Beam Ballance Scale Recommendation

[chkunz]

I have been asked by a new shooter for a recommendation on the choice of a beam balance scale. I have been using the same beam balance scale for fifty years, a Lyman Ohaus M5 model and it is all I have ever needed and all I need now. I have never needed the 1000 grain feature, I have never needed more than the 500 grain capacity. I have not seen anything that I think would be better for my purposes. But that scale is no longer available from Lyman. It looks like the closest choice would be the Lyman Pro 500 or the RCBS 10-10 or maybe the RCBS 5-0-5. Anyone have experience that would help choose between these choices. The price difference between these choices is not a factor.

 

[dalej]

RCBS 10-10 scale is a dandy. I've used RCBS Chargemaster but its so slow. I was checking CM powder charges on 10-10. The CM is now sitting idle and I'm back to my Harrells Powder Measure topping up charges on my old reliable 10-10 scale.

 

[rminut]

Any scale that Scott Parker will tune up is my recommendation. he won't touch most of the newer models. the search engine is your friend.

 

[71firebird400]

The Lyman M5 is a great scale and is readily available (used) on eBay. It is highly recommended by Scott Parker and I would recommend the purchase of a used M5 over the new ones available today.

 

[chkunz]

The Lyman M5 is a great scale and is readily available (used) on eBay. It is highly recommended by Scott Parker and I would recommend the purchase of a used M5 over the new ones available today.

This is helpful information, thanks.

 

[chkunz]

RCBS 10-10 scale is a dandy. I've used RCBS Chargemaster but its so slow. I was checking CM powder charges on 10-10. The CM is now sitting idle and I'm back to my Harrells Powder Measure topping up charges on my old reliable 10-10 scale.

Thanks, helpful info.

 

[mao0720]

I have an old M5 that I tuned myself (probably not to the same level that Scott does). I added a need to the indicator side, rebalanced the pan holder, and sharpened the knife edges. IT still has some nuances that I have to deal with, but it is VERY accurate and reliable.

 

[jimcasey01]

I have not used all of the above scales, but I got an RCBS 505 in the early '80's. It is still going strong. Now days it is used to check on digital scales, they are very accurate, with no outstanding care ever given to them other than an occasional cleaning. I think most of the beam scales will work pretty good. Common sense goes a long way, such as do not use under an AC or heat vent, keep fans away, keep clean, zero before use, etc.

 

[lurcher]

Any scale that Scott Parker will tune up is my recommendation. he won't touch most of the newer models. the search engine is your friend.

I agree

I would contact him he sells new scales (redding) that have been tuned by him and they respond to a single granule of powder.

http://bulletin.accurateshooter.com/tag/scott-parker/
www.youtube.com/watch?v=5r5l-eZN-bA
www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MRNuQX9pOs

 

[CatShooter]

I have been asked by a new shooter for a recommendation on the choice of a beam balance scale. [...]

It looks like the closest choice would be the Lyman Pro 500 [...] ... Anyone have experience that would help choose between these choices.

Pass on the Lyman 500 - it is made out of plastic (styrene) and has very poor ratings from customer feedback.

 

[1066]

I would seriously consider buying a good used scale. The Lyman M5, RCBS 5-10, older 10/10's, older Hornady/Pacific "M" type were all excellent scales.


RCBS are having a shake up of their scale range. I would appear that they have discontinued the 10/10 and I guess the 502/505 and replaced it with two new scales, the M500 and the M1000.

I've not seen any of the new scales yet but the M500 looks to be of pretty conventional design, it's a two poise, 500 grain scale (a direct replacement for the 502) similar magnetic damping and stirrup pan hanger and looks to be the same knife edge set-up although I don't know if it has the floating knife edge bearings.

The main difference, and long over due, is that it appears the beam scale is printed on both sides of the beam - so can be easily used by left handers. I can't understand why it's taken this long for a scale manufacturer to offer this simple modification.

 

[Bangs OH]

The 10-10 RCBS is now being made in Red China, fwiw.

 

[1066]

All the recent 10/10's have been made in Mexico or China but I guess there not being made any where now - they have been dropped from the latest RCBS catalogue and replaced with two new beam scales.

I guess they will be listed else where while existing stocks last. (But I wouldn't rush to buy one)

New RCBS scales:

 

[diego-ted]

Any scale that Scott Parker will tune up is my recommendation. he won't touch most of the newer models. the search engine is your friend.

Believe it!

 

[gilcarleton]

OK, I am going to show my ignorance. I am new to long range shooting but have been on this site for about 3 months. I see many references to Scott Parker. Who is Scott Parker? Thanks for the help.

Newbee Gil

 

[Brians356]

Any scale that Scott Parker will tune up is my recommendation. he won't touch most of the newer models. the search engine is your friend.

I agree

I would contact him he sells new scales (redding) that have been tuned by him and they respond to a single granule of powder.

I just bought a minty Lyman M5 off Ebay. I like it a lot, it seems more sensitive than my old MIUSA (Ohaus) 5-0-5.

There's some fixation on "sensitivity to a single grain of powder" hereabouts, but I don't think that's surprising, if the knife edges are keen, and no debris in the vee notches. My M5 is plenty sensitive. Rather, I find two other problems with my M5:

1. Using Lyman check weights, I find the scale to weigh about 0.1 grain light when the heavy 5-gr poise is deployed to 50 grains. When set to 25 grains, the beam misses the zero mark by about the width of the zero line. (The light 0.1-gr poise seems accurate through the 0 - 5 grain range.)

2. While better than the 5-0-5, sometimes the M5 is not 100% repeatable, i.e. does not always return to perfect zero, or does not repeat a test weigh perfectly, and I find that wiggling the beam in the vee blocks will restore it to zero. So in spite of nice knife edges and clean vee blocks, it sometimes wants to hang up about 0.05 - 0.10 (half a tenth to a tenth) off zero.

I welcome any comments.

 

[1066]

Any scale that Scott Parker will tune up is my recommendation. he won't touch most of the newer models. the search engine is your friend.

I agree

I would contact him he sells new scales (redding) that have been tuned by him and they respond to a single granule of powder.

I just bought a minty Lyman M5 off Ebay. I like it a lot, it seems more sensitive than my old MIUSA (Ohaus) 5-0-5.

There's some fixation on "sensitivity to a single grain of powder" hereabouts, but I don't think that's surprising, if the knife edges are keen, and no debris in the vee notches. My M5 is plenty sensitive. Rather, I find two other problems with my M5:

1. Using Lyman check weights, I find the scale to weigh about 0.1 grain light when the heavy 5-gr poise is deployed to 50 grains. When set to 25 grains, the beam misses the zero mark by about the width of the zero line. (The light 0.1-gr poise seems accurate through the 0 - 5 grain range.)

2. While better than the 5-0-5, sometimes the M5 is not 100% repeatable, i.e. does not always return to perfect zero, or does not repeat a test weigh perfectly, and I find that wiggling the beam in the vee blocks will restore it to zero. So in spite of nice knife edges and clean vee blocks, it sometimes wants to hang up about 0.05 (half a tenth) off zero.

I welcome any comments.

Two possibilities spring to mind. I would first check the pan hanger stirrup and the little knife edge it hangs on. Give them a scrub with a tooth brush and a little spirit and make sure the stirrup is free to swing and not rubbing the sides of the cut grooves. I would also check the tips of the knife edges, they should come to a point in line with the knife edge, then if they touch the bearing endplates they pivot on a single point, if they are rounded they will try and scribe an arc and hang up a little.

Try and isolate the problem, make sure the knife edges aren't touching the endplates and see if it still fails to zero.

 

[M-61]

I have an RCBS 304 (Ohaus). No longer made but on EBay occasionally. I keep it clean, mounted it at eye level (to avoid parallax), and more than 30 years of trouble free operation. I think it's a fine scale.

 

[Brians356]

Two possibilities spring to mind. I would first check the pan hanger stirrup and the little knife edge it hangs on. Give them a scrub with a tooth brush and a little spirit and make sure the stirrup is free to swing and not rubbing the sides of the cut grooves. I would also check the tips of the knife edges, they should come to a point in line with the knife edge, then if they touch the bearing endplates they pivot on a single point, if they are rounded they will try and scribe an arc and hang up a little.

Try and isolate the problem, make sure the knife edges aren't touching the end plates and see if it still fails to zero.

Thanks. I do notice one of the knife edges is not perfectly straight to the end, it is curved back ever so slightly like a scimitar. I have tried positioning the pivots to either extreme (towards the end plates) as well as in the middle, but did not notice a difference. However, I will revisit that, and look to restore the edge as well. I will also take a look at the pan hanger and pivots.

Any comment on the calibration of the heavy poise?

 

[justpassinthru]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Redding. Unlike ALL the other scales as far as I know, these are 100% made in the USA and very possibly by a veteran.
I used a USA made RCBS 10-10 a long time and seems to me, the magnetic dampening works better on the Redding.