couple reloading q's

J

Jetman

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what is the best scale price for value available right now for precesion reloading. i would like to know for certain on acurate resultes down to .01
the big box store brands dont seem to get all great reviews. is there any off market brands like just science equipment that will do.

what are some NEEDED reloading items, that wouldnt come in a reloading kit.
 
Personally I dislike electronic scales. The one I had was not repeatable. Mind you it was a cheap scale.
Primer flipper trays
Assorted powder scoops - optional if you have a powder thrower

I use an RCBS 10/10 scale.
This scale comes with calibration weight
 
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A beam scale is going to be your best bang for buck (more tedious though) an if you can get some check weights they are a life saver sometimes.

Primer flip trays are another good one.

I have a powder thrower but started with the scoops and they are handy to have.

a reloading tray/block neither of my kits came with them and I think its a must have.

Cheers,
B
 
decent calipers

Not really needed but i use it a lot: universal decapping die.
I decap all brass separate before cleaning so only clean brass goes into my die sets.
 
I like my Redding Model 2 (magnetic damped beam scale)
RCBS trickler
Lee powder measure usually gets within a couple of tenths of a grain of desired load, trickle it up to where the scale is on the mark
 
Personally I've found that the Lee powder thrower and the beam scale that came with my press is very accurate. I originally thought to go electronic however much research and spending some time with what I have I've come to depend on it for its simplicity and reliability. I use it for both pistol and rifle loads
 
Lee beam scale is accurate but slow. I've been thinking about getting something else that settles a bit faster...

Like many others, I've got digital scales but I don't trust em to be consistent enough. It would be fine to make plinking ammo where 0.1gr isn't going to make a big difference, but I don't really make ammo just for plinking.
 
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I have had one of these older Hornady beam scales for over 20yrs. It is very consistent.


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I used a RCBS 505 for many years, I still use it to check the weight my RCBS Chargemaster throws.

If I was a newby the 505 or other quality beam scale is what I would start with, it is good to have a check weight set as well.
 
Jetman said:
what is the best scale price for value available right now for precesion reloading. i would like to know for certain on acurate resultes down to .01
the big box store brands dont seem to get all great reviews. is there any off market brands like just science equipment that will do.

what are some NEEDED reloading items, that wouldnt come in a reloading kit.
Click to expand...

I bought a used rcbs m1000 beam scale. Use it for all my reloading needs, from rifle to pistol rounds. Lee dippers, and a trickle make my scale work quick.
I also use some dollar store glass jars for powders. I pour into jar and dippers fit into it easier, they store easy, air tight, label easy, see thru.
Comparator sets, bullet and case sets.
Extra lighting on the loading bench.
Case trimmer. You will need to trim after 2 firings.
Good, consistent calibres.
Notebook to write everything down in, and keep track of loads, and your work.
 
I am not sure if any scale can provide 0.01gr accuracy. And normally it is not that efficient for faster precision reloading unless you have lot of time and only load a small number of rounds.

If you are looking for a powder dispenser, the least I would go is RCBS ChargeMaster Lite, it's about $400 now. it can give you 0.1gr accuracy, which is normally enough if you are new to reloading and precision shooting.
 
The last scale that I would use is the LEE balance scale, it is not dampened, and is incredibly slow, and frustrating to use. I like the RCBS 1010 for a beam scale, but my Chargemaster has proven to be plenty accurate for me, if you look at the reading every time you lift the pan off to pour a charge, you can verify the zero and calibration, for every charge.
 
Another strong advocate for balance beam scales here. When measuring the larger kernel powders such as the 4831 pair, on a balance beam you can see the change in weight every time you add a kernel at a time with your fingers. I’ve tried a couple different electronic scales but you can’t get anywhere near that kind of accuracy with them.

The balance beam scales are def slower but if your striving for accuracy you need that precision that can only be found with a balance beam. That’s my opinion.
 
stubblejumper said:
The last scale that I would use is the LEE balance scale, it is not dampened, and is incredibly slow, and frustrating to use. I like the RCBS 1010 for a beam scale, but my Chargemaster has proven to be plenty accurate for me, if you look at the reading every time you lift the pan off to pour a charge, you can verify the zero and calibration, for every charge.
Click to expand...

Definitely good features and I’m glad it works for you,
however:

Try this experiment: put a measure of powder into your Chargemaster, then add powder (I’m talking about the extruded large kernel powders such as 4831) one kernel at a time and see how many you have to add before the electronic reading changes. Then do the same thing on your balance beam and you can watch the difference with every single kernel you put in the pan.

I use the balance beam cuz this is one variable that we can control when we are trying to accurately repeat the steps needed for accurate ammo.
 
When I started reloading, didn’t buy a kit, per se, I bought what a fella had that was getting out of reloading, and added components and accessories as I went. If you watch the buy n sell columns on a few different online sales such as here on cgn, you can often find a kit that someone has assembled for himself. Be familiar with what the prices are for the various pieces and do your research. Maintain and take care of your equipment; most of what I have today I bought used, for 20-50% off retail, and it’s as good as new 20 yrs later. I reload approx 1000 rounds a year so I’m not a large volume user.
 
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