Be Careful, There Mite Be A Problem With Your Scale

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Last Post 12 December 2020

CBA Member

cove posted this 18 August 2020

This morning I decided to load up a batch of 38 HBWC ammo. As I was placing the beam on the Pacific scale, I noticed a small whitish blob near the 1/10 grain weight. Since I wanted gnat's ass accuracy, this blob would have to go. When I went to remove it, it moved. Closer inspection revealed this tiny blob had legs. Was it a mite? I don't know, it might have been a midge.

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Michael S posted this 18 August 2020

I get those same bugs <mites> in my re loading room and they love eating the paper/cardboard of my Hornady bullet component boxes. I do not know if they arrive in the bullet component boxes or if they just happen to come across my stacks of boxes on my re loading shelf. Two times I have had to clear up the mess they leave as result of eating the paper/cardboard boxes.

GOD, United States of America, US Marine Corps, Family, Self

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Standard Member

Qc Pistolero posted this 21 August 2020

I make sure to dust off the pan and beam with a clean rag every time I use my scale;it doesn't take much to change the reading by 1 or 2 tenth of a grain.

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CBA Member

Brodie posted this 22 August 2020

Michael S.

Those mites probably came in with the boxes of Hornady bullets either as eggs in the paper or even as full grown mites within the paper folds.

I don't have a problem with mites, as far as I know, but the mice used to chew on the bullet boxes. Now I have the garage salted with "Ramik" rodent poison. It works like a charm, but I hate to think how many bodies are under my chest freezer.

If you want to ensure the accuracy of your powder scale; buy a set of guaranteed weights. You will probably have to mathematically convert them to grains, but being able to check just how accurate the scale is can be a real good thing.

B.E.Brickey

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dbosman posted this 10 September 2020

If you have access to a college science student, high school science teacher, or kind pharmacist, you can make check weights out of coated paper clips. Using your existing scale, weigh coated paper clips (so they don't oxidize quickly) to equal common charge weights. Clip all the paper clips to one, for a compact mess. Ask a favor of your science guru and have them weigh them on their certified lab scale and write that on a paper envelope for each check weight.

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CBA Member

Dale53 posted this 12 December 2020

I have both balance beam powder scales and digital scales. Balance beam powder scales work perfectly well, but I have come to prefer digital scales.

There is something people need to know about digital scales, tho'. They need to be "warm" to get the most accurate and repeatable results. It is suggested that they need 20 minutes after turned on to stabilize. Just plan ahead a bit (I load in my climate controlled basement shop), so I just pop down there and make sure that my digital scale is turned on at least 20 minutes before.

I have a set of check weights and USE them...

Keep safe (and accurate (:>), folks!