Beam balance scale to weigh pellets?

[Danger Mouse]

I have used both a digital (cheap) scale, and a borrowed beam balance scale (RCBS 10-10).
I find the beam balance just as quick to use, and it gives the same reading if I weigh the same pellet a few times (just to be sure).
If I weigh a pellet 3 times on the digital scale it can give 3 slightly different readings..but then I'm left wondering if all the pellets I have just weighed are really all now sorted in their respective weight groups.
So I'm going to buy a beam scale (yes...for my indoor 25 yard benchrest I like to weigh my pellets as have found a few very light and a few very heavy pellets in the JSB, H&N, and QYS pellets). Some pellets that weighed slightly heavy were inspected and found to have a wee piece of lead swarf stuck up inside...which would have given an out of balance spin to the pellet..and I don't like sudden fliers on a target card.
Re the RCBS 10-10 scale. Would a 5-0-5 scale be better for the light weight pellets we use (8.44gr to 9.56gr)? I am a beginner at the finer end of a beam scale (but used them for years way back with my 30-30, .303, ,308, .270, etc).
I am way at the very minimum end of the 10-10 scale so (I'm guessing here) maybe the 5-0-5 will allow a tad more finer reading? Get me away from the very beginning of the scale such as on the basic Lyman/Hornady/RCBS etc.
Not really looking for accuracy to 3 decimal places, but would like to at least know if there is 0.2gr or larger difference.
Any beam balance scale experts on here?
Thanks.

 

[Mark Palmer]

I've not used a beam balance myself, just a single decimal point digital grain scale, I aim for weight groups, not being worried about exact weight. As you've stated, it's just to get rid of the 10 or 15% of super light or heavy pellets in a tin , with JSBs I've found some different length and shape pellets thrown in for fun

 

[Star7]

I have had the 10-10 for so long (over 40yr!) it is tan and called Ohaus but is identical. I like the scale very well and frankly trust gravity and moving weights more than cheap digital. I like the fact that it closes up into a dust free package. I don't think that it is any more accurate than the 5-0-5 but am getting shaky and shifting little weights VS turning the screw might be daunting. I see no reason one is more precise than the other. I do, however have a cheap digital......they's quick

 

[Danger Mouse]

Sadly, new beam balance scales are in the area of $NZ250. As yet can't find a 2nd hand one here...but will get one (one day).
Can get cheaper on ebay, but shipping kills it.
Well, that killed that idea...back to the digital scales (they can't all be bad...can they?).
Bought this little doohickey. It's cheap enough to test out ($NZ31 delivered!!).
I don't need the 3 decimal places for weighing pellets. I do like the power cord (USB) which is why I bought this one.
No more worries that an almost flat battery is giving wonky readings.

 

[junglie2022]

Sadly, new beam balance scales are in the area of $NZ250. As yet can't find a 2nd hand one here...but will get one (one day).
Can get cheaper on ebay, but shipping kills it.
Well, that killed that idea...back to the digital scales (they can't all be bad...can they?).
Bought this little doohickey. It's cheap enough to test out ($NZ31 delivered!!).
I don't need the 3 decimal places for weighing pellets. I do like the power cord (USB) which is why I bought this one.
No more worries that an almost flat battery is giving wonky readings.

View attachment 614545

All digital scales do that when the batterys low.

 

[Danger Mouse]

Yep, so that's why I liked the idea of this one.

 

[Star7]

I suspect that the digital cheapy that I have is the same as yours. It has worked well for several years. I also facet gemstones, so being able to shift to carat weight W/O a calculator is nice. Beam balances are nice but no longer widely available for a reasonable price.

 

[Joedirt199]

An old RCBS 505 will be enough. There are ways to make it more accurate and repeatable. You can sharpen up the wedges that the beam rests on, polish all the points where anything would rubb together (tray hook, tray hanger, arms on the beam for the tray hanger), glue a needle on the beam so it overlaps the balance point mark, set it on a leveled base so everything is level from the get go. I can measure single grains of gun powder on my old upgraded scale.

 

[Star7]

I do not know the fine details of the 505 or how things are made now. My 10-10 has agate Vee blocks on each side of the knife edges that
are spring loaded to prevent damage in use. Reliably registering a single grain is entirely feasible.

fettling one of these is ok if you have lots of time on your hands

 

[Danger Mouse]

Yes, I will get a beam scale too.
Keeping an eye on ebay at the moment.
Thanks guys.

 

[1066]

I would go with a beam scale every time. I guess I have around 30 different beam scales and have several videos on youtube about them.
If you want any info, I'm pleased to help.
Here's some of my scales:

And here's one of my fairly basic RCBS M500 scales working:

 

[Star7]

That is a remarkable collection! What brand is the blue beam balance next to the Lyman? thanks


One thing about the cheap electronic scales is some have reported weird behavior apparently due to electrical racket from shop lighting. I haven't had that issue.

 

[1066]

That is a remarkable collection! What brand is the blue beam balance next to the Lyman? thanks


One thing about the cheap electronic scales is some have reported weird behavior apparently due to electrical racket from shop lighting. I haven't had that issue.

That's quite an unusual old scale, it's a Pacific oil damped scale dating to around late '50's. There's some unusual ones about that turn up now and again.
Here's another nice old one, good quality Webster, again oil damped. And a couple of odd-balls. These are not "scales" but more weight comparators. The beam has no markings, you zero the beam with the checkweights supplied, then every charge is the same.

 

[blklab]

Here's an old girl getting on in years

 

[Danger Mouse]

Just so I wouldn't be working at the very minimum end of the beam, could I remove the main beam weight and make a new weight only 1/2 as heavy?
Then I would be able to work in the middle of the beam (wouldn't I?).
Would that allow a more refined weight measure?

 

[1066]

No, unfortunately that wouldn't work. I do understand exactly what you mean, if your car speedometer read 0-120mph and you are trying to keep at 8.5mph it's not easy. If your speedo read from 0-20mph it would be much easier.
A fairly average reloading beam scale (in good condition) will easily read and repeat reliably to within 10th grain, right through it's range.
If you want to use more of the middle of the range, set the main poise to, say 50 grains and add a 50 grain checkweight to the pan and adjust the leveling leg to zero.

Several years ago I made a beam that read from 0-30 grains and another with a low mass beam on carbon fiber looking for increased sensitivity.
If you want to experiment - the Lee scale is cheap, it's sensitive and has a range of 0-100gns, however its beam is too short to take advantage of it's sensitivity, it's not very well damped and difficult to actually weigh things with it's sliding vernier poise.
Although a beam scale will be more reliable and consistent than a cheap digital they are not good at repeat weighing items. Although I always use a beam scale to weigh my powder charges, I use a Lab grade digital to weigh bullets, pellets, cases etc.

Here's a Lee with an extended beam and a Stanton (1950's) Lab scale I've recently restored:

 

[Squintykid]

we had a ultra fine digital scale in the lab for weighing oxides for 100gram enamel samples.
The samples were testers for production runs of 1000kg.
percentages of 10000/1.
When we got our marching orders.. some git swiped it before I got there .

 

[Star7]

That's quite an unusual old scale, it's a Pacific oil damped scale dating to around late '50's. There's some unusual ones about that turn up now and again.
Here's another nice old one, good quality Webster, again oil damped. And a couple of odd-balls. These are not "scales" but more weight comparators. The beam has no markings, you zero the beam with the checkweights supplied, then every charge is the same.

View attachment 616631View attachment 616632View attachment 616634

Thank you! That webster is a gem, one I have never run in to. My first job a million years ago, I was confronted by a chainamatic.....or so we called it. That was an eye opener. Your Stanton is to die for.

 

[1066]

I have a Chainamatic too, it actually works very well. The Stanton is an AD5, absolutely cutting edge in it's day, it resolves down to .1mg with an optical microscope system. It was in a poor state when I found it, so total stripdown and rebuild.

 

[Star7]

Wowie, that is quite a job refurbing the Stanton! It is delightful. And thanks for the memories with the chainamatic. I actually found it to be very usable but had never been exposed to one in school.