What reloading scale would you pic and why? I'm leaning tword a digital scale but won't rule out the simplicity of a beam scale... I load on a small scale but am builing a br gun and need a accurate scale as i don't have anything. I wanted to get a dillon D-terminator but it seems hard to find? Tell me whats good and why it's good. Thanks.
Scales......
- Thread starter shelby78
- Start date
vagrantviking
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- High River, Alberta
Wish I had seen that one a couple months ago. Looks nice.
I got the JENNINGS JS-VG 40g and haven't been much impressed. The LEDs are hard to see and its too small and fiddly for some things. Ie Its hard to pick up the tiny little pan without spilling the powder. Should have another decimal too.
Funny you should ask. I have been using a PACT digital scale for the last 15 years. I go tired of the wandering zero and the slowness of the scale in settling on a value and decided to step up to a better scale.
I purchased an AND FX-120i scientific milligram balance this past Monday and it arrived today via UPS. It is accurate to 1 milligram which is the same as .02 gr ( two hundredths of a grain).
It uses the magnetic force restoration method of weighing. Every scale I've ever seen marketed as a reloading scale uses strain gauge technology with is inferior. It's slower, less accurate and you will se the value tend to wander off zero when the scale is just sitting on the bench.
To give you some idea how precise I can now get my ammunition, before I logged onto CGN tonight I just finished loading 100 rds of ammo and every single one of the powder charges was 57.00 grains. It's also fast. I loaded that 100 rds in an hour.
I purchased an AND FX-120i scientific milligram balance this past Monday and it arrived today via UPS. It is accurate to 1 milligram which is the same as .02 gr ( two hundredths of a grain).
It uses the magnetic force restoration method of weighing. Every scale I've ever seen marketed as a reloading scale uses strain gauge technology with is inferior. It's slower, less accurate and you will se the value tend to wander off zero when the scale is just sitting on the bench.
To give you some idea how precise I can now get my ammunition, before I logged onto CGN tonight I just finished loading 100 rds of ammo and every single one of the powder charges was 57.00 grains. It's also fast. I loaded that 100 rds in an hour.
Sask_Hunter
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Saskatchewan
Give me a beam scale and ill spend the money I save over an electronic scale on powder.
Ohaus beam scale for 40 some yrs, you can have your electronics but not much good in the field, Just quicker @ home and I have seen electric go haywire too, the old beams have been around a long time and will still be here when the power goes out.
Really, you need a beam balance. Add an electronic scale later when you can afford a good one.
Here's the deal... a balance from the 1940's will work just fine. One of those (surprisingly accurate) Lee balances that sell for $30 will work just fine in the year 2140, if you don't break it.
The tech that makes a balance work has been around forever (literally).
A balance measures mass, a scale measures weight. It's a subtle difference. But if you're loading on the Friday of a long weekend and you end-up with a dead battery, you're hooped with one, and unaffected with the other.
Keep the balance for checking and back-up; but you'll love the speed and ease of a good electronic.
As a bit of trivia... did you know that if you were assembling reloads on the moon, you could use your balance just like you do at home?
Here's the deal... a balance from the 1940's will work just fine. One of those (surprisingly accurate) Lee balances that sell for $30 will work just fine in the year 2140, if you don't break it.
The tech that makes a balance work has been around forever (literally).
A balance measures mass, a scale measures weight. It's a subtle difference. But if you're loading on the Friday of a long weekend and you end-up with a dead battery, you're hooped with one, and unaffected with the other.
Keep the balance for checking and back-up; but you'll love the speed and ease of a good electronic.
As a bit of trivia... did you know that if you were assembling reloads on the moon, you could use your balance just like you do at home?
You are right. I would love to own the A&D but can't afford it now. I will use my GemPro while I save up for the A&D!
This.
I have one of the Jennings. I love it. I do not use the little pan. I use a film canister. I zero the scale with the canister, dump a charge from my Harrell's and verify the charge being thrown. When actually loading, I put the case on the pan, zero, dump, verify weight. I just use it for my PPC's and .223.
This is exactly what use as well. Been doing it this way for while now and have had 0 issues. Fast and accurate.
I have an Acculab VIC123, a RCBS Chargemaster 1500, RCBS 5-0-5 beam, and the Dillon D-Terminator. The Acculab is too sensitive, the 5-0-5 is too slow, the D-Terminator and Chargemaster 1500 get the most use. Depending on which powder I'm using I'll either trickle loads onto my Dillon scale or use the Chargemaster 1500.
If you're looking for the most accurate, consistent charges than an Acculab like I have (or equivalents) is what you should look at. Keep in mind they are expensive, slow to stabilize a reading, and very sensitive to air movement. Just gently passing your hand a few feet over the scale is enough for it to start bouncing numbers around.
If you're looking for the most accurate, consistent charges than an Acculab like I have (or equivalents) is what you should look at. Keep in mind they are expensive, slow to stabilize a reading, and very sensitive to air movement. Just gently passing your hand a few feet over the scale is enough for it to start bouncing numbers around.
Here is an excellent explanation of the difference between a magnetic force restoration balance and a strain gauge one.
Armorman, the Acculab balance you are complaining about uses strain gauge.
My new AND uses the same technology as the Sartorius on the right in the video and only costs about 45% as much.
Armorman, the Acculab balance you are complaining about uses strain gauge.
My new AND uses the same technology as the Sartorius on the right in the video and only costs about 45% as much.
