Automatic powder measure

[Timnichols]

So what everyone's favorite is the Frankfort powder measure a good one hornady a good one just what the best set up thanks.

 

[TTE]

 

[Mark611]

JMO, if you're wanting to load for precision buy the best you can afford! and I won't be any of those in that video! JMO.

 

[ShtrRdy]

JMO, if you're wanting to load for precision buy the best you can afford! and I won't be any of those in that video! JMO.

What do you consider the best of the best?

 

[Mark611]

I will say this, they're going to cost you between 1 and 2k, or more!

 

[nwmnbowhunter]

If you shoot less than 500 rounds per year, I would suggest a Scott Parker tuned beam scale. Use a dropper or powder cups and trickle up.

If you shoot more than that then get fx120i scale with your choice of autotrickler, supertrickler, ingenuity- which is due sometime this year..... which will probably mean autotrickler and supertrickler for good prices on here.

Fx120i scale is the go to either way and all 3 systems use them.

The cheap.... less than $400 powder dispensers are slow and not that accurate. Average drop time is usually over 30 seconds. Any of the 3 i mentioned are way more accurate with less over charges and under 15 seconds per drop.

 

[Mark611]

 

[hoz53]

What do you consider the best of the best?

promethius Id say is the best of the best- used to be you could only lease them- dont know much about them now.

 

[ISS]

I have one: Chargemaster Supreme if you have to buy it with your own hard earned $$$. That said, how much precision can you afford? And, how many rounds a year? I am building a serious 1000+yard capable Rockchuck rifle. It needs to be 1/4moa all the way out as far as I can find them in a Spotting scope and transfer to the rifle. Maybe 150/200 rounds a year. I bought a Vortex Impact 4000 last month. That's serious accuracy requirement. I will also shoot about a thousand rounds of 223 this year. That is Dillon 750 level of accuracy required. One MOA.

Where are you?

 

[Kracken McGraw]

If you shoot less than 500 rounds per year, I would suggest a Scott Parker tuned beam scale. Use a dropper or powder cups and trickle up.

If you shoot more than that then get fx120i scale with your choice of autotrickler, supertrickler, ingenuity- which is due sometime this year..... which will probably mean autotrickler and supertrickler for good prices on here.

Fx120i scale is the go to either way and all 3 systems use them.

The cheap.... less than $400 powder dispensers are slow and not that accurate. Average drop time is usually over 30 seconds. Any of the 3 i mentioned are way more accurate with less over charges and under 15 seconds per drop.

Even the FX-120i with a good manual powder measure plus a Little Dandy trickler, will get you precise loads quickly.

 

[Mark611]

I agree, I use an A&D HR 100-AZ lab scale backed with 2 tuned beam scales and trickle with a Dandy, for my serious rifle hand loads! I have an RCBS Lite, I use for my ARs with ball powder, and again the lower end Auto powder Despencers are not accurate enough for me, they're not consistent and I have to recheck every load weight on my A&D, that said the +- 1-10th is usually more or less, too much deviation, I don't like more than 500ths of a grain when loading with the RCBS, this might be to anal for some folks, but I'm loading the ammo here! just keep in mind it's not just about the powder it's all the other factors that go into your load like brass and brass prep primers seating depths {ETC} YMMV

 

[AlNyhus]

For what it's worth, my Chargemaster Link performs much better than the videos results. As for some of the other 'conclusions'......

There  are advantages to developing loads based on thrown (volume) charges versus weighing to the smallest fraction of a grain.

Good shootin' -Al

 

[Mark611]

This one of those to each their own on the level you load for your usage. if your happy with what you do? that's all that matters, my 2ct may be overboard for some but it makes me happy, and I see the difference on paper, consistency is the key to accuracy and accuracy costs money, that starts with the rifle, glass and your reloading equipment and process, and the shooter, YMMV

 

[jghoghunter]

I'm just going to go with "WOW"!

 

[itchyTF]

Then there is my controller. Why not mount a manual dispenser on a top cover of the scale/balance. Your hand is in the neighborhood placing an empty pan in place. How long does it take to flip the handle of the dispenser and let the controller finish?

 

[SD guy]

What is your definition of the best? Top dollar will frequently equate to the best. I would wager that few would consider Frankfort powder measure, Hornady or any of the RCBS in the upper tier of powder measures, much less the best.

IMHO at the very least a good balance scale would be a part of the upper tier scale. A&E FX120 i or a FX300 i scale may be entry level of the best followed by the Sartorius BCE124-1s. it goes up from there.

Best Powder Scale – What The Pros Use

This is part of a series of posts that highlight the gear the 200 top-ranked shooters in the Precis...

precisionrifleblog.com

I would also wager that very few here have used the very best of the best.

What does a reloader really need? What the best get you in my opinion is something close to zero float precision that repeats within one gradual of propellant & speed.

For most of us, our budget has us considering a practical consideration to what the best means to us. how consistent do I really need to be? Will my performance benefit any if I am able to consistently dispense loads that repeat better than plus or minus 1/2 of a grain of powder? In my opinion very few situations may benefit with repeatability better than plus or minus 1/2 of a grain of powder.

If you truly want, or need the best be prepared to pony up.

 

[Websurfer]

I use a Chargemaster Link backed by a high-end scientific scale. However, this level of precision still doesn't resolve the "weight versus volume" issue. Your powder will weigh different amounts, at different times, mostly due to moisture. I've proven it beyond doubt - you can, too. So, your 41.1505 grains of X powder (if your scale can measure that) won't be precisely the same amount of powder, based on volume, every time you load. I doubt there is a resolution to this, so I merely accept that a certain amount of powder today probably isn't exactly the same as it was last month. My "fix" is that in my benchrest competition rigs, I use loads that perform equally as well with a little over/under powder variance.
IMHO, conditions on the range, issues/accidents with my equipment, or my own physical/mental discipline behind the competition rigs, count for way, way, way more than my powder being off .002 grains due to humidity. Your experience may differ...
The best set-up? It's the one that gives you confidence, supported by data, that your set-up is performing as expected.

 

[ShtrRdy]

If I may point out the weight of a granule of powder as it measured by one of the higher end scales.

The resolution of the A&D FX-120i scale is 0.02 grain. This amounts to 1 gradual of Varget or 2 granules of N133. I suppose you could find a scale with a resolution of 0.01 grain and measure that last gradual of N133? How much difference would that make?

 

[jghoghunter]

If I may point out the weight of a granule of powder as it measured by one of the higher end scales.

The resolution of the A&D FX-120i scale is 0.02 grain. This amounts to 1 gradual of Varget or 2 granules of N133. I suppose you could find a scale with a resolution of 0.01 grain and measure that last gradual of N133? How much difference would that make?

absolutely none!!

 

[450BM]

A buddy of mine has an RCBS “something”, like the one in the picture. I tried using it a few times and don’t like it. I have 3 balance beams and will probably never buy an electronic scale. I shoot a lot but not competitively, well, just against my myself and my ability to make good cast bullets!