Made my first real mistake yesterday...

N

nhyrum

New member
So yesterday, I loaded 125 9mm loads, which were all developmental loads, and 175 loads of 6.5 creedmoor, 100 of which were developmental. After I finished, I set my scale to zero(rcbs 5-0-5) something I apparently don't do often enough... And the scale was sitting about 2 grains heavy! With the needle floating above the zero mark(making charges being light, correct?)! It was very close to being resting at the top of the frame for the needle.

I should have invested in a kinetic puller earlier... Time to hammer away on my bench...
 
It'd be relly dumb if you did that to 300 rounds of 223. But then again something that dumb would never happen....right? :rolleyes:
 
If the scale with no weight indicated 2.0 grains and if the scale was linear then yes, you would subtract 2.0 from whatever your loads were, a load indicating 46.5 grains for example would actually be 44.5 grains. Again, that assumes the scale to be linear with that 2.0 grain offset.

That said. didn't you notice the scale wasn't indicating zero with no load applied? Every time you setup and use the scale checking zero is mandatory as is making sure the scale is level.

Ron
 
With no powder, the scale tips light because the charge weight is still on the beam.

It's a mechanical scale

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk
 
Hmm checking zero before weighing anything is reloading 101 . I personally take it one step further and use check weights when ever i start or change charge weight .

IMHO , if you've not been checking zero or using check weights . The is not your first big mistake . It's your first big mistake you noticed .
 
Do yourself a favor OP, get an RCBS Rangemaster 750 digital, a great scale, and pretty fast to calibrate and stabilize.
 
Metal god said:
Hmm checking zero before weighing anything is reloading 101 . I personally take it one step further and use check weights when ever i start or change charge weight .

IMHO , if you've not been checking zero or using check weights . The is not your first big mistake . It's your first big mistake you noticed .
Click to expand...
I usually do check zero.

And I am investing in a quality set of standard weights to check the scales accuracy

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk
 
I personally take it one step further and use check weights when ever i start or change charge weight .
Click to expand...

Yeah, me too. I zero, then check weight it to the nearest .5 grain to the charge weight (e.g. charge weight is 5.7 grains, I'll check weight it at 5.5).
 
I'm old fashioned and cheap. But unexpectedly I use digital scale. When I turn on the scale, I want to see 0.00gr with the empty pan on it. I remove the pan, and I want to see -41.8gr. All done mechanically "automatically". No need to fuzz with standard weights.

-TL
 
Perhaps pull a number: say 30 and weigh those charges to see if indeed the mistake was there during loading too.

I used to cringe at the prices of auto-chargers, but I have to say that my Lyman Gen 6 is probably the best buy I've made for my reloading since buying a press!!

Food for thought?
 
The RCBS 5-0-5 has been my scale for years and years (lots more years than I like to admit to) and has always done well for me.

A couple years ago I got a medium/cheap digital scale for Christmas. I couldn't do any reloading over the holidays so a marked up a dozen coins and played with the digital scale by weighing the coins a couple times a day. I kept records and at the end of the week decided I'd stay with my 5-0-5.

I think if you get a digital you have to spend the money to get a good one and not to cheap out. (Wow, what a revelation!!!) I'll admit that my 'procedure' might be in error too.

Anyway, good catch and IMhO your choice of scales (the 5-0-5) is an excellent selection.
 
"...Time to hammer away on my bench..." Easier and faster using a rock. Nice igneous one about the size of half a melon flat on one side. That side goes down.
 
...the scale was sitting about 2 grains heavy! With the needle floating above the zero mark(making charges being light, correct?)!
Click to expand...
Not if it is like my RCBS scale. If the pointer was above the zero indication, then the resulting charges would be lighter than intended inasmuch as the scale would be set like there was already weight in the pan. Also, the indicator marks on my RCBS are tenths of grains, not grains.

My RCBS is the old 510 model like that in this post however ignore that post...the guy does not know how to zero his scale (the foot screw/wheel does it) Also, I think he mixed up the pans for the three scales he has.:
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?215082-Older-RCBS-5-10-Powder-Scale-Zero
 
Last edited:
Not many scales seem to have the tenths marked anymore . It's one of the reasons I bought the Redding scale . It helps when using the check weights at charges the weights don't add to as Nick mentioned above . If I have a charge weight of 5.7gr I use 5.5gr check weight and zero the scale to show two hash marks light or I'll just vero to 5.5gr and then move the doohickey over two marks :)

5Cr0Vo.jpg
 
Last edited:
Nyrhum,

The guys are right. Those graduations are 0.1 grains. If they were 1 grain, you'd never be able to see the pointer position accurately enough to know you had a achieved a tenth of a grain precision with a charge. Those pointer graduations always equal the least significant setting resolution of the scale. If that pointer scale is all that was off 2 graduations, your loads are off 0.2 grains and not 2.0 grains. Probably not enough to matter to your loads if you just record the difference. No pulling required.

You should be able to adjust the pointer by turning the leveling boot under the pointer until it is back on zero. If it doesn't seem to respond normally, look down into the gap between the flat aluminum vane and the magnets that damp its motion and be sure no iron filings got in there and stuck to the magnet, creating drag on the pointer. If they did, then heaven knows what your charges actually are, and you'll have to go back to the pulling idea.

The instructions for the scale show the leveling boot and other parts.
 
Unclenick said:
Nyrhum,

The guys are right. Those graduations are 0.1 grains. If they were 1 grain, you'd never be able to see the pointer position accurately enough to know you had a achieved a tenth of a grain precision with a charge. Those pointer graduations always equal the least significant setting resolution of the scale. If that pointer scale is all that was off 2 graduations, your loads are off 0.2 grains and not 2.0 grains. Probably not enough to matter to your loads if you just record the difference. No pulling required.

You should be able to adjust the pointer by turning the leveling boot under the pointer until it is back on zero. If it doesn't seem to respond normally, look down into the gap between the flat aluminum vane and the magnets that damp its motion and be sure no iron filings got in there and stuck to the magnet, creating drag on the pointer. If they did, then heaven knows what your charges actually are, and you'll have to go back to the pulling idea.

The instructions for the scale show the leveling boot and other parts.
Click to expand...
I know how to level/zero the scale, and the 2 grains heavy was observed by moving the 1 grain weight on the beam till it got around zero.

One of these days, I may get Digital, but what I'm really hoping for is when my grandpa sells his analytical lab, I can convince him into giving me one of his multi thousand dollar balances (I've checked, they do weigh in grains)

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk
 
I have a 5-0-5 that I use for rifle rounds and a Dillon DTerminator digital that I use to verify rifle loads and for checking pistol loads. I'm a Dillon lover and paid big bucks for the DTerminator but I found that it isn't good for measuring small incremental trickle charges and I verified that with a call to them.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top