RCBS Scale

[tjohnson56]

I'm about to start casting balls for the first time, just got a Lee Pro 4 20 furnace and a couple of molds. Now I want a scale to weigh the balls I'm casting so the lepers can go back in the pot.

I'm looking at a RCBS Range Master 750, any body got one of these? Is it good, bad or do you have something better? This one is just over a $100 and thats more than I wanted to spend but I want one that works right and is accurate. I have a beam scale from reloading years ago but have not used it in about 10 years and think it would be really slow to sort balls that way.

Anybody know if RCBS scales have a life-time warranty. I have their phone number and will call tomorrow to check that.

Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[CZMark]

RCBS scales have a one year warranty, which is pretty much the industry standard. I have an older "Pro Model" scale which I've had for five years with no problems. Mine requires a "warm up" period after being turned on, before use, so it has not been turned off since I bought it.

If you do have problems, I have found RCBS' customer service to be first rate.

 

[Swampman]

I can't see anything being gained by weighing your projectiles, but Midsouth Shooters Supply has the SMART RELOADER 750 GRAIN MICRO SCALE for about $30.00.

 

[jtmattison]

You can get inexpensive jewelers scales on Ebay for $10-20 that measure in grains.

Plenty accurate enough for sorting roundballs.

HD

 

[MSW]

long ago and far away, i bought a digital scale from Dillon. can't remember what i paid for it, but it works great.

 

Harbor freight carries a pocket digital scale for around $18. I believe it measures up to 500 grams.

 

[sproulman]

those scales weight in GRAMS.

i dont think in GRAINS, am i wrong?

 

[mudd turtle]

Where could you get a measure to accurately measure black powder. Does RCBS have anything like that mudd turtle.

 

[CZMark]

Any decent powder scale will give you an accurate weight for a given amount of black powder, but black powder is generally measured by volume, not weight.

 

[Idaho Ron]

I'm about to start casting balls for the first time, just got a Lee Pro 4 20 furnace and a couple of molds. Now I want a scale to weigh the balls I'm casting so the lepers can go back in the pot.

I'm looking at a RCBS Range Master 750, any body got one of these? Is it good, bad or do you have something better? This one is just over a $100 and thats more than I wanted to spend but I want one that works right and is accurate. I have a beam scale from reloading years ago but have not used it in about 10 years and think it would be really slow to sort balls that way.

Anybody know if RCBS scales have a life-time warranty. I have their phone number and will call tomorrow to check that.

Thanks in advance for any help.

I do not have the RCBS Range master but friend of mine DOES have one and he loves it. When my scale quits again I am going to get a RCBS 750 Range master.
I have a Frankford Arsenal Micro scale. I don't like mine at all. The first one quit and I sent it back. They sent me another one but I don't trust it for reloading at all, so I only use it for bullets. You are right balance beam scales won't work for sorting bullets, or balls I won’t even waste the time to try to weigh them with a balance beam.
I weigh each bullet I make. Some I keep within +- .3 of a grain, others I only try for +- .5 of a grain difference.
If you want the most accuracy out of your load you are on the right track. Some guys don’t bother weighing. My guess is they have never seen how much the weights can vary from bullet to bullet. I can tell you for a fact, big differences in weight between projectiles does not HELP accuracy. Ron

 

[Swampman]

I spent a lot of time weighing years ago. I found that it made no difference.

 

[Keppy]

I tried that weighing thing too. Didn't help. I still can't hit the barn. :rotf: :rotf: :rotf: :rotf: :rotf:

 

[Zonie]

I have an old Ohaus 505 beam scale I bought years ago and it's still working fine.

I don't bother to weigh my cast balls although I did at one time.
I found that if I kept the mold hot the balls usually weighed within 2 grains of each other.
I also (not believing another member on this forum) measured the weights of some swaged balls to prove a post wrong.
Much to my dismay, I found that the swaged balls varied more than my cast balls. That's when I quit measuring ball weights.

I do find my scale handy for loading that new fangled powder in my new fangled guns cases though. :grin:

 

[tjohnson56]

Thanks Ron and Zonie, I think I'm going to order one. Hate to drop a $100 for a scale but what the heck, can't take it with me.

 

[Zonie]

Before you drop $100 bucks on a scale remember, my scale is a el cheapo non electric move the little weights kind of scale and I'm sure you can find one of them for a lot less than $100.

 

[paulvallandigham]

YOu can still find balance beam scales being sold for under $50.00. If you are NOT measuring lots of balls or bullets, the balance beam will serve your needs quite well, and you can be sure of the accuracy.

If I were going to spend $100 or more on any scale, I would buy one of the new electronic scales and spend up to $150.00 to get one that is reliable. Competition Electronics makes a good one, I am told, but there are others.

 

[Idaho Ron]

YOu can still find balance beam scales being sold for under $50.00. If you are NOT measuring lots of balls or bullets, the balance beam will serve your needs quite well, and you can be sure of the accuracy.

If I were going to spend $100 or more on any scale, I would buy one of the new electronic scales and spend up to $150.00 to get one that is reliable. Competition Electronics makes a good one, I am told, but there are others.

Paul, the 750 rangemaster IS an Electronic Powder Scale 750 Grain Capacity. RCBS is a reliable company. :shake:
Ron

 

[Idaho Ron]

I spent a lot of time weighing years ago. I found that it made no difference.

I guess that depends on the level of accuracy you are expecting out of the gun. If a guy only shoots round balls at 50 yards and expects to only hit poper plates, I can't see the need to weigh the balls. If a guy is like me and is shooting conicals at 100 to 300 yards like I do, and I expect sub 2" groups at 100 yards. I see the need to make them as perfect as possable. Not saying your way is wrong. I am just saying my way is right for me. Ron

 

[Old Sarge]

I have the RCBS Rangemaster 750 and find it to be extremely accurate. I highly recommend this scale to anyone who reloads their own ammo. As far a black powder goes...I have never used it for that. I really don't see the need for weighing balls or conicals.

 

[paulvallandigham]

Ron; Thanks for the comment. Actually, I already knew that the scale in question is electronic. I was trying to make the point that a balance beam scale works just fine, and will cost a lot less, UNLESS YOU ARE WEIGHING LOTS OF BALLS OR BULLETS. Since I don't have any casting equipment currently, I don't need the electronic scale. I own a RCBS balance beam scale I have had for more than 35 years and it works just fine. It does not weight more than 500 grains, tho', so an electronic scale that weighs up to 750 grains is just the ticket for weighing heavy slugs.

( Oh, I do use my balance beam scale to sort balls and bullet. I just create a stop for the pan, to limit the up and down motion of the pan when I put a ball on it, or take it out. I don't need the needle to stop all movement to figure out if the ball is on weight or off. I simply read the lines above and below the center point on the scale and factor in the changes that result as gravity slows the up/down motion of the pan. I have enough experience with the scale where I have waited for the needle to stop moving to know where its going to come to a stop if I do let it continue its swing.)
If I were shooting heavy slugs in competition, I would also sort them to plus or minus .5 grains. And, I would probably try to see if using an even smaller amount of deviation would not produce better groups.

I have a friend who is a slug gun shooter, in competition, and sorts large conicals so they all weigh exactly the same! It takes time, but he has the trophies and medals and records to prove the value of doing so.