JAVA Method returns unexpected value

I am a very new java programmer, the below code is my first attempt at my own project. I'm certain the code is a mess, please forgive me.

In the below code the user is prompted to enter 5 values between 1 and 50.
I am placing the input values into an int[].
I want to verify that the numbers are in range so I pass the value to a method.
MY ISSUE:
If the value is in range it gets returned then the for loop increments to repeat - Good Behavior
If an invalid value is entered the check is done, error message is displayed and the user is prompted to reenter a proper value.
If one invalid entry is made and a proper value is entered on the second attempt, a correct value is returned - Good Behavior
If two invalid entries are made the second invalid entry somehow gets passed back to the for loop and gets added to array - BAD Behavior

I am certain there is something simple I am missing.

public static void main(String[] args) {
    Scanner in = new Scanner(System.in);
    System.out.print("you get 5 elements between 01 & 50:");
    int a[] = new int[5];
    System.out.println("\nEnter all the elements:");
    for(int i = 0; i < 5;)
    {
        int b = in.nextInt();
        a[i] = checkNum(b);
        i++;
    }
    System.out.println("Numbers:" + Arrays.toString(a));
    in.close();
}

static int checkNum(int z) {
	Scanner s = new Scanner(System.in);
	if (z>0 && z<51) {
    	return z;
    } else {
        System.out.println("Invalid Entry!! Enter a valid number between 01 & 50");
        int qz = s.nextInt();
        z = qz;
        checkNum(qz);
    }
	return z;
}

The problem resides in your checkNum(), you are using recursion here, I don't think you know this (if you do that's great).

You need to return the checkNum(qz) value, I have simplified your logic a bit.

static int checkNum(int z) {
	if (z<1 || z>50) // check for false value 
	{
		System.out.println("Invalid Entry!! Enter a valid number between 01 & 50");
        Scanner s = new Scanner(System.in);
		return checkNum(s.nextInt());
	}
	return z;
}

You could follow a simpler approach assuming the user will input numbers and not other characters (that would throw an exception),

	public static void main(String[] args) {
	    System.out.print("you get 5 elements between 01 & 50:");
	    
	    Scanner in = new Scanner(System.in);
	    int a[] = new int[5];
    	
    	int i = 0;
	    do{
	        System.out.println("Enter an element:");
	        int b = in.nextInt();

	        if (b > 0 && b < 51){
	        	a[i] = b;
	        	i++;
	        }else{
	        	System.out.println("Invalid Entry!! Enter a valid number between 01 & 50");
	        }
	    }while(i < 5);

	    in.close();
	    System.out.println("Numbers:" + Arrays.toString(a));
	}

Here you're asking for valid input until the threshold of 5 is reached. Because you don't know beforehand how many times the user will provide input, until the criteria are met, a do-while loop is used.