Trapshooters Forum banner
21 - 38 of 38 Posts
This is a subject near and dear to my heart. I have worked on scales most of my adult life, a little over 35 yrs. now. Beam scales are almost indestructible. I am currently looking at a double beam butchers scale from 1879 that I found to be within 1/10 of an ounce at 30 lbs. They are also a pain to use if you are switching between different units of measure or different components. If your just verifying a fixed load, they are good.
The digital scales are pretty forgiving, but they must never be overloaded, dropped, and don't like vibration. I built my own out of spare parts that spins a brass cleaning brush as a powder feeder. I can drop to within 0.1 grains.
 
I have an almost indestructible Ohaus 10-10 beam scale. It will outlast me and whoever I give it to when I quit reloading.
I happened to like shifting gears with 3 on the tree, too. Too bad that's no longer an option.
 
I have a spare RCBS digital battery powered I might sell if you can’t find one. They’re the best scales for reloading and easy to use. Lmk if you’re interested. I’ve tried newer versions but they’re not as good. I bought both of mine new & I still keep them in the original fitted padded boxes.
 
Beam scales work fine, but for Me are slower to use. I also have a Lyman digital scale, and have found it to be accurate, fast and easy to use. It is the one I use. If I have a doubt I use the check weight to make sure it is accurate. Hope this helps
 
The beam scale is faster for my shotgun loading. I leave the expected weight set on the beam, pour the powder on the pan, and will know in an instant if it matches, or approximately how light or heavy it is just by looking. Static guard on the plastic hulls eliminates the powder cling on the inside of the hull. Since I don't move the beam scale around, it stays calibrated. I guess I just trust Newton more than Edison, I suppose.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Leo
I have used the RCBS 505 since I started loading nearly 50 years ago, and found it to be the best for reloading shotgun. I marked a spot on the bench where I set it up, and that made it easier to calibrate, as I was sure that spot was clear of my working area and would stay calibrated so long as I stayed away from bumping it. The one drawback about the 505 that I've found is that if any dust gets in the saddle for the beam arms, it will throw a false reading because the dust impedes the free movement of the beam arms. I discovered this when a buddy overcharged his 7mmRemington Magnum and had a nearly catastrophic failure, with a bulged chamber, broken bolt face, and the case stuck in the bulged chamber. When I went through his reloading procedures with him and compared his powder charges with my electronic scale, they were as much as 2.1 grains low and 3.5 grains high, with none right bang on. Close inspection of the scale revealed dust in the saddles blocking free swing of the beam arms, so a word of warning to all: If you load in a dusty area using a balance beam scale, either put it away in a dust free environment, or lift the beam out and clean the saddles and beam arms before you start loading.
I have also used the Hornady beam scale (not bad, but not as user friendly as the RCBs) and an electronic scale. The electronic scale was okay, but after comparing powder drops on both scales, I found that the longer the electronic scale stayed on, it seemed to wander in accuracy. When I moved into my new gun room, I found that the fluorescent overhead light affected the accuracy, as did having the window open for fresh air when a light breeze blew across the bench. If I hadn't been watching the empty pan when the breeze blew in, I never would have known that. As soon as the battery started losing charge the accuracy suffered, as well.
YIKES! Thanks for the heads up - I'll be sure to check that.

I have a couple of the small electronic scales, including the Frankford Arsenal. If I pick up the shell or the pan and put it back down, I'll often see a different reading. I only load for 12GA, so I'm not worried about the small variation. But if I'm adjusting a new powder load I'll pull out the balance beam and save the electronic for quick verification.
 
21 - 38 of 38 Posts