I have the RCBS Beam scale and the Charge Master setup which is good, but have been thinking about getting a better quality digital scale for powder charges. In our labs at work, those guys are pretty big on Sartorious, and talk them up quite a bit. Do any of you guys use a lab scale and/or have a particular make and model you like besides the mainstream RCBS and so forth?

There are quite a few that use Gempro scales. The 250 is quite popular

I would like to upgrade to an auto trickler

I use the FX-120 to final weigh after using the Chargemaster. It weighs to .02 grains

FX-120 with Auto thrower, and Auto trickler, loading to .02 gr.

But, I really believe, if you have good eyes, a properly zeroed beam scale, and read the scale at eye level, you can build charges that probably are to the kernal or two, same as the FX-120. The reason I got the whole set up was to speed up the loading process. I cannot give a scientific, definitive answer as to whether or not the FX-120 is actually making "better ammo" than an RCBS 5-0-5. But it does make ammo to the same quality, it just does it faster.

Cheap
Fast
Right

^^You can only have two. And it applies to millions of things.

Man you guys really are serious! A $750 scale? I'd love to get a digital scale that is more accurate, but I just can't justify that. Any other suggestions?

As has been discussed. Get a good beam scale. It will read just as precise.

And, you do not have to have electricity to run it. Interpret that as you wish....

Yes, but the beam scales are a pain in the you know what and are slower than Methuselah...

Fireman, have you or Chad done an experiment comparing the accurate to .02 grain powder charges to .1?

Curiosity, you always here xyz is better, I like to know better by how much before I spend money on it. Not doubting or trying to be a dick, just truly curious what the measurable improvement is.

I do always make sure to use the wind shield on my chargemaster and dump out over/under throws.

Then you should definitely reference back to the "good-cheap-fast" post. It's true.

Cheap and good - beam scale
Fast and good - FX 120
Cheap and fast - chargemaster

Pick your poison.

They aren't that bad, I used mine for years, still have it and it still works just fine.

My first chargemaster is showing up at the house today. Been borrowing a buddy's for awhile now. And I typically throw it a hair low and trickle up on my beam scale, which has worked out just fine for the quantity of loading I do.

That being said, I've heard of significant under/over throws. Do those read out on the digital scale on the CM, or do you have to find those on a different scale yourself?

I have been using a Pact despenser and scale for 20+ years, good stuff but don't think they are available any longer. For most of my loading I use a Harrell's powder drop, very consistent and much faster.
My old benchrest mentor believed that consistent volume was more critical than weight and I concur.

Larry

At the current moment I don't weigh anything off the charge master on another scale. I let it warm up and calibrate and zero it every time I use it. I make sure it measures to the correct tenths decimal and isn't fluctuating before I put it in the case.

Guess im gonna have to bust out the old beam scale again and check up on it... I better dust it first! lol

Only my opinion but if the powder can be settled compacted etc. weight is a more accurate measure. That is why bakers weigh flour instead of using cups because a packed cup has more flour than a non packed one etc.

I use a powder drop for almost all of my ammo. Plenty close enough for normal shooting, training, and plinking. I don't shoot off a bench, so the load is always more accurate than me standing, and running around. Still plenty accurate to hit a 2/3 silhouette unsupported at 300 yards. Now for ammo that I want the most accuracy out of, yes I weigh each load. But that is such a small portion of my loading.

I use a Lyman 1200 DPS2 electronic thrower/scale/trickler and check occasionally with a Pact electronic scale and occasionally with a check weight. With ball powder I set it to throw 0.1 grain low and trickle, and with stick powder I set it 0.2 low and trickle. Works great, though it won’t weigh to anything like 0.02 grains. Maybe, if I was shooting to 1000 yards, going to 0.02 accuracy would be needed. As for beam scales, my old RCBS 1010 beam scale is boxed up somewhere.

Actually they give less trouble than many electronic scales. Electronic scales care about ambient temp, the lighting near them, a cell phone near them, ect. Beam scales run the same, no matter if those factors mentioned are in place or not.

7mm-08, 39.0 gr H-Varget, 162 gr A-Max, and a truck axle for a barrel. The rifle weighs 17 pounds.

Chargemaster loading, ES of 18-19, vertical dispersion at 600 to 800 yards may or may not spread out .1 Mil

Load it with a beam scale, exact same load. ES is 10, and lost vertical dispersion at 600 to 800 yards.

Consistent powder charge is THE most important factor. However, you might not realize the benefits inside 300 yards.

You set the Chargemaster at 42.4 grains, and it will read 42.4 grains 90% of the time. Move the pan to a higher end digital scale, or a beam scale and only then will you see the error. I went as far as counting kernals to see the under and over throws. My Chargemaster has a .3 gr error. So some will be .15 gr light, and some will be .15 gr heavy.

I agree. Weight of fuel is going to burn. Volune is a factor of the vessel it is going into. In this case, a piece of brass. When you want to concern yourself with volume, weigh and sort your brass.

My 7mm-08 A.I. wasn't shooting as good as I thought it should (lower end barrel from my usual) even though I use Lapua brass in that rifle, I weighed it, and sorted it. Immediately it tightened up. But the weight of powder is the same no matter the weight of brass.

Thanks for sharing.

That is what I experienced, my beam scale weighing better than my Chargemaster.

Great input from everyone, thx.

I'm not even gonna read this whole thread

Unless you shoot 200yd- 1000k benchrest, you DON'T need this type of accuracy.

UNLESS, you got $$$ and just want to do it. Which is fine.

BUT

99.9% of hunters and steel bangers are fine with a good scale and Chargemaster

^^Exactly right, Brad.

It takes .2 grains change to see on paper at 200y or less.

So to Buzz's point, unless you are shooting longer distances a Chargemaster is probably all you need.