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What are some common items to use as powder scale check weights?

7K views 16 replies 9 participants last post by  LDBennett 
#1 · (Edited)
I have deleted my thread because of the Duuhhhhh factor. :rolleyes: ;) :)
I did not use the "search feature. I thought of it AFTER I posted
Then came the Duhhhhh!! There was plenty of good info.

Sorry .... Indy Bob
 
#2 ·
You can use anything for a set of check weights.
BUT...you really need to know their true certifiable weights before you start using them if you plan on using them as check weights to calibrate your scale. That means they were verified on a certified scale that is more accurate than the one that you're trying to keep tabs on. That known quantity is the trick and that's where the cost is incurred.

Now for a quickie reference, you can use pretty much anything. I have an assortment of bullets along with assorted chunks of brass, stainless, etc that I use just as quick references. I made and checked these with one of our certified scales at work (shh...don't tell the boss. :)). These homemade weights are "tuned" to a bunch of different pet loads that I frequently use (56.5gr, 2.8gr, etc...) and verified to hundredths instead of just tenths of a grain....not that I can measure to hundredths on my reloading scales but just for my own satisfaction.
I don't use em to calibrate my scale though, they're just an easy way to do a quick check if I'm still good when using that particular load.

If you've got access to a bunch of different scales, you can do an average of what an item weighs on each scale and probably survive but if all you've got is one scale it's gonna be hard to determine if the homemade weights you just made are true.
 
#5 ·
But...there's a tolerance too. How many of em actually weigh 5.670g? I've never messed with weighing the "new" quarters so I'm not sure.
A mint uncirculated silver-series quarter is supposed to weigh 6.25g but I've got a few mint and near-mint ones that are several points off either direction.
I do agree that it takes a lot of beating up to wear down a coin though.

It all boils down to what everyone's personal tolerance acceptance level is.
I'm prettty confident that things would probably never get that far out of spec but I'll stick with a set of papered checkweights. That's a lot cheaper than a new rifle (or eye, hand, etc)...
 
#4 ·
I remember, years back, a gun-rag article about a guy getting started in reloading. He did not have a real scale. Had a balance, though, so he used a five-grain aspirin tablet as his check weight. He said, in the article, that it was YEARS later that he got a real scale, and weighed an aspirin. Much MUCH heavier than five grains. Five grains of aspirin, plus the stuff needed to stick the pill together.

Oops.

:eek:
 
#6 ·
We are talking about reloading ammunition that can make pressures up to 60,000 PSI. Get the weight of the load wrong and you may be in for a big problem.

Buy the Lyman weight set and verify your scale. Or visit a scale manufacture's web page and see if they offer a single certified weight. It may not be calibrated in grains but grams or some metric measure. The Lyman weight set is really the way to go.

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/212586/lyman-shooters-weight-check-set?cm_vc=ProductFinding

or

http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-list...&sr=8-1&keywords=Lyman++7752314&condition=new

Search the internet for this set and you may get better pricing (don't forget to add in the shipping costs for the comparisons).

LDBennett
 
#7 ·
Thanks to everyone who replied to only the title of the thread.
I deleted my message because I forgot to use "Search" first.

Here is what I found on this forum in a search. U.S. Mint New Coin Specs.
http://www.usmint.gov/about_the_mint/?action=coin_specifications
I have a convert program on my computer so it is very easy to convert their listings in grams ......to grains, or simply use a calculator:
1 Gram = 15.4323584 Grains So.. a new nickle from the chart would be calculated at: Mint weight-Nickle 5.0 grams. X 15.4323584 = 77.16 grains.

Disclaimer: Please do NOT use my math. Study, and use your own math at your own digression.
Bottom line: I am very careful and zeroed my scale every session. The only check weight I have used is a Sierra .224 BTHP @ 52 grains on my Lee scale. I have always been very confident and "found and corrected" flaws in that Lee scale. Mainly, the beam axis (laterally) was a problem in that it caused problems being to close to the magnets on one side or the other.
Each time a load was weighed....... I LOOKED at the magnet area to verify beam was in the center.

I got tired of that wasted time and have ordered a new Hornady balance beam scale.

I know guys ..... I have read,... then read even more on scales and reviews. Hornady is not a top dawg!!! It will seem like a Cadillac of scales compared to the Lee scale. I do NOT load anything HOT. So in my personal loading, I am very confident using the coin methods for a VERY close weight check, and also consistency! PLEASE; make your own decisions and I am not saying coins are THE safest way to go.
Thanks again guys,
Indy Bob
 
#8 ·
Indy Bob, the only dumb question on this forum is the one not asked, especially when it comes to reloading. So don't worry about the "duh" factor. We are happy to help out any way we can. Ask away and don't be shy.

For my own checkweights, I'm like Bindernut. I have checked my balance against the lab balance. I have check weights that roughly correspond to the powder weights I'm using--one for pistol caliber, one for rifle caliber. I use both check weights when starting out. The check weights are pieces of wire or paperclip cut to length and weight.

One thing got me a while back: I kept the check weights too close to a magnetic tipped screwdriver and that messed them up. Keep balances and weights away from magnets.
 
#9 ·
Very true BlackEagle. If in doubt, it never hurts to ask. Well, it might hurt the pride for just a little bit if a question really does wind up being a DOH!...but that's better than hurting ourselves or others. I can live with the dents I've put in my forehead from banging it against the wall ala Homer Simpson! :D

One thing got me a while back: I kept the check weights too close to a magnetic tipped screwdriver and that messed them up. Keep balances and weights away from magnets.
Yup...that's why mine are stainless and brass. I didn't even think of the magnetism affecting the scale but I got tired of chasing the darn things off of my magnetic screwdriver.
 
#10 ·
I'm going to be another one to suggest purchasing a set of check weights. I'm not a big believer in using a bullet or a coin. Bullets can easily vary by several grains.
 
#11 ·
Well, I thought about this one as I was comparing two beam scales, and 3 different electronic scales. the purpose was to determine if the readings on the electronic scales were trustworthy.
I was comparing a Lee Safety scale, 100 grain beam scale, a RCBS 502 500 grain beam scale, and a few electronic scales.
to do it, I weighed zinc BB's - 500 grains worth on the RCBS. 94 bb's equaled out to 502.0 grains. Do the math if you want the number. Using that, I was running into deviations on the electronic scales. The desk is not perfectly flat or perfectly level. this seems to be the major cause as far as I can tell. the beam scales seem to fare better than the electronic when it comes to a not so perfectly level environment. Considering that the loads I will be measuring are in the 24 -45 grain level, I was seeing as much as .3 grains difference in how well the electronic scales measured - at the 24 to 37 grain weight range. Of the 3 cheaper digital scales, the MTM seems to be the better, followed by the Frankford Ds750 and the Hornady pocket scale.

Could I have done it with check weights? Sure, I could. I might still do. The best thing I learned from this experimentation is that the beam scales seem to be more accurate more of the time. The electronic ones seem to need to be quite close to level; and behave a little better after they have warmed up some. IOW, their results vary... In my experiments, it seems that these zinc coated bb's - well, the range I'm worried about are 4 BB's ( 21.36 gr ), 5 BB's ( 26.7), 6 (32.04), 7 (37.38 ), 8 (42.06), and 9 (48.06) .. I did see a set of check weights at a LGS, so I might go get a set if the set contains something worthwhile. I also got in some stainless steel media, might be interesting to see how that measures up....
 
#12 ·
The best thing I learned from this experimentation is that the beam scales seem to be more accurate more of the time.
Which electric scales did you check, only the 3 cheapish ones you mentioned or also the more expensive ones?
I use a Gempro 250 and I check it with the Lyman check weights LDBennet quoted above. The 5 grain weight is either 5.00 or 5.02 grains and 2x 20grains is either 40.00, 40.02 or 40.04.
(Yes, it is level, on a separate bench and away from electronics)

Oh, stainless media pins are about 0.08 grains iirc :p
 
#15 ·
OK, it has 0.02 grains resolution. What is the accuracy? They are not the same.

The accuracy they list is: a weigh is accurate to 1/3 of a tenth of a grain (0.030 grains.).

Excess resolution beyond the accuracy is OK as long as you realize that is the case. A scale that reads to a tenth of a grain is capable of accuracy to 1/2 of a tenth (0.05 grains) but may not really be that accurate. If I get powder loads to plus or minus a tenth of a grain that is more than good enough. All the other variables of reloading swamp out that by a lot.

Any digital scale that reads in tenth grain increments that is accurate to 0.05 grains, that is a table top scale, that cost in the neighborhood of $100 is more than accurate enough for reloading, in my experience. They are faster to use than a beam scale and accurate enough. I do not trust the cheap digital or beam scales for reloading. The worst modern beam scale I ever was the LEE and the worst ever were the oil dampened beams scales from the 1960's. The magnetic dampening is better but not by much. I love my older Dillon digital.

LDBennett
 
#16 ·
@LDBennett;;; Thanks. To me, accuracy means that if I put the same weight- i.e. the same 6 or 7 BB's in the same powder tray, and measure it on the same powder scale, sitting in the same spot, well, I should see the exact same reading. If I were, I'd not be wasting a lot of time checking and rechecking. On some of the electronic scales, I've seen variations of -0.1, -0.2, +0.1, and even +0.3 over what the calculated weight should have been ( rounded ). Sometimes, it was spot on, but to me that means that the accuracy is not the +- 0.1 that manufacturers are quoting but more towards 0.5 to 0.6.. ( or +- 0.3 ) .. Please note that I'm not using 7 random BB's, but the same 7 .. The RCBS beam scale seems to be GTG. I really haven't tested against the Lee . When I first noticed the variations, I thought it was the powder measure; it turned out that it does not appear to be that; but an inconsistency with the cheaper scales. I guess in the next few weeks, I'll be looking for a better, pricier scale. I like the instant reading of the digitals; but if you can't trust the results, well, it's all for naught. I do think I'm going to try new batteries first though.
The MTM/Frankford specs say accuracy of 1/10th grain. the Hornady- 2/10th.
 
#17 ·
As I said plus and minus a tenth is more than accurate enough to measure powder loads.

What I have found with my older Dillon scale is that it drifts its zero. So before every measurement I just push the "Zero" button.

I made up a calibration curve some 15 years ago for my Dillon and it follows the same error curve today. At some points in the curve admittedly it is off by a tenth but that is acceptable. I don't like the drifting but re-zeroing eliminates it for the measurement at hand. I occasionally measure my Lyman weight set to verify nothing is really wrong and it never is. Also my Dillon Powder measure, when used with ball or short cut Hodgdon powders, is so accurate I just set it up and never check again until the next powder measure change. I know.....You are supposed to do it every 10 rounds but I have been using the same equipment for the last 20 years and I am familiar with it and know the Dillon measure holds its setting. I don't normally use the Dillon measure for big grain extruded powders. I have a Redding BR30 for that and just operate it manually during a progressive cycle of the Dillon RL550B. I don't know that it is any more accurate but it is less susceptible to extruded grain log jams...it says here.

LDBennett
 
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