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Cartridge Case Weight
Ambrose
Member Posts: 3,164 ✭✭✭✭
Getting ready to load for a recent new-to-me .270. I have a pretty good supply of brass of several brands so in the process of picking a brand, I thought I'd weigh 'em.
Sako 181 gr.
nickle Win 187 gr.
Win 188 gr.
PPU 188 gr.
RP 196 gr.
FC 200 gr.
Quite a spread! I guess I'll try a conservative load with a box loaded with Sako cases and a box with Federal cases and see what the difference is. Of course the proper way to check case capacity is to fill to the base of the neck with water and weigh that. But that's messy.
Comments
Are you going to sort each brand by weight also?
I reload and work up reloads for maximum accuracy in Bolt action rifles that I have glass bedded.
I weigh the brass I'm going to reload and for the 30-06, 270 area of caliber rifles I have the brass separated into a tolerance of not over 4 grains difference in weight. The name on the brass (manufacturer of the brass) is not as important as keeping the weight within a tolerance.
I can tell you this from experience.
If I took your 181 gr Sako brass and your Fed 200 grain brass and loaded each brass with the same exact recipe and shot them at the same target in a very accurate rifle that is capable of one inch or better groups, the groups would most likely spread to as much as 3 inches.
I've proven this to others who just done a jaw dropper when they seen such.
Summary: What I'm saying is you might take the 181 gr Brass and shoot a one inch or less group, then take the 200 gr FC brass and shoot a 1 inch group but they will usually impact at a different place on the target, sometimes as much as 3 inch apart. (the heavier weight brass usually has less space/volume inside)
Just mixing up brass and ignoring the weight of the brass can quite often make a very accurate rifle look very bad accuracy wise.
Heavier brass will usually mean less case volume as stated and can lead to higher pressures.
Max loads could be a kaboom.
Oak, what else do you weigh beside bras?
Someone had to ask.
Generally, you don't need to weigh them, you can judge them by the size.........