The UK's Finest Independent Forum for Shooters and Gun Owners. Est 2010.

Hi guys so far i've had bad a experience of beam scales. I purchased a set of hornady beam scales and found the beam moved back and forward on the base this gave variations of 2-4Gr this happened on two sets and i have got my money back. so i'm now not sure which scales to replace them with and im tempted to get a set of electronic scales but have heard bad thinks about these as well. what are peoples opinions and what scales do you use?

thanks Rich

The old Hornady beam scales are excellent, they didn't do a beam scale for a while just the digital then they brought this new one which I assume is the one you had. If you can get an old Hornady then they are very good.

Rcbs make fine beam scales and are readily available new and second hand, Redding do a good scale too.

Take your pick.

A set of check weights is essential for a beam scale, personally I wouldn't go all digital. For one thing they don't work with the Target Master.

I use an RCBS 505 beam scale (mainly on the Targetmaster), Lee Safety Powder scales (for powder) and an MTM electronic scales (mainly for bullets).

I've done LOTS of back-to-back measurement to find which is 'best' and to check the powder variation from my thrower. They all read slightly differently: the Lee reads consistantly 0.1gr lower than the RCBS. The MTM was within 0.2gr, but much less responsive . . . it tended to read 4 or 5 consecutive readings the same when the beam scales whould show a 0.1 or 0.2 gr variation between charges thrown from my powder measure.

As with lots of things, the monkey-behind-the-wheel makes more difference than the tool in my opinion. If you 'get-on' with something and learn how to operate it best, then you'll get the most consistant results from it.

I like the ease of using the MTM electronic scales, but generally won't use them for powder charges because of the lack of responsivness. But they are great for QC checks on cast bullets.

I find the RCBS scales fiddly to change the weight, but once set at a given wieght, they are very consistant. I'd like to get them tuned if I can find someone to do that in the UK.

The Lee scales are my main workhorse; it's easy to change the weight very slightly and I can read the vernier scale easily. I've never had any problem with them being unsettled or wavering as they're magnetically damped.

Triffid

All my beam scales are the old Hornady ones fantastic scales. I bought one set with my Target master they were tuned and tricked out to use with a camera and my lap top. Fantastic piece of kit. I don't own a electronic scale never needed one.

Buy yourself a set of RCBS 5-0-5 and be done with it, you'll never have to buy another set ever again (unless you break them!)

I won my RCBS 505 scales in a competition at Mattersey around 1980-ish. Never needed or wanted anything else.
Fred

I would have thought that your decision will depend a lot on what level of accuracy and consistency you are looking for. What may do a pistol cartridge shooter loading thousands a session may not be suitable for a F class or bench rest shooter looking to eliminate every variable in the loading process. Eliminate may not be the correct word but consistency is the name of the game.

personaly I have gone from a scale that measured to .2 to one that measures to .02.

DM

I'm just looking for what options are out there for under £150. After my experience so far with beam scales I was looking at the lyman acutouch 2000 but might give the 505s a look after reading peoples comments

The 505's are OK, but personally I think they need tinkering with after you buy a set. I find the pin that holds the balance beam binds on the inside of the scale occasionally, if you file each end down to a point, it isn't noticeable. I also think they're a bit light, so when I get round to it, I plan to put some plaster of paris into the base to weight it down a bit. Only minor gripes really, but thought I'd share my experience.

I find the RCBS scales fiddly to change the weight, but once set at a given wieght, they are very consistant. I'd like to get them tuned if I can find someone to do that in the UK. [Triffid]

Allan Edwards (The TargetMaster trickler man and '1066' on this forum) does that, and probably knows more about handloading scale accuracy / reliability than anybody in the UK.

Dromia's point about acquiring and using check weights is 100% correct too. And ... use them to check the scale balances at whatever charge weight you're actually using and have set the scale too.