You all are helping me get setup to reload for the 1st time. I almost thinking that I'm going to have to piece together my stuff rather than buy a so called "kit".

Should I buy a digital scale or the drug dealer looking old school scale. Next question is which one???? (brand)

The "old school" scale is better for powder charge weighing, but the digital works better for case sorting and bullet sorting.

I find digitals to be a real pain when trickling those last couple tenths.

My advice would be to start with the "old school" variety. They are all pretty dependable: Dillon, RCBS, etc. any of the Ohaus scales.

Good Luck

Reloader

Here's my $.02. I currently have both and unless you are planning on getting a electronic dispensor/scale, the old drug dealer scale works great. That being said, I absolutly love my Chargemaster combo. It is as accurate as my beam scale and I can always check one against the other if I'm in doubt of a charge.

Either is fine.

The older balance beam scales work just fine. I haven't used mine once since I bought a chargemaster combo. The Chargemaster is faster and far more convenient.
My suggestion would be to start you reloading with one of the RCBS combo kits that have the balance beam scale included. Then as funds and experience allow upgrade to a chargemaster. That way you'll have a backup and doublechecker and can still load if the electricity goes out.........................DJ

Balance beam scale was the term I was looking for. I was pretty sure that they were not being marketed and sold under the "drug dealer" scale brand!!! LMAO

I've had a couple of electronic scales and abandoned them. The balance beam is the superior design for powder weighing.

quote:

Originally posted by Stonecreek:
I've had a couple of electronic scales and abandoned them. The balance beam is the superior design for powder weighing.

And they are not as easy to damage!!!!!!!!! roger

The balance beam type is superior. More dependable, less easily damaged or otherwise thrown off.

quote:

Originally posted by LE270:
The balance beam type is superior. More dependable, less easily damaged or otherwise thrown off.

+1

Here is one othe aspect to think about. Where is your reloading bench located at? Out in the garage (no heated) or indoors (heated).
The reason being the strain gauges used in the electronic scales do respond to temperature changes. If you are indoors and the room temp is fairly stable (70 deg F or so) the electronic scales are very nice.
If you are out in the garage and the room temp is in the low 40's the scale performance will change. You will need to re-zero the scale and verify the scale with calibration weights prior to proceeding with reloading.
Bottom line, if you are reloading in the winter and out in the garage - go with the old school balence beam style scale.

If you can afford it get the Digital scale and Powder Combo… I have the RCBS CHARGEMASTER COMBO.

I would never go back to a Balance beam.

These things are Fast, accurate to a 10th of a grain (just like the Balance Beam), and stable. I used mine for 4 hours last night with only 1 calibration. I do use check weights after every round… but it takes no time.

I use a RCBS Range Master 750 digital.

Quick thought on the digitals--many labs use exclusively digital scales. A good friend's father is a design engineer that works primarily for the CDC, and he says that in many of their labs, they don't even have a beam type scale anymore.....they have fairly critical tolerances in their work

I am a fan of the digitals, but having a backup is nice I guess, I haven't touched a beam in over 3 years now, like some others, I have the RCBS Chargemaster combo, if it went on the fritz, I'd pull out my Pact version, and order another Chargemaster immediately!

As a Ph.D. analytical chemist who has used most kinds of weighing devices over the years ... believe me, the electronic scale is superior if properly used.

They need to be warmed up, used where there are no air currents, and should be checked against standard weights once in a while (as all balances should).

I have a 35 or more year old 505 that hasn't been used since I got my Lyman 1200 maybe 15 years ago. I also have a Christian Becker electonic balance that I don't use because it is not as convenient even though it will easily and accurately weigh a single granual of Bullseye.

dubs22-250 When I started reloading,I had benefit of a neighbor with lots of years experience. He told me which brands he recommended for the various items---so it wasnt kit. One thing he recommended was a Belding&Mull powder measure. Thing is so accurate and meters any type powder Ive tried in it over 40 years that once set you dont need a scale except to just check a charge every now and then.

Depends on your budget, but first get the calibration weights no matter what your choice is. If you are in a hurry get the electronic, if you are not using a progressive or turret press get the balance beam.

If you are begining do yourself a favor and
keep things simple. You will buy a lot of gadgets before you "need" a digital scale.
Also you will use the beam to check the digital.
Good Luck!

quote:

Originally posted by hawkins:
If you are begining do yourself a favor and
keep things simple. You will buy a lot of gadgets before you "need" a digital scale.
Also you will use the beam to check the digital.
Good Luck!

I`ve asked this before, why get a digital if you trust your beam scale to tell you if the digial is reading right? I see people swear by digital then say they double check the wgt at random on a beam to verfy.
No one ever writes about useing a digital to check the accuracy of their balance scale...

Have to go with mstarling on this one... After a number of years in chemistry classes, only once did I EVER use a beam scale... All scales in chem lab were digital and EXTREMELY accurate.. Yes, they should be out of a draft and on a stable platform but to some degree those issues will also affect a beam scale... The only scale I have is the Chargemaster 1500 combo...

Ken....