Scale, Beam vs Digital

[nighthawkf-117]

Hello!

The last piece of equipment I need to aquire for my reloading setup is a scale. I've been eyeing a beam scale from RCBS. I like the idea of a mechanical scale vs an electronic one with batterys to run out. Anyone have thoughs on one vs another? If using a powder trickle to creep up on an exact weight does one work better than another?

Thanks for the input!

 

[bober90]

Probably depends on the digital scale, honestly. You won’t go wrong with the RCBS beam scale and trickling on it is very easy. That’s how I started. Just make sure you have a good set of weights (like the RCBS set).

 

[Bluefish]

Digital is easier, but more expensive. Cheap digital is worthless imho. I tried one and it wouldn’t hold zero long enough to even get a weight. I had a super expensive one from work that failed calibration probably a couple k and it was great. Read .01g.

I use my trusty beam scale and would recommend that to anyone unless they spend a lot on a digital.

 

[N2TRKYS]

I started off on a beam scale. Those things are garbage and a colossal waste of time. I quickly got tired of the slowness and the inconsistency of the beam scale. I went to a RCBS Chargemaster combo and have never looked back.

I would quit reloading if I had to use a beam scale again.

 

[A382DWDZQ]

Whatever you get, get a good quality scale. It really sucks to do a load work up, go to the range, get off results, possibly repeat that, and then find out your scale is giving you bad readings. Echoing what @Bluefish said, get a set of check weights, and make sure those are good. I was using my first set of check weights for a while before realizing that the 10gr weights in them were actually 9 something.

 

[KY_coop]

My hornady autocharge went in for warranty work and I used a powder thrower and trickler I bought but hadn't used yet. Weighing using a frankford scale and the loads seem more consistent. I'm gonna have to test it side by side when I get the autocharge back.

 

[Tahoe1305]

I have used both separately and still use both together.

Digital is faster, but take time to setup, I have to recal mine every 30 min or so, and more importantly I don’t trust it nearly as much as my old beam scales. I now check every ten or so on a beam and if one is in discrepancy, I always trust the beam.

I’d argue the best gain in the digital is a resolution of more than .1gr. But tests have been done on SD/ES with scales with more res than .1gr don’t improve SD/ES a ton. There are also beam scales that have resolution more than .1gr as well. I haven’t found one better than .05gr though (most beams will go to .01gr).

 

[TaperPin]

There is a slight difference in the pivot of different beam scales. The RCBS 505 has a long history of reliability - which I understand is because of the pivot. Guys that fine tune used scales won’t bother with many, but the 505 is one that is well thought of. RCBS no longer lists the 505, but it’s actually a rebranded Ohaus 5-0-5, which is still available new. Personally, I’d just get a RCBS version used on eBay - a lot of very lightly used scales are always on there.


Any trickler will work, but most are aluminum and very light weight. I prefer something heavier and the Redding #5 is made out of steel and feels just right to me.

 

[Blinddog]

add a camera to your beam, then you know your spot on.

 

[35WhelenAI]

Beam scales are accurate and repeatable. Nothing, I repeat nothing, electronic can be trusted like the laws of physics and a beam good scale. I use the beam scale to check the electronic scale on the few times I decide to give the electronic scale some work. If throwing hundreds of rounds, not the fastest, but from an accuracy standpoint nothing about beam scales is a waste of time when it comes to accuracy.

 

[EdP]

I think technique is also important with a beam scale. My RCBS has magnetic dampening so I make sure my volumetric throws a bit low and trickle up. If I go over, the charge goes back into the volumetric and I start again.

Here is a link to the RCBS Chargemaster 1500 Owners Manual. https://rcbs.com/wp-content/uploads...V_PJ309HCbgTaj4iaR-E1ipF2J-NkXBSkp4ji1zT-YWwf Sounds like a PITA to me.

 

[N2TRKYS]

I think technique is also important with a beam scale. My RCBS has magnetic dampening so I make sure my volumetric throws a bit low and trickle up. If I go over, the charge goes back into the volumetric and I start again.

Here is a link to the RCBS Chargemaster 1500 Owners Manual. https://rcbs.com/wp-content/uploads...V_PJ309HCbgTaj4iaR-E1ipF2J-NkXBSkp4ji1zT-YWwf Sounds like a PITA to me.

I have that Chargemaster combo and it has definitely sped my reloading up. And given me much more accurate reading than that old inconvenient beam scale.

 

[35WhelenAI]

I'm coming from the perspective of hand weighing charges one at a time when doing a box or two of hunting rounds. Not to oversimplify, however the beam does rest in the same place each time when it has the same amount of powder in the pan. Cross checking on the electronic scale verifies this. It makes folks skeptical of the information when something that is proven, accurate and reliable for half a century or more gets trashed and called worthless to the extent it would cause somebody to quit reloading.

 

[N2TRKYS]

I'm coming from the perspective of hand weighing charges one at a time when doing a box or two of hunting rounds. Not to oversimplify, however the beam does rest in the same place each time when it has the same amount of powder in the pan. Cross checking on the electronic scale verifies this. It makes folks skeptical of the information when something that is proven, accurate and reliable for half a century or more gets trashed and called worthless to the extent it would cause somebody to quit reloading.

I found it to be unreliable and inconsistent. It would never read the same weight the same twice. The beam scales three glowing attributes for me are: slow, inconsistent, and unreliable. You won’t ever catch another one on my bench again. Lesson learned the hard way, unfortunately.

 

[35WhelenAI]

Understood, probably came back a bit hard on my reply. Experience is what it is and it's important to take people for face value on it for throwing powder charges as much as it is for the bullets we choose.

 

[Mike D Texas]

Beam scales are accurate and repeatable. Nothing, I repeat nothing, electronic can be trusted like the laws of physics and a beam good scale. I use the beam scale to check the electronic scale on the few times I decide to give the electronic scale some work. If throwing hundreds of rounds, not the fastest, but from an accuracy standpoint nothing about beam scales is a waste of time when it comes to accuracy.

Can’t say I’ve seen a lab certified beam scale in many years. But almost all labs use a certified electronic scale.

I would almost quit releasing if I had to go back to a beam scale.


That said, OP if you plan to go electronic, be prepared to spend some money on a quality scale and just as important, make sure you can power it with good, clean power. Batteries are not a good option for an electronic scale.

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[TaperPin]

I'm coming from the perspective of hand weighing charges one at a time when doing a box or two of hunting rounds. Not to oversimplify, however the beam does rest in the same place each time when it has the same amount of powder in the pan. Cross checking on the electronic scale verifies this. It makes folks skeptical of the information when something that is proven, accurate and reliable for half a century or more gets trashed and called worthless to the extent it would cause somebody to quit reloading.

It is an uphill battle to talk common sense when an entire generation of reloaders have been bombarded with marketing dollars selling electronic scales as if reloads from a beam scale will somehow be so inaccurate it makes them unusable for hunting in factory rifles.

Mechanical things are increasingly harder for kiddos to understand when the only training is pushing a button. Dirt and dust on the contact surfaces, or dropping one and damaging things, are things outside the wheelhouse if they haven’t had a mentor walk them through troubleshooting. Another sign of the times. Maybe the trend to factory loads isn’t a bad thing if understanding how to keep a balance beam functioning is too hard.

I enjoy the repetition and flow of trickling and throwing loads - there are 168 hours in the week - a few extra seconds doesn’t even cut into lunch, let alone ruin enjoyment of the sport.

Electronic scales are getting better and prices are coming down for good ones, but based on the reliability issues I’ve heard, the only way to get more accuracy than a beam seems to be a professional model pushing $500. Does anyone expect anything electronic to last 10 years? $500 every 10 years seems like a lot - it doesn’t take long to pay for an entire new rifle.

 

[A382DWDZQ]

A few points that I think may benefit from clarification.

On my beam scale, when I weigh for a session, I calibrate with check weights at the start of that session. I am careful about not bumping the scale and having it level. If I change the charge weight by more than 20gr I recalibrate with check weights again. That ensures I am always using very close to the actual weight as measured by the check weight. Sometimes I do a check mid session if doing a higher number of loads. Most of the time I am only doing 20 or less.

@Mike D Texas mentioned clean power. To me, that means running of of a UPS on one of the battery ports. I’d like to hear other methods in use on that. I don’t run digital right now.

I have a couple $30 battery digital. I use them for roughing in my throw weight as I set my thrower. Weighing miscellaneous bullets and cases. They have been pretty accurate, but they don’t meet the level of trust that I want for my reloads for weighing powder.

 

[35WhelenAI]

My old O'haus scale has done thousands and thousands of loads. Agate bearings for the pivot, magnetic damping makes quick work of manually measuring charges.

The electronic scale I use has a power adaptor and 9v power. From what I'm reading, wall power isn't necessarily gonna give the best performance, sounds like running off 9v power is best for most consistency?

 

[Mike D Texas]

My old O'haus scale has done thousands and thousands of loads. Agate bearings for the pivot, magnetic damping makes quick work of manually measuring charges.

The electronic scale I use has a power adaptor and 9v power. From what I'm reading, wall power isn't necessarily gonna give the best performance, sounds like running off 9v power is best for most consistency?

No battery power won’t be better because the voltage degrades over time and create inconsistencies.


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