What scale are you using these days?
- Thread starter arcticcathonda
- Start date
Acculab VIC 123 - $235
Gempro 250 - $160
Now add your shipping cost from US and applicable taxes for your province and your over $200 as I stated earlier.
Of the 2 I would spend the extra on the Acculab personally if I was going for an accurate digital.
Gempro 250 - $160
Now add your shipping cost from US and applicable taxes for your province and your over $200 as I stated earlier.
Of the 2 I would spend the extra on the Acculab personally if I was going for an accurate digital.
arcticcathonda
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Southern Alberta
A best friend had one of these 15$ Chinese scales you speak of. I thought it looked like a terrible way to measure powder and NO way it could be 0.02gr accurate. Well...... I was a tad bit embarrassed when we did a side by side comparison with my 7000$ scale at my work's lab. By no means was it 0.02 gr accurate more like 0.05gr accurate. The 15$ Chinese scale tracked side by side through 5grain to 100 grain calibration weights I had. Anyways got me thinking...
I undertand your question, but consistency on your scale is what's important.
The cheapest I've found it this side of the border is $288 plus shipping.
OK so how would you know if it's accurate/consistant case to case if you have nothing to compare to? I have one (cost $143 shipped to MT) but have really only used it to check my chargemaster. Tha chargemaster is accurate to .1 about 19 times out of 20,, but is out by .2 or so once in awhile, or so says the GemPro. I can see the .1 making a difference in the 204/223 size cases, maybe no so much in the 260/284 size. I normally dispense with chargemaster and check every 10 or so with GemPro or another chargemaster. When we have lots of larger cases to do we run the chargemasters simultaniously, using GemPro as a check. Mark
I also have a couple of the chinese $12 scales, and found them to be good. Used to check the chargemaster when I first got it. The ones I have are nfg outdoors though.
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358, I don't know what to suggest for you.
If I charge 50 rounds and pick one at random to re-weigh, it had better come out the same as my first reading or I can't trust my scale. I recently had to pull 30 rounds. I measured the charge from all 30 and everyone was bang on 24.0gr. So I believe I can trust my scale.
I don't use multiple scales as I don't have a need to, that's why I don't have a suggestion for you.
A digital scale is meant to be used inside, no wind, no direct sunlight, no vibrations (noise), so I wouldn't trust it outside.
If I charge 50 rounds and pick one at random to re-weigh, it had better come out the same as my first reading or I can't trust my scale. I recently had to pull 30 rounds. I measured the charge from all 30 and everyone was bang on 24.0gr. So I believe I can trust my scale.
I don't use multiple scales as I don't have a need to, that's why I don't have a suggestion for you.
A digital scale is meant to be used inside, no wind, no direct sunlight, no vibrations (noise), so I wouldn't trust it outside.
I have a VIC 123 ACCULAB and it has been replaced by a newer model for about 450 at sinclair, I am going to list it for 225 shipped but where in the EE do I list it, precision parts?, looking at a scale for about 750 US range, as I like to weigh exact, this scale has done me well for short range benchrest where the charges need ot be accurate, I load to 28.62 grains of VV 133 and never change my load, I also preload 500 or 1000 vials and then load at the range, and then this is one less item to worry about, this scale needs to be used inside with the windows closed,
going to a better scale as 1 kernel attracts me, not anal, just exact, the vic is a great scale but we always want better : ' )
Jefferson
going to a better scale as 1 kernel attracts me, not anal, just exact, the vic is a great scale but we always want better : ' )
Jefferson
arcticcathonda
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Southern Alberta
Acculab is owned by Sartorius and Sartorius Mechatronics decided to streamline the company brand name holdings and eliminate the Acculab brand. Acculab Vicon Series are now replaced by the Sartorius M-ProveSeries.
Mystic Precision
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Summerland, BC
"How DO you know your scale is working well?"
Great question. I do these tests
take the same weight and reweigh it 10 times. Is the output number the same? I want to use a light weight like 25 to 30gr (NOT grams). The 10gram check weight usually included is way too heavy. I accept a change in value equal to the rated error suggested by the manf - ALL scales have some level of error.
take so many kernels of a known powder and add it to the scale. Does the value change as expected? Varget kernel is 0.02gr for reference so dropping 5 kernels should change the weight 0.1gr (allow for 0.8 and 1.2gr as these kernels are not perfectly the same size).
Does adding 1 kernel change the value? you may need to take the pan off then put back on to see the reading change.
keep an eye on tare/zero drift. ALL scales will drift eventually -you just need to know when and how much so you can tare/zero as needed.
Level the scale, no wind, no electrical noise, static - and whatever the scale manf suggests.
Although I sell reloading scales and dispensers from all major reloading brands, I have yet to find ANY to weigh with precision better then +/- 0.1gr. That means in a perfect world charges with a 0.2gr difference (high or low) could read the same on the scale output.
Add in some user error and you could have variations as high as 0.3gr.
for hunting big game or gov't work, close enough. For precision shooting, you better be loading something that rattles windows in nearby parked cars. Otherwise, your groups at LR will not be as good as can be.
I know some will get their nose out of joint with this but remember "nice round group at 100 and 200yds"? If that is how your rifle shoots and it is has some true precision capability, I can pretty much guarantee you, your scale is not up to snuff.
The more precisely you can weigh your charges, the FLATTER your group will become.
[youtube]SrhB29UIpJ4[/youtube]
On a steady condition day at 500m.
yes, it does matter.....
Jerry
Great question. I do these tests
take the same weight and reweigh it 10 times. Is the output number the same? I want to use a light weight like 25 to 30gr (NOT grams). The 10gram check weight usually included is way too heavy. I accept a change in value equal to the rated error suggested by the manf - ALL scales have some level of error.
take so many kernels of a known powder and add it to the scale. Does the value change as expected? Varget kernel is 0.02gr for reference so dropping 5 kernels should change the weight 0.1gr (allow for 0.8 and 1.2gr as these kernels are not perfectly the same size).
Does adding 1 kernel change the value? you may need to take the pan off then put back on to see the reading change.
keep an eye on tare/zero drift. ALL scales will drift eventually -you just need to know when and how much so you can tare/zero as needed.
Level the scale, no wind, no electrical noise, static - and whatever the scale manf suggests.
Although I sell reloading scales and dispensers from all major reloading brands, I have yet to find ANY to weigh with precision better then +/- 0.1gr. That means in a perfect world charges with a 0.2gr difference (high or low) could read the same on the scale output.
Add in some user error and you could have variations as high as 0.3gr.
for hunting big game or gov't work, close enough. For precision shooting, you better be loading something that rattles windows in nearby parked cars. Otherwise, your groups at LR will not be as good as can be.
I know some will get their nose out of joint with this but remember "nice round group at 100 and 200yds"? If that is how your rifle shoots and it is has some true precision capability, I can pretty much guarantee you, your scale is not up to snuff.
The more precisely you can weigh your charges, the FLATTER your group will become.
[youtube]SrhB29UIpJ4[/youtube]
On a steady condition day at 500m.
yes, it does matter.....
Jerry
I used a redding BR powder measure I usually set it a tenth under what I am aiming for then I use trickler to get it dead on. if I am using Varget I can just count how many I need to add. Like Mystic said each piece weights in at .02g.
