Beginner - need equipment recommendations and advice

[Doom]

I have seen digital scales drift .2 grains. That is too much when trying to work up a load, and expecially when making max loads! My beam scale does not drift - period.

Settle down. I didn't attack your beam scale. In fact for 0.1gn the older scales are excellent. Unfortunately to get a new one of good quality recently is not really practical. Ohaus has reintroduced one of their models made in China but I don't know about the quality. Major issue is speed and wear over time. And yes some electronic scales are pieces of crap but many aren't. Regardless, they still need to re-zero because the digital display resolution hides zero drift. Unfortunate drift is a necessary evil of electronics. Your beam scale being an analog device makes it easy to see drift, at least to the resolution that the user can perceive in the line alignments. I bet you check for zero on every load.

Now having said that, your beam scale will drift with changes in scale temperature. This is because the two balance weights are on different lengths of beam which grow differently when subjected to a different temperature. Small but there. You would probably need a change of 10-20 degrees to really see it. It's been many years since I routinely used one.

 

[TheTexasRAT]

Settle down. I didn't attack your beam scale. In fact for 0.1gn the older scales are excellent. Unfortunately to get a new one of good quality recently is not really practical. Ohaus has reintroduced one of their models made in China but I don't know about the quality. Major issue is speed and wear over time. And yes some electronic scales are pieces of crap but many aren't. Regardless, they still need to re-zero because the digital display resolution hides zero drift. Unfortunate drift is a necessary evil of electronics. Your beam scale being an analog device makes it easy to see drift, at least to the resolution that the user can perceive in the line alignments. I bet you check for zero on every load.

Now having said that, your beam scale will drift with changes in scale temperature. This is because the two balance weights are on different lengths of beam which grow differently when subjected to a different temperature. Small but there. You would probably need a change of 10-20 degrees to really see it. It's been many years since I routinely used one.

I was calm the whole time.
Anywho, I have one of the new Ohaus 505 beam scales. Sad they make it in china now a days. I believe that move is why RCBS dropped them from their line of products.

So the first time I used the Ohaus Beam scale I double checked each load against a digital scale. When there was a discrepancy between the two it was always the digital scale having drifted. A quick re-zeroing of the digital scale always had the two back in agreement with each other. Never once was it the beam scales fault.

Seldom would the digital scale stay consistent with itself when I weighed the same load twice upon it. So yes re-zeroing the digital scales is a must, but I am (very) old school and I do not trust computerized stuff. I have a 1971 Jeep and I'm still rocking an all metal 45 Colt revolving pistol. And no, I don't like plastic either.

And yes beam scales wear out over time if they are not well taken care of. Yet, digital stuff craps out too! And digital scales are far more effected by temps than the beam scales, but the reloading room is temperature controlled, so ...

See pic for blast from the past:

 

[Lynn313]

Start by buying and reading “top grade ammo” by Glenn Zydiker. He also writes” Handloading for Competition“. This is in addition to buying at least 2 top notch reloading manuals. After reading them you can sort the BS from real help.

 

[Lynn313]

I was calm the whole time.
Anywho, I have one of the new Ohaus 505 beam scales. Sad they make it in china now a days. I believe that move is why RCBS dropped them from their line of products.

So the first time I used the Ohaus Beam scale I double checked each load against a digital scale. When there was a discrepancy between the two it was always the digital scale having drifted. A quick re-zeroing of the digital scale always had the two back in agreement with each other. Never once was it the beam scales fault.

Seldom would the digital scale stay consistent with itself when I weighed the same load twice upon it. So yes re-zeroing the digital scales is a must, but I am (very) old school and I do not trust computerized stuff. I have a 1971 Jeep and I'm still rocking an all metal 45 Colt revolving pistol. And no, I don't like plastic either.

And yes beam scales wear out over time if they are not well taken care of. Yet, digital stuff craps out too! And digital scales are far more effected by temps than the beam scales, but the reloading room is temperature controlled, so ...

See pic for blast from the past:

Cool looking beam scales

 

[SporterII]

Saddle , pivot care and cleanliness of the beam scale helped me maintain consistent charges.