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Powder scale recommendations?

jonkjonk Member Posts: 10,121
edited January 2002 in Ask the Experts
I have been without a scale for far too long. I had a Lee scale that came with my kit; now I generally am a staunch Lee supporter but this thing was a joke; I never could get a reading. I would dearly like a digital scale but they are just too expensive. Can anyone recommend a GOOD manual scale that they have used, that works well, with accuracy to at least 1/10th of a grain? The Lee scale was accurate to about 10 grains... yes I said ten... and that was obviously unacceptable.
"...hit your enemy in the belly, and kick him when he is down, and boil his prisoners in oil- if you take any- and torture his women and children. Then people will keep clear of you..." -Admiral of the Fleet Lord Fisher, speaking at the Hague Peace Conference in 1899.
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    compgunfirecompgunfire Member Posts: 95 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Try a "Redding" scale their base model has been used by benchrest shooters for years.I upgraded to an electronic "Pact" scale about three years ago - I'd never go back to an manual-type beam scale again.
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    Dave3Dave3 Member Posts: 106 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    I'll agree those lee's are pretty cheesey. I found an rcbs 502 at a yard sale gave 3.00 for it. Well it had no instructions so I called rcbs and the mailed me a set and now I have a darn nice little scale.
    "Protect the Right to Protect yourself"
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    woodsrunnerwoodsrunner Member Posts: 5,378 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Mine is an older Ohaus. I traded The Lee scale that came with my kit for it. Booted another $5.00 on the deal. One of the smartest moves I've ever made. Look for an older one. Seems the new ones are mostly made of plastic. I'd rather have metal and not worry about static electricity messing up the readings.WOODS
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    robsgunsrobsguns Member Posts: 4,581 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    My Hornady balance beam was ok, but was tempermental, so I got a Lyman balance beam and am pretty happy with it. I want to upgrade to an electronic though, and suggest that you spring for one, and save yourself some time, since you're going to upgrade anyway.
    SSgt Ryan E. Roberts, USMC
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    kimberkidkimberkid Member Posts: 8,857 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Save your money & go digital ... you'll never regret it. Several years ago I broke down & bought an RCBS "Partner" that was discontinued & Midway was closing them out. I was amazed at how much faster the digital was; two to three times faster ... plus my groups also shrunk because of fewer "fliers"!Think of it this way, your balance beam has been good enough up to now; just put up with it a little longer & save a little longer, and take a big step up!
    GUN CONTROL: If you're not outraged, you're not paying attention!kimberkid@gunbroker.zzn.com
    If you really desire something, you'll find a way ?
    ? otherwise, you'll find an excuse.
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    rick_renorick_reno Member Posts: 186 ✭
    edited November -1
    The RCBS balance beam scales work pretty good. I switched to electronic and it's a big improvement. One word of caution, if you go electronic - avoid the battery powered models. I went thru two of them before I got Midway to just take them back and send me a wall powered model. The Dillon scales had problems with tricklers, if you want one of those you should find out if that's been fixed.
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    ref44ref44 Member Posts: 251 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Your call...but I use an RCBS powder funnel and volumetric rotors. I select a non-extruded powder that will measure smoothly through a rotor. I have done a lot of reloading and chronographing for .308 and .45/70; you do not need 0.1-grain accuracy at a charge of 40-60 grains. It does not show up in the velocity or accuracy; weighing each charge is time-consuming unnecessary, in my experience and opinion.
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    mazo kidmazo kid Member Posts: 648 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Jon, I have to agree with the others that the electronic scale is the way to go. I got a Pact 2-3 yrs ago and it works great. If you want a like-new Lyman balnce beam scale, let me know. Emery
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    spclarkspclark Member Posts: 408 ✭
    edited November -1
    I started with an RCBS 505 (came with the RockChurcker kit I bought), then bought a Dillon digital, & have since gone back to the 505.I found the digital's "repeatability" wavering + or - as much as .3gn despite frequent, careful zero-ing. I'd be trickling powder & the indicated weight wouldn't BUDGE despite an addition of (what the 505 would weigh out at .3 - .5gn) a considerable amount, when it'd suddenly jump past my "aimpoint" as much as .2 - .3gn. This in the range of 15 - 30gn loads for .44 mag, various propellants.Keeping the fulcrum & pivot seats CLEAN seems to be the single most significant maintenance I've had to do on the 505 to keep it accurate.
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    Shootist3006Shootist3006 Member Posts: 4,171
    edited November -1
    Jonk, while the digital scales are THE best way to go, they are expensive. Try the RCBS 505 or thr Hornady equivalent. You might look on e-bay, could be there will be one you can pick up cheap. If you do buy a used one, buy a set of check weights - buy a set anyway - you will need it sooner or later.JONK, I JUST VISITED E-BAY AND THERE WERE 3 SCALES ON THE FIRST PAGE ALONE, HORNADY, PACIFIC AND LYMAN.spclark - send it back to Dillons, they mean it when they say no BS warranty.
    Quod principi placuit legis habet vigorem.Semper Fidelis[This message has been edited by Shootist3006 (edited 01-03-2002).]
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    Shootist3006Shootist3006 Member Posts: 4,171
    edited November -1
    JONK, I JUST VISITED E-BAY AND THERE WERE 3 SCALES ON THE FIRST PAGE ALONE, HORNADY, PACIFIC AND LYMAN. All at good prices!!
    Quod principi placuit legis habet vigorem.Semper Fidelis
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    spclarkspclark Member Posts: 408 ✭
    edited November -1
    Shootist3006 - I might do just that.It DOES work just fine when I use it to "grade" a batch of projectiles by weight; it seems to just not be sensitive enough when I'm doing propellant measuring.It's been quite awhile - maybe 8, 9 months - since I bought the thing, and it was kind of costly to not work as I'd expected it to. I DO like their dies though... if I ever decide my single-stage just is too slow, I'd go for a 550B first, no question.Maybe they'd allow a credit for the scale against a 550....
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    MNTNMANMNTNMAN Member Posts: 46 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    RCBS 505 WORKS WELL
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