Question about weighing Brass

[Boz330]

If anyone here weighs their brass, how much + or - do you allow? I'm trying to tighten up my groups for BPCRS. The brass that I use now was formed from several different batches of 45-70 brass over several years. When I compress the powder I can tell a difference in some of the cases and I keep the charges pretty close. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

Bob

[powderburnerr]

Bob.
If you are using different batches I would use a volume measurement to segrate them . use something fine and use the same method of measuring of all and put the different heights of the colume in different lots . that way the internal volume is the same for all ... as an example weigh out a measure of 4f and dump it into each case the same and measure the inside depth to the powder and set into lots . or fill to the top in all the same and ck the weight on a scale and segrate by weight ... clear as mud ,huh................Dean

[Boz330]

Dean, Actually makes perfect sense but I've never had much luck trying to measure the depth of powder with out a wad on it. The second method sounds easier but not as easy as weighing cases. I have about 300 cases and I already have a career that cuts deep into my hobbies.[smilie=1:
It seems that I had a lot more time before my business became sucsessful. Now I have a few more $s for hobbies but no time. I've got several gun projects sitting around waiting for work, one that dates back to the early 80s. Just need to retire but can't afford that either. Geeezzzz when I was in my 20s and 30s I could put in a 12 hr day and then go cut hay and put it up. Now I put in a 12 hr day and have to force myself to go reload ammo. Somehow a beer and an easy chair sounds better. Goes along with that gray hair on my face and head I guess.

Bob

[montana_charlie]

People who DO weigh their cases are attempting to segregate them by their internal volume...when the cases are the same age and brand.
You, having a mixed lot of brass, probably need to determine internal volume by actually filling the cases with something which can be weighed.

After all, a Bell case of one weight might have the same powder capacity as a Remington case of a different weight.

You started by asking about weighing cases, which takes a certain amount of time. To scoop a case full of powder, shake it off, and weigh the charge shouldn't take very much longer.

Of course, now that you have all that money, you could just buy new brass...
CM

[McLintock]

Don't know if it's right, wrong or indifferent, but I've seen several posts on various forums that say weighing to within 2 grs is acceptable; that's after sorting by brand. That's what I've done with my Winchester brass. I have one large lot (50 cases) that go 162 to 164 and another lot goes 160 to 162. Smaller lots go 164 to 166 and 166 to 168. Some older WRA cases I have go around 157-8 so there's definitely a difference and it changes the amount of compression for a given charge if the cases are mixed up. Don't know if I'm a good enough shooter to take advantage of the difference though. Probably for the consistency you're looking for in BPC shooting it's a necessary thing to do.
McLintock

[martinibelgian]

CM is right - just buy some new brass... Enough from a same lot, that should imrpove consistency some without having to go through the hassle of checking individual cases. I you really want to, I would use once-fired cases with the primer still in and dump a specific volume of water in them, then work by eye...

[Dye]

If anyone here weighs their brass, how much + or - do you allow? I'm trying to tighten up my groups for BPCRS. The brass that I use now was formed from several different batches of 45-70 brass over several years. When I compress the powder I can tell a difference in some of the cases and I keep the charges pretty close. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

Bob

Boz330

After you do the prepin of the brass,weigh- turn necks -primer pockets - indexing- ect. Take a electric pencil and give a serial number on the webb. Any shot that is out of the group make a note of the serial number of the brass. The third time it is out fo group take a good look at the brass ,there is usually something wrong with it. Not the bullet or you
Be carefull Dye

[Boz330]

Thanks guys, That was what I was looking for. The brass is all WW just different buy times over a couple years. This is reformed to 40-65 that wasn't available at the time I bought the rifle. Now that Starline offers the brass already formed I thought about getting some of that and then going through it and segregating it by weight. In the reforming process I can see where you could get some difference in wall thickness pushing all that brass around, especially with different lots.
Pulling a case from a flyer is a good idea but I typically shoot for group at 300yrd and I can't always see the flyers from that distance,(depends on where the sun is). :drinks:

Bob

[Four Fingers of Death]

You coudl probably sell your brass on ebay to help finance your new stuff, or just use it for hunting. keep us up to speed on what happens.

PLease excuse any spelling, etc mistakes, I just woke up can't find readers and everything is blurry and I'm too bone idle at the moment to go get the glasses out of the truck.

Mick.

[jerdog53]

Is it really all that important that all the cases be from the same manufacturer? Seams to me that if the weight of the cases is the same or with in a grain or two of each other that would suffice.

I just went through all my 30-06 brass and had some that weighed 202 grains all the way down to 182 grains of all different manufactures.

[montana_charlie]

Is it really all that important that all the cases be from the same manufacturer?
It depends on your goals.
If one of your goals is maximum accuracy, that requires consistency.
You can achieve perfect consistency in how you handle the rifle, but inconsistent ammunition can make your precise aiming, holding, trigger technique, and recoil control of little value.

A gong shooter only has to hear it ring. A paper puncher looks at where the shots landed. One of those might be totally satisfied when using mismatched cases...but the other guy would not.

Meet your goals, and you will be happy.
CM

[Boz330]

[QUOTE=jerdog53;129472]Is it really all that important that all the cases be from the same manufacturer? Seams to me that if the weight of the cases is the same or with in a grain or two of each other that would suffice.

The big thing with BP is that you fill the case full and then usually compress the powder. The amount of compression varies for different powders and rifles. The amount of compression will vary because of case volume, hence weighing. The slower velocities with BP are much more critical especially at 600 yrd, where a couple fps can drop your hit by several feet. If you have ever noticed the SDs that BP shooters typically get compared to HV rifles they are quite small. At 100 or even 300 yd that doesn't hurt to bad on steel pigs, but past that things go south in a hurry. This past Sunday while shooting the 300yd pigs I had one shot 2 1/2 ft low from what my spotter said and it was noway that bad when it broke. Obviously there was something out of sorts on that round since all of my other misses were very close. I never thought that I would get so picky about loading ammo but in order to go to the next level I have to do something. It was much easier when I was shooting at 100 yrd and was just interested in making noise. Or when I was into IPSC where it is spray and pray and quantity was preferable to quality since shots were seldom past 25yd. The only other problem is my eyes and a scope might be the next step as much as I hate to do that. When I was young I had scopes on everything and now that I'm old I love iron sights. GO FIGURE!

Bob