I have about 200 empty .17 Rem Fireball cases and the same amount of .243 Win cases. I've been using the manual scale but I'm thinking of upgrading to a digital scale for more accuracy and maybe a pick up in speed. What do you guys think of this idea? Also, any +/- and recommendations for digital scales?

I would recommend the RCBS chargemaster combo. It meters quickly and I now use it for all my rifle loads. I had some trouble with the fine ball powders getting in the unit and clogging it up....but RCBS took the unit back with no muss or fuss and returnewd a unit without the manufacturer defect.

I was assured that all new units meter ball, flaake and cylinder powders equally well.....and it really does measure with +-.1gn accuracy.

I read good reviews about the RCBS Chargemaster, the new model. But, I still do the powder charging the old fashion way, throw light and trickle up.
Generally speaking, all of the Digital Scales sold to the reloading community are not worth the powder to blow all of them up. They all use the same strain gage unit, and package them differently. They're slow, inconsistent, and require calibrating every time you use one.
I decided to buy a REAL digital scale and bought a Denver Instruments APX-153. I do not use it for weighing powder charges however.

I purchased an RCBS chargemaster about a year ago and have generally been pleased with the results. It does take some time to get used to using it.

You will NOT save time using a digital scale/dispense vs an older manual scale and powder drop. I also did not notice any increase in accuracy from going digital.

The RCBS is great for working up ladders when experimenting with new bullet/powder combos. Very fast changing charge weights.

All in all...I am still not convinced that the Chargemaster was worth the 270$...I don't think I would buy another one if mine crapped out...back to the old scale and drop.

Good luck.

The Chargemaster combo works. I dispense a charge, pour it into the case, put the pan back on the scale and hit dispense. I barely have the bullet seated before it's done with the next charge. I'm charging over well over 100 grains when it comes to my 338-378 Wby .

Ken....

My experience has been like Heat's. Over the past 40 years (has it really been that long?)I've used scales, powder measures, Pact and Lyman digitals, and now the RCBS Chargemaster Combo. I love mine and would prefer never to go back to any of the others.

This is a portion of a Rim Thickness and Weight Sorting thread on the Rim Fire Board.
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Ordered an MTM DS-1250 Mini Digital Reloading Scale to do some Weight Sorting with. Got it yesterday from Graf’s for $29.99. When it arrived, the Powder pan was missing, so I called MTM in Dayton, OH and they are sending me one.

It comes inside a real nice MTM smoke-color case along with a Calibration Weight, the Powder Pan and the two batteries needed to run it. Any measurement device must be able to be Calibrated using a Known Source (especially electronic devices), or the data from it is totally worthless.

Electronic Scales can be frustrating to use if you are set up where the air conditioner can blow on it or if other electronics are nearby that emit EMI or RFI. Some of the less expensive ones also have small quirks, where they will occasionally pull a clinton on you(Lie to you), can be position sensitive on the platen and might skip a particular xx.0-9 reading when measuring in Grains.

I took a 165gr Bullet and weighed it 5-times in 5-spots on the platen. Very impressed that this very inexpensive scale was that accurate.


MTM DS-1250

12 O’clock
5-165gr
No Errors

3 O'clock
4-165gr
1- 0.1gr High Error

6 O'clock
5-165gr
No Errors

9 O'clock
4-165gr
1- 0.2gr Low Error

Center
5-165gr
No Errors
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Then I got down to some 22LR Weight Sorting.

Win Wildcats
51.2gr – 6
51.4gr – 14
51.5gr – 26
51.7gr – 29
51.9gr – 19
52.0gr – 1

Notice the gaps at 51.3, 51.6 and 51.8gr. I’d guess that is because the Scale is simply skipping past a reading. It happens in many inexpensive scales and does not concern me for Weight Sorting. But, it would be a concern if trying to get each Powder Load to the nearest 0.1gr.

The way that I have found is best when testing accuracy on digital scales is this:

figure out how much time you spend at a sitting when reloading. Divide that time by ten.That will give you ten equal intervals for the time you normally spend in one sitting. Set your scale up and zero it according to instructions. Place a bullet that is at least 1/2 the weight of full scale range in the pan. Record the exact weight that is shown. Wait for the next interval and weigh the SAME bullet again. Record its exact listed weight. Keep on ding this until the time expires. Look at your recorded weights. If they fall into plus or minus .1 grain then you are probably good to go. (you should also run the same test with a bullet that weighs somewhere in the range of your lightest powder charge)
My findings with the two cheapy scales that I tested showed more than a full grain of variation with 150 grain bullets and the same results when I used an 18 grain lump of solder.
I didn't feel I could use either scale because neither scale would hold +/- 0.1 grain. My powder throwers will hold charges to within 0.1 grain with the powders I use and I can set it with one of my beam scales that are accurate to within 0.1 grain.
I don't weight each charge any more - I have complete trust in the measures that I use and weigh once in twenty rounds.

I've been using a Frankford Arsenal Digital Micro Scale and just love it. I zero it often and use the test weight to calibrate it often and it hasn't given me any problems. The next scale I get will just be a higher dollar digital--they're great.