Scale recommendations

[axis223]

My Lyman Microtouch went out and looking for a sub $150 option. I know I should go more expensive but i load on one of those lee stands and don’t have the room or extra cash. The microtouch has never given me an issue but it was also 10yo and doubled in price. I am kind of debating on just breaking down and getting a RCBS chargemaster but i mainly load for rifle bench shooting and hear they aren’t super accurate.

[mikejonestkd]

I have a RCBS chargemaster and a RCBS rangemaster. the rangemaster gets used much more and its plenty accurate and good quality for the money

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1016273372?pid=586020

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1024348416?pid=316796

[Rimfire5]

I bought my RCBS ChargeMaster 1500 in 2008 and have weighed more than 75,000 loads since then.
It is still doing the job as accurately as advertised.

It may have seemed expensive in 2008 but after 17 years of heavy use, it turned out to be a bargain.

Granted, the RCBS RangeMaster is more accurate but it is more than twice as expensive.
My ChargeMaster is allowing me to shoot groups from 0.25 to 0.5 MOA with 7 different rifles. One rifle, with new barrel has become a sub 1/4 MOA shooter.

I am not sure a more accurate powder measurer would actually show better results for me since my 'shooter induced variations' are probably already keeping me from shooting more accurately with loads measured with the ChargeMaster.

[Unclenick]

You must be thinking of something else. If you follow Mike's links, you'll see the RangeMaster is a scale and not a dispenser and costs closer to 1/3 what the chargemaster does.

[Rimfire5]

Unclenick,

I was thinking of the Matchmaster, which sells for about $900 and is the more expensive version of the old Chargemaster.
The new Chargemaster sells for about $430.

Sorry for the confusion.

[markr6754]

There are lots of differing opinions on dispensers, but my goto is the Frankford Arsenal Intellidropper. There have been some reports of early failures...but all were covered by FA warranty, which I've personally experienced to be top-notch.
I find the Intellidropper to be fast, quieter than some, accurate, and very responsive to load tweaks. The app is fine if you have favorites that you want to repeat, but it's just as easy to re-enter the data from the touchscreen.
My biggest gripe...and for some it seems a showstopper...but I've adjusted to it...emptying is a bit more of a pain than some others. Nonetheless, were mine to fail, I'd order another without a 2nd thought. Coming up on 5 years on mine. Can be had for 2 bills plus tax.

[stagpanther]

What it comes down to really IMO is how much accuracy you want in weighing--if tenths of grain is acceptable then you can find that fairly inexpensively. Accuracy to hundreths of a grain, though, is going to cost you no matter which system you buy.

[Nathan]

On a Black Friday sale, you can get a TRX-925 for ~$275.

In your price range, I see 2 options.

1) https://www.amazon.com/Hornady-G3-15...08SPG6GHF?th=1

2) You could PM me about a Hornady 1st gen dispenser that works perfect and I would let go for $120 + shipping.

[Jim Watson]

My PACT scale is fine.
My PACT dispenser failed and PACT no longer makes or services it.

[tangolima]

Mine is a battery powered pocket jewelry scale with precision of +/-0.02gr (+/-1mg). It comes with 2 10g check weights for 3-point calibration. It works great and is quite affordable.

All the dispensers I have come across have precision of +/-0.2gr (+/-10mg). Often the drop has error more than that as they tend to overshoot, unintended consequence of speed. To me they are not good enough.

-TL

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

[GeauxTide]

Been using an RCBS Chargemaster for several years. SUPERB.

[EchoFalcon23]

I’m leaning toward a Chargemaster too — seems like the best mix of price, reliability, and long-term value. I load mostly for benchrest rifle, so consistency matters, but I’m also limited on space (Lee stand user here as well). Thanks for the real-world accuracy reports — helps a lot.

[Nathan]

Mine is a battery powered pocket jewelry scale with precision of +/-0.02gr (+/-1mg). It comes with 2 10g check weights for 3-point calibration. It works great and is quite affordable.

Can you share a link?

[Jim Watson]

All the dispensers I have come across have precision of +/-0.2gr

Once leveled out, with the powder settled and the tube running with consistent level, my PACT would deliver Varget -0, +.1 grain NEARLY all the time. If it overran, I just dumped the pan into the can and ran another. If a tenth of a grain affected the accuracy of my .223 or .308, I was not a good enough shooter to tell.

[tangolima]

Originally Posted by Jim Watson

Once leveled out, with the powder settled and the tube running with consistent level, my PACT would deliver Varget -0, +.1 grain NEARLY all the time. If it overran, I just dumped the pan into the can and ran another. If a tenth of a grain affected the accuracy of my .223 or .308, I was not a good enough shooter to tell.

Big rifle loads may usually be ok. Small handgun loads may not.

Most digital scales have the "engine" that is metric. Like anything digital, they dither with a fixed minimum amount, which is usually 10mg. 10mg is 0.15gr, and it is rounded up to 0.2gr. Worst case the indicated weight is dithering among -0.2gr, 0gr, and +0.2gr, but mostly the dithering is on one side. Of course there could be make and model that are native imperial to dither in 0.1gr. But they are relatively rare.

-TL

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

[tangolima]

Originally Posted by Nathan

Can you share a link?

I think this is the one. I may have the older model in 2014. 11 years already.

https://a.co/d/8sviwYo

It comes with a pan a bit too small. Bought extra pan. The pan is my every-day check weight of 35.38+/- 0.02gr.

Small scales like this have limited max weight capacity. This one is about 250gr, which is quite enough for my need.

-TL

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

[Jim Watson]

Small handgun loads may not.

Academic to me, I only weigh pistol loads to adjust the measure or as for my next project, to do a "down ladder" to find the lightest loads that will function a couple of autos.
Let it dither.


It would be an interesting project... for somebody else, to pull and weigh a box of factory loads and see what they put up with.

[tangolima]

Originally Posted by Jim Watson

Academic to me, I only weigh pistol loads to adjust the measure or as for my next project, to do a "down ladder" to find the lightest loads that will function a couple of autos.

Let it dither.





It would be an interesting project... for somebody else, to pull and weigh a box of factory loads and see what they put up with.

Some numbers to illustrate.

6.5mm creedmoor. Powder charge 44gr. 0.2gr is 0.5%. MV error 12fps. Not much a problem.

5.56 NATO. Powder charge 25gr. 0.2gr is 0.8%. MV error 23fps. Problem a bit noticeable.

M1 carbine. Powder charge 15gr. 0.2gr is 1.3%. MV error 25fps. Even more noticeable.

9mm luger. Powder charge 4gr. 0.2gr is 5%. MV error 50fps. Too much a problem. Min / max load difference is usually 10% or less.

-TL

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

[RC20]

The Poster has not responded.

The Micro touch is a scale only. I am not sure what he is after but I see it for under $80 at Midway. So I am at a loss what he wants or thinks he wants.

All those scales can fail. Lyman etc. I had two Lyman go belly up, 2nd time out of warranty. I have two the RCBS light and a Hornady that are still going after 5 years of use.

I have a Lyman 2000 that has not quit.

My experience is it takes more a lot more than a tenth of a grain for accuracy. Other factors are the predominant driver (barrel, stock, the hand load, case, alignment of bullet , shooter etc