Weigh sorting loaded ammo

[ken158]

My thoughts are proper reloading, equipment, skill and weather conditions are more important then the weight of your brass.

[hemiallen]

Originally Posted by GrocMax

Obviously, had I weighed every case this would have been discovered earlier, but like a fool, trusted this company to do a proper job. NEVER again.

Any chance you could share the supplier of this brass, it MIGHT save someone else from an unsafe condition, or at least make some aware what to look out for. Not head-hunting to lay blame, I am more interested in making others aware of a potential safety problem. And I do have a few 17 fireballs I reload for, and have considered using reformed 17 fireball brass I see for sale......

Most of my loads are near-neck full, and I always load in a block and scan it before putting bullets in, but this could be an unseen issue in some circumstances.

Allen

[georgeld]

More practice and trigger control will
help your accuracy a whole lot more than
such time wasters as weighing everything.

Get that trigger down to 3# or a bit less and
that will help much too.

Then once you're happy with the load, get a bunch
of other bullets of desired weight and sort thru them
with the same load, you'll find a lot of difference there.

Just a few things i've discovered playing this game.

[56S]

showed interesting results when brass was weight sorted. Two weight groups for each caliber and all groups were good just on different places on the target. The 222 test was with Hornady vs WW brass and the group shifted a bit over 1" horizontally. The 17 HH also shifted but not as drastic. Two lots of new Hornady brass was used on the 17 HH.

[Stan from Pa.]

Hello Jim D,
Count me in as crazy, I try to be thorough with each step of my reloading process, ie meaning case length, sizing, weighing each powder charge, but I do also weight sort my brass.
I do normally do this before loading but after loading would also be beneficial in my mind if each powder charge is checked and each case is trimmed to the same length.
I'm not a benchrest shooter, only enjoy shooting varmints and seeing the best possible groups when shooting paper at the range, this boosts my confidence and adds a certain degree of satisfaction.
It would be interesting to hear what Harold or another BR shooter's opinion would be and I know there are many other variables that are maybe more important, but if all these variables are minded and paid attention to, what can weight sorting cases hurt?
JMO,
Stan

[Bayou City Boy]

Originally Posted by B23

......As for trying to weight sort loaded ammo, there are just to many variables for it to be of any value.

My thoughts exactly. If you do any weighing that might have an effect, do it with the individual components to begin with.

-BCB

[B23]

Originally Posted by 56S

showed interesting results when brass was weight sorted. Two weight groups for each caliber and all groups were good just on different places on the target. The 222 test was with Hornady vs WW brass and the group shifted a bit over 1" horizontally. The 17 HH also shifted but not as drastic. Two lots of new Hornady brass was used on the 17 HH.

Hornady 17 Hornet brass has a pretty significant variation in neck thickness. I keep all my 17 Hornet brass segregated by its neck thickness. I like to run right around 1-1.5 thou of neck tension, with a standard FL die and the amount of variance in the thickness of the necks, that is pretty much impossible to do with any amount of consistency. Keeping my 17 Hornet brass segregated by neck thickness and using a bushing die has made a world of difference.

[GrocMax]

Originally Posted by hemiallen

Any chance you could share the supplier of this brass, it MIGHT save someone else from an unsafe condition, or at least make some aware what to look out for. Not head-hunting to lay blame, I am more interested in making others aware of a potential safety problem. And I do have a few 17 fireballs I reload for, and have considered using reformed 17 fireball brass I see for sale......

Most of my loads are near-neck full, and I always load in a block and scan it before putting bullets in, but this could be an unseen issue in some circumstances.

Allen

Made me so mad I didn't address the issue with them, since I didn't give them a chance to make it right, I don't feel naming names on a forum would do anything except hurt someone for spite. Telling people who buy converted 17FB that I found a problem DOES do some good.

[Jim D]

Stan . That's the way I see it. I'm anxious to test the ammo.

As for weighing components seperately ? I measure the powder for every load.
The bullets, I weighed several, with really no variation.
The primers I didn't bother weighing. So the variation comes from the brass by simple logic.

I just weigh sorted over 400 LC 13 once fired 223 brass. Staying at home with this Virus thing, is giving me the time. There was a Wide variation ! About the same as I found when I weigh sorted loaded ammo. Over a full grain from top to bottom.

I sorted the LC brass into three groups. They had been deprimed, and Ultra Sonic cleaned.

If my test doesn't prove the variation makes a difference in my Varmint rifles I'll post .

Thanks for everyone's thoughts ! They are appreciated !

Jim.