exactly why a beam scale is a good way for a newbie to start.
One doesn't need to sound $400 on a scale and measure, used 10-10's are fairly inexpensive but yes you can use a scoop , I still do for some of my black powder cartridge loads.
Cat
