Observations of 2 different Beam Scales

[tcanthonyii]

Wow been a long time since I've been here. Haven't reloaded much in 3 years. Infact I haven't shot in a year... I'm out of loads for deer season this year so I'm getting ready load up some 270, 30-30 and 223. There are 3 of us hunting.

Anyway Wife and kid are at a concert tonight so I decided to clean up the bench. Once that was done I went to zero the scales. I've always used a Lee beam scale. It came with my kit and was adequate. A couple years ago I got a really good deal on a used 505 but I have not used it. I have no check weights but I did have some 50gr 224's and some 60gr 224's. Both Hornady. I figured they would be close enough to making sure the scales read the same. To my amazement the Lee would read within a tenth of a grain for each bullet. The 505 would be off by several grains, each time heavier than the lee scale.

I went to the local Scheels to see if they had check weights which they did not. Bummer. So sitting here thinking about asking how to get this thing to read right I look and where the magnet is I see small metal wire out of a wire brush. I pull it out and low and behold the scale needs zero'd again. It now reads identical to the Lee scale. I'm shocked that the one wire would cause that much of a disruption but it did.

Anyway thought I would share my experience in case it helps someone else.

 

[splattergun]

It won't hurt to have check weights on hand, so don't give up the search.
I check the zero on my Lee beam scale before each loading session. Same with my Franklin electronic scale.

 

[badkarmamib]

I couldn't find a set of weights I liked, with good reviews on being accurate, so I use a new dime, which is almost exactly 35 grains.

 

[FROGO207]

With that 505 you have to periodically clean the agate bearings and knife edges of the balance to keep it from being slow to react and inaccurate. I clean mine ( a 10-10) about once a month with air in a can and about every year I disassemble and really clean it completely. I also have a dust cover over it when not in use. That is a clear plastic shoe storage box from Walmart turned upside down that I cover/protect both my balance scales with.

 

[thomas15]

Some fella set a long distance shootin' record using a Lee Safety Scale. Best advice I can give to the OP and anyone for that matter is if you have one of them cheap 505s, toss it in the dust bin.

 

[mmorris]

My best advice for 505 owners is to love and respect its virtues, ignore its shortcomings, and it will serve nicely

 

[Bart B.]

There's no need for any powder scale to be accurate to small fractions of a grain. As long as they're repeatable to one decimal place is good enough.