Smartreloader digtal scale
01-21-2010, 04:06 PM
#1
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Southwest Arkansas
Posts: 64
Smartreloader digtal scale
Midsouth shooters supply has one in their catalog for $35.70 on sale thru Feb for $19.99. Am thinking of getting for back-up/check for my Lee safety scale. Have any of you heard or used them.
01-21-2010, 06:56 PM
#2
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: WY
Posts: 2,056
More useful than a second scale would probably be a set of check weights for your beam scale.
Although the principle might seem reasonable, checking one scale against another, it's not uncommon that while you might "harmonize" with another scale at a narrow operating range, the two can be significantly out of synch at low or high weights. An example, I have both beam and digital scales by RCBS. With powder charges, both scales are relatively consistent with each other (generally +/- no more than .2 gr). However, If I'm sorting cases, or on the extreme end, calibrating shot charges, they can be significantly out of agreement with each other (once I found a difference of 11.3 grains).
In any case, the problem then becomes "which one do I believe, or are both of them off?"
My digital is part of the RCBS "Chargemaster" combo that includes the powder dispenser. Very spendy for most of us, but justifiable to me now that my eyes don't stand staring long at the lines on my beam scale while I'm trickling powder into the pan. I was pretty skeptical of digitals at first, but this one seems to work well and none of the pitfalls described to me by others have plagued it. However, I'm still checking every 5-10 rounds on my 30-year-old beam scale.
Had I not found the good deal I did on the ChargeMaster, I'd still be trickling powder with my 5-0-5 and just wouldn't put up the rounds I can otherwise in an evening -- but I'd still be absolutely confident in my beam scale's accuracy because I have a set of check weights I use EVERY time I set it up.
Although the principle might seem reasonable, checking one scale against another, it's not uncommon that while you might "harmonize" with another scale at a narrow operating range, the two can be significantly out of synch at low or high weights. An example, I have both beam and digital scales by RCBS. With powder charges, both scales are relatively consistent with each other (generally +/- no more than .2 gr). However, If I'm sorting cases, or on the extreme end, calibrating shot charges, they can be significantly out of agreement with each other (once I found a difference of 11.3 grains).
In any case, the problem then becomes "which one do I believe, or are both of them off?"
My digital is part of the RCBS "Chargemaster" combo that includes the powder dispenser. Very spendy for most of us, but justifiable to me now that my eyes don't stand staring long at the lines on my beam scale while I'm trickling powder into the pan. I was pretty skeptical of digitals at first, but this one seems to work well and none of the pitfalls described to me by others have plagued it. However, I'm still checking every 5-10 rounds on my 30-year-old beam scale.
Had I not found the good deal I did on the ChargeMaster, I'd still be trickling powder with my 5-0-5 and just wouldn't put up the rounds I can otherwise in an evening -- but I'd still be absolutely confident in my beam scale's accuracy because I have a set of check weights I use EVERY time I set it up.
