I know nk posted a topic about best precision scale, but most of the replies was about more expensive scales. I have a cheap Frankford Arsenal scale and its junk. It doesnt hold zero and only measures down to .1 grains. Its time to upgrade! I simply need a scale that is dead accurate and holds zero. $300 is my max, but if there are good quality scales for $150 or $200 then that is fine. If there is one for $300 that is a lot better and truly worth the extra $100 then I will spend $300. I looked on Midway and Sinclair and seen a lot of scales, but im not sure which brand is really best. Is there websites that specializes and sells just scales? Thanks!
Best digital scale for under $300
- Thread starter stinnett1981
- Start date
bdale
NRA Life Member
I have a RCBS Chargemaster that I've had for several years and most of the time I can keep my SD in the 10 to 15FPS range and quiet often down in the single digit's. I get quiet a few duplicate speed's as well, I like it a lot easy to use can store load's in memory for different rounds works fast, generally throws a load of 30 to 40 grains in about 25 seconds or so, sometimes it may throw over a tenth if using a longer grain powder I just dump it back in hooper get another, also RCBS customer service is second to none. At Natchez Shooters Supply for 289.00
RCBS Chargemaster Dispenser and Scale - 110 Volt
RCBS Chargemaster Dispenser and Scale - 110 Volt
+1bdale said:
Gem Pro 250
I like my Gempro 250 from My Weigh. I bought it from Ol Will Knotts. I throw charges with a Chargemaster then dump it on the gempro to finish it out. The gempro will measure down to .02 grains. The accuracy on the Chargemaster is +/- .1 grains and it does a good job but while checking it with the more accurate gempro I have found loads that have an extreme spread of .2 grains. It is a time consuming affair loading the way I do but I feel more confident in my loads.
Jason
Jason
I haven't had such good luck with the Gempro. I bought it based on recommendations I read online. I am on my 2nd one and it is worse than the first one was. The first one worked great for maybe 3 months and then it started just "wacking out" every now and then. I would weigh a charge that I knew to be within a grain or two of my target and the scale would be off like 10 grains.
Checked everything the manual said to check. Left it on day and night. Would not calibrate. They sent me a "new one" and it is extremely unreliable. I kind of wish I had never heard of them. Mine is a paperweight these days.
YMMV.
Checked everything the manual said to check. Left it on day and night. Would not calibrate. They sent me a "new one" and it is extremely unreliable. I kind of wish I had never heard of them. Mine is a paperweight these days.
YMMV.
I swore I'd never get involved with another gempro debate but here I am. I had two of them and had no luck at all with them, did get my money back though. The best reviewed scale I've ever read of in the $300 range is the RCBS chargemaster. Most people seem to be satisfied with them, but then most are satisfied with gempro. Look I'm no scale expert but IMO if you want a really reliable electronic scale you better up your investment to about $1k. As for me I am sticking to my Ohaus and my Lyman balance beams.
Where are you seeing fx 120i for $400?? All I Assn seeing is $600+
Check it out here:
http://cambridgeenviro.com/productDetail.php?122g-x-0.001g-A-D-5-Year-Warranty-Top-Loading-Balance-2867
Rumor is that the price is going up at the end of Sept. Get a deal while you can.
Stinnet1981, up your budget $100 and you'll get a far superior scale then the Gempro. Like they say, buy once, cry once.
http://cambridgeenviro.com/productDetail.php?122g-x-0.001g-A-D-5-Year-Warranty-Top-Loading-Balance-2867
Rumor is that the price is going up at the end of Sept. Get a deal while you can.
Stinnet1981, up your budget $100 and you'll get a far superior scale then the Gempro. Like they say, buy once, cry once.
lil evil said:
savageshooter86 said:
Go read the "Looking For Precision Scale" subject in this Reloading Forum for a lot of information about the FX-120i and where to buy it for $400.
A lot of us purchased the FX-120i for $400 thanks to forum member "lil evil" directing us where to buy it for that price. I got mine and really like it.
I have mentioned this many times on this forum with no responses.
I had a GemPro 250 that was O.K. but the need to re-tare often as well as delay time in trickling.
So, I bought an Ohaus TS200 on ebay. It cost me less than the Gempro and as long as you do your due diligence with ebay, you will get for $100-$300, a genuine lab scale with force restoration so stability is a given.
I opened the box, plugged it in and let it sit for an hour. Went back and the display indicated 0.00g! Put a 200 g
weight on it and it indicated within 0.03g which is the accuracy of an M2 weight.
Switched it to gn mode and put some small reloading check weights on. I load usually around 33gn so I put 30 gn on the pan. It indicated 30.00gn!
Started loading, drop a charge just under desired and trickle up. The balance responds within about a second.
These (TS120, TS200 and TS400D) are obsolete, but are bullet proof. Don't get the TS400S as it is not accurate enough. The TS400D is dual range and the 40g range is good to 0.01gn. And, don't bid on a balance that isn't warranted to work properly, don't mess with "wasn't tested" or "for parts or repair!"
These balances are over $1000 new and can be had for a fraction of that. You just need to be patient!
I had a GemPro 250 that was O.K. but the need to re-tare often as well as delay time in trickling.
So, I bought an Ohaus TS200 on ebay. It cost me less than the Gempro and as long as you do your due diligence with ebay, you will get for $100-$300, a genuine lab scale with force restoration so stability is a given.
I opened the box, plugged it in and let it sit for an hour. Went back and the display indicated 0.00g! Put a 200 g
weight on it and it indicated within 0.03g which is the accuracy of an M2 weight.
Switched it to gn mode and put some small reloading check weights on. I load usually around 33gn so I put 30 gn on the pan. It indicated 30.00gn!
Started loading, drop a charge just under desired and trickle up. The balance responds within about a second.
These (TS120, TS200 and TS400D) are obsolete, but are bullet proof. Don't get the TS400S as it is not accurate enough. The TS400D is dual range and the 40g range is good to 0.01gn. And, don't bid on a balance that isn't warranted to work properly, don't mess with "wasn't tested" or "for parts or repair!"
These balances are over $1000 new and can be had for a fraction of that. You just need to be patient!
What type of shooting are you doing? The chargemaster is a good scale and works well for throwing the load and checking it with a gempro 250. I have a friend who just uses the chargemaster and has done well with it at both 600 and 1000 yard IBS.
I have shot well with using the chargemaster/gempro combo, could it be better with a 1500 dollar scale? Maybe but probably not....could it be less of a headache not taring the scale every so often? Probably, but I will have to win the lottery first!
Good Luck!
I have shot well with using the chargemaster/gempro combo, could it be better with a 1500 dollar scale? Maybe but probably not....could it be less of a headache not taring the scale every so often? Probably, but I will have to win the lottery first!
Good Luck!
I have never understood the process of throwing charges on a Chargemaster and then weighing them and/or trickling on a digital scale. If you are going to check it on the digital scale anyway, why not just throw a charge from a powder measure? I think the digital dispensers are great for the shooters who can live with their accuracy level. If not, why even use it? I can throw, weigh, and trickle on my balance beam faster than the Chargemaster throws and I'm done with it. My 5-0-5 has never gone haywire because of my computer or smart phone either!
ReedG said:
Just me personally, I don't have a powder measure anymore (I sold the crappy one I used to use when I got the Chargemaster) plus I use two powder pans (one on the Chargemaster and another one of the Gempro) and the Chargemaster is working at throwing the next charge while I'm trickling and dumping and most of the time it is ready with the next load before I am. I still use the Chargemaster only on some stuff but for match loads I like to check them.
Jason
The chargemaster is nice that you can change the loads with the push of the buttons and keep on going, works good for load testing. As LRPV said, it is dropping the next charge while I am checking it on the gempro and dumping it in the case. I can charge 50 match cases in under 30 minutes.
Powder measures would also work just fine, but I sold mine to help pay for the chargemaster years ago.
My cell phone is normally sitting within two feet of both electric scales. Maybe that is the reason I can not crack the sub 1'' range at 600 yards....hmm
Powder measures would also work just fine, but I sold mine to help pay for the chargemaster years ago.
My cell phone is normally sitting within two feet of both electric scales. Maybe that is the reason I can not crack the sub 1'' range at 600 yards....hmm
Jason and Dallas:
I can understand you have adapted to "new" way of doing it and have no problem with that. I bought a used Lyman DPS just to try the process and am, obviously, not adaptable. My normal loading procedure for many years has been to prime the batch of cases, fill them all with powder, and seat all the bullets.
Today, I was loading for an Egg Shoot here this weekend and loaded three different batches of 6 and 22 PPC. I decided to time the process because I really didn't have any idea how long it took. The three batches I did the same: prime 50 cases with Lee Auto Prime; charge 50 cases with 8208XBR or LT-32 by dumping from Harrell's BR measure, weigh on RCBS 5-0-5 scale; seat bullets. Two of the batches I seated with Forster Ultra Micrometer seating die, one with Wilson seater and Hood press. The two batches with Forster die bullet seating took 38 and 36 minutes for the prime/charge/seat process of 50 rounds each. The 50 rounds I seated using the Wilson die on the Hood press took 44 minutes from start to finish.
None of the new stuff has torn me away from my old process yet. You guys enjoy and as Randy says, "Keep 'em on the X".
I can understand you have adapted to "new" way of doing it and have no problem with that. I bought a used Lyman DPS just to try the process and am, obviously, not adaptable. My normal loading procedure for many years has been to prime the batch of cases, fill them all with powder, and seat all the bullets.
Today, I was loading for an Egg Shoot here this weekend and loaded three different batches of 6 and 22 PPC. I decided to time the process because I really didn't have any idea how long it took. The three batches I did the same: prime 50 cases with Lee Auto Prime; charge 50 cases with 8208XBR or LT-32 by dumping from Harrell's BR measure, weigh on RCBS 5-0-5 scale; seat bullets. Two of the batches I seated with Forster Ultra Micrometer seating die, one with Wilson seater and Hood press. The two batches with Forster die bullet seating took 38 and 36 minutes for the prime/charge/seat process of 50 rounds each. The 50 rounds I seated using the Wilson die on the Hood press took 44 minutes from start to finish.
None of the new stuff has torn me away from my old process yet. You guys enjoy and as Randy says, "Keep 'em on the X".
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