Inconsistent bullet weight

[180grainer]

Hello everyone. I've recently been reloading getting ready for an up and coming Grizzly hunt. Just out of curiosity I checked my scale by weighing a bullet. 180 grain nosler. It weighed in at 181.5 grains. Thought my scale was off so I weighed another. It checked in at 179.5. I started weighing all of my bullets and found a handful that checked in at exactly 180 grains. Has any one out there encountered this problem and what do you think the difference in weight will do for accuracy. I selected all consistent weights and will shoot tomorrow to see what the results are.

[Gunsmoke]

Interesting observation. I have not weighed bullets looking for variations in weight but I am sure there are and that may account for variation in grouping.

What would be interesting to try, assuming you reload, is the following comparison (using the same powder charge and primer in each cartridge):

1. Weigh your prepared cases and pick a group that are all within say 0.5 or 1 grain in weight. Then load 3 rounds with bullets all weighing 180 grains. This should theoretically produce a relatively "consistent" load.

2. Next, Pick say 3 bullets, with the widest variation in weight and similarly, pick 3 prepared cases with a wide variation in weight. Then load 3 rounds of "variable" weight components.

From a solid rest, fire the two 3 shot strings and compare what one might consider to be the best and worst case scenarios.......how much difference is there?

some food for thought,

Gunsmoke.

[moosecaller]

You really don't have anything to worry about that is not going to effect your accuracy to any extent. Unless you are a 1000 yrd.+ shooter you will find that ALL your components are not the same, your brass will weigh different, the necks will not be true, you will have runout on all parts, primer pockets will not be equal, don't worry you will not notice any difference in shooting, if you think about it too much it may effect your mindset more than the bullets themselves. Put your mind at ease and remember you loaded these bullets to the best of your ability and they will perform great! Do your job behind the gun and your loads will not let you down.
P.S. If you are a 1000 yrd+ shooter then you have to be more precise as these small differences will effect your shots.

[180grainer]

thanks to both of you, Gunsmoke, I will try that. Of course the only confound is my own shooting. I was out today and with bullets weighed, they group really well. I remember seeing a video from Hornady about uneven copper jackets. Like we're talking 100ths of a mm. If one side is slightly off from the other, your center of axis is off which will kill your accuracy. And we're not talking 1000 yards either. The more I think about it, the more I don't think weight's a problem. As long as the bullet is uniform. The worst that could happen is that it could affect trajectory and with only about 1% difference in weight it can't mean much up to 300 or 400 yards...I hope so..... if weighing powder charges, cleaning powder pockets, and trimming brass isn't enough.....now I'm weighing my bullets......then again....sometimes I aint got nothin else to do either......

[savagewsm]

A simple thing to do to improve your accuracy even more would be so sort your brass. For sure have the same headstamp and if you can sort the brass by weight as close as possible. If you buy a bag of new brass sort it and use each bunch seperately. For example if you get 50 new brass you may be able to sort it into three groups by weight. Use one group till it is worn out and so on.

This will have more impact on accuracy than any discrepancy in bullet weight variations. I have taken several rifles and shrunk groups from 1.5 to 2" at 100M to well under 1" at 100M buy just using consistant brass.

In my oppinion brass prep is the number one factor in accuracy reloading after the powder bullet combo and I have 30 years experience at this. But don't spread it around. Every now and then somone sells a good rifle cheap because they say it is not accurate. If they only knew.

[moosecaller]

You can get carried away real quick on components sorting weighing checking etc. then there is each small part of each to look at, the neck on the brass reaming it inside and out to make sure neck tension is exact all around, this is not juist simple trimming. My cousin has bought brass that costs $1 a pce, just to be sure he has the best to start with and then he goes into a long proceedure to ensure these are done right.Working on the primer pocket; is it flat; is the flash hole even to ensure proper ignition. Playing with the different powders, this can be a chore in itself. By all means take your time and make everything as equal as possible, you will certainly be doing more than the factory. But watching my cousin prepare his loads for his 1000 yard competitions it can comsume you. If this will give you any advantage while getting you game ?? yeah it might a lot of our confidence comes from doing things right but there is a limit. You can get too focused on these points and believe me there are many to focus on, it may take away from the initial reason for doing what we do. Or on the other hand this is your way of ensuring all angles are covered and it gives you that aditional boost of confidence than by all means leave no stone unturned. You will find there are as many opinions about loading and how to than there is loaders and each has their own way of doing it to make them shoot better, I just don't think you will make the gains you are looking for without spending a lot of time and money, I find powder to be an important issue more so than the other components have you tried many to see if you tighten up your groups? My opinion for hunting purposes careful reloading without going overboard is still far ahead of factory measures, you may drive yourself nuts trying to do everything needed to create the perfect load.

PS Both my cousin and I have over 30 years of reloading each so we have tried lots of fads and advice.

[savagewsm]

I realize that one can go overboard in reloading but taking 20 minutes to sort brass is not all that tedious a task. Its fast, simple, and works. And its not a fad. Also from a cost standpoint for the reloader who is not into huge volume or precision mania having a pile of different powders on hand can get a bit pricey at $30 a pound.

Sorting brass is free as well as fast and will give better ammo that just loading whatever you have around. I think it is in the best interest of all who reload to take all reasonable measures to ensure safe and accurate ammo. You don't neccesarily have to do it with every bell and whistle but a small step like sorting is reasonable. And some people may enjoy trying to maximize the potential of a rifle.

[BarryL]

Im the cousin that moosecaller is talking about, and yes you can go absolutly nuts with things to try and make your brass and loads better. BUT, unless all this effort is going into a custom or trued action and match grade barrel with comp chamber with clearences under a thou. then spend your time shooting instead of loading. With an off the shelf rifle all this will mean spit at the target. What you can do to make your rifle/load combo more accurate is tuning your load to the rifle via a "ladder test". Adjust the seating depth to tune a little more. Once you find the most accurate load this way get your neck tension equal with neck turning and bushing dies if so inclined. Dlont waste time weighing brass or bullets for the distances your going to be shooting. Now with a quality trigger and bedding job you might be able to turn that rifle into a 1/2 to 1moa consistant shooter. Thats as good as its going to get. Remember accuracy costs money, how small a group do you want? My bench gun has over 4 grand in it and its best group so far is 5 shots a tad over 3" at 1000yds.

[Gunsmoke]

Yes ....but...you do learn by trying different things, and in doing so, soon find the limit of what you can achieve with a specific gun.

[BarryL]

Nothing wrong with learning new stuff. And who knows you may have whats called a "hummer" and do some amazing things with it. More often than not though one runs into trouble cause bench loads are often beyond whats considered safe in most firearms. Bullets are jammed into the rifling instead of jumped. Turning down the necks for uniformaty often results in necks splitting because of to much clearance in sammi chambers. If you want to tweak as much accuracy as possible out of your hunting rifle I know what will work and what is a waste of time and more important, money. Believe me when you get into all the extra doo dads for tailoring the utmost out of your reloads you wanna have pretty deep pockets and an understanding Mrs.

[Gunsmoke]

In my opinion (but with only 14 years experience.....), many, if not all, of variables that benchrest or long range shooters consider when trying to achieve accuracy, consistency or whatever you might want to call it, is the same for hunting rifles. However, there is the law of diminishing returns and this is particularly true when it comes to mass produced factory rifles.

The primary variables that I have observed that can/should be considered for improving the accuracy/consistency of a hunting rifle are (assuming one reloads of course):
- action bedding (for some guns)
- barrel free floating (for some guns)
- bullet type/weight
- powder type and charge (assuming we are not exceeding recommended maximums)
- primer type
- bullet seating depth (assuming we are not ramming it into the lands), and
- case/brass preparation

I have managed to do this at relatively modest cost, had some fun realizing much improved performance in my rifle(s) and..... I am still happily married.

[BarryL]

When its all said and done have fun and go for it. Just remember accuracy can be addictive. Ive always felt crack and hookers may have been a cheaper way to go. But what the hell, its fun and you wont find a better group of people most anywhere.

[Gunsmoke]

Barry;

There you go; ...."all's fair in love, war and reloading....."

Have fun and be safe....

[open-sights]

Triple shocks in a 180 gr can range more than 2 grains
Interbonds I have found real good and have less than a .3 gr swing
Game Kings were close as well but could never get decent groups with them.
V-max were real good as well, but I have yet to fire them at the range.