RCBS 5-0-2 scale? Good enough??

JR3149 · September 20, 2005, 07:29 PM

I just purchased the 5-0-2 scale and will be reloading .30 caliber rifle rounds.

Is this scale decent enough or should I have purchased something else.

It is a 2 poised scale...the RCBS 5-0-5 was a 3 poise scale...what's the difference. They both said the were accurate to .10 grains.

I'm having buyers remorse. :barf: Any input would be appreciated.

rwilson452 · September 20, 2005, 10:26 PM

Yes plenty good enough. the major difference is the range that it will measure. now if you want to sort heavy stuff...

Kayser · September 20, 2005, 11:22 PM

I use a 502, and I love it. Precise, magnetic dampened, keeps zero quite well.

caz223 · September 21, 2005, 06:07 AM

I've had my 502 for about 10 years with no complaints.

CaptainRazor · September 21, 2005, 06:12 PM

I've been using mine for about 16 years now, no complaints.

JR3149 · September 23, 2005, 05:31 PM

Anybody out there NOT like the RCBS 502?

caz223 · September 24, 2005, 06:28 AM

(Crickets chirping.)

WESHOOT2 · September 25, 2005, 10:29 AM

A scale is worthless until one uses a scale weight check set (about $25; priceless).

That 502 is fine; now add the check set and use it EVERY TIME you set up.

Safety first.......

jerrit1 · October 5, 2005, 10:05 AM

I have used the RCBS 502 for 10 years, I use it to check all of my powder drop devices and I used it for a year before buying my first powser drop device. do not feel any remourse for buying the RCBS 502.
Often I go back to just the scale when i want very precise loads.
You may later want to buy a powder drop device to save a little time but the mechanical scale is a device you will never retire.

Jerrit

cracked butt · October 5, 2005, 11:17 AM

Quote:

scale is worthless until one uses a scale weight check set (about $25; priceless).

I have a set of check weights I had made up using analytical balances at work- the one I used read to 4 decimal places in grams, which I converted to grains. I used these check weights to calibrate my RCBS 5-10 scale until I decided to experiment and try a 168 gr SMK bullet. The bullet was dead on the money for weight, and now I use it for calibrating. I also weighed out another 10 bullets to check and found that only one was off, by about .2 gr. FWIW if you use a sierra match king bullet of a given weight to calibrate and compare it to 5 others to make sure its consistantly the same as the others, you have yourself a checkweight that costs less than a quarter.

caz223 · October 5, 2005, 06:15 PM

Ya made me curious, so I got 2 electronic scales, both .01 grain scales, and a check weight to compare to my 502.
After 10 years on never having been calibrated, it's about .05 off, on the heavy side at 200 grains.
At 50 grains and less, it's dead on, as close as I can figure.
Since the majority of the time it's used to measure out 5 to 25 grains, I'd say it's done it's job well, and is well suited for my use.
Incidentally, one of my electronic scales, (Less than a week old) is .035 grain off at 200 grains. I'm gonna have to recalibrate it.
Overall, for a budget scale it's held it's calibration pretty well, don't you think?

30Cal · October 6, 2005, 11:39 AM

The 5-0-2 scale is accurate to 0.1grs. You almost certainly will not see any difference on paper if your charges vary by as much as 0.3grs.

WESHOOT2 · October 8, 2005, 05:07 AM

Not sure I agree with that last post; I can often see changes at .1g increments.

caz223 · October 8, 2005, 06:06 AM

It depends, if you're not into long range shooting, and load for rifles, you prolly won't see a .3 grain change, but if you load for pistols the chrony doesn't lie, you can see a .1 or .2 change, easily.
My dillon powder measures can consistantly dispense within ±.1 grain on ball or small flake powders.
For some reason on large flake where it dispenses somewhat less consistantly, it seems to matter less, for instance blue dot ±.2 doesn't seem to change the SD that dramatically. No idea why.
Maybe it's because I tend to use more of it.

JR3149 · October 13, 2005, 02:27 PM

Well, I went out and got two scales and a set o Lyman check weights. I bought a RCBS 5-0-2 and a Cabela's digital scale.

The 5-0-2 is dead on accurate out to 100 grains.

The Cabela's digital is as much as +.3 grains at 50 grains or more. This is after the scale being left on more than 24 hours steady and a recalibration. I'm not happy.:barf:

The 5-0-2 cost me $25 on ebay. The Cabela's digital ran $99.

I think the proof is in the pudding.

September 20, 2005, 07:29 PM	#1
JR3149 Member Join Date: February 24, 2005 Location: Mankato, MN Posts: 41	RCBS 5-0-2 scale? Good enough?? I just purchased the 5-0-2 scale and will be reloading .30 caliber rifle rounds. Is this scale decent enough or should I have purchased something else. It is a 2 poised scale...the RCBS 5-0-5 was a 3 poise scale...what's the difference. They both said the were accurate to .10 grains. I'm having buyers remorse. :barf: Any input would be appreciated.

September 20, 2005, 10:26 PM	#2
rwilson452 Senior Member Join Date: June 10, 2004 Location: Tioga co. PA Posts: 2,647	502 scale Yes plenty good enough. the major difference is the range that it will measure. now if you want to sort heavy stuff...

September 20, 2005, 11:22 PM	#3
Kayser Senior Member Join Date: May 29, 2002 Location: Illinois :( Posts: 550	I use a 502, and I love it. Precise, magnetic dampened, keeps zero quite well. __________________ ----------------- Box Of Truth Afficionado!

September 21, 2005, 06:07 AM	#4
caz223 Senior Member Join Date: May 15, 2002 Location: Michigan Posts: 1,429	I've had my 502 for about 10 years with no complaints. __________________ I'm not just a gun. I'm YOUR gun. (Hold me.)

September 21, 2005, 06:12 PM	#5
CaptainRazor Senior Member Join Date: February 16, 2005 Location: Charleston, WV Posts: 302	RCBS 5-0-2 Scale I've been using mine for about 16 years now, no complaints.

September 23, 2005, 05:31 PM	#6
JR3149 Member Join Date: February 24, 2005 Location: Mankato, MN Posts: 41	Any criticisms? Anybody out there NOT like the RCBS 502?

September 24, 2005, 06:28 AM	#7
caz223 Senior Member Join Date: May 15, 2002 Location: Michigan Posts: 1,429	(Crickets chirping.) __________________ I'm not just a gun. I'm YOUR gun. (Hold me.)

September 25, 2005, 10:29 AM	#8
WESHOOT2 Senior Member Join Date: February 20, 1999 Location: home on the range; Vermont (Caspian country) Posts: 14,324	meaningless data A scale is worthless until one uses a scale weight check set (about $25; priceless). That 502 is fine; now add the check set and use it EVERY TIME you set up. Safety first....... __________________ . "all my ammo is mostly retired factory ammo"

October 5, 2005, 10:05 AM	#9
jerrit1 Junior Member Join Date: October 5, 2005 Location: Benton Harbor, MI (SW) Posts: 1	I have used the RCBS 502 for 10 years, I use it to check all of my powder drop devices and I used it for a year before buying my first powser drop device. do not feel any remourse for buying the RCBS 502. Often I go back to just the scale when i want very precise loads. You may later want to buy a powder drop device to save a little time but the mechanical scale is a device you will never retire. Jerrit

October 5, 2005, 06:15 PM	#11
caz223 Senior Member Join Date: May 15, 2002 Location: Michigan Posts: 1,429	Ya made me curious, so I got 2 electronic scales, both .01 grain scales, and a check weight to compare to my 502. After 10 years on never having been calibrated, it's about .05 off, on the heavy side at 200 grains. At 50 grains and less, it's dead on, as close as I can figure. Since the majority of the time it's used to measure out 5 to 25 grains, I'd say it's done it's job well, and is well suited for my use. Incidentally, one of my electronic scales, (Less than a week old) is .035 grain off at 200 grains. I'm gonna have to recalibrate it. Overall, for a budget scale it's held it's calibration pretty well, don't you think? __________________ I'm not just a gun. I'm YOUR gun. (Hold me.) Last edited by caz223; October 6, 2005 at 02:06 PM.

October 6, 2005, 11:39 AM	#12
30Cal Senior Member Join Date: December 3, 2002 Posts: 1,264	The 5-0-2 scale is accurate to 0.1grs. You almost certainly will not see any difference on paper if your charges vary by as much as 0.3grs.

October 8, 2005, 05:07 AM	#13
WESHOOT2 Senior Member Join Date: February 20, 1999 Location: home on the range; Vermont (Caspian country) Posts: 14,324	I use .2g Not sure I agree with that last post; I can often see changes at .1g increments. __________________ . "all my ammo is mostly retired factory ammo"

October 8, 2005, 06:06 AM	#14
caz223 Senior Member Join Date: May 15, 2002 Location: Michigan Posts: 1,429	It depends, if you're not into long range shooting, and load for rifles, you prolly won't see a .3 grain change, but if you load for pistols the chrony doesn't lie, you can see a .1 or .2 change, easily. My dillon powder measures can consistantly dispense within ±.1 grain on ball or small flake powders. For some reason on large flake where it dispenses somewhat less consistantly, it seems to matter less, for instance blue dot ±.2 doesn't seem to change the SD that dramatically. No idea why. Maybe it's because I tend to use more of it. __________________ I'm not just a gun. I'm YOUR gun. (Hold me.)

October 13, 2005, 02:27 PM	#15
JR3149 Member Join Date: February 24, 2005 Location: Mankato, MN Posts: 41	Bought the 5-0-2 Well, I went out and got two scales and a set o Lyman check weights. I bought a RCBS 5-0-2 and a Cabela's digital scale. The 5-0-2 is dead on accurate out to 100 grains. The Cabela's digital is as much as +.3 grains at 50 grains or more. This is after the scale being left on more than 24 hours steady and a recalibration. I'm not happy.:barf: The 5-0-2 cost me $25 on ebay. The Cabela's digital ran $99. I think the proof is in the pudding.