so for Christmas my wife bought me the lee anniversary kit. i like everything about it but the scale seems a lil iffy. i work at nasa and i am use to the really nice digital scales. i am now looking for a digital scale but dont wanna go broke buying one. since im new to reloading, what would you guys suggest?

btw- the scale in the kit is the "safety scale" retails for $23 and the digital im looking at is the hornady bench scale...its $88

with the digitals it's kind of a get what you pay for proposition. I used the lee scale for quite a while and didn't have any issues. I had a Hornady but it was much less money so it was probably a different model but I sent it back because of reliability issues. I use a combination dispenser scale made by Lyman but I think when you get close to the 100.00 mark most of the digitals are pretty good. As you probably know too they all use the same technology so name comes into play to a point.

Digitals are finicky. Get a good dispenser and use your Lee to check every dozen drops or so to make sure it is running right. An RCBS 505 or 510 beam scale would be an upgrade, but I won't trust my loads to a digital....yet.

A cheap digital is money better put towards a Lyman powder dispenser.

+1

A regular old balance type scale is and always will be accurate, I can't say the same for even a very good digital. I have used good scales (not for reloading) from companies like Ohaus and Mettler and you really need to treat them right if you expect to get any accuracy out of them (constant temperature, no vibration, fresh batteries, etc...) Even then, they can and will go out of calibration and require maintenance from time to time.
I have an old Redding balance scale that I have had for 20+ years and it is still accurate to 1/10th grain after several moves, storage for 7+ years in an unheated shed, and being jostled around a ton.

I do exactly like s4s4u and set my powder dispenser to throw the load I want and weigh like every 10th or so charge.

I've had a PACT DPPS for 10-12 years with no issues.

No batteries to fail. AC powered.


http://pact.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=12&Itemid=58


WVS329.

looka like a good choice wv! thanks for all the info!

I agree 100%
I use the Lee Pro Measure (fits in the Lee sizing die)for handguns & it is extremely accurate. I do have a Lyman 55 measure that I use for large rifle loads. I check them both with the Lee scale occassionaly.
I know the Lee scale seems a little "cheap", but it's as consistent as any other scale I have used. Lee has a knack for making products that do the job as well as anyone else's at a fraction of the cost (and sometomes appearance).
I spent just shy of %100. for a digital & have never felt good about it.
I used to be an aviation mechanic specializing in helicopters & finally in helicopter gearbox & component overhaul so I like precision measuring equipment, tools, etc but almost all of my reloading stuff is Lee because it just works (at an affordable price).

I have a Dillon Eliminator beam scale a RCBS 10-10 beam and a RCBS micro pro electronic digital. All have been fine. Just remember most electronic scales are only guaranteed for 1 year. Any beam scale that is made by Ohaus is usually guaranteed for life. Ohaus makes many of the beam scales for the major reloading manufacturers. RCBS, Redding, Hornady, Dillon all have scales made by Ohaus. I know there are others but am not sure which ones.

I find the digital RCBS powder disperser and scale to be excellent making the procedure a bunch faster. When the electronic gadgets first came out I bought them and wound up sending it back for a refund because of a complicated operation. I knew in time they would sort things out and they did....

well looks like for now i will try the lee scale and double check myself on a cheap dig. midway scale i had in the cabinet. i will still be looking for a good digital scale though:)