Are digital scales worth the money?

[RazorbackMac]

For the time being, I am using a traditional balance powder scale but I am considering going digital. I just wanted to get some other opinions. Are they consistent? I have a digital scale in my bathroom and if you weight yourself 3 times, you will weigh 3 different weights according to it which is fine with body weight that simply won't cut it when measuring smokeless powder. Does anyone have any prefs on brand or model? As far as budget goes, I'll spend what i NEED to spend... no more... no less. Last but not least, does anyone know if all digital scales are battery powered? I'd hate to get halfway through reloading a batch and have my scales die.

[Zak Smith]

Yes. Once you go to a good, repeatable, consistent digital scale there is no going back.

Not all digital scales are created equal. Some stay in calibration longer, some drift and some don't, etc. There is a good article over on 6mmBR.com about them, I think.

The scale that is integral with my RCBS Chargemaster has been one of the most reliable and consistent digital reloading scales I have used. It almost never needs recalibration and never drifts.

No, they are not all battery powered.

[mapsjanhere]

I love the RCBS Chargemaster 1500 - hit button, and unlimited refills whenever you place the weigh boat on the scale. It's faster than I can get the powder to trickle into the case and set the bullet.

[Brian Pfleuger]

I will "third" the RCBS 1500. It is a God-Send. It's hard to imagine loading without it. It is pricey, you can get it for about $230 if you find a rebate and a sale but it's THE place to spend money in reloading, IMHO.

[grubbylabs]

I have been looking at the hornady one, I think it would speed along my rifle loading quite nicely.

[overkill0084]

I'm still a noob with the reloading thing, so bear with me.
When calibration is discussed, please clarify as to method. What must one do to calibrate ones scale. I would think that you have some sort of known weight which you use to verify and/or adjust with. While I don't really need one, an electronic scale seems like it would be a nice upgrade down the road. I am currently using a Redding (counterweighted bar ?) scale, and it seems pretty good to the untrained eye. Just wondering what some of the pitfalls of the electronic scales are.
Honest, not meant as a hijack.

[mapsjanhere]

Well, the RCBS comes with 2 50 g calibration weights, you put one on the scale, hit calibrate, add the second, hit button again, done.

[wingman]

I have the rcbs 750 and use a Lyman balance beam as a back up, would not enjoy reloading as much without the digital.

[BigJimP]

Yes, the digital scales are fine ....I've had the RCBS version for several years ...and these days a lot of the digital scales on the market are made by the same company ( PACT, I think ) ...

The RCBS model I use runs off of 110 v ...and it holds its zero pretty well. You do have to let them warm up for 30 min or so / and recalibrate them before you use them - but it only takes a minute. Its not a big deal. They are accurate to + - 0.1 grain which is ok / not great....

For better accuracy, you'll have to go to a scientific scale for + - 0.01grain which is really what you want to go with in a new scale. They'll cost you about $100 more than the RCBS, Hornady, Dillion, etc options ...but you have to decide how much accuracy you want.

There are a lot of handgun loads where min and max are only 0.4grain apart so a swing of + - 0.1 grain is a lot ..../ but it depends on what you're doing, what kind of powder you use, etc .... in shotshells, where I'm dropping 18 or 19 grains + - 0.1grain is plenty accurate enough ...


Here is a scale from Denver Instruments that is a very good scale ...for around $300 with shipping...

http://www.6mmbr.com/mxx123test.html

[k4swb]

I bought one of the original PACT digital scales. Wall-wart power only. Checked it against my RCBS 10-10 BB scale and it was perfert after a 15-20 minute warmup. After years of use, I dropped the PACT and couldn't get it to work at all. It came on but that was all you could say for it. Called PACT to get a RA and the service guy told me to turn it on for 20 minutes and call him back. He wanted to get a cup of coffee and settle in before I called back.
I gave it 30 minutes and called back. He walked me through the factory reset/recalibration sequence that took about 15 minutes since I can't hear too well. VERY patient.
It seemed to be working and he told me to check it out completely with my RCBS 10-10 and if it didn't track to call him back. He also told me he didn't expect to hear from me again, unless I dropped it again. He was right.
If you look at the PACT and some of the others, you will see that PACT makes alot of the other brands scales.
If you need it, PACT service is excellent and the scales are a great buy.

[sserdlihc]

Yes.

[howlnmad]

They are to me. I have a PACT and the chargemaster 1500. Love them both cuz the pact I can take anywhere and the chargemaster I just push a button and the powder appears like majic. Be sure the scale you get comes with check weights. Remember, you only get what you pay for.

[TEXASMAC]

Ditto on the RCBS/PACK, although my setup is the older RCBS digital scale and the RCBS Powdermaster, which I've been using for many years. No problems, but don't get rid of your traditional balance scale just in case you ever question the accuracy of the digital scale or it does quit working.

Wayne

[Jim243]

Not all are battery powered, some are.

[RazorbackMac]

Thanks for the replies, I am definitely going to pick up the RCBS chargemaster 1500 now.

[Sport45]

I got my PACT BBKII for $90 or so quite a few years ago. Checked against my Dillon and Lee balance beams it's never been off. I trust it and use it every time I reload. It works with a 9V battery or house powder. I've never put a battery in mine.

Mine has a 750gr capacity and so far that's been quite enough. For warmup, I plug mine in when I start getting the rest of the reloading stuff out. I'll calibrate it with its check weights when I've got everything else set up. As an ongoing check, I know the powder pan weights 123.1gr. So evry time I put the empty pan on the scale I check its weight before I "tare" the scale. So far, I have never had to recalibrate during a loading session.

PACT Scale at Midway

[Lost Sheep]

I bought several different bathroom scales (mostly used, but two new) while researching scales that were both accurate and precise.

Several of the digital scales were erratic. They would measure to .2 or .1 pounds, but 30 seconds after giving me one weight, it would give me different weight. The mechanical scales were always consistent (accurate), but not very precise (only gave me to the nearest pound).

I sold (for a friend of mine) a scale that was $175 new because it was WAY to finicky. I bought one myself for $30 that is rock solid, sets up quickly and very repeatable. But it only reads to the nearest .2 grains. Not good enough for my reloading, but it is a snap to set up for quick approximations. So it is worth $30 of mine. But when reloading seriously, I always drag out my balance beam.

My friend eventually bought a RCBS Chargemaster (as I recall) and he likes it because it fits the way he reloads. It trickles out a measured load for him. Me? Not my style. Too slow for fast production of pistol rounds. Great for producing precisely measured rounds, though. While you handle the case the powder is measured and ready for you.

Good luck.

Lost Sheep

[GeauxTide]

I've got the Lyman 1200 DS3 and +1 to maps comments. Won't ever go back. The only thing I had to add was a powder tray with a side spout so I didn't spill any more powder.