What are your guys tolerances when weighing cases?
- Thread starter Bunkerbean
- Start date
Re: Weighing Brass
This question is like boxes or briefs. There are a few things you may want to ask yourself. What do I want to do with my hand loads? How much time do I want to spend loading ammo?
Weight sorting ammo is done to produce more consistent loads, or that’s the theory anyway. I weight sort for load development and for long range, 600 yards or more.
I like to weigh out a box of a least 100 cases. When I load for High Power I just buy Lapua, prep the brass and load them. I group cases in the 10th of a grain then pick the amount of brass I need for example if the cases weigh
Weight # of cases
55.1 14
55.2 36
55.3 21
55.4 20
55.5 9
If I want 50 cases to use I will use all the 55.1 and 55.2
Hope this helps
This question is like boxes or briefs. There are a few things you may want to ask yourself. What do I want to do with my hand loads? How much time do I want to spend loading ammo?
Weight sorting ammo is done to produce more consistent loads, or that’s the theory anyway. I weight sort for load development and for long range, 600 yards or more.
I like to weigh out a box of a least 100 cases. When I load for High Power I just buy Lapua, prep the brass and load them. I group cases in the 10th of a grain then pick the amount of brass I need for example if the cases weigh
Weight # of cases
55.1 14
55.2 36
55.3 21
55.4 20
55.5 9
If I want 50 cases to use I will use all the 55.1 and 55.2
Hope this helps
Re: Weighing Brass
Never weighed a case and never will. It's a waste of time unless you are a bench rest shooter. My loads are all under 25fps ES, single digit SD and 1/2 MOA or better. You will shoot better spending time at the range shooting rather than sitting in front of a scale.
Never weighed a case and never will. It's a waste of time unless you are a bench rest shooter. My loads are all under 25fps ES, single digit SD and 1/2 MOA or better. You will shoot better spending time at the range shooting rather than sitting in front of a scale.
Re: Weighing Brass
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Rob01</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Never weighed a case and never will. It's a waste of time unless you are a bench rest shooter. My loads are all under 25fps ES, single digit SD and 1/2 MOA or better. You will shoot better spending time at the range shooting rather than sitting in front of a scale. </div></div>
Some of us just don't have the natural God given talent like you and therefore some of us may have to try an attempt any little trick, as much of a pain as it may be and time consuming, to keep with guys like you Rob !!!! Why do you think "we" have to also factor in coriolis and spindrift !! By the way-- you know the H20 volume in grains for 308WIN brass in fired and non-fired Federal and Lapua ?????
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Rob01</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Never weighed a case and never will. It's a waste of time unless you are a bench rest shooter. My loads are all under 25fps ES, single digit SD and 1/2 MOA or better. You will shoot better spending time at the range shooting rather than sitting in front of a scale. </div></div>
Some of us just don't have the natural God given talent like you and therefore some of us may have to try an attempt any little trick, as much of a pain as it may be and time consuming, to keep with guys like you Rob !!!! Why do you think "we" have to also factor in coriolis and spindrift !! By the way-- you know the H20 volume in grains for 308WIN brass in fired and non-fired Federal and Lapua ?????
Re: Weighing Brass
Is a .5 grain tolerance a waste of time or not.
Rob I had absolutely nothing to do at work today, so I had plenty of time to spend 20 minutes weighing brass.
Is a .5 grain tolerance a waste of time or not.
Rob I had absolutely nothing to do at work today, so I had plenty of time to spend 20 minutes weighing brass.
Re: Weighing Brass
Might as well start measuring bearing surfaces of the bullets, weigh each bullet, sift powder, weigh your charge to the .01 of a grain, weigh your primers, cut your meplats to the same dimensions, turn your necks, mark your case to the least amount of run out, anneal your case, measure runout of each individual bullets, moly and boron nitride your bullets and use a ultra sonic cleaner for all your cases. That way, you will be sure you have super duper match ammo.
Might as well start measuring bearing surfaces of the bullets, weigh each bullet, sift powder, weigh your charge to the .01 of a grain, weigh your primers, cut your meplats to the same dimensions, turn your necks, mark your case to the least amount of run out, anneal your case, measure runout of each individual bullets, moly and boron nitride your bullets and use a ultra sonic cleaner for all your cases. That way, you will be sure you have super duper match ammo.
Re: Weighing Brass
If you have a gun capable of 0.2" 5-shot groups and want a gun capable of 0.15" 5-shot groups, then it might be time to investigate weighting cases.
Otherwise--meh
If you have a gun capable of 0.2" 5-shot groups and want a gun capable of 0.15" 5-shot groups, then it might be time to investigate weighting cases.
Otherwise--meh
Re: Weighing Brass
i dont do much case prep, but now and then u may stumble on something that works for u, and your gun. or u may just need to convince yourself of the pointlessness of the exercise
for me other than the basics i deburr flasholes. seems to eliminate weird wtf shots w new winnie brass. and im not surprised, when sometimes u cant hardly get the cutter in the flash hole.
i dont do much case prep, but now and then u may stumble on something that works for u, and your gun. or u may just need to convince yourself of the pointlessness of the exercise
for me other than the basics i deburr flasholes. seems to eliminate weird wtf shots w new winnie brass. and im not surprised, when sometimes u cant hardly get the cutter in the flash hole.
Re: Weighing Brass
OK well since I went thru the trouble I have will keep them sorted as my hunting pile ~56 cases ~31 cases for varmints and the rest I can use for barrel break in.
OK well since I went thru the trouble I have will keep them sorted as my hunting pile ~56 cases ~31 cases for varmints and the rest I can use for barrel break in.
Re: Weighing Brass
The guy who put my gun together for me suggested I do this. I ordered a batch of 500 Lapua 308 cases, all same lot number, weight them to the 0.1gr, then lumped them together in batches of 0.4gr spread. Yes, it was a lot of work, but it's over. I also filed a small nick in the rim of the brass in 1 of 4 quadrants to help differentiate which lot (my sorting) the piece was from. This way I don't mix lots. So far results look promising. Best group shot during load workup was a 0.131" @100yd. And this was from the tail of the bell-curve.
The guy who put my gun together for me suggested I do this. I ordered a batch of 500 Lapua 308 cases, all same lot number, weight them to the 0.1gr, then lumped them together in batches of 0.4gr spread. Yes, it was a lot of work, but it's over. I also filed a small nick in the rim of the brass in 1 of 4 quadrants to help differentiate which lot (my sorting) the piece was from. This way I don't mix lots. So far results look promising. Best group shot during load workup was a 0.131" @100yd. And this was from the tail of the bell-curve.
Re: Weighing Brass
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Bunkerbean</div><div class="ubbcode-body">What are your guys tolerances when weighing cases? </div></div>
+/- 3 standard deviations. But don't bother with it. Case capacity is what affects pressure.
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Bunkerbean</div><div class="ubbcode-body">What are your guys tolerances when weighing cases? </div></div>
+/- 3 standard deviations. But don't bother with it. Case capacity is what affects pressure.
Re: Weighing Brass
Wow, this thread got hijacked by the pissing contest fairy
Anyways, if I do sort by weight I usuall keep them sorted in .5 grain increments.
SP308 is right, if you really want to minimize ES and SD then you should sort cases by volume. If you do it by volume, you don't have to worry about sorting by case weight.
How well does sorting cases by volume work? For example, I've had ES as low as ZERO fps but it's usually between 8-15 fps.
Anyways, just my 2 cents.
Wow, this thread got hijacked by the pissing contest fairy
Anyways, if I do sort by weight I usuall keep them sorted in .5 grain increments.
SP308 is right, if you really want to minimize ES and SD then you should sort cases by volume. If you do it by volume, you don't have to worry about sorting by case weight.
How well does sorting cases by volume work? For example, I've had ES as low as ZERO fps but it's usually between 8-15 fps.
Anyways, just my 2 cents.
Re: Weighing Brass
honest ?s
do u guys who weigh cases do it each time u trim? or chamfer? or just initially?
.131 is impressive for sure, i dont care if thats bipod, bags, or bolted to a concrete fixture! how da heck u even measure that? ive seen some doodads for measurin groups, ive even got one for 22 holes somewhere. heck to each his own, and our fun overlaps, my son loves fishin, i figure why go fishin when i can hunt groundhogs? hehe
lear
honest ?s
do u guys who weigh cases do it each time u trim? or chamfer? or just initially?
.131 is impressive for sure, i dont care if thats bipod, bags, or bolted to a concrete fixture! how da heck u even measure that? ive seen some doodads for measurin groups, ive even got one for 22 holes somewhere. heck to each his own, and our fun overlaps, my son loves fishin, i figure why go fishin when i can hunt groundhogs? hehe
lear
Re: Weighing Brass
Case weighing for me is just once, before firing.
Case weighing for me is just once, before firing.
Re: Weighing Brass
Only once for the life of the brass. I mark the brass to separate them into groups based on weight.
Only once for the life of the brass. I mark the brass to separate them into groups based on weight.
Re: Weighing Brass
If using the volume method what is the procedure and tolerances?
If using the volume method what is the procedure and tolerances?
Re: Weighing Brass
I think most guys use water in a case with a fired primer. Probably helps to put in some detergent, to break down any surface tension issues.
My method is to use a primed case and overfill it with the powder I'll be loading. I think this gves a more relevent volume/weight comparison.
I don't trust case weights, as there are a number of reasons why case weights can vary, and volume is only one of them. I can see a valid argument for sorting cases by weight if one also weighs completed rounds to check for load charge consistency, but even that may be questionable. IMHO.
I think most guys use water in a case with a fired primer. Probably helps to put in some detergent, to break down any surface tension issues.
My method is to use a primed case and overfill it with the powder I'll be loading. I think this gves a more relevent volume/weight comparison.
I don't trust case weights, as there are a number of reasons why case weights can vary, and volume is only one of them. I can see a valid argument for sorting cases by weight if one also weighs completed rounds to check for load charge consistency, but even that may be questionable. IMHO.
Re: Weighing Brass
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: vinconco</div><div class="ubbcode-body">If using the volume method what is the procedure and tolerances? </div></div>
I put a fired primer into the case then weigh the case. Then fill the case with water to the BASE of the neck. Now weight the case with the water in it. Then subtract the water weight from the empty weight. As for tolerances, do what you feel comfy with.
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: vinconco</div><div class="ubbcode-body">If using the volume method what is the procedure and tolerances? </div></div>
I put a fired primer into the case then weigh the case. Then fill the case with water to the BASE of the neck. Now weight the case with the water in it. Then subtract the water weight from the empty weight. As for tolerances, do what you feel comfy with.
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