Powder scale...

[leadhead]

Anyone here use a Pacific or Hornady powder scale?
And if so, how accurate is it?
Denny

[Pressman]

The later Pacific sales and the Hornady/Pacific scales were made by Webster and are very good, quality made scales.

[1hole]

I don't use either one of those but I do have three other beam scales and have used perhaps a dozen others over the years and love them all. My now 50+ year old Lyman M5 still reads exactly the same as it did in 1965.

In fact, from Lee's inexpensive little Safety Scale to a $200 Ohause I've never seen a reloading beam scale variation of more than maybe two tenths at their upper extreme; that's an error so small as to be irrelivant to us. Reloaders don't need (or even benefit from) absolute accuracy but we do need absolute repeatability. And, unless physically damaged, all beam scales will do that.

I've NEVER seen an undamaged beam scale change it's calibration at all! How can it be otherwise, the things are driven by gravity and gravity hasn't changed in years ... a LOT of years! (Personal preferences aside, no one can say that about any electronic scale.)

On a personal basis, I'd chose the Redding because I like the way it feels but I'm sure Hornady's function is equally good. Pick a color you like and buy it in total confidence that you haven't made a mistake; take care of it and it'll last forever.

[leadhead]

That makes a lot of sense 1hole..... I see people bidding on Lyman M5 scales
at very high prices in my mind. I can't see where they could be that much
better than the others to demand such prices.
Denny

[1hole]

The Lyman (Ohaus) M-5 was my first scale back in '65 and I still love it. But, in all honesty, I've not yet used the expanded capacity above 505 grains so I paid too much for my use. I won't even guess how many pounds of powder it has weighted but I can still put the scale on its shelf, zero it and set the slide weights for 260.9 grains, then set the calibrated expander weight on the pan. The beam will swing twice in a couple of seconds and stop dead on. And I don't find that unique, in fact the same thing has been true for all the magnetic damped beam scales I've ever tested, maybe a dozen.

[skeet1]

I have an old blue Pacific scale that I bought new 45 or 50 years ago. The scale works as good today as when I purchased it. I'm sure there are more accurate scales but for what we do as handloaders I can see no reason to replace it and I use it regularly. Around 15 years ago I came into a fairly new RCBS but I didn't like it as well as my Pacific and got rid of it.

Ken

[leadhead]

My buddy gave me a Ohaus scale and it looks exactly like the Lyman M5 except it
doesn't have the extra weight that makes it read to 1000 grains. It's also red in
color. It's marked Ohaus on the bottom and it's made in New Jersey. Anyone ever
see one like this?
Denny

[1hole]

Denny, the only reloading tool company I know of that makes their own scales in house is Lee. Ohaus IS a premium laboratory scale maker that has made/labeled a lot of powder scales for reloading companies, Lyman and RCBS in particular. For a short time Ohaus marketed a few of their powder scales under their own name but the scales themselves were identical; no matter the color, if it looks like an Ohaus scale it is an Ohaus scale.

You have (I think) what Lyman first sold as a 505 and RCBS later sold except painted green; they're all excellent tools!

[leadhead]

There's no name on it at all, except underneath Ohaus cast in the casting.
No name or any other markings at all.
Denny

[onelight]

I have 2 inexpensive electronic scales and they are used for some things , but for powder I use my 40 year old Lyman D-7 I trust it much more.

[abunaitoo]

I've been using a Pacific/Hornady scale since forever.
Got it because it was the heaviest one I could find.
Never had a problem with it.
It's one of those, "Last a lifetime, and more" tools.

[beemer]

I have one oil dampened and two magnetic, none are of the current crop. When compared to each other all were acceptably close. I would use either one with no problems. Altogether I have 5 and the red Hornady is on the bench.

[leadhead]

I also have and use the Pacific/Hornady scale and have for 30 years.
I just started looking around on e-bay at the different scales and was
amazed at the different price ranges of the scales. That Lyman M-5
still brings a lot of $$$$. I think I'll stick with my red Pacific/Hornady.
Denny

[HangFireW8]

I love beam scales. I have electronic scales but keep coming back to the beams.

I started with a red Hornady back when the casting was still marked Pacific. After 20 years or so it was not weighing consistently, so I checked it out. I got a check weight set and indeed there was problems, it would hang a little high or low.

The knife edges had been peened, probably something fell on it while the beam was mounted. I returned it to Hornady, it was already discontinued but they fixed it. Right after that they stopped servicing them.

I got another NOS Hornady before I sent in mine for repair. Then I bought a used M-5 and a 505 while waiting for it to come back. The old 505 needed help but I fixed it myself. Then I got a little crazy and ordered a half a dozen old scales on the cheap from eBay, mostly old Redding oil dampered, and had to tune them all up. Clean, sharpen the knives, adjust the weights. I would trust any one of them.

I learned a few things. Things CAN go wrong with a beam. And, as a hobby, scale collecting is fun but not profitable, but they take up very little space and keep well.

[farmbif]

I'm still on the lookout for a dial o grain for a reasonable price

[mf79]

I have 2 redding scales and a frankford arsenal electronic