In order to participate in the GunBroker Member forums, you must be logged in with your GunBroker.com account. Click the sign-in button at the top right of the forums page to get connected.

wieghing bullets

How much difference will .1 grian make in how well a bullet groups?
I was weighing some that I have and 12 of 30 were 180 and most were 179.9 or 180.1 is this enough to worry about? What is the largest difference you all load?[:I]

Comments

  • jonkjonk Member Posts: 10,121
    edited November -1
    Depends.

    If you are shooting 1000 yard benchrest matches with match guns, powder weighed, turned case necks, uniformed flashholes, weighed brass, benchrest primers, etc., then yes, it makes a difference.

    If you are hunting, competing in regular matches even, or just having fun, no, it will not make a difference with most rifles.
  • perry shooterperry shooter Member Posts: 17,390
    edited November -1
    Hello see next post sorry.
  • perry shooterperry shooter Member Posts: 17,390
    edited November -1
    Hello IMHO most bench rest shooters reload by volumn not weight on powder . For a bullet .1 grain error either + or - will not matter at all this is Less then one tenth of 1% error.more important is the quality of the bullet most important is the base. and jacket to core fit.
  • juddroyjuddroy Member Posts: 204 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Jacket thickness deviation has more effect on the bullets flight,than if it is a tenth off. Only problem is,you need to have or know someone who has a Juenke internal concentricity comparator.For example I just ran a bunch of Sierra and Hornady bullets over the Juenke.The Sierra bullets had half the deviation and ended up grouping a third tighter.Also your case wall thickness is a huge thing.Your cases will start to banana shape on you,stretching from the thin side so your concentricity goes out the door,even if you've turned your necks.
  • JustCJustC Member Posts: 16,056 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    volumne vs weight in powder means little. If you take a harrel powder measure and throw charges,..you'll find they all weigh the same within .1gr,..so either way is really the same thing.

    bullet tips being uniformed take a lot of vertical dispersion out,...and measuring them by bearing surface length makes a bigger difference than by weight.
  • glabrayglabray Member Posts: 679 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    If you are measuring the weight with a standard bullet/powder scale, the scale itself is probably no more accurate than plus or minus 0.1 grains anyway. To sort bullets to 0.1 grains you should have a scale that is accurate to 0.01 grains. They exist but are $$$$$.
  • nononsensenononsense Member Posts: 10,928 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    csjs1194,

    It will depend on just exactly what you want to accomplish (degree of accuracy needed) and at what distance you intend to shoot.

    The #1 rule for both rifles and the loads that they shoot is that you need consistency in every factor that you can exercise control over. The greater the degree of accuracy that you require, the smaller the variations are that you can accept.

    If you're taking the weight variation into account and nothing more, I wouldn't worry about it. If you are looking at and trying to accommodate all of the variables needed to shoot small groups at long ranges, you need to establish what is acceptable in your loading by shooting and observing the variations. The smaller degree that you hold the variations to, the more consistant technically your groups can be.

    Best.
  • RustyNailRustyNail Member Posts: 803 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    csjs1194; I just weighed 50 Hornady XTP 500 grain bullets. All were within +/- .4 grains. I have been able to get chrono spreads under 10fps using these. I'm not a PHD ballistician but my understanding is that consitent velocities are a better indicator of the expected accuracy than exact bullet weights. Bullets fly on an arched trajectory and changes in velocity do translate to elevation changes in bullet trajectory. Do you clock your bullets? Just a thought.
    Rusty
  • remingtongeoremingtongeo Member Posts: 178
    edited November -1
    When I reload for 1000 yard matches I worry about everything and it makes a difference. Over the course at 200 and 300 yards I don't sweat it. I use the 1000 yard ammo at 600 yards just because I don't want three different 308 loads around. I agree with jonk.
Sign In or Register to comment.