I'm thinking of buying a digital scale to add to my reloading setup, and was thinking of getting a frankford arsenal scale. They seem to be moderately priced and should fit my budget fairly well. Dose anybody have any input on the quality of this scale or recommendations for a better moderate priced scale?
Digital scales
- Thread starter lorne19
- Start date
that frankford arsenal scale,is that the plastic one using 2 cr2032 batteries?
50 bucks or so?
don't bother,i'll sell you mine for 25 bucks...
the batteries don't last very long and it shuts down every 5 minutes to save batteries.other than that it'so.k. but i would honestly give it a pass...
50 bucks or so?
don't bother,i'll sell you mine for 25 bucks...
the batteries don't last very long and it shuts down every 5 minutes to save batteries.other than that it'so.k. but i would honestly give it a pass...
I am using an inexpensive (under $20 as I recall) Digiweigh scale I purchased on Ebay. Can't testify as to its longevity but is is accurate to within .2 grains and if it quits I can buy several more before I have spent the price of the scales marketed by reloading companies. I check it against a balance beam scale and it is accurate.
Bassmaster
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- WMU 48 - Whitetail country
+2 on the Jennings scales...I'm using a JS-50XV @ 0.1 grain precision. No complaints thus far
The scale you should use depends on what distance you shoot at.
If you do not normally shoot past 5 to 600 yards, you will be fine with the accuracy of the $100 variety of reloading scales. In this price range they typically claim accuracy of +- .1 grains but in reality it's more like +- .2 grains. Even so, a total variation in powder charge of .4 grains will not result in enough of a velocity change to cause you any acuracy issues at such close range. The velocity fluctuations due to powder charge variation will result in about 2" of vertical variation at 600 yards.
If you are a long range shooter, that's another story.
A variation of .4 grains will result in a vertical shift of about 10" (give or take a bit) at 1000 yards - depending on case capacity.
If you like to shoot that far then you need to control your velocity better than a $100 scale can offer. At that point you will need to spend about $300 on a miligram scale. These are accurate to about .02 grains or about 1 kernel of 4350 powder. I suggest a Sartorius Element http://www.itinscales.com/sartorius_element_lab_balances.htm
If you are considering an RCBS Chargemaster my advice is forget it, and get a miligram scale instead. The price is about the same, but the chargemaster cannot offer you 1 kernel accuracy on your powder charge.
If you are well heeled and can afford more, dont get a scale that is more sensetive than a miligram scale. It will drive you insane. Instead just get a better quality miligram scale as the next step up you will be over $1000 but they will last forever, never ever drift and are fast.
If you do not normally shoot past 5 to 600 yards, you will be fine with the accuracy of the $100 variety of reloading scales. In this price range they typically claim accuracy of +- .1 grains but in reality it's more like +- .2 grains. Even so, a total variation in powder charge of .4 grains will not result in enough of a velocity change to cause you any acuracy issues at such close range. The velocity fluctuations due to powder charge variation will result in about 2" of vertical variation at 600 yards.
If you are a long range shooter, that's another story.
A variation of .4 grains will result in a vertical shift of about 10" (give or take a bit) at 1000 yards - depending on case capacity.
If you like to shoot that far then you need to control your velocity better than a $100 scale can offer. At that point you will need to spend about $300 on a miligram scale. These are accurate to about .02 grains or about 1 kernel of 4350 powder. I suggest a Sartorius Element http://www.itinscales.com/sartorius_element_lab_balances.htm
If you are considering an RCBS Chargemaster my advice is forget it, and get a miligram scale instead. The price is about the same, but the chargemaster cannot offer you 1 kernel accuracy on your powder charge.
If you are well heeled and can afford more, dont get a scale that is more sensetive than a miligram scale. It will drive you insane. Instead just get a better quality miligram scale as the next step up you will be over $1000 but they will last forever, never ever drift and are fast.
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You will be fine for up to 500 to 600 yards for hunting purposes, but not likely to win any organized matches at that distance or beyond.
You need to take the "1/4 minute challenge" by maynard then..
Check out his thread.
And RUN...
Dont walk...
to the Iowa 1000 yd Bench Rest Club - you will teach those boys a few things!!!!
They use $$$ custom BAT Actions and 40 pound guns to come up with groups bigger than that.
In front of "Witnesses" that is
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I just shot 25 rounds all touching at 1000 yards!
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(They were all touching the paper)
Anyway without playing the BS card, that is about the best group anyone could possibly shoot with the scale you have at that distance even with a very good 1000 yd bench rest rifle. See results here http://www.iowa1000ydbenchrest.com/
If you had a miligram scale, it would be theoretically possible to reduce your group size to about 2.5 inches of vertical at 1 k. Wind drift variation not included.
Reducing your groups below 6-8" at 1000 is impossible without a miligram scale. And really good shooters have trouble consitantly doing that with them.
$h!t luck just does not count. Witnesses or not.
