Re: need help finding a better digital powder scale
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Wannashootit</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I just don't understand how a $30 or $40 scale can be as accurate as a more expensive one. Accuracy really counts here, and I was prepared - and expected- to spend more...but was told I didn't need to. Like you, I figured more $$ = more accuracy. Dunno...
I'd also be interested in what others have to say about the less expensive scales vs. the "better" ones... </div></div>
Be careful of making false corralations based on price. Accuracy and precision are 2 different things as we all know from being riflemen. The precision of these scales is typically varied on price (in steps, less than 200, 200-500 and 500 and over), and what you are paying for (hpefully) is accuracy. you can buy a really expensive lab scale that will not do what you want it to do, but do it extremely consistantly (buing one that has a high capacity but not a small resolution). Remeber that grains are not a typical measurement and that grams are, so the electronics will convert that measurement into grains. This will give you a slight (mostly insignificent) error right off the bat, the part that is the problem is that the standard resolution for these scales is 0.01 grams, which is 0.154323584 grains. No matter what the description says, it is at least + or - 0.154 grains because of this, which can give you a variance of .2 on the digital read out. This will not happen all the time, but due to math, it will happen once in a while because .154 will round to .2 every time.
What you want to look for is a scale that measures to 0.001 grams or 0.01543.... grains, and this is when the price goes up significently, though for the popular name brands of "cheaper" scales, you are not all that far way form taking the next step in precision. With this level of precision the accuracy isn't going to matter as much. After a while, you will probably be satisfied with a number on the readout close to what you are looking for because it would take all evening reloding 20 rounds picking out individual balls/sticks/flakes of poweder to get exactly what you want, and you are still on the order of 10 times more accurate than you were with a 30 dollar 0.01g scale.
Get a gem scale that reads in grains, for 30 dollars and compare it to the scale you have now. Use the gem scale for powder charges and the larger scale for weighing complete ammo for doubles or misses. The precision is what counts if you have resolution over what you have to have. You are just paying for accuracy, which is nice, BUT unnecessary if you have more than adequate resolution. If you are just squeeking by with the precision you have, then it better be accurate.
