Most Accurate Powder Scale ?
- Thread starter Frankr
- Start date
Jet
Gold $$ Contributor
FJIM
I found the GemPro to be okay but got frustrated with it pretty fast. It floats a lot and is relatively slow.
Your desire to find a scale that is the most accurate without spending a lot of money is not the way to look at this purchase. You should define your accuracy goals, weight (grain) tolerances, and budget together. I have tried to go the cheap route in the quest to shoot small and in the long run my cheap purchases always cost me more money.
The best bang for your buck would be the FX-120I. It is more expensive then the GemPro but it is a much better scale. Recommend waiting, saving a bit more then buy the FX. If you are set on keeping your costs lower then I would take Terry's advice.
Good Shooting
Rich
I found the GemPro to be okay but got frustrated with it pretty fast. It floats a lot and is relatively slow.
Your desire to find a scale that is the most accurate without spending a lot of money is not the way to look at this purchase. You should define your accuracy goals, weight (grain) tolerances, and budget together. I have tried to go the cheap route in the quest to shoot small and in the long run my cheap purchases always cost me more money.
The best bang for your buck would be the FX-120I. It is more expensive then the GemPro but it is a much better scale. Recommend waiting, saving a bit more then buy the FX. If you are set on keeping your costs lower then I would take Terry's advice.
Good Shooting
Rich
Another GemPro 250 owner who now uses an A&D FX120-I.
Jet said it well. I'd add the Gempro doesn't handle trickling very well whereas the A&D will react to a single particle drop . . . as long as that particle weighs more than 0.02gr. The GemPro often required lifting and replacing the pan to get the new weight.
My GemPro is clearly affected by RF noise, and these days its hard for many of us to turn off all the devices that transmit. The A&D will perform stably under fluorescent lights etc . . . it only misbehaves when hit with static electricity. That's easy to fix if necessary by staying grounded.
IMO, the GemPro 250 is as much money as you should spend if you are not going to go for a mag force restoration scale. I don't think that any strain gauge scale can be much better for our uses.
The A&D is the least expensive mag force scale I've found,but at $525 US that's juuuuust a bit higher than the GemPro
Jet said it well. I'd add the Gempro doesn't handle trickling very well whereas the A&D will react to a single particle drop . . . as long as that particle weighs more than 0.02gr. The GemPro often required lifting and replacing the pan to get the new weight.
My GemPro is clearly affected by RF noise, and these days its hard for many of us to turn off all the devices that transmit. The A&D will perform stably under fluorescent lights etc . . . it only misbehaves when hit with static electricity. That's easy to fix if necessary by staying grounded.
IMO, the GemPro 250 is as much money as you should spend if you are not going to go for a mag force restoration scale. I don't think that any strain gauge scale can be much better for our uses.
The A&D is the least expensive mag force scale I've found,but at $525 US that's juuuuust a bit higher than the GemPro
I don't know if my Gen 2 Prometheus is the most accurate scale made, but it is the fastest most accurate powder dispensing system is the world, to the kernel of H4350 every 10-12 seconds, I have charged and seated 200 rounds in 65 minutes, but its not for everyone, somebody is going to come along and whine about the lease, or the price, or the wait time, maybe all 3, but none of us who actually have one is complaining, that's a clue. The GemPro250 on paper has a lot going for it, price, availability, and warranty, problem is the warranty is about useless, and the scale is not made to be trickled on, I would recommend getting a A&D FX120 if you must have something digital, or a tuned Lyman M5.
In the dollars for accuracy race, I'm pretty happy with my Acculab VIC-123 scale that I picked up here on the forum for $125... cheaper than a tuned beam scale.
With the scale set to "Filing" mode it's quick to pick up even 1 kernel of varget, and the "Auto Zero" mode mostly does away with drift problem since I set the pan back on the scale to re-zero while I seat a bullet. It's been accurate for me, I use a check weight every 5 rounds and it stays within .02g. And it's pretty quick to use with just a plain old RCBS powder thrower for the initial charge and an Omega trickler.
Yes, it's still a strain gauge scale and I'm probably eventually going to get a FX-120i, but for now this is doing pretty well for me, especially for the price.
With the scale set to "Filing" mode it's quick to pick up even 1 kernel of varget, and the "Auto Zero" mode mostly does away with drift problem since I set the pan back on the scale to re-zero while I seat a bullet. It's been accurate for me, I use a check weight every 5 rounds and it stays within .02g. And it's pretty quick to use with just a plain old RCBS powder thrower for the initial charge and an Omega trickler.
Yes, it's still a strain gauge scale and I'm probably eventually going to get a FX-120i, but for now this is doing pretty well for me, especially for the price.
Yes, you can actually save money by spending a little more up front. If you're loading just for hunting or short range (100 to 300 yds) a tuned balance beam is more than adequate but if long range competition is your goal, then I would agree with jet and get the FX 120i. I have both and each serves it's purpose.
http://cambridgeenviro.com/productD...andD-5-Year-Warranty-Top-Loading-Balance-5780
I hate to tell you this, but it looks like the scale went up in price. $530USD
I hate to tell you this, but it looks like the scale went up in price. $530USD
dixieppc
In search of one small hole...
I have a mid 70's vintage set of Parker Tuned Ohaus 10-10's. I complement those with an A&D FX-120i (or is it the other way around). I absolutely love both. The tuned Ohaus's are backup for the A&D and also the scales I take on the road if I want a precision/repeatable set away from home base. But some times I just like slowing down and enjoy old school and use the tuned Ohaus's for enjoyment.
Regards.....
any opinions on the bald eagle scale ? it was big talk for awhile , now I'm not hearing of it .
http://bullets.com/products/BE1188
another vote for the FX120i , I use one and think it's great .
http://bullets.com/products/BE1188
another vote for the FX120i , I use one and think it's great .
dixieppc
In search of one small hole...
Scott Parker says that the newer non-USA made 10-10's can not be tuned so make sure your 10-10's are stamped from Florham Park N.J., USA on the bottom.
Regards.....
dixieppc
In search of one small hole...
It's still a strain gauge scale so you have all the idiosyncrasies associated with strain gauge scales. IOW, Nature of the Beast.
Regards.....
How much difference does +/- 0.04 grains of powder make in a 308 sized case?
Check it out and you might be surprised.
Check it out and you might be surprised.
where did you find them for 530? every where i google they are at least 650USD? that url priced them at 710...
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