What is the most reliable/accurate scale for under $350

Which scale for under $350 is the best in your opinion?

  • Lyman balance

    Votes: 3 5.1%

  • Lyman didital

    Votes: 1 1.7%

  • RCBS balance

    Votes: 23 39.0%

  • RCBS digital

    Votes: 13 22.0%

  • Hornady balance

    Votes: 2 3.4%

  • Hornady digital

    Votes: 3 5.1%

  • Dillon

    Votes: 4 6.8%

  • Gempro

    Votes: 5 8.5%

  • Lee

    Votes: 3 5.1%

  • Other, please explain

    Votes: 5 8.5%
  • Total voters
    59
  • Poll closed .
I'm another one who went with the RCBS Chargemaster combo.
I also have the RCBS Deluxe Check Weight set.

I know that it won't last a lifetime as will a 10-10 but if it ever dies I'll spend the money on a new one.
My other possibility is to find a super high accuracy laboratory grade scale.
 
HKMark23 said:
Bearing in mind that in reloading consistency y/repeatability , more than empirical precision is generally the goal, you are right IMHO to consider balance beam scales as the best bang for your buck. If you're chasing shot accuracy/consistency, trickling powder into a BB scale pan is as good as it gets. For volume loading, you'll find a quality powder measure (Hornady, RCBS, Redding) throws consistently enough to enable you to employ your BB scale only as a spot check. "Drift" with a BB scale is easy to spot as it simply doesn't return to zero, so you adjust. You can get a quality scale, powder measure & stand, and trickler for less than 350. With any reasonable degree of care this stuff will last you a lifetime or two. By not buying electronic gadgetry for charge weighing, you'll have $$ to put toward a chronograph which will be more valuable to you than an electric powder pump by far.
Click to expand...

I already have a chrony and I use a uniflow for my bulk loading. I mainly use unique for pistol and plinkers and the uniflow works great for that. For precision I weigh each load and I just want something accurate and faster than the lee I'm using now.
 
thump_rrr said:
I'm another one who went with the RCBS Chargemaster combo.
I also have the RCBS Deluxe Check Weight set.

I know that it won't last a lifetime as will a 10-10 but if it ever dies I'll spend the money on a new one.
My other possibility is to find a super high accuracy laboratory grade scale.
Click to expand...

burnaby said:
RCBS Chargemaster, great scale and fast dispenser.
Click to expand...

I was seriously thinking about a chargemaster for a while but I missed out on the group buy and I just can't see me paying full retail after the deal guys got.

Balance scales are more my style I think. I don't really like the idea of having to re calibrate during a load and check my throws with a balance anyway.

I really appreciate all the input though.
 
HKMark23 said:
Bearing in mind that in reloading consistency/repeatability , more than empirical precision is generally the goal, you are right IMHO to consider balance beam scales as the best bang for your buck. If you're chasing shot accuracy/consistency, trickling powder into a BB scale pan is as good as it gets. For volume loading, you'll find a quality powder measure (Hornady, RCBS, Redding) throws consistently enough to enable you to employ your BB scale only as a spot check. "Drift" with a BB scale is easy to spot as it simply doesn't return to zero, so you adjust. You can get a quality scale, powder measure & stand, and trickler for less than 350. With any reasonable degree of care this stuff will last you a lifetime or two. By not buying electronic gadgetry for charge weighing, you'll have $$ to put toward a chronograph which will be more valuable to you than an electric powder pump by far.
Click to expand...

See this is why I hate the lee. I can't trickle with it because it sticks. I'll have to trickle a bit then bump the beam and let it settle and adjust the charge again. When I first started handloading my 'precision' loads grouped like a shotgun because I was trickling up with the lee and I didn't realize it was sticking. Later when I knew what the problem was I reproduced what I did and weighed the charges after and some were about half a grain out!

If the 10-10 won't do that I'm sold.
 
Griffin6869 said:
RCBS 10 10 - bought it over 15 years ago - built like a tank - no waiting for it to settle down - awesome scale. Was at a buddies house and he has a lee balance scale, what a pain as it won't stop moving up and down-add a couple grains and its up and down and wait - it's usable but takes 5 times as long if you want a accurate powder charge without the " its close enough" statement. RCBS 10 10 all the way for a beam scale
Click to expand...

Have to agree. I also have a 505, 510 and a 750 but the 1010 is my pick
 
07blackwater said:
See this is why I hate the lee. I can't trickle with it because it sticks. I'll have to trickle a bit then bump the beam and let it settle and adjust the charge again. When I first started handloading my 'precision' loads grouped like a shotgun because I was trickling up with the lee and I didn't realize it was sticking. Later when I knew what the problem was I reproduced what I did and weighed the charges after and some were about half a grain out!

If the 10-10 won't do that I'm sold.
Click to expand...

I have a Redding BB scale. Basic, Rugged, Accurate, Magnetic damping, no issues whatever. It just works.
 
07blackwater said:
I've been on the hunt for a reliable, fast and accurate scale that won't break the bank.

I don't have the luxury of a dedicated vibration free space for a scale like many digitals seem to need so I thought I'd ask you all what you think the best balance between accuracy, speed of setup and cost is.

This isn't, by all means, a comprehensive list so feel fee to add your input.
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Not trying to be an ass, but:

Are digitals out, even though they're in the poll? How much vibration are we talking about - do you live under a tram line?

Do you want:

- fast to setup;
- fast to dispense;
- most accurate;
- reliable; or
- cheap?

Or all of the above. If just one, which is most important?

How accurate is accurate enough - 0.05 grs? 0.001 grs? Is accuracy referring to consistency, or that it drops what it says it drops?
 
Andy said:
Not trying to be an ass, but:

Are digitals out, even though they're in the poll? How much vibration are we talking about - do you live under a tram line?

Do you want:

- fast to setup;
- fast to dispense;
- most accurate;
- reliable; or
- cheap?

Or all of the above. If just one, which is most important?

How accurate is accurate enough - 0.05 grs? 0.001 grs? Is accuracy referring to consistency, or that it drops what it says it drops?
Click to expand...

I live a block from some heavily used railway tracks and the ground here transmits the vibrations severely. I'm used to it but people that aren't think there's an earthquake sometimes.

When I read that digitals can't even be on the same bench as your press because the movement might throw them off I knew they might not be the best fit for me.

I didn't automatically decide against digitals when I made the poll, I was just asking for opinions that helped me make up my mind. Down the road I may get a chargemaster because it's highly recommended but, like I said, I think the 10-10 is what I'm looking for now.



Just to add, the poll results seem to show I made the right decision and no, you weren't being an ass, just asking the same questions I would have.
 
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Second set of questions. If you choose a balance beam scale:

a. do you intend to weigh each charge separately; or
b. weigh it once and then use a powder thrower?

"a." would be very slow, and prone to inconsistency.

"b." is slow to setup, but then very fast to throw, but also prone to inconsistency.

I'm just going to recommend the RCBS Chargemaster, as I've done the others and to me it's the best balance of advantages. But I don't live on an active fault line.............
 
Andy said:
Second set of questions. If you choose a balance beam scale:

a. do you intend to weigh each charge separately; or
b. weigh it once and then use a powder thrower?

"a." would be very slow, and prone to inconsistency.

"b." is slow to setup, but then very fast to throw, but also prone to inconsistency.

I'm just going to recommend the RCBS Chargemaster, as I've done the others and to me it's the best balance of advantages. But I don't live on an active fault line.............
Click to expand...

a) I weigh each charge for accuracy in my hunting rifles but pistol and 30-30 plinking loads get thrown through my uniflow

b) see "a"


I don't mind taking the time to weigh each charge because this is a hobby and I enjoy it. When I'm throwing bulk charges with the uniflow I weigh the first 10 or so and they're usually within plus/minus 0.2 grains. Good enough for plinkers and pistol. Once it's set up I'll do a run without weighing anymore.

I think the most accuracy loads that I weighed at one time is 40 or so. Sure is tedious with the sticky lee. Like I said above I wanted a scale I could trickle up with that wouldn't stick and would read quickly.
 
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I've got the Hornady digital and it is very accurate. RCBS does make a good scale but I got crappy customer service about a set of dies from them, so don't buy there stuff anymore.
 
My experience has been that Hornady has the best. I had a set of RCBS dies that kept pulling the bullets back out with it and there response with to send them $35 and they'll fix it. Doesn't make sense to do that when i can buy a new set for the same price. Every time I've dealt with Hornady was that they will replace at there cost, even when I told them that I broke it and the fault was clearly mine. To thumbs up for Hornady IMHO
 
Actually got mine last year from Brownell on sale for $270US before the group buy came out. Final cost still cheaper than group buy plus got $75 rebate (this year is even better with the bullet offer). Keep an eye out for sales.

The pan on my scale is 156.7gn, used that as a reference point after power up to see if the 10 second recalibration is needed.
07blackwater said:
I was seriously thinking about a chargemaster for a while but I missed out on the group buy and I just can't see me paying full retail after the deal guys got.

Balance scales are more my style I think. I don't really like the idea of having to re calibrate during a load and check my throws with a balance anyway.

I really appreciate all the input though.
Click to expand...


You must live close by POCO range/DVC. Luv that Coast Meridian overpass, lots of trains below.
07blackwater said:
I live a block from some heavily used railway tracks and the ground here transmits the vibrations severely. I'm used to it but people that aren't think there's an earthquake sometimes.

...
Click to expand...
 
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