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Sorting pistol head stamps?

bigoutsidebigoutside Member Posts: 19,443 ✭
edited June 2014 in Perry Shooter Competition Shooting and Reloading Forum
For plinking with 9mm plated bullets.

Is there any reason to sort head stamps?
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    charliemeyer007charliemeyer007 Member Posts: 6,579 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    No good reason for plinking ammo. Way back in the day, when I hunted bunnies with a 1911 by running after them through the brush, the loss rate for brass was nearly 100%. I didn't use my best stuff for this purpose.
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    bigoutsidebigoutside Member Posts: 19,443 ✭
    edited November -1
    God bless you for that answer!!
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    perry shooterperry shooter Member Posts: 17,390 ✭
    edited November -1
    NO need but I would not mix steel case with Brass case. I would never reload Steel Case. They tend to Break Extractors.
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    Ray BRay B Member Posts: 11,822
    edited November -1
    I would sort them, but then I like shooting possibles at the range.
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    dcs shootersdcs shooters Member Posts: 10,969
    edited November -1
    I never do.
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    RobOzRobOz Member Posts: 9,523 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I do sort them by manufacture.
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    Mk 19Mk 19 Member Posts: 8,170
    edited November -1
    I only sort headstamps on pistol ammo when shooting in competition or working on the perfect group, for plinking I don't worry about it
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    noyljnoylj Member Posts: 172 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    After shooting multiple cartridges with sorted and mixed head stamps, I can say that there is no difference in accuracy out to 50 yards. In fact, running a t-test on the results, mixed head stamps have a very slight edge in accuracy.
    Since this is not a safety issue, feel free to run your own experiments.
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    reload999reload999 Member Posts: 3,080 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    For plinking I never sort 'em either.
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    NavybatNavybat Member Posts: 6,849 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I used mixed headstamp when I'm breaking in new pistols. For target shooting at the range, where I want to make nice groups, I sort headstamps. I have plenty of boxes of both types, to ensure I don't go short.
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    machine gun moranmachine gun moran Member Posts: 5,198
    edited November -1
    I only sort headstamps for reloading consistency. Different makes of brass seem to have internal tapers that are sometimes different enough to require minor adjustments in seating depths, to avoid bulging the brass. I load only FMJ ball, and I like to keep the overall fairly long, about .010" under the maximum, so the noses catch the feed ramp as early as possible - so, the bullet bases usually aren't deep enough to reach the inside taper. But just last night, I discovered that I had a lot of brass that had apparently been engineered with a short bullet seat, as when I loaded some 125-grain FMJ ball to the max overall of 1.169", the cases were already starting to bulge. When you are set up on one kind of brass, it makes a long run a lot smoother.
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    NavybatNavybat Member Posts: 6,849 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by machine gun moran
    I only sort headstamps for reloading consistency. Different makes of brass seem to have internal tapers that are sometimes different enough to require minor adjustments in seating depths, to avoid bulging the brass. I load only FMJ ball, and I like to keep the overall fairly long, about .010" under the maximum, so the noses catch the feed ramp as early as possible - so, the bullet bases usually aren't deep enough to reach the inside taper. But just last night, I discovered that I had a lot of brass that had apparently been engineered with a short bullet seat, as when I loaded some 125-grain FMJ ball to the max overall of 1.169", the cases were already starting to bulge. When you are set up on one kind of brass, it makes a long run a lot smoother.



    And that's key. If you're loading a long run, having consistent components, whatever they are, will help to ensure consistent rounds, and THAT can only help consistent accuracy.

    In general, for plinking, it doesn't matter too much. But since I load the same ammo for plinking that I carry (JHP 9mm) I try to keep same headstamp and load large batches identical to all my other loads.
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    rongrong Member Posts: 8,459
    edited November -1
    I really wonder (unless you're using a Ransom rest
    or shooting a contender) if the average shooter-not including
    Bullseye- can tell the difference in performance down range.
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    bigoutsidebigoutside Member Posts: 19,443 ✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by rong
    I really wonder (unless you're using a Ransom rest
    or shooting a contender) if the average shooter-not including
    Bullseye- can tell the difference in performance down range.


    Perry Shooter said "no".

    That pretty much clinched it for me. [;)]
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    noyljnoylj Member Posts: 172 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Been reloading since the first Hornady progressive (~35 years?) and never noticed any problems with mixed brass unless it was a military case and I didn't swage the primer pocket.
    The ONLY reason to sort head stamps is if it makes you more confident. It sure won't affect the external ballistics out to at least 50 yards.
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    goldeneagle76goldeneagle76 Member Posts: 4,359
    edited November -1
    I sort, but only to sooth my OCD! I don't notice any difference between my Starline, Remington or Winchester brass.
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    5mmgunguy5mmgunguy Member Posts: 3,853
    edited November -1
    For plinking loads, never. For close to max or max, yes.
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