Case sorting???

[Firearrow]

I was woundering how everyone out there goes about sorting there cases. I always sort by brand, lot # if possible, and times shot. I more or less would like a range on the different weight that I should sort them by. Should they be sorted in batches of 2-3 grain differences, or should I be looking at a tighter tolerence?

Also is there anything else I should be looking for? This is a factory hunting rifle, and I got my answer for the neck turning question I had.

Thanks

 

[Mikecr]

1. Thickness & thickness variance as measured at mid necks with a ball mic.
2. H20 capacity once cases are fully fireformed.

Brand don't matter, but of course you should never mix brands.
Weight don't matter, actual capacity does.

Why would you mix brands, or concern yourself with fired #?
Buy all the best new brass you will ever need, cull out all but the best of it, and never concern yourself with current issues again..

 

[nheninge]

+1 on what mike says (all of it). Put out the brass work, cash, time etc early, get a good reliable setup, then focus on actually shooting and put your mind to rest for everything else.

 

[Firearrow]

1. Thickness & thickness variance as measured at mid necks with a ball mic.
2. H20 capacity once cases are fully fireformed.

Brand don't matter, but of course you should never mix brands.
Weight don't matter, actual capacity does.

Why would you mix brands, or concern yourself with fired #?
Buy all the best new brass you will ever need, cull out all but the best of it, and never concern yourself with current issues again..

Mixxed brands come from some of my hunting buddies that don't reload, and why waiste once fired brass. As for the number of times fired. I keep them marked in a bag so that when I start to reload that batch if I start to see signs of headspace seperation (on the inside with a feeler gauge), or the primer pocket gets loose, I will take an even better look at that whole batch. It is more of a check and balence for me. Might be a waiste of time, but it is what I do. Plus I get my kds out there to help me "make D bullets", and we get to spend some time togeather.

 

[Topgun 30-06]

Mikecr---Would you please respond to us as to why you made that statement on not bothering with times fired and reloaded? I'm new to reloading and will be doing it strictly for hunting purposes, so that will reduce number of reloads in a case as compared to bench or competitive shooting. However, everything I've read before finally taking the plunge mentions keeping track of stuff like that for reasons similar to what Firearrow mentioned. Thanks!!!

 

[Mikecr]

There are reloading sites out there where cutting corners, taking shortcuts, and saving every penny is likely encouraged. This should NOT be one of them..

I say this because you're unlikely to produce 'long range' accuracy from mixed brass brands, using a single reloading setup. There are already too many challenges to overcome, even with all components matching.
So throwing absolutely mismatched brass into this abstract, is a very poor plan IMO.

Seems like thread starter was soliciting a better plan, but without intent to act on one.

 

[X3MHunter]

Here you go! Enjoy guys!

YouTube - I want to learn how to reload. North Texas Rifle Precision

 

[Firearrow]

There are reloading sites out there where cutting corners, taking shortcuts, and saving every penny is likely encouraged. This should NOT be one of them..

I say this because you're unlikely to produce 'long range' accuracy from mixed brass brands, using a single reloading setup. There are already too many challenges to overcome, even with all components matching.
So throwing absolutely mismatched brass into this abstract, is a very poor plan IMO.

Seems like thread starter was soliciting a better plan, but without intent to act on one.

Actually I was trying to make sure what I was doing was correct, and to see if there was a better way I could be doing it so that I could produce a more accurate load.

Why is it that you always have some kind of a pompous, or elitist remark? Unless I am wrong this forum is a place where people go to discuss RELOADING, and turn to for guidence for HELPFUL people that have been there and done that. So reguardless of the question you should probably keep your smartass coments to your self. Or better yet, don't reply.

 

[Topgun 30-06]

Mikecr---That's not what I was asking. I know that you shouldn't mix brass and he can do that if he wants to, but not me. What I was referring to is that it seems as though you stated that you didn't need to keep track of how many times a case had been shot and reloaded. Everything I've read says to keep track of that so you can get an idea of how many times you can reload for a particular gun before you start seeing case problems.

 

[Mikecr]

Sorry Topgun, I missed your context.
Tracking cycles to predict case failure is viable, but accepting of the causes.
I'll leave it at that to avoid further offense in this thread.

 

[Buffalobob]

I use several different brands of brass and some of it is weight sorted. Yesterday was the coldest day of the year here and I was out shooting F-class at 1K. Shot RWS brass at 800 and 900 and then switched to Norma for 1000 yards. I also have Winchester brass that I use for F-class and it is weight sorted. If I cared enough I could measure other parameters but weight sorting gets rid of weird cases. After weight sorting I watch which piece of brass produces a flyer and throw it away.

Rather than wait for my brass to fail, I anneal it at a frequency that keeps it from failing. For 308 and a match chamber, that is about once every four firing. That also works out to about once a year given the limited number of matches I shoot. For firebreathing magnums I will do it every firing or every other depending on the brass and rifle. Of course this means that I do not overly resize a piece of brass beyond what is needed for it to fit in the chamber.

 

[J E Custom]

I use several different brands of brass and some of it is weight sorted. Yesterday was the coldest day of the year here and I was out shooting F-class at 1K. Shot RWS brass at 800 and 900 and then switched to Norma for 1000 yards. I also have Winchester brass that I use for F-class and it is weight sorted. If I cared enough I could measure other parameters but weight sorting gets rid of weird cases. After weight sorting I watch which piece of brass produces a flyer and throw it away.

Rather than wait for my brass to fail, I anneal it at a frequency that keeps it from failing. For 308 and a match chamber, that is about once every four firing. That also works out to about once a year given the limited number of matches I shoot. For firebreathing magnums I will do it every firing or every other depending on the brass and rifle. Of course this means that I do not overly resize a piece of brass beyond what is needed for it to fit in the chamber.

+1

Very good advice !!!

The main reason for sorting brass ,(No mater how you do it) is to have more shot to shot
consistency.

So the more anal/particular you are the more consistant your shots will be.

I have seen changes in things that only improved group size by an average of .005 to .007.

That's not much . but when you add all of the improvements up It can be the difference in a 1/2
MOA and a 1/4 moa group. and at 1000+ yards that can be a lot.

And as BB said one piece of brass is not worth the cost of a good match or a bad shot.

J E CUSTOM

 

[Firearrow]

I use several different brands of brass and some of it is weight sorted. Yesterday was the coldest day of the year here and I was out shooting F-class at 1K. Shot RWS brass at 800 and 900 and then switched to Norma for 1000 yards. I also have Winchester brass that I use for F-class and it is weight sorted. If I cared enough I could measure other parameters but weight sorting gets rid of weird cases. After weight sorting I watch which piece of brass produces a flyer and throw it away.

Rather than wait for my brass to fail, I anneal it at a frequency that keeps it from failing. For 308 and a match chamber, that is about once every four firing. That also works out to about once a year given the limited number of matches I shoot. For firebreathing magnums I will do it every firing or every other depending on the brass and rifle. Of course this means that I do not overly resize a piece of brass beyond what is needed for it to fit in the chamber.

If you don't mind me asking, what are the differences in weights that you sort your cases into. 1-3grain differences, or 5-10 grain, or what ever. I am not looking to copy someone. I would just like to get an idea of where I should start, so that I can figure it what works best for my rifle.

Thanks

 

[Buffalobob]

I had about 300 cases and I sorted them into six groups. The two extreme groups of the lightest and heaviest had about 5 or six cases in each and I discarded them. The remaining cases were in four groups of about 70 cases each.

You have to weigh about 50 cases or so to find an average value then decide upon where the groups seem to break and what amount of difference you are willing to tolerate in a group.