weighing roundballs-beam scale

[newtewsmoke]

after reading about everyone weighing their balls, I've decided that maybe I should weigh mine, all I have is a balance beam scale. Set up to weigh some and the short story is it its VERY slow and tedious. Anyone have any tricks or advice how to speed up the process or is an electronic scale the best route?

 

[PowderMonkey]

I just got this one Friday and it works great, Small,can take it anywhere, comes with a case, pan, and calibration weight. Easy to use and can measure up to 750 grains.
http://www.amazon.com/Frankford-20...47326&sr=8-1&keywords=digital+reloading+scale

 

[bpd303]

Digital is the way to go.

 

[hanshi]

Yes, digital is the only way to go if one insists on weighing ball. I'm lazy and would rather shoot than spend time with a scale.

 

[necchi]

I still use my Hornady/Pacific beam scale.
Consider the calibration marks on the scale's indicator, and that +/- .5grns of average will keep all ball within the 1grn mark.
It's easy to watch the swing,, the scale doesn't have to settle for an absolute weight of each ball.
A ball placed on the scale will either be within range or not. :idunno:

The only tedious part is finding the average of the group,, 10-12 ball weighed to it's actual weight is enough for me,, all others either make the swing or not.

I have a cheap ($20) electronic scale and consider it fairly worthless and a waste of money.

 

[gunner69skmc]

Listen to PowderMonkey and go the digital scale. The money spent will solve what could be a real P.I.T.A. for sure. :stir:

 

[plinker]

When I weigh round balls, I take a sample of 20 or so, and weigh them to find the heaviest. Then I set up two groups: those that weigh within a half grain of the heaviest and those that weigh from a half grain to a grain less than the heaviest. Any that are more than a grain lighter get melted down and recast.

To do this with a balance beam scale I would first find the heaviest from my group of 20. Set the scale at a half grain less than that weight and notice how high the pointer is above the zero mark. Tape a little piece of paper to the scale with tick marks that much above and below the zero mark. Now put a fresh ball in the pan. If the pointer goes above the zero mark that ball goes in the heavy pile. If it is between zero and the bottom mark, it goes in the light pile, and if it is below the light mark it gets remelted.

You don't have to know how much each one weighs, just whether it is above or below a desired weight which , in my case is a half grain below the weight of the heaviest in a sample.

 

[plinker]

Double post.

 

[Semisane]

I've had one of the AWS scales at the link below for the last five years and have used it hundreds of times to weigh balls. It's fast and easy, and is still operating on the two batteries that came with it. You can switch it from grams to grains. Max is 1500 grains.
http://www.amazon.com/American-Wei...UTF8&qid=1409959394&sr=8-1&keywords=aws+scale

 

[rustyh]

I have the same one as Powder Monkey, works great, doesn't drift, quick and easy.

 

[Rifleman1776]

I have an Ohaus 10/10 balance beam. It is sold under many different brand names and has been on the market for decades unchanged.
I never found it tedious to use. It is accurate and reliable.
Digital might be nice but I have never had reason to switch.
Let yer budget dictate.

 

[newtewsmoke]

I have an Ohaus 10/10 balance beam. It is sold under many different brand names and has been on the market for decades unchanged.
I never found it tedious to use. It is accurate and reliable.
Digital might be nice but I have never had reason to switch.
Let yer budget dictate.

Thank You for that Rifleman!

do you weigh your RB's? I know the beam scale is plenty good for the job.:wink:

 

[Semisane]

I've done beam and I've done digital. Can't imagine going back to beam. Digital is about ten times faster and 100 times less tedious.

 

[PowderMonkey]

I can't see myself using a beam to measure out a box of balls, too time consuming waiting for the beam to settle. Digital is fast and accurate, and the scale can be inexpensive.

 

[Don Steele]

That pretty much describes how I use my beam scale,to check-weigh all the bullets I cast.
There is NO reason to get an exact weight for each one. Weight gradingis not acquiring an actual weight for each RB. It is nothing more than deciding what RANGE is acceptable to you personally. Once you have that...set your beam weights in the middle of your chosen range and they go in and out of the pan pretty quickly.

 

[necchi]

and they go in and out of the pan pretty quickly.

Exactly :thumbsup:
A few seconds at the most.

 

[Rifleman1776]

I have an Ohaus 10/10 balance beam. It is sold under many different brand names and has been on the market for decades unchanged.
I never found it tedious to use. It is accurate and reliable.
Digital might be nice but I have never had reason to switch.
Let yer budget dictate.

Thank You for that Rifleman!

do you weigh your RB's? I know the beam scale is plenty good for the job.:wink:

Back in the days when I was a serious 'X' hunter I weighed every ball and allowed only .1 of an ounce variation. Haven't done that for a long time. But, now I shoot a light bench match a few times a year and might get more serious about tightening those groups again.

 

[Zonie]

I bet almost all of your roundballs met that requirement.

0.1 of an ounce equals 43.75 grains. :grin:

 

[Rifleman1776]

I bet almost all of your roundballs met that requirement.

0.1 of an ounce equals 43.75 grains. :grin:

:redface: :redface: :redface:

 

[Ken Cormier]

I weighed some round balls once put 20 on the scale and they weighed a pound 20 gauge just what I wanted. I shoot a smoothie most of the time never found a need for pin point accuracy on a woodswalk. I will leave the 10x ring for younger eye's. Bambi on the plate and the ringing of a gong in the woods Don't git any better than that.