Electronic scale

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P.Ericson

Member
Thinking about buying a electronic scale to be used for weighting charges at the range. Which one is the cheepest one that still does a good (decent) job? Not to slow, able to weight +-0.05grs or so accuratly, and dont drift to much. The Denver instruments scales sure looks nice, but they are a bit do expensive for my taste.

Found this one http://www.oldwillknottscales.com/my-weigh-gempro-250.aspx Have anyone tried it?
 
Competitive Edge Dynamics

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Several people lately have asked for electronic range scales. I highly recommend the CED scale. Weighs .1 grn plenty good for range loading. I bought mine from Bruno a couple years ago still on same batteries pocket size. Price then about $110.

Stephen Perry
Angeles BR
 
Here Is What I Have Found

I have both the Competitive Edge Scale and the big Denver Instruments. I have been using both at the range.

By far the easiest to haul around is the Competitive Edge. It is self contained and takes up little room.

The Denver Instruments runs off 110 volts, so you have to have a battery and a small inverter if you do not have access to a 110 outlet.

Which is easier to use, and which is more reliable. By far, the Denver Instruments hands down. First, it holds zero much more affective. Nothing is more aggravating while using a scale than to zero it with a case on the platform, take the case off, throw a charge, then take the case off to remove a tad of powder, and the thing weighs more when you put it back down. That means the scale is shifting zero. The Competitive Edge is bad about this, the Denver Instruments stays put.

Is that a big deal. When you are trying to weigh within .1, probably so. You just have to learn the personality of the scale.

Remember, the Denver weighs within .01. That means, if you are showing a tenth too much, you know which side of that tenth you are on. And, if you take the case off, it actually comes back to zero if you put it back on.

What I am going to try is to go back to throwing the powder in the pan, using a trickler to get it right, and avoid lifting anything off the scale. I need to get a little funnel with a long drop tube to transfer the powder to the case.

Of course, the drawback to the Denver is that price. You don't get much change back from a $600 dollar bill.

Even though I have the Denver Instruments, my advice would go with a small scale such as the Competitive Edge. Learn it's quirks, and it will get the job done. Use the money you save to buy two new barrels........jackie
 
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scales

Was a discussion several days ago,and the Jennings got lots of good comments,they have a web site,and you can do a search on electronic scales on here and see if the thread comes back up? terry
 
I purchased the

Jennings JS-VG 40 scale.

I am happy with it. I found it to be a perfect match for my RCBS 502 balance beam. They read the exact same weight. If I put 29.2 grs on the RCBS and dump it on the Jennings it reads 29.2 grs as well. I have played with it on and off for days on end.

The drawback I found out is that you cannot tare an item if it weighs more than 150 grs. I am not to concerned as it works for the cartridges I reload.

If it wanders I have played enough to know when it has. I zero after every case I weigh.

http://jscale.com/product/_vg_series.html

calvin
 
I recently bought the Lyman 1000 digital scale. Very nice in the way the wind shield is incorporated. However the scale which runs off 110 ac or 9V dc seems to drift. Not much but about 2 tenths grain, back and forth. This is after the pan has set on the scale for more than about 30 seconds. Maybe I got a bad one because everything else about the scale I liked. Couple years ago I bought a cheap $20 jewelry scale off ebay. Battery powered only. No wind screen. It does just as good a job as the Lyman, and drifts aout 2 tenths grain. I ran across a nice looking scale doing a google search the other day for about $65 or so. But forgot to mark the page. Now can''t find it. Had really good specs. Paid $100 for the Lyman at Bass Pro. Took it back. Don't need a scale that drifts. Or is this a common thing with the digital scales?

Donald
 
P.Ericson said:
Thinking about buying a electronic scale to be used for weighting charges at the range. Which one is the cheepest one that still does a good (decent) job? Not to slow, able to weight +-0.05grs or so accuratly, and dont drift to much. The Denver instruments scales sure looks nice, but they are a bit do expensive for my taste.

Found this one http://www.oldwillknottscales.com/my-weigh-gempro-250.aspx Have anyone tried it?
Click to expand...

Yes,
I really really like my Gem Pro 250.......... Really a solid little precision Balance for < $200.00 US... It's accurate to .02 grain and mine out on the range hardly drifts .01 once it's running good and level.

Thumbs up.

cale
 
Jackie

If you get the Redding (green) plastic funnel the Harrell drop tubes will insert directly into the funnel.
Centerfire :)
 
FBecigneul said:
a scale to load at the range, and I'm not, I would not go for something like the CED or others that measure to 0.1 grains. I would go with a better scale capable of reading to 0.02, or 0.05, or something similar. The reason being I can get 0.1 with the Harrell powder measure. I would not fret about a wind cover from the scale manufacturer. I would get a clear cake dish cover or something similar.
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lol...you think you can get .1....but it only happens with some powders...and n133 is not one of them.

mike in co
 
Francis Mike Called You Out and Rightly So

You guys that think you can get .02 accuracy in an open Range loading area are fools. Several of the range scales metioned will do a fine jpb of holding .05 or .1. Everybody thinks the the scale they have is the best for them not everybody else. A day at the Range effects a scale just as it does your shooting. Even indoors like at Raton it is hard to keep a scale under control. The Competitive Edge gives a good .1 reading, sometimes I have to cradle it with my arms to control the drafts but it will settle down. I don't weigh each throw why should I use a Bruno thrower along with the Jones one of the best throwers out there. I use the CED when I want to match my morning throw as the day heats up and powder density changes also to weigh bullets from each lot of bullets I make.

Stephen Perry
Angeles BR
 
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Tell You What, Francis

If you can throw 25 straight charges, (that's an agg), all within +-.1, Using a accurate enough scale, I will buy you a steak dinner.

Who do you know who could be an unbiased witness, cause I darned sure ain't comming further North than Cleveland, (Texas), and I doubt you will come much further South than Cleveland, (Ohio):D........jackie
 
Maybe in the new year

if I get the new digital SLR camera I am wanting (Canon T1i) I will take some video of my Jennings in action and post it.

I used it today just for giggles to confirm my RCBS 502 scale at 40grs of VV 135 and the 2 were bang on over and over.

Calvin
 
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CYanchycki said:
if I get the new digital SLR camera I am wanting (Canon T1i) I will take some video of my Jennings in action and post it.

I used it today just for giggles to confirm my RCBS 502 scale at 40grs of VV 135 and the 2 were bang on over and over.

Calvin
Click to expand...

bang on is 40 plus or minus .1...that is a .2 spread......

that is if your scale is actually plus or minus 0.1

it's why we are having this discussion.

good scales are now capable of .02/03(mx-123, denver)
and
great sacles
capable of .01(jackie's denver scale).

as groups/agg's get smaller, people are looking for more items that may get "better".....powder charge is one of them.

mike in co
 
Mike I hear

what you are saying.

All I am saying is that it works for what I feel I need in confirming dumped charges with my Harrel.

When I put a piece of brass on the scale and tare it, it better stay at 0 the entire time the case is off while dumping the charge into the case. I then put the charged case back on the scale to confirm say 29.2 grs. When I remove the charged case from the scale it still better be 0.

If not I dump the charge and repeat the process.

Do I know they are all the same? Not 100% etched in stone. I do know that verifying dumped charges on the Jennings and then putting them on the RCBS beam scale they appear bang on to my eyes.

I do not know how much better I want it or need it. Maybe I am missing something in the method to my madness?

I am aware that the electronic scales have certain tolerances +/- this or that.

You must remember some of us love this sport and have to work EXTRA hard to have the enjoyment of competeing and trying to feed these rifles. We buy the best we can afford for what we feel will do the job for us.

JMO

Calvin
 
CYanchycki said:
You must remember some of us love this sport and have to work EXTRA hard to have the enjoyment of competeing and trying to feed these rifles. We buy the best we can afford for what we feel will do the job for us.

JMO

Calvin
Click to expand...


lol..i just sold four guns just to pay bills( well one paid for another gun..lol)
and i hate selling guns.
my 1000 yd br gun is on hold, tho i have most of the parts.
mike in co
 
FBecigneul said:
I have the results to prove one of two things. I can dump to an accuracy of 0.1 grains or these rifles are more forgiving than most thing.
I do not use a scale at the range. I leave that to you guys. Stephen is on my ignore list so I can only imagine what he said and it's better that way..
Click to expand...

francis,
at least we both agree on stephen.....
me thinks your ability to read the wind may be the issue.( your skill over comming small load changes)...but someday soon the small changes in loads IS gonna count.

mike in co
 
First of all, I'm with the scale guys..... I wouldn't take Jackie's bet....... but in reality the short-range guys just don't need a scale as much, the tuning windows are broad and velocity has little (visible ;) )effect on accuracy. I've shot thousands of rounds of thrown PPC charges and not even flinched over 50fps spread. :) But for long-range shooting where a kernel or two of powder can affect your vertical I'm really happy with the Denver Instruments scale sold here on BRC a few years ago called the MMX-123 and featured in a nice writeup over on 6mmBR.com here >> http://www.6mmbr.com/mxx123test.html <<

I recall the price being lower on the BRC special but regardless it's worth every penny.

This scale will measure reliably TO THE KERNEL of powder and is consequently hard to use at the range. But IMO the learning curve pays off.


justanother


free opinion


al
 
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