Weighing bullets.

[Luckus]

How many of you accuracy nuts weigh bullets? Luckus

[acemisser]

waste of time as far as I am concerned...I did at one time but not anymore...

[BillPa]

Rarely. I pay more attention to bearing surface length than weight, .007" difference base to ogive in that batch.
http://i41.tinypic.com/2pywb9s.jpg


...measured this way.
http://i43.tinypic.com/6nxn4n.jpg

Bill

[Dennis]

Bill, which Hornady tool are you using in the above picture, the one on the left side.

Dennis

[Dennis]

PS: I don't know if it boost my confidence or if weight is a major factor. I have found as much as .008 difference in a batch of 100 bullets. It "seems" I shoot better groups with my weighed bullets.

People also swear trimming the meplat and pointing is a major factor, even at 600yds.

Neck tension, neck trimming-inside & outside, OAL trimming, etc., we could get in a really big conversation.

But I do weigh my bullets.

[BillPa]

Bill, which Hornady tool are you using in the above picture, the one on the left side.

Dennis


Its another Hornady tool the same as the right one with a bushing I made out of brass. I make them out of brass or steel depending on what I have laying around. The one on the left rest on the ogive and the on the heel to eliminate any inconsistency of the base in the measurement.

Bill

[Dennis]

Thanks for the info, Dennis

[Luckus]

I'll answer my own question. I quit weighing and started measuring a few years ago. Luckus

[Dennis]

Luckus, explain, if measuring benifits you more than weighing, let us know the benifit.

[Luckus]

For my normal hunting ammo, I don't weigh or measure bullets, but I do watch the OAL to the oqive on the loaded rounds. Where I hunt in northern Wisconsin shots are rarely 100 yards and mostly under 50. I have decided over the years that concentricity and OAL are more important than a few tenths of grain in bullet weight. When I shot a .308 in F Class I measured and sorted all bullets base to ogive, and loaded them to the correct oal. When they are sorted it speeds up the loading process and gives you the same distance to the lands every round.There was a lot of difference in the bullets I was using. I had the rifle rebarreled to 6 Dasher, and have used 105 gr Amax bullets exclusively in it. The Amax bullets I have used so far are so consistent in length that I no longer measure them. I use a Forster mic seater and can adjust it to get the right length by tuning the adjuster down if the round is a little long, or if I get a short one (rare) I use a kinetic puller to jar it and then reset the mic. The benefit is consistent accurate distance to the lands or jam if you find that to be the most accurate. This subject has been beat to death on many forums. One thing for sure, if you seat bullets of different base to ogive lengths they will not be the same OAl, measured from base of case to bullet ogive. Luckus

[HIGHRPM]

Tried it, to time consuming for me.

[acemisser]

Tried it, to time consuming for me. I have to agree with you there and if it doesn't improve your shooting,then why bother? WE HAVE SHOOTERS and then there are other shooters....For serious and I mean serious compitition you need a very good well build rifle.Then maybe weighing the bullets might be worth the time..BUT everything else also has to be be of match quility as well...Only my 1/2 cent worth on the subject...

[Dennis]

I will know my answer in 4 weeks. I just trimmed, pointed, and weighed several hundred for my BRX. I am hopeing it will make a difference.

I will post as soon as I shoot 600 yds again.

[kelbro]

Not sure how a variance in base to ogive measurements would affect OAL???

Doesn't the seater plug use the ogive as it's reference point?

Bottom of seater plug to top of shellholder shouldn't vary no matter how much of the bullet was in the case.

Now I can see it if the ogive diameter varied.

[BillPa]

Not sure how a variance in base to ogive measurements would affect OAL???

Doesn't the seater plug use the ogive as it's reference point?



Correct. If I seated the bullets in the picture I posted above the base to ogive will be the same. Of course one has to measure the COAL the same as how the bullet was seated, casehead to the seating plug.

http://i43.tinypic.com/f0zsrp.jpg

To that end I measure what the cartridge "saw" in the seating process, the casehead to ogive eliminating any variation in casehead runout and placement on the caliper jaws with an insert bored exactly .100" deep.
http://i50.tinypic.com/9946ma.jpg

Bill

[kelbro]

Gotcha Bill. Thanks