When do you weigh your rifle boolits?

[kappy]

As the title says, I'm curious as to when you recommend weighing boolits, specifically when in the process from dropping the boolit to just before you load it into a case.

On one hand, you could do it right at the beginning... but it isn't going downrange like that.

On the other hand, you could check it right after gas checking, but there's lube, too.

On the other, other hand will it actually have that lube on the boolit all the way down range?

And will any of those items actually change the weights enough to make it a big deal?

[geargnasher]

As the title says, I'm curious as to when you recommend weighing boolits, specifically when in the process from dropping the boolit to just before you load it into a case.

On one hand, you could do it right at the beginning... but it isn't going downrange like that. Most of the inconsistencies in boolit weight come from casting voids and not holding the mould handles with exactly the same pressure each time, so weighing bare castings is the way I do it.

On the other hand, you could check it right after gas checking, but there's lube, too. Gas checks are pretty consistent in weight, and if there are slight differences, they will likely be uniformly balanced, so I don't worry about it.

On the other, other hand will it actually have that lube on the boolit all the way down range? That is an important question....Will it? If you engineer your lube to fling off at the muzzle it won't affect boolit balance. If some of it comes off at the muzzle and some bits continue to fling off downrange, believe me, it can make a BIG difference.

And will any of those items actually change the weights enough to make it a big deal?

I do what I call "lube jettison" testing of all my lubes. This involves shooting through a piece of cardboard at point-blank range, scraping off the lube spatter, and weighing it against lube scraped out of the grooves of a similar boolit. If the weight isn't close, I modify the lube so it lets go better.

Also, I only weigh boolits that count, such as testing lubes, testing loads, and hunting. I don't do much competition with rifles, but if I did you can bet I'd weigh every casting.

Gear

[williamwaco]

I have weighed and not weighed both rifle and pistol bullets. I can detect no difference in accuracy of bullets that vary as much as 3 grains in a 150 grain bullet.

I never weigh anything.

Except . . .

When there is a contest or bet involved, I weigh them anyway.



.

[Recluse]

The only time I weigh a boolit is whenever I get a new mold and want to see what it throws (or I try a new blend of alloy).

Anymore, I can't shoot well enough to worry about a .5 grain of difference between boolits that are going downrange to defend me against some dangerous milk jug filled with water and food coloring.

:coffee:

[wallenba]

I stopped doing it, except to proof a mold. Does not seem to make too much a difference in lower pressure loads like I use.

[DonMountain]

The only reasons to weigh boolits is to measure consistency between boolits cast, or to select a range of appropriate powders and loadings for a particular boolit weight. When selecting powders and weight ranges of powders viable for a particular cartridge and boolit weight, the measurements all have to do with velocity and accuracy of the finished loadings. And you may change your selected powders based on performance rather than an exact weight of a boolit cast. And test different loadings and or fillers and or lubricants to get what you want. The limiting factors are almost always consistant accuracy as you increase powder weight due to boolit stripping of rifling. Not usually overpressure or safety problems.

[runfiverun]

for my rifles that will show the difference.
i weigh after casting to cull voids and do a visual check at the same time.
i weight sort them after checking and lubing also.
yes i do have little cups full of different weight boolits to show for it.
but i also have a whole bunch of targets with groups under a half inch too.

[Mk42gunner]

The only time I weigh a boolit is whenever I get a new mold and want to see what it throws (or I try a new blend of alloy).

Anymore, I can't shoot well enough to worry about a .5 grain of difference between boolits that are going downrange to defend me against some dangerous milk jug filled with water and food coloring.

:coffee:

Since I am not shooting matches with my boolits (mainly glorified plinking loads), I check the weight of the first few cast from a new to me mold. After that I don't worry about it until I get a new batch of alloy.



I stopped doing it, except to proof a mold. Does not seem to make too much a difference in lower pressure loads like I use.

I have two 452460 molds- one two cavity and one four cavity. The DC drops ACWW at 207 grains, the 4C at 205. I can't tell any difference on the target with my Kimber.

Robert

[DLCTEX]

When working up loads and trying for accuracy I weigh and cull after casting so that the alloy stays cleaner when melting back. When accuracy testing I weigh after size, check, and lube to take out as many variables as possible. When casting with a new to me mould I weigh to see how closely the boolits from different cavities cast to weight, and to check my ability to cast equal weights.

[stubshaft]

In my accurate guns I weigh and inspect them after casting and before lubing. I have guns that will show a difference with a 3 grain variance. Heck in my 22 CF I weigh to within .1 gr.. It allows me to focus on the load and not wonder if the flier was my fault or a bad boolit.

For most of my pistol loads I do not bother.

[JeffinNZ]

Always before gas checks and lube applied.

The projectile is significantly heavier than either of the other two factors and even a large variation in the check or lube would be insignificant in terms of the overall mass of the 'package'.

I am a complusive boolit weigher.