What are you all using for powder scales?
Was thinking about switching to electric scales but not sure what I need to spend to get a good set, anything to watch out for?
I might get a new set of beam scales, recommendations?
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What are you all using for powder scales?
Was thinking about switching to electric scales but not sure what I need to spend to get a good set, anything to watch out for?
I might get a new set of beam scales, recommendations?
this is what i use i find it awesome was about $600 from memory
Lyman 1200 DPS3 dispensing 10 rounds start to finnish review. - YouTube
Yeah they look like the goods and is probably about as good as it gets.
Out of my price bracket tho
It's going to ruin your life when you find out that they aren't even close to as good as it gets then. When you start getting into the 'good' category the price will be triple what the Lyman goes for.
With that in mind if you're not prepared to spend some good money you would be far better off investing in a decent set of balance beams.
Oh yip
What makes the other ones you speak of so much better proudkiwi? They must do some magical shit :thumbsup:
I have never had a problem with the time it takes trickling every charge onto a beam scale so might just stick with it.
What are "good" beam scales? Looking at a redding scale. Any recommendations?
Im keen on some new balance scales too
Mechanical dampening is usually what sets the good ones apart. Most of the cheaper electronic ones, and the Lyman and RCBS fall into this category, wander all over the show. They are no better, or faster for that matter, than a decent set of beam scales.
In saying all of that, how accurate do you have to be? I know of plenty of guys using a dirty old charge master that can shoot groups in the .1's at a hundy. I like using nice shit though so I needed a GD503. YMMV.
As for balance beam scales, I'm not the one to ask cause I know fuck all about them.
I think people come at this from the wrong direction sometimes. Most of my gear has come about because I wanted to achieve something or had a problem that needed solving. I wanted to speed things up so got an RCBS chargemaster , specd properly and with the drinking straw trick it builds ammo as consistently accurate as any beam scale and its a good time saver as its trickling up while you are doing whatever else you need to do. Its never going to be as accurate as the GD 503 but Iv seen no evidence at all that weighing powder to that degree is any advantage at all. If your ammo is accurate and es and sd is good then what are you trying to achieve? and if its not there are beter places to start looking than a few granuels of powder. I do understand the " wanting nice gear" though
I might get one of these GemPro 250 Digital Scale Review within AccurateShooter.com
I have just been using the lee scale and it has produced some pretty accurate ammo, like .2's out of my 204 and easy .5 5 shot from the wsm but getting sick of it sticking and mucking about.
I want a more solid scale that weighs up to 500grain so I can weigh projectiles brass etc
Yeah that is the general consensus. Still do the job but feeling the need for an upgrade
I've got a RCBS balance scale. It's bloody good! I think it's the 505 model, but I'm not a hundy.
It cost me $200 second hand, but well worth it
I'm glad I got my Lyman 1200 DPS II, 7 or 8 years ago.
I put the DPS III upgrade kit into it & wouldn't be without it.
When it dies I will deffinately get another one or a charge master.
Very handy for accurately weighing everything from projectiles to case water capacity instantly.
There are more precise ones out there no doubt, but when you see how the bench rest boys meter their powder I doubt it makes a difference.
RCBS balance mod 505, set the counter weights fool proof,magnetic damper.Been using the same scales for 30 yrs and they are still made just the same today.
Yeah im keeping my eye on trademe. Missed a set of redding scales that went for $95. If anyone wants to sell there rcbs, redding or lyman balance beams let me know
Lyman 1200DPS scales | Trade Me $400 a steal
Smart Reloader Digital Scales | Trade Me very affordable at $75
Smart Reloader Iscale (Touchscreen) | Trade Me could be worth a look at $120
Hornady Electronic Scale GS-1500 | Trade Me or this at $65
I'm not too keen on the cheap electric scales, interwebs says they can be inaccurate and muck you around setting them up.
I just got the new Lyman Gen 6 compact DPS from Natchez. It arrived Friday so I haven't put it through it's paces yet but setup was fast and easy. Weighed some test charges and it was fast doing that too. First impressions are really good. Lyman boast new anti drift technology so Fluros and cell phones shouldn't affect the accuracy. On Natchez they're going for $215USD and freight was $65USD I think.
I went through the steps of trying to locate and price up test weights - they;re out there, if you can find, them esp in grains, not grams... though the pricing was outta my budget... hence the beam scales..
The $75 smart reloader scales are crapola I had one and it used to go up the crap all the time even with fully charged batteries and no way fo recalibrating to correct it, the hornady GS1500 is ok as you can recalibrate if they go up the shit and come with a check weight but will only give 0.2 grain increments and I like the idea of 0.1 grain increments so you can get your half grain when working up a load. Unsure what the dearer digital scale is like from smart reloader but I would give it a go if I had too. Right now in my drawer I have an RCBS 510 balance scale (not parting with it) and is bang on it is similar to the rcbs 1010 balance scale with how you adjust the weight increments if you see one grab it as they are way better than the 505.
Yeah not keen on those cheap electric ones. Think im going to go balance beams. Cheers for advice
my 505 was good, but it was sticking, if I tapped it. it would settle but I never figured out why. its still accurate you get to know when its stuck.
I bit the bullet and got a charge master. I never wanted to spend that much. but I never brought a powder dispenser I used measuring spoons and a trickler.
it was slow, so after adding up a good dispenser and trickler and good scales, I justified to myself handing over the eft pos card.
I went to use it the other day, .... the power was out. bugger! cant win them all.
I could have used the 505 that day, but nah.
got the horandy digis they work ok just a pain in the arse when they automaticly switch off in the middle of trickiling up a load
Hi all, I have the same queries...
I'm borrowing a RCBS 10-10 beam scale, it's ok, but slow.
I have bought myself a Lyman 1000xp (from trademe $60) they are worth $130US!!!! I thought BARGAIN of the century... then I read the reviews, and I too share the same fate - they DO NOT HOLD ZERO, ever. I use 24-26grains for my .204 and this thing wanders round to round by 0.1 - 0.5 grains. I'm looking for a replacement....
Borrowed a friends Lyman 1200DPS and it was even worse!! Keyed in 24grains... by the third round, it was trickling out 28grains, a lethal mix for that powder (ADI BM2). I never looked at it again. Just got some ADI 2206H for .204, so may try it out again....
In the meantime, I've ordered a Redding BR30 powder thrower... ?still need to check weight and trickle it though aye? Not arrived yet, so can't comment.
It seems a good set of beam scales never fail, but they can be tedious...
Any tricks to get the 1200DPS working well? Anybody do anything different with 'em? What's the straw trick for the other digital one?
I now found out that my little Lyman 1000xp scale measures up to 1000grains, and may be the reason why it is so rubbish with small capacities like 24grains. Maybe throw a big weight on it permanently to buffer it a bit, then add my 24grains of powder. They are apparently rugged - one US reviewer bashed it with his wrench to end it, but it still worked, needed another bash to kill it dead. They routinely get 1 out of 5 star reviews. Maybe keep away from them, but may be useful for measuring / sorting brass cases??? Or measuring nuggets of unicorn poo?
I just use the RBCS 505 in combination with the RCBS powder thrower and a trickler. The powder thrower throws incredibly repeatable weights, so I set just to have the pointer on the 505 a couple of mm low and trickle the last half dozen or so sticks of ADI in. Takes about 10 secs a load. I bought an old kit for $250-$300 including the scales, thrower, press, measures, couple of sets of dies, case prep tools, lubing gear, ... the lot. I've never seen useful digital scales that wouldn't require a second mortgage.