Most accurate powder scale under $200

I have an A&D with AutoTrickler but I have a Scott Parker old M5 that sits as a backup. Sometimes I feel guilty about having it as a backup but the A&D is so nice - however if it goes down I won't miss a beat.
 
Detour said:
I don't have the budget for a $500 A&D scale. My budget is about $200 - $225. I just getting into the accurate long range reloading and so I need a better powder scale. I'm not to concerned on how fast it is, just accuarate. I see RCBS and Hornady both have scales in the $160 - $200 range. Are they any good? One better then the other?
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One way to help justify spending $500 on a A&D scale is the current price and utter scarcity of reloading components and the fact they will almost IMO certainly remain at these insane prices for 2 or more YEARS AT LEAST can make developing your most accurate load in as few of shots as possible well worth investing $500 in a scale.
Not only are reloading components selling for 100-500% above their norm bullets, and powders are almost unobtainable and primers are the most difficult and expensive of all reloading components to get right now and I suspect will remain so for years not months.

With primers selling for 7-10x their previous prices of less than 20 months ago $500 bucks wont get you 2k primers these days. Last time I bought 5k LRG/RFL I paid less than $200 or less than $40/1000 now I've seen them going for $300 a1000 or over 7.5x or a 750% increase in price. Right now $500 might buy you enough bullets brass primers and powder to reload 200 rifle rounds.

Not a day goes buy I do not thank GOD I have spent the years since comrade Clinton was POTUS gathering not only reloading component supplies, but dies and presses as well.
I decided post whip-out-my willie-Billy on a policy of NEVER leaving a store that sold powder or primers empty handed or finding an online sale that sold cheap ammo (especially 22lr), brass or bullets without making a purchase.
 
DartonJager said:
One way to help justify spending $500 on a A&D scale is the current price and utter scarcity of reloading components and the fact they will almost IMO certainly remain at these insane prices for 2 or more YEARS AT LEAST can make developing your most accurate load in as few of shots as possible well worth investing $500 in a scale.
Not only are reloading components selling for 100-500% above their norm bullets, and powders are almost unobtainable and primers are the most difficult and expensive of all reloading components to get right now and I suspect will remain so for years not months.

With primers selling for 7-10x their previous prices of less than 20 months ago $500 bucks wont get you 2k primers these days. Last time I bought 5k LRG/RFL I paid less than $200 or less than $40/1000 now I've seen them going for $300 a1000 or over 7.5x or a 750% increase in price. Right now $500 might buy you enough bullets brass primers and powder to reload 200 rifle rounds.

Not a day goes buy I do not thank GOD I have spent the years since comrade Clinton was POTUS gathering not only reloading component supplies, but dies and presses as well.
I decided post whip-out-my willie-Billy on a policy of NEVER leaving a store that sold powder or primers empty handed or finding an online sale that sold cheap ammo (especially 22lr), brass or bullets without making a purchase.
Click to expand...
He does not need any help justifying a scale that's not in his budget and in no way will a $500 dollar scale make you load development any faster, It sounds to me like your the one trying to justify spending that kind of money on a scale, No offense intended
 
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ButterBean said:
I guess It's a good thing we are on the Long Range Hunting site then instead of Bench Rest Central
Click to expand...
Obviously we are not at BRC but LRH.
But is it not a truthful and entirely appropriate statement in saying reloading techniques, equipment, components and procedures for competitive long range marksmanship brought into being by BR or PRS competitive shooters in there never ending quest for ultimate accuracy for many years now have been adopted by long range hunters in great numbers and encorporated into thier reloading procedures to enable them to make as consistent of reloaded ammunition as they can achieve to allow them to become proficient long range shooters before undertaking becoming a long range hunter?
In short am I wrong in saying we owe most of what we know of how to make the most consistently accurate ammunition to both competitive BR and PRS shooters and use the equipment and procedures inspired and created by the competitors that make up the BR and PRS communities?
I guess the real question is as a non competitive shooter where does one draw the line in how much we spend on equipment.
I know members here who have bought AMP annealing machines others bought A&D auto trickling scales and some have bought 21st century concentricity tools.
All were created with the competitive shooter community in mind but like Redding and Forster MM BR BSD's and high dollar annealing machines have found their way onto the benches of those who reload for LRH not LR competitive shooting.
So IMHO the line between the reloading techniques technology and equipment being used by BR and PRS competitive shooters and that of long range hunters get blurry all the time.
I guess what I'm asking is besides personal choice or standards how does one define a reloading tool as a need or as a luxury? Is spending $500-$1k on a single piece of reloading equipment justifiable if it helps us achieve our accuracy goals or enables us to overcome a obstacle we have identified beyond doubt that is the cause preventing us from achieving the consistency currently lacking in our reloads and is stopping us from achieving our accuracy goals?
Just my opinion
Felt I should add do we not have the PRS competitive community to thank (not entirely but to a large degree) for the great numbers of never before seen superb scopes that have allowed us to take long range hunting out to distanced never before dreamed of?
 
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For the money, a balance beam scale & a trickler will get it done accurately & consistently without electronics that drift, freak out if your cell phone is too close, need line filters, don't like fluorescent lights, or have to be turned on 30 minutes before loading. (And no fan or A/C please!)

Get one of these (many very good used ones on here, LRH, or eBay):
RCBS (OHAUS) 5-10
RCBS (OHAUS) 10-10
or Lyman (OHAUS) M5

Then find a trickler. I have RCBS, but they'll all work about the same. I miss the old heavy ones! Just liked the feel of the weight. Hard to come by now, but it doesn't matter for what they do. Light ones work fine.

The advice to make HOW you read (look at) your balance beam scale very consistent & repeatable was excellent. Heed that.

Some great thoughts & info here. Just don't lose sight of the forest (quality/consistency) looking at the trees (this one is $500 but 0.01 grain more accurate!) More money buys nice stuff, but you can get where you want to be for the $200 you have, if seeing a digital readout isn't your end all, be all "need" in life.
 
Frog4aday said:
For the money, a balance beam scale & a trickler will get it done accurately & consistently without electronics that drift, freak out if your cell phone is too close, need line filters, don't like fluorescent lights, or have to be turned on 30 minutes before loading. (And no fan or A/C please!)

Get one of these (many very good used ones on here, LRH, or eBay):
RCBS (OHAUS) 5-10
RCBS (OHAUS) 10-10
or Lyman (OHAUS) M5

Then find a trickler. I have RCBS, but they'll all work about the same. I miss the old heavy ones! Just liked the feel of the weight. Hard to come by now, but it doesn't matter for what they do. Light ones work fine.

The advice to make HOW you read (look at) your balance beam scale very consistent & repeatable was excellent. Heed that.

Some great thoughts & info here. Just don't lose sight of the forest (quality/consistency) looking at the trees (this one is $500 but 0.01 grain more accurate!) More money buys nice stuff, but you can get where you want to be for the $200 you have, if seeing a digital readout isn't your end all, be all "need" in life.
Click to expand...
X-2
 
DartonJager said:
Obviously we are not at BRC but LRH.
But is it not a truthful and entirely appropriate statement in saying reloading techniques, equipment, components and procedures for competitive long range marksmanship brought into being by BR or PRS competitive shooters in there never ending quest for ultimate accuracy for many years now have been adopted by long range hunters in great numbers and encorporated into thier reloading procedures to enable them to make as consistent of reloaded ammunition as they can achieve to allow them to become proficient long range shooters before undertaking becoming a long range hunter?
In short am I wrong in saying we owe most of what we know of how to make the most consistently accurate ammunition to both competitive BR and PRS shooters and use the equipment and procedures inspired and created by the competitors that make up the BR and PRS communities?
I guess the real question is as a non competitive shooter where does one draw the line in how much we spend on equipment.
I know members here who have bought AMP annealing machines others bought A&D auto trickling scales and some have bought 21st century concentricity tools.
All were created with the competitive shooter community in mind but like Redding and Forster MM BR BSD's and high dollar annealing machines have found their way onto the benches of those who reload for LRH not LR competitive shooting.
So IMHO the line between the reloading techniques technology and equipment being used by BR and PRS competitive shooters and that of long range hunters get blurry all the time.
I guess what I'm asking is besides personal choice or standards how does one define a reloading tool as a need or as a luxury? Is spending $500-$1k on a single piece of reloading equipment justifiable if it helps us achieve our accuracy goals or enables us to overcome a obstacle we have identified beyond doubt that is the cause preventing us from achieving the consistency currently lacking in our reloads and is stopping us from achieving our accuracy goals?
Just my opinion
Felt I should add do we not have the PRS competitive community to thank (not entirely but to a large degree) for the great numbers of never before seen superb scopes that have allowed us to take long range hunting out to distanced never before dreamed of?
Click to expand...
It's your money, spend it how you wish but to suggest you need an A&D system if you "really" want to do it right and shoot long range is absurd
 
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