That is something I have never really tested out, good to know. I have targets behind my house to 500 yds, so I may see some benefit. I have been out of the target shooting deal for the last eight years or so, but my son is getting interested in it, so I'm getting things set back up and upgrading a few pieces of equipment.

When things get "easy" hang you up a 5" plate out there. If that gets easy, hang a 2 1/2" plate there.
I've got a 4" at 800 yards. It'll show two things, is your ammo loaded dead nuts perfect, and can you read and properly correct for wind.

That will challenge us for sure. I probably need to get my son over there to take your course sometime so he learns better than I can teach him. Lord know I could benefit from it too.

The range is always in service. There is a roof over the platform, and I have spotted in the rain.

[/quote]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.[/quote]

Did you weigh and sort the brass as virgin or fired? I would weigh and sort virgin brass.
If fired, will trimming it have any effect or weighing and sorting? I assumed it may. Just a thought.

It was all fired and trimmed. Thus showing me case capacity.

I use a Chargemaster set .1 grn low then use the FX-120 and trickle. I've noted a greater than .1 grn variance on the Chargemaster. I've done the same thing with my balance scale and felt it was more precise than the Chargemaster. I only do this for my precision rifles.

Ah snap, where has my head gone? I seem to have forgotten tonight. Must be the lack of coffee.

nice set up!!!

You won't be disappointed if you take Jason's class.....My son took it and by the end of the day he did hit the 4" target at 800 yards....Took a few shots and Jason calling the wind hold but still very impressive....

Depending on powder type the harrell's throw can be scary accurate. Also here is a link to a test a friend did with a few of the scales mentioned above. Keep in mind 4350 is not a great powder for the harrells but it still did relatively well.

https://youtu.be/PqO0iWXLQIg

https://youtu.be/mqvbG2hzUgM

Dee, thanks for sharing the videos, they are very informative. They did a good job with the comparison.

To satisfy my OCD tendencies, for my accuracy rifles I load to within one kernel of powder. Its probably not worth the effort but it makes me feel good and I enjoy it. I use a RCBS/Oehler 10-10 scale and a digital camera connected to my laptop so that i can see the pointer move with each kernel. I'm going to purchase a Dandy Omega Auto Trickler when they get back in stock. I'll post me results with it after I try it for a while.

Meant Ohaus not Oehler

Worth mentioning that I have been running my chargemaster Lite a bit and the accuracy is quite a bit better than the 1500. Mine has been within 3 kernels (about half a grain) every throw, and within 0-2 throws for well over half of the charges. Overall, it's sped up my loading a ton and the accuracy is better than what I expected given the price.

3 kernals is usually .1 gr

Depends on the powder

Yeah big discrepancy on kernel size. Some like IMR 7828 have huge kernals while others are 1/2 or a 1/3 that size.

This unit is not capable of throwing charges within 3 kernels of powder consistently. Even in their website, it says "can dispense anywhere between 2-300 grains with a +/-0.1-grain accuracy", which means .1 high or .1 low, so within .3 grains. This scale is most likely a strain gauge scale, which is great for keeping costs low. But not within 3 kernels, which 3 kernels would be accurate to less than .1 grain overall.

http://rcbs.com/Products/Powder-Measures-and-Scales/Powder-Measures/Electronic/ChargeMaster%E2%84%A2-Lite.aspx

Isnt a 0.1 grain up or down within a 0.2 range?

Also +/-0.1 grain is the best they guarantee, it is quite possible that some or a lot of them are more accurate than that. I know every time I use mine I calibrate it with the check weights and every time I use it I check the check weights before I calibrate it and its never off. It also always reads the pan to the same .1 every time before I zero it.

RC - if it's +/- .1 if your target is 32.6 that means it could be 32.5 or 32.7....thus the range is .03.....32.5, 32.6, 32.7

32.7-32.5=.2

I might be wrong. Yes there are 3 values, but the range is still 1 up and 1 down netting 2 units in this case two tenths or 0.2

It may read out within .1, but the internal part of the scale is not that accurate. It can still read to within .1, but the true weight can be +/- .1. I see this all the time on my RCBS Chargemaster. It will read out the exact weight I want, but still be .1 under or over. It's the quality of the internal scale I'm talking about, not what it reads out.

I get that, and im not saying it is the highest quality scale on earth or anything. Im just saying my check weights are exact and my charge master always displays the exactly correct weight when I weigh my check weights. Granted that is in grams, maybe I will have to check it in grains to see what it says.

.1 grams is 1.54 grains. The gram measurement is much larger and broader weight then grains. So if your check weight is exactly 50.0 grams, you still have within 1.5 grains spread due to the conversion. Weigh it in grains after complete and compare.

Try this. Calibrate your RCBS scale exactly after it has warmed up and when you have it properly tuned. Then after 1-2 hours of loading, check the calibration again. These type of scales will wander up or down. They are great scales and I still use them. But people "think" they are spot on, but the internal scales are not capable of being that accurate. I own 2 laboratory scales that are $800-$1000 each. They are within .02 grains, and I weigh powder on a daily basis from the RCBS scales to see this variation. My point is, strain beam scales do not have the ability to be accurate "consistently" to less than .1 grain. They are good scales for the money, but will certainly vary by more than .1 grains.

32.5 / 32.6 / 32.7

That's three different powder charges that could all read the exact same number on the scale's output....thus the chargemasters acceptable range is .3