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variation of cast lead bullet weight

peddlerpeddler Member Posts: 881 ✭✭✭✭
edited February 2009 in Perry Shooter Competition Shooting and Reloading Forum
How much variation in weight can I expect from cast lead bullets? I have a box of 500, 45 acp, 200g, bullets that vary as much as 5g. Will accuracy be vary good with that much weight difference? Thanks for any info.
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Comments

  • MIKE WISKEYMIKE WISKEY Member Posts: 10,036 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    it depends on how far you are shooting. 50'=not enought to worry about, 50 yrds=better start weighing and sorting
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  • bpostbpost Member Posts: 32,669 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    If the bullets are lubed there is no way of knowing how much they weigh. It would not be too uncommon to find a grain or two variance in a cast bullet. After the lube is applied trapped air and voids will cause weights to vary quite a bit. For reloading purposes, the weight of the lube is not figured into the projectile weight.
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  • perry shooterperry shooter Member Posts: 17,105 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Hello Peddler as noted the weight of bullet AND lube may vary how much is too much [?].If the bullets are unlubed when you get them then you might want to sort however if already lubed forget it. The proof of the pudding is in the shooting . The base is more important then any other part of the bullet. I have tested bullets at 50 yards on a Ransom rest That I drilled holes in the sides and nose these were over 5 GRAINS of lead removed some 1/8 inch in Diameter . Accuracy did not suffer much until you messed with the base. I did this after picking up hundreds of fired bullets from the grass at Camp Perry a large % had voids in the base that did not show up until fired . Why someone has not made a 68 Bevel Base H&G design in a upside down format so the sprue plate cut off the nose instead of base I can't understand . The voids in the base happens because the air bubble rises to the top during pouring but can't escape because of the sprue plate and the air pocket is around the outside edge "the worst possible place" If the nose was at the top next to the sprue plate these air bubbles would have a place to escape . This is one of the reasons why MOST MASTER class bulls-eye shooters use Swaged Bullets instead of cast. I am not saying cast are bad it is just harder for the buyer to know the quality. If you cast your own some times HOTTER is better because you give more time for air to escape before the molten lead becomes solid "PRAISE THE HARD-BALL GUN"
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  • peddlerpeddler Member Posts: 881 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    thanks to all for the useful info.
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  • m113103m113103 Member Posts: 35 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Did you cast them or buy them? If you cast them work on your process. But as it was stated at less than 50 ft you wont know the difference.
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