Electronic scale trick

[BoydAllen]

I will keep this short. I made a catch cup to use when weighing charges from a powder measure. I cut the top off of a prescription pill bottle to make a simple straight sided cylindrical cup, that weighed a little under 100 grains, close enough that with some adding and removing of small amounts of Scotch tape, eventually I got it to weigh exactly 100.00 grains. This comes in handy because I do not have to remember what the negative number should be when the scale is zeroed with it in place and then removed. Everything I weigh should be 100 grains high, and when I put the empty container back on the scale it should go back to 100. I know that this sounds a little stupid, but I suggest you try it, particularly if your scale is not perfect, but not bad enough to throw away.

 

[RegionRat]

I like it. Reminds me of turning our gages with the needles straight up for the normal range on an instrument panel.
When you get busy, your eye will catch a reading that is out of place with a quick glance.
With your 100 grain tare value, your eye should catch it if something drifts off.

 

[Rocketvapor]

That eliminates the 1 or 2 counts of autozero floating around.
Once "seasoned" with an accumulation of graphite from the powder the container (I use a cough medicine cup) the tare should be stable.

 

[cw308]

Instead of using the check weights I use a 230 grain bullet , zerod the scale with pan in place add the 230 grain bullet with known exact weight. I have the RCBS ChargeMaster 1500 and double check with the GemPro250 very accurate little scale.

 

[spike-55]

i just weigh the pan, label # on the bottom to remind me!!!
each time i start up,
the pan weighs the same - if not I calibrate, most times just zero and go
every time i take the pan off to dump it reads the pan wieght

 

[BoydAllen]

To be clear, I don't tare the empty cup. I turn the scale on, let it warm a bit and put the cup on. If it weighs 100 I am good to go, if not, I remove the cup and press tare to zero the empty scale. When I am weighing a charge, it is going to read exactly 100 grains more than the actual weight of the powder. When I take the cup off, with the powder, it should return to zero. If the scale does not return to zero, with the charged cup off of the scale, I press tare, and then put the cup with powder back on to see if the first weighing was correct.

 

[Homerange]

To be clear, I don't tare the empty cup. I turn the scale on, let it warm a bit and put the cup on. If it weighs 100 I am good to go, if not, I remove the cup and press tare to zero the empty scale. When I am weighing a charge, it is going to read exactly 100 grains more than the actual weight of the powder. When I take the cup off, with the powder, it should return to zero. If the scale does not return to zero, with the charged cup off of the scale, I press tare, and then put the cup with powder back on to see if the first weighing was correct.

Really I don't understand why one would put themselves through such a mind fuck when you can just zero the tare ? <confused>

For instance with a CM1500 the standard dispenser is some 140 grains and when zero'ed you hit Dispense then charge the case and return the dispenser to the scale where in a second or so the display should read zero and if it doesn't you have some power stuck in the dispenser of spilt on the scale.
Dunna about others but why doesn't the KISS principle apply ?

 

[BoydAllen]

I am looking at .01 on a scale with a mild drift issue. If I were only looking at .1 ....
In working on measure technique, trying to find a way to stay well within +-.1 with 133 and some other challenging to throw powders, the second place ends up being important. I would guess that scales that only read to .1 do some serious rounding off. My task is different than yours so what matters is different. The good news is that with a new to me measure I seem to be able to stay comfortably within my self imposed limit. Using a different technique I can do the same with Varget and H4895. For preliminary workups at 100 yards this is plenty good. If I wanted to spend the money on a magnetic force restoration scale, my guess is that this sort of workaround would not be needed.

 

[LGKLAS]

Instead of using the check weights I use a 230 grain bullet , zerod the scale with pan in place add the 230 grain bullet with known exact weight. I have the RCBS ChargeMaster 1500 and double check with the GemPro250 very accurate little scale.

+1 on the 250 GemPro. Wish I knew why they quit making it.

 

[itchyTF]

Don't you get "static cling" with the plastic bottle?

 

[BoydAllen]

Don't you get "static cling" with the plastic bottle?

It has a fair amount of graphite residue in the bottom and I think that different plastics have different potentials for static electricity accumulation. It does not seem to be much of a problem.

 

[archerforkids]

I take various size lead fishing weights, crimp them over a straightened paper clip for a handle, and whittle, file and chop on them till they match the weight of charges I throw. Then I can grab them periodically, throw them in the pan and verify my scales are behaving themselves during a loading session.
At the end of the day every one of us has to settle on whatever path we take to get desired results. More than one way to skin this cat.

 

[Turbulent Turtle]

+1 on the 250 GemPro. Wish I knew why they quit making it.

Simple answer, that scale is pure crap. Garbage. Junk. The company that bought the original company has a lot of class, however. I got a full refund on that piece of junk 5 years after I bought.

Did I mention that scale is pure crap?

 

[Fire Dog]

Seems like the solution for all this back and forth is:

A&D FX-120i + Autotrickler​

If your budget allows... You will never be sorry! Have had mine for years.
Small note: Remove all electronic gadgets near your digital scale as some of them put out a surprising amount of magnetic interference and it will make you scale go crazy with erratic readings and as for the plastic cup that has been mentioned; my opinion is Don't use it...
Static electricity will be an issue as has already been pointed out by BoydAllen.
I had a small scale that came with a plastic pan and when I replaced it with a metal one from an old balance beam scale the erratic weighing problems went away.
Also letting an electronic scale warm up for at least a half an hour is worth doing to help settle them to ambient temp.
When you get a scale that will measure .01/.001 of a grain/gram then wind, vibration and electrical interference will really show up {you moving around, breathing on it and any bump to table or floor if you have conventional flooring, your phone or florescent lighting that it sits on/near will have repercussions}

 

[sdean]

Most people have spent enough on scales over the years to cover a FX120. I guess to spend that much at one time isn’t always doable. Boyd would have to find a new hobby than tinkering with scales. They will make you spit on every scale you ever owned. Buy once cry once was never truer.

 

[BoydAllen]

Most people have spent enough on scales over the years to cover a FX120. I guess to spend that much at one time isn’t always doable. Boyd would have to find a new hobby than tinkering with scales. They will make you spit on every scale you ever owned. Buy once cry once was never truer.

Actually, I have only tinkered with my balance scales once each. The rest of the time I have used that experience helping others tune up theirs, which I have enjoyed. We all get to decide how we pursue our hobbies. Mine has become more about the challenge of finding and fixing the issues that keep shooters from getting the best possible results. It has been an interesting challenge.

 

[Fast14riot]

I can see this help some scales be a little more accurate, especially if weight small charges. Having the target weight end up closer to the middle range is better than trying to weigh on one end of the scales ability.

 

[Plinkit]

Actually, I have only tinkered with my balance scales once each. The rest of the time I have used that experience helping others tune up theirs, which I have enjoyed. We all get to decide how we pursue our hobbies. Mine has become more about the challenge of finding and fixing the issues that keep shooters from getting the best possible results. It has been an interesting challenge.

Interested in your thoughts on balance vs the electronic scales

Do you see the balance either factory or "tuned" to be equivalent to cheaper electronic scales, or higher end electronic scales?...

I'm currently using nothing more than a factory rcbs balance and am legitimately curious how much of a gain going to something like the fx120 is from where I am

Or is learning to "tune" the scale I have just as useful?

 

[BoydAllen]

Interested in your thoughts on balance vs the electronic scales

Do you see the balance either factory or "tuned" to be equivalent to cheaper electronic scales, or higher end electronic scales?...

I'm currently using nothing more than a factory rcbs balance and am legitimately curious how much of a gain going to something like the fx120 is from where I am

Or is learning to "tune" the scale I have just as useful?

The importance of your scale selection depends on how far you are shooting, and the other factors that are keeping your rifle from performing at the highest level. IMO many shooters have more significant issues to deal with than the difference between a tuned balance, and a magnetic force restoration electronic scale. I would have to know a lot more to say whether the difference would matter to you. The good news is that tuning a balance is not all that difficult or expensive, so why not give it a try, rather than just speculate? If you do, given how little the beam pointer moves for small differences in weight, I strongly suggest that you make use of an inexpensive webcam to view the pointer and scale on some sort of screen. I mostly shoot at 100 yards. The reason that I tuned my first scale, and those that followed was that I did not like the way that they worked, and I like a challenge. For my 6PPC I load at the range with thrown charges. Recent short range group world records have been shot with thrown charges.