Manual Powder Beam Scales

[truck driver]

Though I have a small electronic scale for weighing brass I use a beam scale for weighing all my powder.
Some beam scales are better then others just like electronic scales.
Which brands and models do you have and use?
I would like to find a Lyman M5 which was made by Ohaus.

 

[mjcmichigan]

RCBS M1000 balance beam scale. Wow!
Fast and accurate.
I do a volume drop, the tweak on balance scale. The RCBS M1000 is very fast.


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[JD338]

Ohas 1010

JD338

 

[jimbires]

my older Lyman scale was acting goofy , so I replaced it with a RCBS 10-10 scale . a couple years later I bought a A&D FX120i digital scale . I had to pull a batch of ammo apart that I loaded on the 10-10 . I dumped the powder on a pan and checked the charge on the digital . I was pleasantly surprised how accurate these charges were . my opinion is , if a guy takes his time with a balance scale he can load very precise powder charges , it just takes a lot more time . getting the scale up to eye level , so you're looking straight in at the needle really helps .

 

[jimbires]

Rodger , there is a guy on accurate shooter forum that goes by " sparker " his name is Scott Parker . he tunes balance scales . if I remember right he thinks highly of the M5 scale . the guys that buy from him seem to just be in awe with how well his scales work . he'll tune your scale , or he sometimes has scales for sale . I have no idea on the cost , but it might be worth getting a price on one of his tuned ones . He has a reputation of being very very slow getting your scale tuned , and poor update communication . if he had what I wanted , I would straight out buy a scale from him , I doubt I'd have him tune one for me . there was just a thread on that forum talking about this problem .


EDIT ;
I just thought of this . Scott has said he can tune the 10-10 scales ONLY if they are the USA made ones . if they are made in Mexico there is nothing he can do with them .

 

[truck driver]

Thanks for the info JimB.
I hang over there a good bit and have talked with Scott about tuning my scale.
I have one of the old made by Ohaus 10-10s when RCBS was in Orvile CA so there would be no problem tuning it but after reading a bunch of post over there I inspected my scale and can't really find anything wrong that a good cleaning wouldn't cure and that is what I have done with the spare time I've had while the forum has been down which caused me to also get a new to me M70.

 

[jimbires]

Thanks for the info JimB.
I hang over there a good bit and have talked with Scott about tuning my scale.
I have one of the old made by Ohaus 10-10s when RCBS was in Orvile CA so there would be no problem tuning it but after reading a bunch of post over there I inspected my scale and can't really find anything wrong that a good cleaning wouldn't cure and that is what I have done with the spare time I've had while the forum has been down which caused me to also get a new to me M70.

I was reading over there yesterday . I saw you found sparker . he seems like a good guy .

 

[truck driver]

Yeah I think he is and probably got over whelmed with repair orders when he started out.
And then they wanted to bash him first and then ask what happened latter.
He told me $95 to tune a scale and 4-6 week turn around.
Mine isn't broke so I won't pay to fix it. o)

 

[Guy Miner]

What do you guys use to check your scale?

I know there's a set of weights available, has been for years, but I've never bought them.

Kinda suspect that a lot of us use a bullet... I know that I do. I'll use a little 32 grain bullet for my 204 Ruger, then check with a 75 grain hollow point 6mm varmint bullet, maybe a 115 grain 257" bullet... etc...

Guy

 

[DrMike]

What do you guys use to check your scale?

I know there's a set of weights available, has been for years, but I've never bought them.

Kinda suspect that a lot of us use a bullet... I know that I do. I'll use a little 32 grain bullet for my 204 Ruger, then check with a 75 grain hollow point 6mm varmint bullet, maybe a 115 grain 257" bullet... etc...

Guy

I use check weights which are always handled with tweezers and kept scrupulously clean. The check weights are not prohibitive in cost.

 

[SJB358]

What do you guys use to check your scale?

I know there's a set of weights available, has been for years, but I've never bought them.

Kinda suspect that a lot of us use a bullet... I know that I do. I'll use a little 32 grain bullet for my 204 Ruger, then check with a 75 grain hollow point 6mm varmint bullet, maybe a 115 grain 257" bullet... etc...

Guy

I have check weights but use a 75 ELD, 147 ELD and a 250 SGK.

 

[jimbires]

I also have a set of check weights , but I use 3 different weight bullets , and the pan . 180.08 gr , 85.04 , 55.08/55.10 this one varies , the pan 135.66 . I set each bullet on the scale and see if it weighs in correctly . while reloading each time the powder pan is removed and placed back on the scale you are checking your zero . the A&D scale I'm using , I've never calibrated it . the 4 bullets , and pan , weigh the same today as they did when I bought the scale 4 or 5 years ago .

 

[truck driver]

I zero the scale with the pan in place just like before weighing powder and then use precision check weights since bullets can vary in weight from one bullet to the next.

 

[Polaris]

I have a Dillon, forget the model number. It is accurate and repeatable. I DO NOT TRUST DIGITAL. My house is weird, and has some strange non-repeatable and random deflections that interfere with them.

I do have some .22 caliber bullets, a silver dime and copper penny, weight confirmed and permanently engraved check weights I use to verify from time to time after a Lyman scale I had went off the rails. It may have been handled roughly. It was sticking on "tare" and giving false readings.

I weighed my control weights on a certified pharmacists scale a reloading friend has for performing precision electronics fabrication.

 

[truck driver]

Polaris I also have one of the Dillon beam scales that I got at swap meet during a pistol match like new in the box along with a 550RL and several tool heads and powder measures.
I had forgot about it and found it while looking for something else on a shelf.
So for giggles I set it up and checked it against my RCBS/Ohaus 10-10 and a digital I use to weigh brass.
My Dillon scale though accurate is not as consistent as my 10-10 . I used the same check weight on all three and the 10-10 was the only one to weigh the check weight the same each time.
The Dillon was always .2-.3 grains light and some times the digital would be either light or heavy by a tenth of a grain.
I was going to have the 10-10 tuned up but have decided that if it's not broke don't fix it.
Sounds like you got a good Dillon scale.

 

[jimbires]

I think that is what the tolerance range is on most of the digital scales sold as reloading scales , +/ - 0.1 grain .