Electronic powder scale recommendations

R

RileyMartin

New member
Hi,

I am looking for a good electronic powder scale and trying to find one made in the USA. Not sure if one exists. I have a powder measure on my progressive press so I only need the scale functionality to dial it in as opposed to something like an RCBS Chargemaster.

Thanks
 
Nothing reasonably cost is made in the USA.

The one I liked the best is the Lyman Acu Touch 2000 that has the trickler mount on it.

You may not need it, I used it for general weighing and backup if the auto dispenser was failed (I have two now so not an issue)

Keep in mind, after you calibrate it note your pan weight, then tare it (zero it out)

When you pull it off you will have a negative number that is the pan weight.

Keep an eye on that. It will drift, more than 2/10, zero it again.

They all drift and some will shutdown (dispensing) if they get out of range.

Sometimes they drift a lot to start and settle down.

The Lyman is a plug in type and those tend to be more stable than battery, power it up at least 5 minutes before you start.

It has a nice large touch button screen.
 
As far as made in the USA I don't think you will have much luck. if you want an accurate electronic scale be prepared to pay for it. FX-120I are supposed to be really great and can be had for about $600. Sartorius is another well respected brand but also pricey. Both of those use magnetic force restoration technology not load cells or strain gages with anti drift algorithms . Otherwise any electronic that uses load cell technology are about all the same and accuracy will be plus or minus .1 grains. Some may be assembled in the USA but all will use circuit boards form China. You can pay anywhere between $19.95 to $200.00 for one.

here is a video showing the difference https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxMzbAt4bj0&feature=youtu.be

or you can get accurate and cheap with a accurized beam scale. Watch a couple of this guys videos to see how

https://www.youtube.com/user/thetargetmaster/videos

actually since for what you plan to use it for a $20 scale off EBay or Amazon should be plenty accurate. Not meaning that as a slam but the accuracy of a product will be limited to the least accurate mechanism in the process, in this case the powder throw. I made a few thousand rounds of pistol and plinking ammo using the same method and they all were fun to make and shoot. Just saying that instead of a expensive scale a average one will do and spend the rest of the money on powder and bullets. Trigger time helps everyone improve their shooting ability
 
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Pact was the last electronic scale made in the USA, but it appears that they are no longer making scales. Perhaps you can find some old stock somewhere, or buy a used one. They are good scales.
 
The electronic scales are versatile, you can weight anything from a loaded round, one that has bullet but missed power to that pesky bullet, now what grain is that thing?

As for pistol, most of them I would never trust an auto throw, it does not take much of a shift to create a problem. Thats just me.

I think the Lyman can be had for around $100
 
Cambridge electronics is having a sale on the FX-120i. $500 upfront with a 30% rebate from A&D Weighing until 31 March

scale - https://ce-products.myshopify.com/products/fx-120i-reloading-scale-122g-x-0-001g

rebate form https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1152/9562/files/Rebate_form_V2.pdf?10880951572619742801

that brings the final price to $350 dollars for a lab grade scale using magnetic force reduction so it has zero drift and has true accuracy to .02 grains not just .02 gr resolution. I will stick to my beam but for those who want a really good electronic this is the best deal on the net at the moment

combined with a autothrow and autotrickler https://www.autotrickler.com/auto-trickler.html and you have the poor mans version of the Prometheus http://www.prometheustoolcorp.com/
 
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Cambridge electronics is having a sale on the FX-120i. $500 upfront with a 30% rebate from A&D Weighing until 31 March


So tempting. $350 is a great price for that scale. I know I'll regret not buying it.
 
So tempting I ordered one. Reloading is as bad as Black Rifle Disease. The wife's going to kill me.
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they are nice no doubt about it. They beat anything that uses strain gage or load cell tech. Beware though they are extremely sensitive and I am talking you can tell if some one walks across the floor sensitive. You might go down the local stone counter top shop and see if they will sell you a nice piece of cutoff slab of granite or marble cheap. All those places have a "graveyard" of cutoffs and they can be reasonable with them. As small as you need they might even give up for free. Just has to be big enough for the scale to sit on but the thicker the better. Make it a nice anti vibration throne.
 
Thanks for that advise. I've got some left over butcher block countertop that might work. That and some felt feet might be just the ticket for a base.
 
This is what I use:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01BHHXVA0/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I can carefully use my press and cause little to no movement.

I use this to raise the autotrickler:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00092CJC6/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Works very well.

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there are also a lot of how to build a isolation platform videos over on Youtube. Mostly aimed at the audiophile crowd but would work great for scales. I know a guy who uses one of the autotrickler setups with the AD scale and claims that when a plane flies too low it affects his scale
 
Try a "Jewellery Scale"

RileyMartin said:
I’m currently using a Redding Model 2 beam scale and it works fine but wanted the speed of a digital scale.
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I used to use a beam-scale until I moved. I put one of the parts in a "safe" place but then could never find it again. I bought a very inexpensive Chinese scale and group sizes fell. The ability to measure reliably to 0.1gr and beyond is amazing. I bought one that can measure to 0.1gr and another that can measure to 0.01gr. I use the former for hunting loads and the latter for target-shooting. One was $7 and the other $15. I spent the money I saved on powder and bullets. Since then, prices have fallen. Generically, look for "jewellery scale". Identical units are rebranded and sell locally for ~$50. Speed of measuring and accuracy both will improve with an electronic scale.
 
Maybe I'm looking at this all wrong, but I would think a solid material like Granite would transfer more vibration than wood or some other less dense material?
 
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