Digital Scales
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Marco Califo
New member
Beam is always accurate and does not have batteries that go dead.
Maybe 10 years from now, electronic scales will be a lot better than they are today.
Maybe 10 years from now, electronic scales will be a lot better than they are today.
https://www.amazon.com/Frankford-Arsenal-Digital-Reloading-Display/dp/B07Z8FY7QC
I have this one and it works very well.
I have this one and it works very well.
I have two of the low cost ones, a Frankford Arsenal and a Lyman. I don't believe I paid more than $30 for either one. Claimed accuracy for all digital scales less than about $500 seem to be the same, +/- 0.1 grain.
There does seem to be differences in some of the tare and drift algorithms among the scales, something that, along with other features, may affect the cost.
Though I have a nice balance beam scale, I rarely use it. I find the digitals faster and more convenient.
I reload mostly handgun, and like to throw five or ten charges to establish an average charge weight. I throw bullets on to verify their weight. For rifle, I'll occasionally sort brass by weight. A digital does all those things well.
But a digital is lacking in a few areas. The low cost ones I have aren't well suited to trickling charges into a pan. There is a constant battle going on within the scale to counter drift that interferes with slowly dropping powder grains. The drift correction also tends to interfere with weighing light charges, often resulting in errors of a few tenths of a grain. So extra attention is needed when weighing charges of only a few grains.
I've grown accustomed to the nature of the digital scales and feel confident using them. Others find the cheap digital scales a source of frustration and choose to use a balance beam instead.
There does seem to be differences in some of the tare and drift algorithms among the scales, something that, along with other features, may affect the cost.
Though I have a nice balance beam scale, I rarely use it. I find the digitals faster and more convenient.
I reload mostly handgun, and like to throw five or ten charges to establish an average charge weight. I throw bullets on to verify their weight. For rifle, I'll occasionally sort brass by weight. A digital does all those things well.
But a digital is lacking in a few areas. The low cost ones I have aren't well suited to trickling charges into a pan. There is a constant battle going on within the scale to counter drift that interferes with slowly dropping powder grains. The drift correction also tends to interfere with weighing light charges, often resulting in errors of a few tenths of a grain. So extra attention is needed when weighing charges of only a few grains.
I've grown accustomed to the nature of the digital scales and feel confident using them. Others find the cheap digital scales a source of frustration and choose to use a balance beam instead.
TruthTellers
New member
I have two, one is the Frankford someone linked to above and the other is an automatic powder dispenser by Hornady. IMO, if you want a higher price digital scale, get an automatic powder dispenser because all it is is a scale with a motorized trickler connected to it that can dispense a charge while you seat a bullet.
Even if you rarely use the powder dispensing function, you'll still have the scale portion of it you can use.
I find that the powders that don't meter well in my manual measures, usually ultra fine powders, they run no problem in the auto dispenser. Slower, yes, but accurate.
Even if you rarely use the powder dispensing function, you'll still have the scale portion of it you can use.
I find that the powders that don't meter well in my manual measures, usually ultra fine powders, they run no problem in the auto dispenser. Slower, yes, but accurate.
I've had 3 digital scales (Two Frankforts & one Cabelas) over the last 10 years and all had significant drift and/or shutdown problems after a year or so. (And yes, I did change the batteries!) So much so, that I lost confidence in their accuracy, repeatedly having to cross check their readings with my beam scale, negated their supposed convenience. When loading handgun ammunition, drift of +- 0.2 grains can be significant when loading with, say Bullseye or 700x.
Instead, I rely on a Redding beam scale which I bought new in ~1963. It's never had a problem. While the digitals are convenient...almost instantaneous readings, etc., I just couldn't trust them...and yes, I read the directions, allowed them to warm up, kept them dust free and away from fluorescent lighting, and observed the other "must do" instructions. YMMv Rod
Instead, I rely on a Redding beam scale which I bought new in ~1963. It's never had a problem. While the digitals are convenient...almost instantaneous readings, etc., I just couldn't trust them...and yes, I read the directions, allowed them to warm up, kept them dust free and away from fluorescent lighting, and observed the other "must do" instructions. YMMv Rod
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You will laugh, but I got one of these (now on sale for $25) as a spare and let it sit for over a month and it never drifted even a tenth. Total surprise. Comparing its results to my analytical balance results, it has yet to be out by more than 0.1 grain across the range.
My general experience with inexpensive scales is that there is an element of catch as catch can with them. That is, you could by two and one will be great and the other will drift like a falling leaf in a tornado. So, I can't make any promises, but I think the one I got is good enough that I would take a chance on buying it again if I needed another scale. The 1600 grain limit a degree of ruggedness.
My general experience with inexpensive scales is that there is an element of catch as catch can with them. That is, you could by two and one will be great and the other will drift like a falling leaf in a tornado. So, I can't make any promises, but I think the one I got is good enough that I would take a chance on buying it again if I needed another scale. The 1600 grain limit a degree of ruggedness.
I have the same scale, it doesn't drift either, but it doesn't weigh as fast as my Hornady bench scale weighs.
They both have seem to be accurate with each other and my Redding beam scale.
I paid $18 something for mine from Midway on the last black Friday sale and my birthday discount.
It's not bad at all but it takes about a second more than my Hornady to get it's final number.
I'm not laughing at all.
They both have seem to be accurate with each other and my Redding beam scale.
I paid $18 something for mine from Midway on the last black Friday sale and my birthday discount.
It's not bad at all but it takes about a second more than my Hornady to get it's final number.
I'm not laughing at all.
I trust "Digitals
You can't get this kind of accuracy, from a beam scale. You read "Digital" scales and "interpret" Analog scales. another important factor, is repeatability. Response time is also important and again, Digitals are faster. Most folks, that are use to working with analog scales, do not trust Digitals, even when checked with certifies test weights. …..
Be Safe !!!
When buying "any" scale, this is important and most are rated at +/- 0.1 %.
You can't get this kind of accuracy, from a beam scale. You read "Digital" scales and "interpret" Analog scales. another important factor, is repeatability. Response time is also important and again, Digitals are faster. Most folks, that are use to working with analog scales, do not trust Digitals, even when checked with certifies test weights. …..
Be Safe !!!
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Marco Califo
New member
You do not know how to read a good beam scale.
I checked the specs of a few digital scales and found that accuracy is typically .1 GRAINS, not percent. I can easily read to a tenth of a grain on my RCBS 505, and can detect a single granule of Varget or H4895.
Tim
I got a Lyman 2000 on sale. Works well, it has a built on trickler though its my cross check for the auto dispenser now.
I had one Frankfort that lasted 3 years, another 6 months.
The key to these is to do all the calibration per manual, then weight your powder pan (use the same one or weigh them all)
You then zero out the pan to have a straight up reading for the powder charge.
When you pick the pan off the scale, it should read the pan weight and the display will show a minus.
If it drifts, pan back on empty and zero it.
You can keep a constant cross check going.
Vastly better than the beams for my way of doing things. Others like the beams, for them that is fine, I sure don't
I also like being able to just direct weight things and the digital are dead nuts easy for that.
I used the Lyman 2000 as a backup for my auto dispenser (two of which went bad). I now have two reliable (so far) auto dispenser so it shifted roles, but I can load fairly quickly with it if I needed to though I should not have to.
Mark the pans for good checked weight and they work great as a cross check any time.
I had one Frankfort that lasted 3 years, another 6 months.
The key to these is to do all the calibration per manual, then weight your powder pan (use the same one or weigh them all)
You then zero out the pan to have a straight up reading for the powder charge.
When you pick the pan off the scale, it should read the pan weight and the display will show a minus.
If it drifts, pan back on empty and zero it.
You can keep a constant cross check going.
Vastly better than the beams for my way of doing things. Others like the beams, for them that is fine, I sure don't
I also like being able to just direct weight things and the digital are dead nuts easy for that.
I used the Lyman 2000 as a backup for my auto dispenser (two of which went bad). I now have two reliable (so far) auto dispenser so it shifted roles, but I can load fairly quickly with it if I needed to though I should not have to.
Mark the pans for good checked weight and they work great as a cross check any time.
Ive been using an RCBS 'powder pro digital scale' for about 20 yrs now. Paid about $175 then. I dont know about todays price. It is not a analytical balance used in college chemistry class, by a long shot. But then Im loading many rounds, not just weighing couple of chemical samples. Hate to think of weighing 50 charges, like I did yesterday on the college balance.
If your by 0.1 gr, so what. How much do your bullet weights vary. Weigh some bullets and see. How much do your cases vary. If they are the same length and weigh couple grains more/less then the volume must vary and what does that do to everything??
Sure a small pistol round charge varying 0.2 gr is one thing, but 0.2 gr on a 60 or 70 gr rifle charge, so what.
What is 0.1 or 0.2 gr difference in the final weight of the charges per cent of the total charge>> Is that ultra critical?
The 50, I loaded yesterday had the cases between 91.5 and 93.4 gr for the lot, the bullets all weighed 100.0 gr and the charges all 22.5 gr on above mentioned scale. Good enough for this shooter and will be minute-of-deer, no problem, out of my terrible home built AR.
If your by 0.1 gr, so what. How much do your bullet weights vary. Weigh some bullets and see. How much do your cases vary. If they are the same length and weigh couple grains more/less then the volume must vary and what does that do to everything??
Sure a small pistol round charge varying 0.2 gr is one thing, but 0.2 gr on a 60 or 70 gr rifle charge, so what.
What is 0.1 or 0.2 gr difference in the final weight of the charges per cent of the total charge>> Is that ultra critical?
The 50, I loaded yesterday had the cases between 91.5 and 93.4 gr for the lot, the bullets all weighed 100.0 gr and the charges all 22.5 gr on above mentioned scale. Good enough for this shooter and will be minute-of-deer, no problem, out of my terrible home built AR.
As long as a scale is repeatable within 1/20th grain, it should not matter if it's X tenths of a grain off from lab quality check weight.
It's normal to need over a few percent spread in powder charge weights across all lots to produce the same velocity and peak pressure within reasonable tolerances for a given set of other components.
There's bigger fish to fry for the accuracy meal. Barrel groove diameter being a few ten-thousandths less than bullet diameter, for example.
It's normal to need over a few percent spread in powder charge weights across all lots to produce the same velocity and peak pressure within reasonable tolerances for a given set of other components.
There's bigger fish to fry for the accuracy meal. Barrel groove diameter being a few ten-thousandths less than bullet diameter, for example.
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Carriertxv
New member
The scales I have are USA made Ohaus 1010, Hornady Pacific and a RCBS 505 which are all very accurate.
I also have a Hornady GS-1500 and a Hornady LNL electronic bench scale.
I’ve had the Hornady bench scale for several years now and is about all I use anymore. It stays on all the time except for a few months due to surgery and no reloading. It has always worked very well.
Every now and then I will set them all up and check them with Lyman weights and all are within a tenth of a grain.
Don’t know if I have just been lucky but those two electronic Hornady scales have and still keep working with no issues.
I also have a Hornady GS-1500 and a Hornady LNL electronic bench scale.
I’ve had the Hornady bench scale for several years now and is about all I use anymore. It stays on all the time except for a few months due to surgery and no reloading. It has always worked very well.
Every now and then I will set them all up and check them with Lyman weights and all are within a tenth of a grain.
Don’t know if I have just been lucky but those two electronic Hornady scales have and still keep working with no issues.
Then they came out with jet engines.......................... looking at the extremes piston engines went to at the end of WWII and into the post war years, jets are vastly more reliable than they could ever make pistons. Modern air travel (good or bad) would not have occurred (well at least before C-19). Things change, improvements occur and sometimes the old stuff is still good as well. But a P-38 at the end of the war was a vastly improved aircraft over the ones we started the war with. Hellcat was a huge improvement over the Wildcat (which was a good bird but no upside).
There is (pun intended) a balance between what works, what you like and what may work better for you.
If you are happy with a beam, great. Not for me anymore but you are the one doing the re-loading so how I feel about them is irrelevant.
If you like Digital, that is equally fine. And repeated the above.
Now, if you are pondering what you want to buy or how people feel about digital and use them? There in lies information that a prospective buyer needs.
Now a died in the beam type is not going to give you that information. And a beam guy that has tried a digital and does not like it is not going to convey anything other than they did not like it.
A digital guy can, but a full review is better from someone who has used both. That also includes how to maintain the zero on them so you don't wind up with charges not what you are trying to achieve.
Me? I grew up with beams, I prefer digital and have worked out how to make them work well with good cross checks for charge accuracy.
The one thing I tend to leave out is if I was charging small pistol, I would cross weight each charge, either on a beam or another digital.
All said and done then the choice is up to the individual. Beam guys don't have horns nor do the digital guys.
I wanted something better and found these: https://www.truweigh.com/
I have a Marksman and a Sharpshooter. I picked up one off of a prize table and was impressed. They are legit.
I did a video Dec 2018: https://youtu.be/Ybw7YfX6sPY
I have a Marksman and a Sharpshooter. I picked up one off of a prize table and was impressed. They are legit.
I did a video Dec 2018: https://youtu.be/Ybw7YfX6sPY
Thanks guys for all the advice you've given me a lot to think about and to look into. So far all my reloading is plinking or light hunting rounds for .38 special, .357 magnun, and 45 colt all in Ruger Blackhawks, a Marlin lever action, or a S&W 686, nothing approaching max loads. If I do start making "hot" loads in the future I'll be sure to double check any loads on both scales.Thanks again
wachtelhund1
New member
I use a Sartorius AY-123 milligram digital scale. I have been using this for ten years or more. It drifts a little, but I just re-zero every five charges or more offen. Also, I find if it has been turned on for twenty-four hours or more before using, it does not drift as much. At seventy years of age, it is a lot easier on my eyes.