Weighing brass questions

[Mikecr]

This subject comes up pretty regular.
With >5,000 posts I likely provided related inputs, over and over and over.
So I wonder what would finally solve the never ending?

My contention here is that 'solutions' come with understanding.
Ideally, we could shove aside everything this mob thinks or does, and start over with clean discussion in subject. Maybe work our way to actual solutions.

Anyway, it's not really working. I'll pull out

 

[WYO300RUM]

Tip: If you don't like weighing H2O capacity of brass, substitute a ball powder in place of it. Win 748 in cases up to 40gr capacity mimics the weight of water. Way quicker and if you use a big enough bowl, it's cleaner. Even if it is not spot on, still accomplishing the same thing. I am not one to weigh brass.

I got fed up one day using a dropper or pipet to fill 223 brass. Filling cases under a faucet never works for me, 1lb can of 748 was on my bench and the light bulb came on.

That's what I do if I find the need.

 

[antelopedundee]

Maybe so. But when brass manufacturers make a point of saying they have weight sorted brass, then when that brass is fully match prepared to find those weights are now all over the show doesn't say much about their so called weight sorted brass. If a person is that anal about the weight of the brass then use a file and even them up. Capacity is the important bit NOT how much one piece compares to another piece in weight.
I used to weight sort my brass. Now I don't bother as I have found time and time again that it was a WASTE OF TIME. Especially as I have consistantly found that 26 grains difference in case weights shot basically through the same hole.
It is another of those old wives tales that really has little to no bearing on ACTUAL case capacity and accuracy.
But for those who like wasting their time on the bench weighing cases instead of shooting then go for it.

Did you ever contact Nosler or any other manufacturer about the big difference in their so-called weight sorted brass? If so what was their response?

 

[J E Custom]

My logic for weight sorting is only to get the cases as close to the same as possible. the idea of case prep is to get the case as physically close as possible on the outside and then weigh them or volume test them for the brass thickness difference between cases. If the cases are identical on the outside, the difference lie's in the thickness of the brass. This thickness, changes the volume of the case, and weighing or volume testing and sorting by volume or weighing can make the loaded ammo react more consistent when fired.

I have prepped many cases and sorted them into batches and the different batches produced different results with the same load, and to get the same outcome, it became necessary to adjust the powder charge 1 or more Tenths of a grain. So if volume makes a difference, I personally believe weighing or volume testing does matter.

Also I have never seen a difference of 15 to 20 grains in any brass after I prepped it properly. I will normally end up with 2 different batches and some of the worst brass has produced 3 batches and 2 or 3 cases that ended up 4 or 5 grains higher or lower than the rest. Back when I shot high power matches, it was very common to use the military brass from Lake City or Frankfort Armory and even then, you didn't mix them because they were different volumes. And if you wanted to use commercial brass. you had to work up a different load just like you did for the military brass.

I also found that different years of the LC brass shot better than other years that I worked up loads for, and so if you wanted the best accuracy you stuck to that year or worked up another accuracy for the different years you wanted to use. At 200 yards it was hard to tell the difference but at 600 or a 1000 it was noticeable. So why does it make a difference whether you mix brands of cases or not. Different brands are different and have differences in volume so we don't mix them. That is why I believe that doing everything I can to make the brass uniformly consistent can do nothing but help.

Just Me

J E CUSTOM

 

[Lenny Foffa]

For Bench Rest Groupe I use the exact weight, down to the 1/10Th. For Bulls Eye ( Score shooting) with my heavy barrel Savage in .308 ,I keep the weight to with in 2/10th of a grain . Just for fun Plinking at targets , 3/10th to 4/10th and the same for Hunting deer, with my 270 Win. Ex: 270 Win , using Win Brass , 186.0 to 186.3 grns after all case prep.

 

[J E Custom]

For Bench Rest Groupe I use the exact weight, down to the 1/10Th. For Bulls Eye ( Score shooting) with my heavy barrel Savage in .308 ,I keep the weight to with in 2/10th of a grain . Just for fun Plinking at targets , 3/10th to 4/10th and the same for Hunting deer, with my 270 Win. Ex: 270 Win , using Win Brass , 186.0 to 186.3 grns after all case prep.

Finally, Someone more fussy/anal than I am

J E CUSTOM

 

[GLTaylor]

Well, i feel better now. Used to shoot benchrest, sorted to 1/10 gr. Uniformed primer pockets, drilled and chamfered flash holes then shot brass. Anything not same hole or touching went to foulers.
Never quit, but eased up some. For larger 30-06 size cases i sort to 1 whole grain. Buy Lapua or other premium brass now so i guess i got lazy and its so much easier to sort with fewer out of the norm. Still like it when my hunting rifle bullets touch though!

 

[WYO300RUM]

I just weighed a bunch of brass.
Out of 50 ADG 300 RUM I had only 6 that were more than a grain difference.
50 ADG 6.5 PRC only 7.
100 Lapua 6.5x284 only 10 !
50 Hornady 6.5x284 I had a spread of 4 grains.
I haven't weighed any fired factory Hornady match cases in 6.5 PRC or Creed yet or any fired factory Norma 6.5x284 cases yet from Norma and HSM.
I also weighed 100 GunWerks 300 RUM. I don't remember the count but was basically the same as ADG . They averaged a grain heavier . Pretty sure it's the same brass.
I think I'll stick with ADG and Lapua.

I looked and I was wrong on the 100 GunWerks 300 RUM cases. There were only 4 out of 100 that were more than a grain difference. They were all 277.xx to 278.xx . Only 4 were 279.xx.
Also checked ADG 300 RUM again. Out of 50 all were 276.xx grains. Two were 277.xx and one 275.xx.
The Lapua 6.5x284 , all but a few were 193.xx.
ADG 6.5 PRC out of 50. 38 were 223.xx. 6 were 224.xx. 6 were 222.xx.
I didn't want to be repetitive but decided to look instead of using my fading memory ...
I'm sold on ADG and Lapua.

 

[Gone Ballistic]

First I never weigh my brass until it is totally prepped. Check primer pockets, measured case length and trimmed and deburred neck ends, then check for continuity. I try to keep groups of brass within one grain of each other in groups of corresponding weight. Then I check for a 1.5 grain deviation, 2 grain and so on putting in separate batches and listing what each one is. The best I use for hunting and shooting contests, the rest for dialing in on the range until I need to get tightest loads with the best brass loaded.

 

[Mike Matteson]

The Nosler premium brass has the flash holes deburred and supposedly are weight sorted as well.

I had gotten a 50 round box of Nosler Brass for 338 W.Mag. All that I have weight have been within a few 0.3 of grains. There cases are light in weight compared to others thay I have used before. The only thing is I have heard some complains about Nosler Brass in posts. I haven't figured out what the problem is yet. Maybe somebody else could shed some light on Nosler Cases.

SSS

Mike

 

[Gone Ballistic]

I started a post on brass selection last week and asked who used what and why as well as Nosler. I have been using Nosler brass for years and, although it has increased in price dramatically, it seems to be within closer weight tolerances than ever before. Now within a few tenths of a grain rather than a grain or two. The neck tolerances are excellent and the primer pockets have been as well. I get around 10 loads on my 300RUM and 15 on 25-05, .270, 22.250 and 338WinMag. Have to trim every 3rd reload and anneal them when I think they need it. I don't find anymore deviations in the reloaded fired rounds in fps but after trimming, etc, I weigh and sort them before I reload them. This is when they start to spread weight difference in larger amounts.
I heard that ADG is really good brass and I am going to be trying some soon. Lots of shooters here prefer Lapua. The only Lapua I have purchased was a lot larger spread than Nosler brass I have been buying recently, when it's available, so I wasn't personally impressed at buying more of it.
The crux of it all is to reload the brass you feel gives you the tightest groups. Hope this helped.

 

[Chuckrub]

External tolerances that effect case weight and have nothing to do with burn chamber or ballistics.

 

[338 dude]

Let someone else check the cases.

Peterson Select Brass Rifle Casings
Weight and length sorted 50-count boxes.
https://www.petersoncartridge.com/match-grade-brass/peterson-select-casings/
50-count boxes guaranteed within 1 grain and .001 inch from the factory.

 

[338 dude]

Maybe so. But when brass manufacturers make a point of saying they have weight sorted brass, then when that brass is fully match prepared to find those weights are now all over the show doesn't say much about their so called weight sorted brass. If a person is that anal about the weight of the brass then use a file and even them up. Capacity is the important bit NOT how much one piece compares to another piece in weight.
I used to weight sort my brass. Now I don't bother as I have found time and time again that it was a WASTE OF TIME. Especially as I have consistantly found that 26 grains difference in case weights shot basically through the same hole.
It is another of those old wives tales that really has little to no bearing on ACTUAL case capacity and accuracy.
But for those who like wasting their time on the bench weighing cases instead of shooting then go for it.

Sorting by weight is an estimate of volume but maybe not necessarily true taking a file to make it weigh the same is definitely a waste of time You are changing the weight but you are doing nothing to change internal capacity measuring capacity would be more accurate but most people don't get into it that deep