Powder Scale?

[rimfire_crazed]

The Lee safety scale is an interesting beast. It is VERY sensitive. It takes some time to learn how the scale is going to behave, how to zero the scale, etc.

It's really not designed to be used to weigh every single charge, either. Its primary goal is to have something simple to check thrown charges. When you're throwing charges, +/- .1 grain is not a big deal, especially in the rifle world.

If you're having problems zeroing the scale and movement is jerky, you probably are making contact with the damping magnets in the base. Move the beam so it's in the center of the damping slot. Zero your scale on a level surface, and LEAVE IT THERE. Use the poise lock to lock in your 0.0 measurement, and then zero with the brass nut. My biggest complaint about the lee safety scale is that there is no +/- graduations on the indicator.

The amount of money I would need to spend on a electronic scale I trust just doesn't justify itself.

 

[U.S. Patriot]

I have had 0 issues with the Lee safety scale and I weigh every charge. I make sure it's zeroed before each use.

 

[sgreen3]

After doing quite a bit of research I decided on the RCBS 10 10 beam scale and am very happy with it. My reloading bench is in my garage and it is not temperature stable. The digital scales seemed to be too sensitive to temp. varitaions for my comfort. The 10 10 comes with a check weight and is very easy to read and use. I am also a believer in the buy it once theory and am not afraid to buy quality tools when saftey is a concern. Andrew's class from Profire Arms drove that point home. Buy quality scales and calipers and save mony in other areas.

That is very true. Ill look into that scale.

 

[hotfarmboy1]

I have had 0 issues with the Lee safety scale and I weigh every charge. I make sure it's zeroed before each use.

This. But I just bought a Frankford Arsenal digital scale for quick checking and backup. I also ordered a powder trickler to make accurate loads even easier.

 

[charley59]

I use a Lee Safety Scale and have a place marked at my loading bench (base of scale outlined with a sharpie) where I always set the scale. Re-zero/check the scale before every reloading session. Years ago, I purchased a Midway brand electronic scale. It was inconsistent and would weight the exact same powder charge differently every time it was set on the scale. Sent it back for a refund. Have not tried electronic scales since then. I check thrown charges (from a Hornady Deluxe powder measure) about every 20-50 rnds.

 

[sgreen3]

I may look into one of the rcbs beam scales, they seem to be reasonable priced

 

[U.S. Patriot]

A powder trickler is another nice tool to have.

 

[sgreen3]

Yea ive looked at them also. Ill get one of them when I get my scale. That would be a nice tool for doing custom target loads.

 

[kludge]

sgreen3, the Lee Safety Scale will work. I trusted mine for several years, you can too. If it matters make a few check weights for yourself... a paperclip, a 9mm bullet, get them weighed, and then take care in storing them, and pull them out when you want to check your scale.

Right now I have a low end Lyman scale and a low end digital scale. I gave the Lee away after I got my digital, but it served me well for many years. I checked its accuray against other scales, including a $1500 (20 years ago) Ohaus lab balance, and they are all have acceptable accuracy for reloading.

With reloading it's not so much that the scale has to be within a hundedth of a grain to be useful, or even a tenth of a grain, it just has to say the same thing every time, so that a load you worked on last time will be the same this time.

As for check weights, they are useful, but unless you spend A LOT of money, they aren't going to be any more accurate than the scale. Seriously. And to accurately set a scale the check weight has to me more accurate than the scale itself.

All a check weight does is tell you that the scale is saying the same thing as it did the last time, which again is the more important thing. And for that you can use anything, just have it weighed on a good scale that has been calibrated by an expensive check weight.

The repeatability of the Lee scale was very good. Better than the Lyman actually. The low end Lyman is a bit easier to use, but with the plastic base has its own set of issues (its light weight is the biggest problem).

The cheap digital scale that I use is this one.

Digital Precision Scale (20g Max / 0.001g Resolution) - Free Shipping - DealExtreme

And it's EXACTLY the same scale as this $80 scale.

American Weigh Gemini-20 Digital Milligram Scale 20 x 0.001g American Weigh Blade Black 250 x 0.1 gram Digital Scales [AMW-Gemini-20] - $79.99 : Scales-n-Tools.com, Enjoy our Selection, Price, and Convenience.

If you want the best accuracy for a reloading scale (to the 0.1gr) you need a scale with resolution to 0.005g and 0.002g would be better. There aren't many 0.002g or 0.005g scales out there. Most of them are either 0.01g or 0.001g. The 0.01g scales (many reloading scales are actually 0.01g scales) CAN NOT resolve to 0.1gr. A 0.005g scale will get very close. Also it depends on the scale firmware -- good luck having the manufacturer disclose this to you -- but if they are measuring in g and converting to gr, then you need the resolution. If they are actually set up in firmware to measure in gr then you can get by with a bit less resolution.

My previous digital scale was a 0.01g scale and it was accurate to 0.2g about half of the time due to the conversion.

Long story short, if the scale advertises a 0.002g or 0.001g resolution it will not give you any meaningful error when converting to gr. (0.1gr = ~0.00648g, meaning a 10g check weight accurate to 0.1gr will have to be a 10.000g +/-0.005g check weight. To calibrate a 0.001g lab balance, you need another zero on top of that. )

The $20 digital scale has a 0.001g resloution and is just as accurate as the $1500 Ohaus in my lab - at least to the tolerance of my check weight. In other words, without spending $700 on a check weight I can't tell which one is closer to the actual weight...

...but again for reloading the slight difference doesn't matter ONE BIT.

 

[kludge]

If you get an electronic scale, keep cell phones away from it when in use. Cell phones can interphere (for lack of a better word) and make the scale say numbers that arent true

and fluorescent lights.

 

[shooter1054]

I use a spent case as a powder trickler.

 

[sgreen3]

Thats a good idea shooter

 

[sgreen3]

Kludge on that cheaper scale that you have, do you have to convery the reading from grams to grains? or does it show grains?

 

[kludge]

Kludge on that cheaper scale that you have, do you have to convery the reading from grams to grains? or does it show grains?

It shows grains, grams, and others.

The only complaint I have is that the pan they send with it is tiny, not really conducive to catching powder from a powder measure. Maybe they had drug dealers in mind? Or jewlers?

I just tare it with my powder pan set on top of the little pan.

It goes up to just over 300gr. It's a good thing I don't shoot bullets over 300 grains.

 

[sgreen3]

It shows grains, grams, and others.

The only complaint I have is that the pan they send with it is tiny, not really conducive to catching powder from a powder measure. Maybe they had drug dealers in mind? Or jewlers?

I just tare it with my powder pan set on top of the little pan.

It goes up to just over 300gr. It's a good thing I don't shoot bullets over 300 grains.

Ahh why not, were is your sense of adventure


Ok cool, ill have to look into one of them then. Thanks