I’m running a hornady scale and a rcbs scale, I’ve matched them together and I get anywhere from .2-.5 grains +- difference between them. What scales do you guys prefer? Thank you
What scale?
- Thread starter Williamduke
- Start date
I use the SARTORIUS 64-1S it is very accurate but this does come at a price it's about $1000 to $1100 with th 50G cal weight. A lot of guys use the A&D FX120i but for me it just was not accurate enough. It's a hard call as the 10-10 beam scale is also very good. It just comes down to how much do you want to spend.
Williamduke, was that difference after several samples using a common calibration weight?
The 0.2 isn’t unusual, but if it was getting as high as 0.5 then I’m a little surprised.
Good scales depend on your goals. If you want to get below 0.1 gr then it gets tricky and can also get relatively expensive. Real lab scales started at several $k a few years back, but some models started showing up for less like the Sartorius and Mettler ones folks will mention. The A&D unit is a great value in terms of bang for the buck when you need to stay <0.1 gr. That one can be combined with the Autotrickler and Autothrow to make things really easy and automatic.
A portable example is the A&D EJ-123 that runs on both AC and batteries. I do some load development work at the range and like to have some portable tools that run on battery power to make it easy. This scale approaches the same uncertainty as the FX120 but isn’t as stable in the wind and field as it is at home. It is still much better than the scale in the Chargemaster since it gets down into the 0.02 gr range when everything is just right outside.
Now that the Autotrickler has the connectivity to allow it to be run from a tablet or phone, it is really hard to beat in terms of accuracy, speed, and convenience. Before the V3 upgrade I only used it for batch work, but now I can run Ladders with it and use it all the time.
The real dividing line starts when you try to actually hit 0.1 gr since that requires a scale to at least resolve below 0.1 gr. The FX120 is on the order of 0.04 - 0.06 without much fuss, so unless you have the Prometheus it seems to be the best you can do short of a lab scale.
The 0.2 isn’t unusual, but if it was getting as high as 0.5 then I’m a little surprised.
Good scales depend on your goals. If you want to get below 0.1 gr then it gets tricky and can also get relatively expensive. Real lab scales started at several $k a few years back, but some models started showing up for less like the Sartorius and Mettler ones folks will mention. The A&D unit is a great value in terms of bang for the buck when you need to stay <0.1 gr. That one can be combined with the Autotrickler and Autothrow to make things really easy and automatic.
A portable example is the A&D EJ-123 that runs on both AC and batteries. I do some load development work at the range and like to have some portable tools that run on battery power to make it easy. This scale approaches the same uncertainty as the FX120 but isn’t as stable in the wind and field as it is at home. It is still much better than the scale in the Chargemaster since it gets down into the 0.02 gr range when everything is just right outside.
Now that the Autotrickler has the connectivity to allow it to be run from a tablet or phone, it is really hard to beat in terms of accuracy, speed, and convenience. Before the V3 upgrade I only used it for batch work, but now I can run Ladders with it and use it all the time.
The real dividing line starts when you try to actually hit 0.1 gr since that requires a scale to at least resolve below 0.1 gr. The FX120 is on the order of 0.04 - 0.06 without much fuss, so unless you have the Prometheus it seems to be the best you can do short of a lab scale.
Man thank you, you guys are next level. So I got some research to do. Yeah the money thing is hard to throw just for a scale , but I’m also the guy that if it’ll make everything more consistent I’ll do it. I’m working with a load that’s 2 grains over max and I can’t go any higher for fear of pressure issues and inconsistencies when shooting 1k plus its gonna cause some real frustration. Thank you again.
I have used an RCBS / Ohaus beam scale from 1978 to present. With a set of Lyman check weights and far more patience than most people here will have when measuring powder, that scale is capable of +/- 0.1 grains. That's a 0.2 grain spread.
I now have in hand an A&D FX120i lab balance (scale) I learned about and ordered via a link found here on SH (use search function to find the threads; there are some good ones). It's good down to 0.02 grain which is 1-2 kernels of extruded powder. I failed to notice that a calibration weight must be ordered separately, and that came in last week. I've got brass prepped and primed to start load development with a new-to-me 6.5CM bullet, and I am keen to learn if the new scale gives me better ES values (using same brass and primers) than the old reliable RCBS scale. It is my expectation that my brass (Hornady, Prime) is as much a limiting factor in low ES as the beam scale.
The beam scales, used carefully and patiently, are certainly adequate for assembling competent handloads. I have a buddy whose handloads measured on an RCBS scaleBut it's our nature as precision rifle hobbyists to want (or demand) more than "competent."
I now have in hand an A&D FX120i lab balance (scale) I learned about and ordered via a link found here on SH (use search function to find the threads; there are some good ones). It's good down to 0.02 grain which is 1-2 kernels of extruded powder. I failed to notice that a calibration weight must be ordered separately, and that came in last week. I've got brass prepped and primed to start load development with a new-to-me 6.5CM bullet, and I am keen to learn if the new scale gives me better ES values (using same brass and primers) than the old reliable RCBS scale. It is my expectation that my brass (Hornady, Prime) is as much a limiting factor in low ES as the beam scale.
The beam scales, used carefully and patiently, are certainly adequate for assembling competent handloads. I have a buddy whose handloads measured on an RCBS scaleBut it's our nature as precision rifle hobbyists to want (or demand) more than "competent."
If you're using the Hornady GS-1500 electronic scale, go ahead and throw that piece of crap in the trash. That's what I did. That POS is nothing but one big frustration. I'm currently using a Gempro 250, which is far from the best, and can be frustrating at times, but is still way WAY better than that GS-1500.
That said, I can't say anything about the RCBS scale, as I've never used one, but i would tend to trust it more than that Hornady GS-1500 scale.
