My new GemPro 250

[500Stroker]

I just picked up a new GemPro 250 that I plan on using to load for my 6BRX with Varget.
Anyone have any tips on using this scale before I start?
Will this thing read the drop of one kernel of Varget?
Thanks in advance
I pray I am not wasting my time.

 

[jlc204]

I just picked up a new GemPro 250 that I plan on using to load for my 6BRX with Varget.
Anyone have any tips on using this scale before I start?
Will this thing read the drop of one kernel of Varget?
Thanks in advance
I pray I am not wasting my time.

I turn mine on a couple hours before use, with the pan in place. It helps mine from drifting. I tare about every 5 charges or so.
It will read a single kernal of varget, but not necessarily right away. I find that when I'm trickling, it's best to add some kernels then lift the pan up and set it back down for more accurate readings, as sometimes it doesn't want to register the correct added weight without doing this. Kinda a PIA when trickling.

 

[Richard Coody]

What he said

Get you a little dandy trickler. Makes trickling easy.

I use the lee dippers. Charge the pan and trickle up.

Watch the pan weight. When it is off set the empty pan on tbe scale and it will usually zero out. If it doesn't tare.

Upgrading to the A&D with autotrickler

Bought a line conditioner for the A&D. Plugged my gempro into it and left it.on checking weights off and on for.2 days and it never drifted. Made a heck of a difference. Of course the line conditioner cost more than a gempro

 

[gambleone]

What jlc204 said. Gempro is a good scale for the money, but you have to get used to it.
It will make a difference if you do not let it warm up and it takes a few secs before it
will settle out on a true weight. sometimes gets finicky when trickling. I use a beam scale
to get just under the weight i want then trickle a kernel or two onto the gempro.

 

[Tiratore]

I didn’t start out to study the quality of my GemPro 250 powder measure. I wanted to determine the uniformity of VarTarg cases made from Norma 221 cases. I weighed the 25 cases I have, placing each in a loading block, so I could tell which one weighed how much. Then I spot-checked a few, and found a difference, so I re-weighed the entire batch. This gave me two weight measurements for each case.

In the two sets of readings, the averages were different by only 0.01 grains. Standard deviations were also nearly identical. The difference was, on average, 0.04 grains. The second weight is equally likely to be above or below the first weight. So the calibration of the scale didn’t change between the first time and the second that the cases were weighed. This would suggest the difference the pairs of weights show is due to some random factor. Weights can differ by as much as 0.1 grains. This is how repeatable the instrument is, as it is on my loading bench in a humidity-controlled basement. Even if the instrument reads to 0.02 grains, it is not accurate to 0.02 grains, but to something like 0.1 grains. For most reloading purposes, this is adequate. But to see if thrown powder charges are accurate to 0.1 grains, this scale isn’t up to the task, as used in a pretty typical reloading room.

In a separate test, I used a beam balance (Redding) and an electronic scale to load 12 rounds each for the 20 VarTarg. I threw the charge light and “trickled” it up to the desired charge as precisely as I could operate the trickler and read the instruments. Then, I fired the rounds over the Oehler chronograph. Also, I loaded 12 rounds as-thrown from the Harrell measure.

Beam balance: average 3529 fps; SD 14.1 fps. Electronic scale: average 3507 fps; SD 15.9 fps. Measure: average 3496 fps; SD 24.8 fps. The slightly higher velocity with the beam balance is probably due to the inertia of the beam – by the time the pointer reaches zero, the charge has already exceeded the target by a small fraction of a grain. The inertia of the electronic balance is much less, obviously. I would say the difference in precision between the mechanical and electronic balances is insignificant.

 

[SWRichmond]

Warm it up for an hour or more before using. It doesn't respond quickly to trickling one or two kernels.

Other than that, I really like mine. After learning its quirks. I am able to load quickly and consistently.

 

[Demi-human]

I have found that when the units warms it begins to drift pan charge weights. My very small closet is only heated when I'm in there. I must start the heater two to three hours before I start, this negates the drift well. Once the air temperature is stable everything works better. It self tares at zero to six hundredths, but will 'drift' above or below this. I must also not exhale strongly through my nostrils while weighing, because I am standing so close.

After some frustration one morning, I turned the heater on to it with the breeze top closed. I watched a seventy-five grain bthp gain five grains of weight over a period of four minutes. I now have much less stress with it. When compared to two other digitals it is always in agreement, as far as tenths goes, but I don't have a nice beam scale to also compare with.

 

[Willie]

Mine will drift .02 -.04 gr. unless I warm it up a couple hours ahead of using it. I have the snap on conditioners, not the high dollar conditioners a lot of shooters use. I do shut off all fluorescent overhead lights and use LED only while weighing charges and check the tare, while the ChargeMaster is doing it's part.

6.5-284 cases are the smallest I load, so the GemPro has made a big difference in lowering my SD & EDs. Pretty good scale for the money, but you have to watch tare like a hawk for best precision.

 

[Sheldon N]

I just picked up a new GemPro 250 that I plan on using to load for my 6BRX with Varget.
Anyone have any tips on using this scale before I start?
Will this thing read the drop of one kernel of Varget?
Thanks in advance
I pray I am not wasting my time.

I have a GemPro 250 and have had great results with it. I wrote up a post over at another forum that describes in detail my loading methods and some tips and tricks for success with the scale as well as speeding up workflow. Might be worth a read to get you up and running. My second and third posts in the thread have more info and tips as well.

Hope this is useful to you...

https://forum.snipershide.com/forum...peed-up-your-powder-weighing-with-a-gempro250

 

[T-shooter]

I just picked up a new GemPro 250 that I plan on using to load for my 6BRX with Varget.
Anyone have any tips on using this scale before I start?
Will this thing read the drop of one kernel of Varget?
Thanks in advance
I pray I am not wasting my time.

I owned 2 different GemPro 300's before replacing them with an A&D FX-300i. One scale needed to press the Tare button before each weighing, the other didn't. They do need to warm up. Also , they are very sensitive to being level. Check the level using the built in bubble and also from the weighing pan's surface. The best way to trickle is to remove the powder pan, trickle, and recheck. I had the best luck putting the powder pan on the scale and then powering it up. Very important to watch the negative weight when removing the pan. If it drifts, your reading will also drift. Another way to check is to use a test weight (anything in the range of the powder charges you use) and check every few weighings. My scales were about 99% at hitting +/- .02 grain. Also VERY important. Set the powder pan down like a feather. If you bump the weighing platform even a little, it will not read right. Below is a couple test I did with 25 to 50 weighings. I used 2 different weights alternating them in case there was any memory effect. As you can see, most of the weighings hit the middle the +.02 range. Just practice a while before loading so you'll know what to expect.

 

[Shynloco]

Mine will drift .02 -.04 gr. unless I warm it up a couple hours ahead of using it. I have the snap on conditioners, not the high dollar conditioners a lot of shooters use. I do shut off all fluorescent overhead lights and use LED only while weighing charges and check the tare, while the ChargeMaster is doing it's part.

6.5-284 cases are the smallest I load, so the GemPro has made a big difference in lowering my SD & EDs. Pretty good scale for the money, but you have to watch tare like a hawk for best precision.

Willie,
Just out of curiosity, have you tried using a SURGE PROTECTOR and ONLY have that scale plugged into it? I use that method, plus all the other interference issues you mentioned and have had good success with NO drift in some scale, but not that Gem Pro. I bought a new one a while back and sold it weeks later after the darn thing wouldn't stop drifitng no matter what I tried to do. Perhaps I'm somehow influenced by the Bermuda Triangle. Not the scale of my choice. I ended up with a Tanita 1210N that doesn't drift under the same conditions plus 2 RCBS electronic scales that also don't drift.

Alex

 

[Willie]

Alex, I do use a surge protector. The only other thing I do is wipe down the scales with a dryer sheet. I use scales on a wood only bench and use a rubber pad. Maybe, I just got lucky, as I haven't gone to the extremes or expense that some have. There are days that I experience more drift than others, but as a general rule, I get by with whatever it is that makes mine steady.

 

[Tiratore]

Going to scales with DC power source seemed to help eliminate drift. Just keep fresh batteries in them. Running wires away from other electrical/electronic gadgets, lights, etc. is also good practice.

Better yet, I got a used Denver Instrument balance for loading at home.

 

[T-shooter]

Going to scales with DC power source seemed to help eliminate drift. Just keep fresh batteries in them. Running wires away from other electrical/electronic gadgets, lights, etc. is also good practice.

Better yet, I got a used Denver Instrument balance for loading at home.

With my GemPro-300's, I tried running off batteries only, an anti-static pad and wrist strap, Static spray on everything, eliminating all CFE bulkbs, and ferrite chokes on the power cord. Nothing seemed to make a difference.

 

[bradb]

Mine was in reality probably as accurate as I can shoot....but I didn't like the drift and the slow response to trickling. Just got the A&D yesterday. In quick test I like it a lot better, just trust it right away. Which it should be a bunch better for the price

 

[JLT]

As jlc204 mentioned, the GemPro requires some technique when trickling charges. It is a linear displacement scale - SOP for LD scales is to lightly perturb the pan with the point of a pair of tweezers or similar tool to get the balance to settle accurately. Lifting the pan will work, but a gentle touch in the center of the pan is faster. I have not compared the two methods for accuracy - I just applied what I learned in O Chem labs many, many, many, many years ago.

 

[500Stroker]

Mine was in reality probably as accurate as I can shoot....but I didn't like the drift and the slow response to trickling. Just got the A&D yesterday. In quick test I like it a lot better, just trust it right away. Which it should be a bunch better for the price

Which model of A&D scale did you purchase?

 

[T-shooter]

Mine was in reality probably as accurate as I can shoot....but I didn't like the drift and the slow response to trickling. Just got the A&D yesterday. In quick test I like it a lot better, just trust it right away. Which it should be a bunch better for the price

Let us know how your A&D is working for you. Mine gave me fits until I worked out the problems. Now it's 99% stable and repeatable to the exact same weight.

 

[bradb]

fx-120i

What problems did you have?

My autotrickler will be here Friday

 

[JLT]

fx-120i

What problems did you have?

My autotrickler will be here Friday

I recently added an FX-200i-WP, which is very similar to the FX-120i, to my reloading bench clutter. Couldn't pass on the deal I found. My unit has been absolutely trouble-free and a pleasure to use, although it is incredibly sensitive to drafts. Shielded from moving air (even walking by it will register), it's da bomb. It's much faster to use than the GemPro but the price point is in another category.