RCBS 505 scale-Need Help (PLEASE)

[gcollins]

Hi guys,
For over a year and a half I have been trying to find that magic load for my 243WSSM AR platform rifle. I still have the scale that I started off with back in 73, it is a Herters beam scale. In the early 80's I had a little accident and the beam on my scale got broke :( so I headed to the gun store about 20 miles away, I got there and bought this RCBS 505 scale, on the way home I stoped at a friend house to have a cup of Joe and visit, after visting for a while my friend ask me what I had been doing and I told him about the broken beam, he said lets go to the shop, there in the shop he dug out a beam for my old scale:) he gave it to me saying that he had got it in a box of stuff he had got at a sale. I decided to check and see that my old scales would work with this new beam, it was a exact match and it worked great. I kept the new RCBS 505 for a back up I put it away and never used it in the 25 years I have owned it! The other day I was loading for my WSSM and I decided to get the 505 out and double check my old scale, here a couple years ago I picked up a Redding beam scale just like the Herters, The Herters scale is so sensetive that I wanted to make sure that all my scales were dialed in.Okay all 3 scales are balanced, I get my 50gr brass scale weight and dial all 3 to 50gr's, all three scales weighed perfect.so I took the pan from the herters scale and dumped in 41.6grs of H4895 then I trickled the scale to perfect, took that pan and dumped the powder in the Redding pan it weighed perfect, so off to the 505 dumped the powder in its pan and I could not get it to weigh that load??????????:-?:-?:-?:-?
I emailed RCBS TEC and there reply was try a different weight???????
What do you all think I need to do???
I would be very great full for any and all help.
Thanks
G

[Hip's Ax]

When you say it will not weigh the charge do you mean that the beam will not move at all or do you mean it does not read the correct weight?

I have the RCBS 5-10 and bought it used from a swap meet 12 years ago or so. Love the scale but sometimes it acts wierd so I know to take a can of computer keyboard duster and blow the dust out of the agate bearings, its always fine then.

Funny, I bought the 10-10 a few years ago and except for taking it out and setting it up and playing with it a little when I first got it that scale has yet to be used to load rounds.

[Rattlesnake Charlie]

I have an Ohaus 10-10. It is sensitive to dust/crud at the bearing points between beam and frame. You can also get it not centered, and it will drag against bearing end points or the indicator and frame at the end of the beam. Dust/crud will affect all scales. Additionally, even the slightest breeze, such as from a fan, will alter the accuracy.

[Hardcast416taylor]

Are you saying the scale weighed heavier or lighter of the load you were checking? Did the indicator pointer stop moving almost immediately? If not there is a problem with the magnetic dampening. Did you adjust the leveling screw to make the scale read zero before setting the scale weight beam and putting powder in the pan? Not zeroing the scale will give a false reading. I`ve had a 505 for longer than yours and don`t have a problem as yours does, and yes I have done comparison checks with 3 other scales I own.Robert

[dillonhelp]

the tolerances for accuracy on powder scales is +/- .1 grain. Scales should be checked at a low weight (under 1 grain), and middle weight (under 50 grains) and a very heavy weight (over 100 grains) to verify accuracy.
I suggest a set of check weights for verifying scales with.

[gcollins]

Thanks Guys! I took apart and clean it and fire up the air compressor and did a super clean, I put it back together and it works fine! But, there is Day light and Dark ness differnce between
the 2 scales.
Dillon Guy, I know the answer to this (NO), but I have to ask, I have 2-RL550, 1-RL450, my last 550 is a later model that has the auto prime and auto powder dump. I have 6-manual power dumps and 1 auto, is there anyway to convert a couple of them to auto??
Later and Thanks
G

[rmcc]

What model of Herters scale do you have?

[BillP]

I have the same results. My Herters and Redding oil dampened scales are more accurate and consistant than my magnetic damped RCBS 5-10 and Hornady. The Hornady is the least consistant of the four. If I had to have just one scale it would be the old school oil dampened type.

[462]

Another very satisfyied oil-dampened (Texan triple poise) user.

[dillonhelp]

gcollins,
Unfortunately it is not possible to alter a manually operated powder measure into an automatic one. You can purchase the automatic powder system with the return linkage and replace a manual powder measure.