6 Best Reloading Scales With Digital Readout That Hold Calibration
A scale that holds calibration is crucial for reloading. We review 6 top digital models known for delivering consistent, accurate powder measurements.
You’ve spent hours meticulously cleaning brass, resizing, and seating bullets, all to build the perfect load for that long-range shot. You place the pan on your digital scale, trickle in the last few kernels of powder, and the screen reads exactly 42.5 grains. Ten minutes later, you re-weigh the same charge just to be sure, and now it reads 42.8 grains—a small difference on the screen, but a potentially huge one downrange. This is the challenge of "drift," and a scale that holds its calibration is the bedrock of safe, consistent, and accurate handloading.
Disclosure: This site earns commissions from listed merchants at no cost to you. Thank you!
Why Calibration Stability Matters for Safe Reloading
Think of calibration as teaching your scale what "zero" and a known weight (like 50 grams) actually feel like. A stable scale remembers that lesson all day long. The enemy is "drift," where the scale’s reading slowly wanders due to temperature shifts, fluorescent lighting, or even just electronic noise. A drifting scale is a dangerous scale.
That 0.3-grain drift we mentioned isn’t just an annoyance; it’s a safety issue. An unintentional increase in powder could push pressures into a dangerous zone, risking damage to your firearm and yourself. Conversely, a charge that’s too light could result in a squib load, where the bullet lodges in the barrel. A scale that you can trust to hold its zero is the single most important piece of safety equipment on your reloading bench. It ensures every round you build is consistent with the last, which is the entire point of handloading in the first place.
A&D FX-120i: The Ultimate in Lab-Grade Precision
If your goal is wringing out every last bit of accuracy for a competition or a once-in-a-lifetime hunt, you need data you can trust implicitly. The A&D FX-120i isn’t just a reloading scale; it’s a laboratory-grade scientific instrument that happens to be perfect for the job. It uses a magnetic force restoration sensor, which is incredibly resistant to drift and provides a stunningly precise resolution of 0.02 grains.
This is the definition of "buy once, cry once." The price is significant, but what you’re buying is certainty. It’s for the serious benchrest shooter or the long-range fanatic who understands that a tenth of a grain can be the difference between a hit and a miss at 1,000 yards. You can leave this scale on all day, and its reading will be rock-solid. The tradeoff is purely financial, but for those who require the absolute best, the peace of mind is worth it.
RCBS ChargeMaster Link for Smart, Connected Accuracy
For the reloader who appreciates a modern, streamlined workflow, the RCBS ChargeMaster Link is a fantastic choice. It combines a reliable scale with an automated powder dispenser, but its standout feature is Bluetooth connectivity. By pairing it with the RCBS app on your phone, you can store and manage your load data digitally, making your process more organized and repeatable.
The scale itself is built on RCBS’s long-standing reputation for solid performance. It holds calibration well and offers a clean, easy-to-use interface. This unit is perfect for the tech-savvy handloader who is building ammo for various firearms and wants to keep their recipes straight without a paper logbook. It’s a step up in convenience and cost from a standalone scale, offering a great balance of modern features and trusted accuracy.
Frankford Arsenal Intellidropper: Fast Dispensing
When you need to load 200 rounds for a weekend pistol match, speed becomes a major factor. The Frankford Arsenal Intellidropper is built for this scenario. It’s an all-in-one dispenser and scale designed to throw accurate charges quickly. Its "powder calibration" mode learns the grain size and density of your chosen powder, optimizing the dispensing speed to get you close to your target weight fast, then trickling the last few tenths for precision.
This machine is a workhorse for high-volume reloaders. The stability of the scale is solid, and it has built-in features to help maintain its zero during long sessions. While it may not have the lab-grade precision of the A&D, it delivers excellent, repeatable charges far faster than you could by hand. The tradeoff is a larger footprint on your bench, but for the shooter who values their time, the Intellidropper is a game-changer.
Hornady G3-1500: Reliable and Compact Performance
Sometimes, you just need a simple tool that does its job without fuss. The Hornady G3-1500 is that tool. It’s a compact, standalone digital scale that has earned a reputation for being a reliable performer that holds its calibration well, especially for its price point. It’s small enough to fit on even the most crowded reloading benches and is incredibly easy to use.
This is the perfect scale for someone who prefers to trickle their powder by hand or who uses a manual powder measure and just needs a trustworthy tool to verify the charge weight. It doesn’t have the bells and whistles of a dispenser combo, but its simplicity is its strength. For the weekend warrior or the new reloader who wants a dependable scale without a huge investment, the G3-1500 is a fantastic starting point that will serve you well for years.
Lyman Gen6: Space-Saving Touchscreen Convenience
Is your reloading bench doubling as a corner of your garage workbench? Bench space is a premium for many of us, and that’s where the Lyman Gen6 shines. This compact, all-in-one powder system was designed with a minimal footprint in mind. It uses a touchscreen interface for a clean, modern feel and incorporates electronic shielding to resist interference from cell phones and other devices that can cause drift.
The Gen6 is ideal for the reloader who wants the convenience of an automated dispenser but doesn’t have the space for a larger unit. It warms up quickly and is known for holding its zero reliably through a loading session. The main tradeoff is the touchscreen itself—some prefer tactile buttons—but for a space-saving design that delivers consistent charges, it’s a well-designed solution.
GemPro 250: Affordable Accuracy for Hand-Trickling
You don’t have to spend a fortune to get incredible precision. The GemPro 250 is a favorite among meticulous reloaders on a budget, and for good reason. It offers a razor-sharp 0.02-grain resolution, the same as scales costing ten times as much. This makes it an absolutely phenomenal tool for hand-trickling powder to achieve perfect, consistent charge weights.
The key to the GemPro’s performance is providing it with a stable environment. It’s sensitive, so you need to protect it from drafts and place it on a sturdy surface. Its capacity is lower at 250 grains, but that’s more than enough for weighing powder charges. For the reloader who enjoys the deliberate process of trickling powder and demands precision without the high price tag, the GemPro 250 offers unbeatable value.
Key Features: Drift, Resolution, and Capacity
When you’re comparing scales, it’s easy to get lost in the specs. Focus on these three things, and you’ll make a smart choice for your needs. They represent the classic balance of performance, precision, and practicality.
- Drift: This is the most important factor. A scale that can’t hold its zero is unreliable and unsafe. Look for models with good electronic shielding and features designed to maintain calibration over time. A low-drift scale is non-negotiable.
- Resolution: This is the smallest weight increment the scale can display, typically 0.1 or 0.02 grains. For pistol and general rifle loading, 0.1 grains is perfectly adequate. For long-range precision shooting where tiny variations matter, a 0.02-grain resolution provides a higher level of confidence.
- Capacity: This is the maximum weight the scale can measure. Most reloading scales have a capacity between 250 and 1500 grains. Unless you plan on weighing very heavy bullets or full cartridges, almost any scale designed for reloading will have sufficient capacity for measuring powder charges.
Ultimately, the right choice depends on your reloading style. A high-volume pistol shooter might prioritize the speed of a dispenser with 0.1-grain resolution, while a benchrest competitor will gladly trade speed for the 0.02-grain certainty of a high-end scale used for hand-trickling.
At the end of the day, the best reloading scale is the one you can trust completely. Whether it’s a high-tech dispenser or a simple, precise scale for hand-trickling, its job is to provide reliable, repeatable data so you can build safe and accurate ammunition. Choose the one that fits your bench, your budget, and your process, and then get back to what matters most: spending a great day at the range, confident in every single round you’ve crafted.
