Lee Safety Powder Scale off.

[Wreck-n-Crew]

I am sure there have been many threads on this over the years and I have scanned a few. I found mine to be .6 GR off a Little more than what I am comfortable with. Thankfully it was reading higher than the actual charge.

Tested and re-tested both scales and went through the process of double checking the lee to be sure it was aligned right. It seems to be related to alignment maybe caused by the crazy way the beam must be set in the right groove. After trying it over and over it is consistent, just off leading me to doubt alignment but still not sure.

The MTM scale test's correctly test after test. Even weighed a few bullets I have and to my surprise they are within .1 GR of listed weight. Not bad and a thumbs up to berry and the bullet works plated bullets.

Was thinking of sending it back to LEE to have them fix or replace it but wondered if I will just get the same thing back in the mail? I know they are finicky and some swear by theirs but at this point I am on the fence with having them replace it so that I will have a back-up or just put it back in the box. Also, for what they cost (next to nothing) I am doubting the risk vs. reward.

Looking to get some input....advice , concerns, experiences?

[madmo44mag]

I tossed the Lee beam scale a long time ago and went digital.
The Frankford Arsenal DS-750 Electronic Powder Scale are cheap and work well as long as the battery is good and the scale is above 70 degrees.
If you do get one that wanders Frankford will just send you a new one and tell you to keep the old one.
There are more expensive electronic scales out there but the Frankford has served me well for many years now.

[fshfindr]

There is an adjusting nut on the scale. Put the empty pan on the hook, then adjust the nut to zero. It really can't be off.

[Wreck-n-Crew]

There is an adjusting nut on the scale. Put the empty pan on the hook, then adjust the nut to zero. It really can't be off.

Already done that. Every time I use the scale I zeroed it. I plan on testing a 40 GR, 9 GR , and 2 GR charge to get an Idea of whether it is reading .6 Gr low across the board or if it changes based on weight. Let you know what I find.

[serf 'rett]

Well...my first thoughts are replacement with RCBS 5-0-5, because I like simple, reilable mechanical devices.

[Idaho Spud]

I've had two that never would give me the same reading twice in a row on the same item. I have a lot of Lee stuff, (and like it) but would only give the scales to my worst enemies. The "Perfect" measure also resides with the imperfect scales.

[bedbugbilly]

I have the same FA digital scale as madmo44mag and I love it for what I'm doing. I have a RCBS 5-0-5 as well and constantly double check my charges and both agree with each other. I also use Lee dies, presses and their Perfect Powder Measure adapted to my powder thru / mouth expander die and they all work great for me - I only load pistol though.

I looked at the Lee scale like you have and decided to "upgrade". While I really like Lee reloading equipment - I had heard too many things from those that had the Lee scale in regards to them being off. I'm not bad mouthing the Lee scale as I'm sure that a lot of folks love them. I just figured that since load wts. can be pretty critical in regards to safety, I wanted to be able to have a way to be more assured I was getting the right weights. Looking back on my purchases though - and hearing that a lot of folks don't have problems with the Lee scale - I'm wondering if it just isn't a factor of getting them "zeroed in" correctly from the get go? Any scale can be "off" - but if "zeroed in" - and the scale is designed correctly, will it not be within + or - .1? I don't know - I'm just asking? The Lee scale has been out for a long time and I have a hard time thinking that it hasn't had the "bugs" worked out of it?

I do know that Lee has excellent customer service so if the scale is defective, I'm sure they'll take care of it. Have you called Lee and discussed your problem with them?

The Lee Perfect Powder Measure works great for me - it drops consistent charges and I'm amazed at how easy it is to adjust and get accurate loads with it - and it's very reasonably priced. I know this is about Lee scales but just thought I'd mention how well their Perfect Powder Measure works for me.

[Don P]

Already done that. Every time I use the scale I zeroed it. I plan on testing a 40 GR, 9 GR , and 2 GR charge to get an Idea of whether it is reading .6 Gr low across the board or if it changes based on weight. Let you know what I find.

Perhaps you should check the weight with certified weights so you can insure accuracy. I have the Lee scale and use it without issue. I have been looking at the Redding scale because of its over and under scale bar that gives you the immediate over or under weight from the pre set weight. www.redding-reloading.com

[Beagle333]

It could possibly be that you have a bad one, but I have one that works great, and know several others that use them. I have a 505, but I like the Lee for powder. I do have a check weight set and use it before starting and every time I dump the reloading block and begin a new batch.

[snuffy]

Thankfully it was reading higher than the actual charge.

Tested and re-tested both scales and went through the process of double checking the lee to be sure it was aligned right. It seems to be related to alignment maybe caused by the crazy way the beam must be set in the right groove. After trying it over and over it is consistent, just off leading me to doubt alignment but still not sure.

It's entirely possible the lee is correct and the MTM is off. Without a third control you really don't know. It could actually be in between somewhere. Using a bullet is also not proving anything.

Get some check weights. Then use them to check both scales. Someone will chime in saying "get a dime (or some other coinage), use that to verify. That's not a good idea either.

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/212...ProductFinding

These are hardly lab quality, but they're all within the one grain window of what they're marked as. There's a bigger assortment here;

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/612...ProductFinding

With that set, you could put the check weights together to simulate a powder charge you're going to be throwing. Then see if the scale zeros when you put them in the pan.

I use a RCBS 750 digital that I've had for 15 years. It's always worked fine. I trust it---BUT, I verify it often using the above smaller set of check weights. After I have calibrated it.

I too have a lee scale. I did some experiments checking it against the 750. After a calibration, and running the check weights, I weighed some objects on both scales. The lee was spot on. It also weighed the check weights spot on. Reason? If the power is out, the 750 won't work, it's AC only. I could still load using the lee

[Wreck-n-Crew]

Update: I have checked it with the check weights I have. Also used different weights between the two scales. The MTM is dead on (within .1 GR). The lee scale is .6 Gr off pretty consistently with 3.0 Gr, 10 Gr, and 40 Gr checks.

I found on the bottom of the scale cup something that looked like chocolate....hmmm . So I cleaned the scale thoroughly and left it to dry. Go back and check it today and it is a consistent .1 to .2 Gr off from 3 gr to 40+ gr.

[Jeff2131]

I use the lee perfect powder measurer...and yes, it can vary sometimes if i were to weigh each dump. BUT, it works great for me because i always load dead middle of min and max. So slightly over or slightly under never becomes an issue with my bulk reloading.