I fired my Lee scale tonight - and hired an RCBS 505

[rthillusa]

For $25 bucks, the Lee scale is a bargain and a great start into reloading for not much money. But the last few times I used it - it seemed to have a problem "sticking" and I'd keep trickling more and more powder into the pan until I knew I had to be overweight, then I'd tap it and the beam would swing all the way to max. The steel plate on the end of the beam that is supposed to dampen the oscillations would hang on the magnet because the beam was slightly off center.

The other concern I had was 75 grain Hornady bullets were weighing in at 74.7 and 58 grain bullets were weighing in at 57.8. I was pretty sure Hornady wasn't selling under weight bullets so I broke down and forked over almost $100 bucks for a 5-0-5. Sure enough, on the 5-0-5 the bullets weighed in at exactly 75 and 58 grains respectively.

The 5-0-5 has a few of its own quirks. You zero it by adjusting the front leg. If your work surface isn't 100% even, and you slide the scale around a little as you work thru a batch of bullets, you can find it off zero in the middle of the batch because the front leg is on a high or low spot. To be fair, the same is probably true of the Lee scale, but it sits on four "legs" and didn't seem as finicky about movement after zeroing. But the 5-0-5 dampens out beautifully and does not "hang" like the Lee scale. Plus you can weight the whole cartridge if you want to for some odd reason, while Lee only goes to 100 grains.

I have nothing against the Lee scale - for $25 it is a great deal. The 5-0-5 cost 4 times as much but at this stage of the game, it is well worth extras $75 bucks to me.

[Napier]

Thanks for sharing that experience. But why not an electronic scale? My Hornady GS1500 is $30 at Cowbellah's. Not perfect, but serviceable.

[Beiruty]

My bro had this http://www.cabelas.com/product/Shooting ... t104661180" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

And I loaded some 200 rd of 338 Lupa and it was a joy to measure and dispense 70gr of powder.

[rthillusa]

I was going to get a digital scale but read a lot of negative reviews that made me think unless I spent north of $200 I would not be getting a reliable, dependable electronic scale.

[Napier]

You are smarter than I am. I didn't do any research, an impulse buy based on the price. My only concern so far is that the minimum readout increment is 0.1 grain and the claimed accuracy is 0.05 grain. So measuring out 4.3 grains of Titegroup is a bit close when the minimum load is 4.1 grains and the maximum load is 4.5 grains.

[Napier]

My bro had this http://www.cabelas.com/product/Shooting ... t104661180" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

And I loaded some 200 rd of 338 Lupa and it was a joy to measure and dispense 70gr of powder.

70 grains! Wouldn't a teaspoon have sufficed? I'm guessing that that weighs what it costs in coinage.

[PBratton]

My bro had this http://www.cabelas.com/product/Shooting ... t104661180" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

And I loaded some 200 rd of 338 Lupa and it was a joy to measure and dispense 70gr of powder.

70 grains! Wouldn't a teaspoon have sufficed? I'm guessing that that weighs what it costs in coinage.

Only $330 on sale and Cabelas!

[Don2]

My bro had this http://www.cabelas.com/product/Shooting ... t104661180" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

And I loaded some 200 rd of 338 Lupa and it was a joy to measure and dispense 70gr of powder.

70 grains! Wouldn't a teaspoon have sufficed? I'm guessing that that weighs what it costs in coinage.

Only $330 on sale and Cabelas!

WoW..are they up that high now? When I bought my Chargemaster combo it was about $250'ish !
Oh well...prices keep going up and my pay keeps going down..!!

Anyway, nothing wrong with a 505, its a very good scale...Plus they all have their place....
I mainly use my 10-10, its my go-to scale. I like the micrometer-style poise and it can be locked with a plastic thumbscrew they have.
I used a 5-10 for a long time..wish they still made them.

Don2

[Don2]

Had to drag my Lyman 500 scale out today - twice.

First time to set up my Hornady powder-measure to throw a specific amount.

Second time to recalibrate it when the pistol insert dropped out, spewing powder all over the place

Don't you love powder all over your bench???
I still remember a few times when I left the plug out of the top of my MEC shot shell loaders and
tilted back the assembly ..!!
WHAT A MESS....I think I picked up powder for a long time...then there was the time I did the same thing with the shot bottle..and I was loading #9's at the time...A MILLION little round lead balls rolling all over the place...Its been about a few years and I still find shot in strange places

I feel your pain

Don2

[rthillusa]

In all fairness to Mr. Lee and his safety scale I did some comparative analysis last night between the Lee scale and the RCBS 5-0-5. I was interested in comparing the relative sensitivity of the two.

Both scales will show a movement on a 1/10th grain weight change but I found that the Lee scale will show a 1/10th of a grain change in weight much more clearly than the 5-0-5. Both did show a movement when 3-4 kernals of Varget were trickled in the pan. But the beam on the Lee scale moved a good quarter of an inch, clearly signaling a weight change (when the beam didn't hang up on the dampening magnet) - while the movement of the 5-0-5 beam was harder to detect unless you were watching it closely and at eye level.

I am also finding the 5-0-5 is exasperatingly hard to keep zeroed, even when it is not moved. I have not been able to account for this dificulty. It is nearly impossible to get the Lee scale to zero at all.

I was at Cabela's today and noticed they have Hornady's electronic scale for $96 and I am kicking myself for not getting it instead. Maybe I will anyway - then I can have a three way bake off - and then will never be sure what my charge really weighs -like the man with two watches who cannot be sure of the time.

As far as powder on the bench - I have found a new use for that can of compressed air I bought to blow the dust out of the computers. It does a great job of clearing the work surface - but I've noticed the floor is starting to feel pretty gritty. Hmmm

[Napier]

I put a towell where powder inevitably falls, shake it out outside afterward, then wash the towell. Titegroup just kind of sparkles when you intentionally burn it, so I am not too worried about a little powder.

[Don2]

Blew the powder off my bench with compressed-air as well - then I got experimentally-minded and used a shop vac to suck the powder off the floor. Didn't ignite

You made me think of a method I heard about to vacuum powder or shot up.
You are suppose to use a pair of womens hose or some other thin knitted material and insert it some into the end of the hose making sort of a cup inside. Then tie/tape it in place and turn vac. on and recover powder or whatever, then hold over container and turn off vac. and there ya go ????

Never tried it...But I have read several accounts of it working.

Just an idea.
Don2