Not to open a big can of worms ... I think it's already been opened ... and shut, again. I'm only posting this as I've actually received a response from the manufacturer ... and figured it was worth sharing.
I think most folks 'round here are aware of the whole "0.1gr/0.01g" deallie. Fer thems that ain't, the conversion from grams to grains is 15.4323584 ... and most such scales (if not all) actually weigh in grams, and then do the simple math, to show grains. At which, a scale that measures 0.02g might show (quite accurately) 0.3gr ... but when it measures 0.05g, it would most likely show 0.8gr (0.77, rounded up) ... and when it measures 0.04g, it would most likely show 0.6gr (without dropping places, after conversion, that's 0.617294336). Even if it didn't round, and rather truncated, there would still be an issue with the scale "skipping" tenth grains.
I had called Dillon, who referred me to CED (the manufacturer of the scale). I talked to a couple women, initially ... they weren't making much sense ... and told me to send an email, which I did. That was over 2wk ago ... I finally got a response, yesterday ... here it is:
The current D-Terminator electronic scale is measuring in gram and then convert the reading to grain. The error due to unit conversation will be within +-0.05 grain (equal to 0.003 gram)
No matter how, the error due to unit conversion will always be there. It is just a matter of which unit measure is more important for the application.
Respectfully, Charles Hardy - CED
This may seem like an awkward response ... that's because the question I asked him was ... "is the scale measuring to 0.01g, and then converting to grains, or is it measuring 0.1gr, and converting to grams?" Oddly enough, if the scale accurately measured in 0.1gr, and then converted to grams, and rounded to hunderdths, ya'd see relatively few gaps in the hunderdths for grams, but it would otherwise be accurate to 0.1gr (it would then actually be accurate to 0.00648g, so conversion aside, anyone else happy with 0.01g, would never know the difference). So, by his response (above), even without admitting the "error due to unit conversation", by stating that it measures to 0.01g, and then converts to grains, he's confirmed the "error" ... and in all, has confirmed it, twice.
However, his statement, while he admits there's an "error due to unit conversation" of "+-0.05 grain", is not the whole story. The 0.05gr "error" is simply due to the conversion. As the scale only displays to tenths ... not hunderdths ... you don't get the benefit of seeing when/where this "error" occurs. Instead, you see jumps of 0.2gr, instead of only 0.1gr.
At which, I see this as confirmation from the manufacturer that Dillon's $140 electronic scale (that I was dumb 'nuff to buy, to start with, 'cause it said RIGHT ON IT, was good to "0.1gr" ), is in fact, not one bit better than any other $30 electronic scale which has the same "error". Point of fact ... you would have to get a scale that's good to 0.005g (technically, roughly 0.00648), in order to get accurate readings to 0.1gr.
I'm in no way suggesting that this "error" isn't otherwise acceptable. If you're loading that hot, you need to be working up slowly, long before that point, and watching for pressure signs. And you could otherwise double or triple the number of drops, and divide back out for an "each" weight.
I'm only suggesting one needn't pay an extra $110.
Anyone who'd like to call "BS" on me, is more 'n welcome to pay me $80 for my "as new" Dillon D-Terminator electronic scale ... an absolute BARGAIN!