About Electronic Powder Measuring Scale
Measuring gun powder charges using a manual balance scale is an often tedious and time consuming task. Thankfully, in the early 1990's, electronic powder measuring scales entered a grateful marketplace and many reloading enthusiasts haven't looked back since. However, there are benefits and drawbacks for using electronic powder measuring scales.
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Benefits
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Electronic powder measuring scales are mainly time savers. They give users a nearly instant weight reading to measure periodic loads. Compared to waiting for manual scales to balance and settle, this feature alone makes the expense of upgrading worth it for most hobby re-loaders and nearly all professionals. The amount of time saved for professional re-loaders equates to an added profit. Time can be used for cranking out more rounds without losing any accuracy in measurement.
Accuracy
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Because of the extremely tiny unit of measurement needed for hand reloading, maintaining consistent accuracy is absolutely essential. If the powder charge varies even slightly between rounds, not only will shooting accuracy be as inconsistent as the velocity of each bullet, but greater powder charges can also cause gun barrels to quickly overheat or even become warped if a significant amount of overpowered ammunition is used. Thankfully, electronic powder measuring scales maintain the same level of accuracy as their balance scale counterparts: usually within about 0.1 grains.
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Using the Tare Feature
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Another great benefit that electronic scales offer is the tare weight feature. Tare weight, simply put, is the difference between a heavy and a lightweight of any object. The reason this is so useful is that reloading enthusiasts can use the tare weight feature to measure the exact amount of powder after it is dispensed into a shell casing. Simply place an empty, trimmed casing onto the scale after a new primer is attached and press the tare button. The scale will then read zero, allowing the casing to be filled with powder and replaced on the scale to show the difference. Until the scale is zeroed out again, every charge measured will be based on the weight of that casing for as long as desired.
Expert Insight
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While electronic powder measuring scales offer a consistent, reliable and time-saving approach to powder measurement and verification, all electronic devices should be kept at a comfortable room temperature for the best readings. According to Charles E. Petty in "Guns Magazine," the easiest method for keeping the inner circuits warm and reliable is to simple leave the scale on at all times. This will, he says, require an AC adapter for the scale to save on battery costs, but the result is that users will not have to wait 30 minutes for the scale to reach proper temperature.
Cost
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Electronic powder measuring scales have come down in price significantly from their first arrival on the market. While one could not be obtained for less than $500 in the past, reliable scales can now be obtained for a fraction of that cost through a variety of sporting retailers and catalogs.
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Resources
- Photo Credit Image Author: arker
