I have a Lee Safety scale, and have used it for a few years. Since I work at a place with a lot of precise chemical scales, I have checked a few loads against a "good" scale and noticed that my Lee varies a bit. The extreme is just under .3 gr from measured wieght, but on average it is around .1 grains difference. To be honest I am not sure if the variation is me or in the scale itself. I make an effort to rezero and clean the scale often.

There is a Hornady scale and a number of RCBS scales at the local gun shop that I have been looking at, but I am not sure I really "need" it.

Is there more accurate and easy to use beam scales out there then the Lee? Just wondering if I need to upgrade.

You can always pick up a couple of weights that are certified accurate and test the scale. If you're already close to .1 grain I don't think you really need to worry.

Steve

quote:

Originally posted by NEJack:
Is there more accurate and easy to use beam scales out there then the Lee?

Almost anything is better than Lee. I use a 25 year old Redding for weighing powder and a 10-10 RCBS for weighing bullets.

I`ve a RCBS 10-10 and my dads old 505 plus a Pact digital and all three seem to be very similar in accuracy. The major manufactures, RCBS, Hornady, Redding, ect all claim 0.1 gr accuracy so I doubt you`ll find any one make or style "more" accurate then another. The differance is in the dampening and ease of set-up/use.
You say you`ve access to lab scales, try making a couple check wgts from brass or stainless steel. The wgts should be in the range of the powder charges you normally use, say one @10, 20, and 40 gr. You can double up the wgts to check higher values.
I have read that bench rest shooters drop their charges instead of weighting each one, and notice no differance in accuracy or POI with a tenth or so variation. I don`t think you`ll see any with a factory hunting type rifle and shouldn`t have any safty concerns either unless you are loading at the very edge.

As previously stated, just about anything is better than Lee.

It all depends on how much you want to spend.

I use an RCBS 10-10 and couldn't recommend a better off the shelf manual scale.

I have also used the 5-0-5 and can say that it is another fine scale.

As a rule of thumb, the less plastic you have, the more quality the scale.

-Spencer

Manual scale quality is literally in "the eye of the beholder" That balance arm, while should be "zeroed" each reloading session, needs to be balanced with the representative sample or errors from sample to sample will exist. My RCBS 304 is lab quality but, dust, bumping the instrument, powder amount above or below the zero, and temperature/breeze can adulterate the results. Regards

I'm no fan of Lee's safety scale.....but if you're sure it's within .3 grains .....or better....it's fine for rifle loading.

Mine is from Dillan by Ohaus...it's a fine scale and I trust it always.

I talked with the Lab manager yesterday, I might just take my scale in check it with the standards at the plant.

Currently I am debating between a Hornady or the 503 RCBS if I have to replace one.

A couple of years ago, I took my little Lyman scale into our state's quality control lab at the department of agriculture. These are the folks that certify scales throughout the state. I asked them to check out my scale and tell me if it was accurate.

After about twenty years of hard use and treatment it was very, very accurate, i.e., well within + or - .1 grain.

I used to have a little Lee measure, but gave it to my son. I didn't have any beefs with its accuracy.

I found my electronic scale is more prone to vary than the Lyman, and use it to throw rough charges which I "refine" on the Lyman.

I have found that using dippers can also result in very consistent charges if you can find a dipper that comes close to the load you want to load. Kudude

Set your scale for say 10 grains, throw 10 charges and weigh them together. Should get 100 grains.

Lee says their scale is accurate to +/- .1 grain, interesting that is what you are getting. Now the fun part, at 300 dollar scale is accurate to.....you guessed it, .1 grain Since the scale is cannot weigh more accurately than that, what is the problem?

I too use the Lee, and find it far from perfect, but it is accurate with evey means I have of testing it and I've never had it lie to me, I ain't blown nothing up, and don't find it's idiosyncrosies any worse than those of other scales I have used.

The biggest problem I have with the Lee is that is only weighs to 110 grains. Plenty enough for weighing charges, but lousy if you want to weigh bullets or cases. But then I've not had that show itself to be a handicap to good groups either.

Is the Lee a quality scale? If the measure of that is consistancy of measured weight, I'm not sure how one could say it is not. Is it a bit funky to work with? Absolutely. Will I spend 60 bucks or more to replace it? Not so long as my reloading budget keeps me asking "Primers or scale....primers or scale......"

quote:

Originally posted by johnnypaul:
If the measure of that is consistancy of measured weight, I'm not sure how one could say it is not."

I think this is the main point. All correctly working balance scales I've used are accurate enough for the average reloader. What he needs is consistancy. Who realy cares if the accurate load found is showing say 50gr. but in fact is 49.9 or 50.1 gr., as long as you can repeat it.
In my personal experence the biggest error would be an incorrect setting by the user.

I bought a set of check weights cheap, and using them made a group of check weights to the exact wt. of what I normaly reload.

So instead of fiddleing around with up to half a dozen bits, I just put on a piece of copper wire cut to the reqired wt.
These bits of wire are coded by shape and show me that I have the correct setting on the scale and that it is still zeroed.
What fun.
JL.

That is correct JAL, I don't care all that much if my load is 46.3 or 46.2 as long as every time I set the scale to that point, it reads consistent. What I have been worried about is that the scale itself might be off. I was just wondering if there was a recognized "good" scale.

While the Lee is susposed to be difficult, it is similar to many of the balance scales I had to use in college. I don't want to use an electric, as the problems associated with them can be more of a bother than waiting for the balance scale to settle down. That and the price would cause my bride to pistol whip me with my own 1911!

quote:

Originally posted by JAL:
I just put on a piece of copper wire cut to the reqired wt.
These bits of wire are coded by shape and show me that I have the correct setting on the scale and that it is still zeroed.

That's a good idea!
Think I'll grab some wire and make up a couple of those for the common loads I use, easy zero check.

I would have bought the Lee scale but I went with the Hornady so I can weight my bullets.

Steve

I will also state that my RCBS 10-10 has been a superb scale for over 10 years now.

I bought a used 10-10 on ebay a year ago. Bought it for about 1/2 of new at approx $60. That scale makes my 505 look like a tin can. It ALWAYS measures the same and never needs adjustment. I love it and think it was one of the best tool values I bought or upgraded to for reloading.

I got a 5-0-5 and a Lee.I found to get the Lee to read the same as the Ohaus.I had to level the shelf the Lee sat on.I used my machinist's level.I liked the swing on the Lee much better,but when I removed that leveled shelf for more room,I put away the Lee.To get consistant reading with the Lee, mark it's sitting place.

I have owned several reloading scales including a 5-05 and a pact electronic. I have also used several other brands owned by others.

The RCBS 10-10 is far and away the best scale I have used for reloading. The magnetic damping is very effective and it settles at zero quite rapidly. I mostly appreciate that the gr and tenths dial is a screw adjustment with a secondary lock screw, it simply does not get moved during a reloading session. I have found the poise moved during a session with other scales and had to pull bullets from many rounds. The 10-10 (built by O-haus) is definitely worth a few dollars more.

And an added benifit of the 10-10 is the intgral packing case and dust cover. When not in use, all the components store in the base and a hard plastic cover protects the assembly from dust.

You all seem to have Degrees, so I'm hopeing someone can help me out with a little problem I think I've had with Magnetic dampining powder scales.
Years ago I shifted house and packed up a magnetic for some time, and when I eventually unpacked it, it seemed to go haywire.
On trying to zero it, the pointer seemed to be pushed away from the centre line either up or down, but wouldn't stay lined up.
Is that possible with magnets??
Anyway I hoyed it and got a Redding with no dampner.
Years later when I got more money than sense I again started buying the magnetics, and one in particular, a Lyman 500 pro, when accidently bumped a bit seemed to do the same thing for a short while. I can only think I need degaussing or something.
JL.

I bought an Ohaus 10-10 in the early 70's for ~ $35.00, and have used it ever since. A great piece of equipment!

For Rifle loads I throw every charge just a little light and trickle up.

Storage in the plastic case is a real plus as dust, etc., is kept from the knife edges of the beam.

The magnetic damping system works without magnets, and works very well!

JMHO and YMMV