What scales (balance) are y’all using?

[Plumminfool]

Get a good scale to start there are some great recommendations on here. After you get one get it set up and zeroed/calibrated and leave it alone in one place. Making a shield around it to reduce draft in the room three sides of a cardboard box works. After use cover it up dust isn’t your friend on a a finely tuned scale. The only reason I suggested the other powders and brass are they are more common loads with a lot more data out there for them. The brass is just a no brainer if you want consistent loads you need consistent brass and yes you can make good brass out of factory once fired brass but there is no sense in all that work when lapua is available at a reasonable price. Use your time and effort loading and shooting not working sub par brass.

Good info. Thanks

 

[Rusty Shakleford]

The RCBS 505 is accurate to .1 grains. Am I chasing my tail if I want to make my loads accurate to .02 grains? I've tried new brass vs once fired, weighing brass, weighing projectiles, different powders, all with the same inconsistencies when it comes to FPS. I'd love to get some single digit standard deviations.

In my experience for 100-300 yards .1-.05 is the max I’d vary with charge weight but always try to get it perfect. you have to have a good scale good brass and a bullet the rifle likes. The bullet and charge weight are variables you can change and tune to suit your standards.

 

[greg vess]

Get a good scale to start there are some great recommendations on here. After you get one get it set up and zeroed/calibrated and leave it alone in one place. Making a shield around it to reduce draft in the room three sides of a cardboard box works. After use cover it up dust isn’t your friend on a a finely tuned scale. The only reason I suggested the other powders and brass are they are more common loads with a lot more data out there for them. The brass is just a no brainer if you want consistent loads you need consistent brass and yes you can make good brass out of factory once fired brass but there is no sense in all that work when lapua is available at a reasonable price. Use your time and effort loading and shooting not working sub par brass.

I have to turn the dehumidifier off when I reload because it makes the scale hinky. That can be a legitimate issue.

 

[jglenn]

Lyman M5... probably one of the best Ohaus ever made

 

[trw2094]

RCBS 505
RCBS ChargeMaster 1500

 

[Plumminfool]

Lots of good suggestions. Any info on SD’s using one scale vs another?

 

[grainchaser]

Hornady digital to set the throw on the Dillon. RCBS Chargemaster for rifle loading on the single stage.

 

[Adam5]

RCBS 505

 

[SpeedyR]

I've got a few I've collected over the years. RCBS 505, Dillon (don't recall the model), Gem250 digital, a heavier scale for bigger weights and a new small digital for very small weights.

I am probably going to get a Frankford Arsenal Intellidropper or RCBS powder dropper in the next few weeks to get the loads started and then check them on one of the others I have.

 

[Control for Smilers]

Lots of good suggestions. Any info on SD’s using one scale vs another?

I think brass is the biggest variable in SD numbers. Any weight sorting your brass? or annealing? uniform primer pockets and flash holes? I shoot a lot of nato stamped 308 brass. I do full prep then weight sort. I use same head stamped lots that I pay slightly more for.