Is a digital scale a good choice to check balance scale

[07Mustang]

I pretty new to reloading have a question about scales. I'm using the Lee Safety Scale which I find to be consistent when checking the throws out of the powder measure. But I find it difficult to read the grain poise. Would a digital scale be a good second scale or should I get a different beam scale?

I was looking at this one http://www.oldwillknottscales.com/my-weigh-ibalance-101.aspx

I'm loading .45ACP for range use now and down the road when time and life allows, hope to get into USPSA competition in 9mm.

Thanks for your help.

 

[Patriot]

I bought a Dillon digital scale and have never looked back to my BB scale. The BB is an RCBS and it sits in it's box
in my reloading cabinet. If you get a digital scale, get a good one as the cheap ones don't perform very well.

 

[M1911]

My Dillon balance beam seems to work well for me. Simple works.

 

[mac1911]

I have several scales, I have come to trust my 505 beam scale...I have a few small digital scales and a very early digtal scale I got from a closeing drug store. Its very good but takes a long time to settle down. The littlest vibration can set it off. The scale that came with my hornady press kit is pretty good also.

 

[NickW85]

A cheap scale can be very reliable if you know its calibrated right and has a reasonable tolerance +/- 0.1gr.

I have a digital scale that I use primarily and a balance scale as my backup. Every time I begin reloading I check the calibration on them by measuring two known masses. I have a couple scale weights I test before reloading. I feel this is the best way to know your scale is up to snuff at any given time. I figure whats good practice with chemicals is probably good practice with reloading.

 

[55_grain]

I haven't touched my beam scale since I got my RCBS 750 digital scale. It's so much faster.
I leave it on so there's no warmup concerns, and it comes with calibration weights for a quick sanity check.

Your proposed scale looks fine to me, you'll just need to use it with the power pan from your LEE.

55_grain

 

[MisterHappy]

Look at it this way - when's the last time you saw a mechanical scale in a jewlery store?

A GOOD electronic scale is likely more precise than a beam scale (and easier to read)....BUT: it has to be a GOOD SCALE. I'd not get one from Harbor Freight, for instance....

 

[M1911]

Look at it this way - when's the last time you saw a mechanical scale in a jewlery store?

Because they use their scale a lot and digital is faster, and they need to know the weight of a stone.

How often do you weigh your charge? I use a progressive press and I don't weigh that often. So I really don't need a lot of extra speed. Furthermore, when I weigh a charge, all I need to know is whether it is the same as the charge I am expecting, or whether it is heavier or lighter. If I'm expecting a 3.8gr charge and it is lighter, I don't need to know how much lighter -- I just adjust the press until the charge weighs 3.8gr. That use case is quite a bit different than a jewelry store.

I'm not against digital scales. But for many of us a cheaper balance beam will do just fine.

 

[Jose]

The problem with non-lab grade digital scales is their sensitivity (or lack of).

Yeah, it resolves to .1 gr on the display, but you trickle and trickle and trickle, then the display will jump .3 gr.

I'd be extremely suspect of any digital scale costing less than $500.

 

[Knob Creek]

My Dillon balance beam seems to work well for me. Simple works.

+1

 

[07Mustang]

Thanks for the help, upon further review it appears the Dillon will fit the bill for me.

 

[highscore]

Thanks for the help, upon further review it appears the Dillon will fit the bill for me.

As much as I really like Dillon products, I don't think the digital scale up up to par. Mine has to be calibrated often and I don't want to think about how many times I was near the end of a loading block full of cases and noticed that the zero had shifted 3 or 4 tenths. Blasting ammo is one thing but for long range, I'd dump them and start over. For rifle ammo, I throw a charge with my old RCBS measure close to the weight I'm looking for, and then dump it into the pan on my RCBS 1010 and trickle to finish. Goes surprisingly fast.

 

[Patriot]

As much as I really like Dillon products, I don't think the digital scale up up to par. Mine has to be calibrated often and I don't want to think about how many times I was near the end of a loading block full of cases and noticed that the zero had shifted 3 or 4 tenths. Blasting ammo is one thing but for long range, I'd dump them and start over. For rifle ammo, I throw a charge with my old RCBS measure close to the weight I'm looking for, and then dump it into the pan on my RCBS 1010 and trickle to finish. Goes surprisingly fast.

You are correct that the scale does drift, especially during initial start-up. Whenever I take a measure on it, the 'ZERO' button gets pushed first.
Works surprisingly well. Most scales will suffer some drift unless you are going to spend some really big money on one. Even the mechanical
scales need to be calibrated before using and checked periodically during a reloading session. Environmental factors like temp change or position
change will impact the scale readings on either scale.

 

[LoginName]

Depends on what your needs are... more to the point, how anal you are about consistent accuracy .vs quick and easy.

I use a beam scale and digital scale.

For my MOA rifles... beam scale for powder charges, digital for sorting/separating bullet weights.

Pistol rounds... I just rely on my digital scale.

One thing to be aware of is that digital scales can be thrown off by electrical interference... using one to close to a fluorescent light fixture can throw readings off.

Whichever scale you decide on, spend a couple of more bucks on a set of check weights also.

Ohh... and one other use for my digital scale, weighing my birds from time to time.

Try weighing a Senegal parrot on a beam scale some time... it just doesn't work that way.

 

[highscore]

Depends on what your needs are... more to the point, how anal you are about consistent accuracy .vs quick and easy.

I use a beam scale and digital scale.

For my MOA rifles... beam scale for powder charges, digital for sorting/separating bullet weights.

Pistol rounds... I just rely on my digital scale.

One thing to be aware of is that digital scales can be thrown off by electrical interference... using one to close to a fluorescent light fixture can throw readings off.

Whichever scale you decide on, spend a couple of more bucks on a set of check weights also.

Ohh... and one other use for my digital scale, weighing my birds from time to time.

Try weighing a Senegal parrot on a beam scale some time... it just doesn't work that way.

Separating bullet weights, that is anal! And I thought I was the only one...

 

[mac1911]

dont want to buy weight checks, get a object and have a few pharmacies weigh it....use that object to see if your scales are close or what not.

 

[07Mustang]

I picked up a used Redding model 1 beam scale off ebay that looks like it is new instead of the 40 years or so that it is, made of metal, zeros nicely, and I can easily see the scale. check weights on order. thanks for your help.

 

[Boris]

when you get the scale, do a quick check on how well it zero's back and repeatedly weigh a few things. Many scales advertise/display 1/1000 or a gram but they can never repeat the measurement.

Gem scales, up to 20gm capacity work good. Ohaus is good in terms of precision/price, it's a lab quality scale.

 

[Slowdive]

dont want to buy weight checks, get a object and have a few pharmacies weigh it....use that object to see if your scales are close or what not.

I use common household items as standards. eg. I have a bottle cap that weighs exactly 23.2gns. I also made some other objects that I know are 5, 10, 20 and 30 gns (I took things that were close and ground them down to weight). If I'm dropping a 44 grain charge for .308, Ill check zero, check and put the 30gn, 10gn, and 5gn charge to check for 45 gns then back off the balance scale 1gn. Works pretty well.