Acceptable grain variation in large cast boolits?

[TDC]

I currently casting .501 boolits using the 440gr Lee GC mould. I'm using straight wheel weights with added solder and they are water dropped.

I'm used to weighing each boolit after they are cast and segregate them by weight before sizing. All the boolits are well filled out and look uniform. I'm noticing a range in weight in this boolit size from 2 to six grains. Is this considered a normal variation and if not what do you consider an acceptable range for a boolit in this weight category?

Thanks!

TDC

[craigf]

I noticed that phenomenon as well when I cast 500 grainers for my .458 and 200's for my .308. I'm not particularly worried about that as I sort my bullets into batches with a spread of 2 grains for the .308 and about 5 for the .458 (equates to a 1% spread). As long as you shoot them in those weight batches you should be OK.

[mooman76]

Sounds pretty normal for a big bullet like that. You are only talking about a little over 1% variance at worst case with a 440g bullet.

[TDC]

Thanks for the replies, Mooman and craigf,

I guess I'm curious now with what others consider the acceptable percentage variance for other calibers. I cast for .41, .44, .452 and .454 also. I've always separated them by weight but I've never considered what others determine an acceptable deviation using WWs. 1%, 2% before they a culled? What do you think?

[Dale53]

I shot BPCR Silhouette for about fifteen years. The better shooters expect to cast their bullets + or - .6 (6 tenths of a grain). That is for .40 caliber bullets at 422 grs and .45 caliber bullets at 522grs or so.

THAT is what it takes to shoot near minute of angle with a good rifle. THAT's what it'll take to win or place consistently.

Dale53

[TDC]

I shot BPCR Silhouette for about fifteen years. The better shooters expect to cast their bullets + or - .6 (6 tenths of a grain). That is for .40 caliber bullets at 422 grs and .45 caliber bullets at 522grs or so.

THAT is what it takes to shoot near minute of angle with a good rifle. THAT's what it'll take to win or place consistently.

Dale53

WOW!!! I don't think I'll ever have the talent to cast bullets consistently like those... I guess I'll have to be content with using mine for just plinking and hunting which, thankfully, is what I'm primarily interested in. MOA accuracy doesn't enter into my needs equasion because all the calibers I cast for are for handguns used in that manner.

Thanks for the comment! Your post gives me an enlightened respect for BPCR casters...

[762 shooter]

It would seem to me that the weight variation would be less important than the whether the bullets are heavier or lighter.

Wouldn't the lighter a bullet gets, mean that there are voids or inconsistencies somewhere that aren't in the heavier bullets? Given that the location of the voids, however minute, would not be uniform and should adversley effect the bullet path .

The lighter the bullet, the less consistent its internal makeup compared to the heavier bullets.

I think that the heavier bullets separated by weight would be more accurate than the lighter bullets separated by weight.

My $0.000000000002 cents worth.
and worth every cent

[pdawg_shooter]

For the shooting I do, + or - 1% works for me. I am no bench rester but I can see very little difference in point of impact when I hold my weight to 1%.

[Shiloh]

Is the weight checked before lubing and gas checking, or after. I usually lube and gas check rifle boolits as needed.

Shiloh

[TDC]

Is the weight checked before lubing and gas checking, or after. I usually lube and gas check rifle boolits as needed.

Shiloh

In my case they are raw bullets weighed before gas checks or lubing.

I may be out in space somewhere but it would seem to me increased pressures could be a factor to consider, especially with heavy bullets and fast burning powders loaded close to maximum.

For me, almost every batch of WWs throw a slightly different weight bullet. If I've worked up a load for 440 grain and the batch is throwing 455 grain bullets that are much heavier, but of a consistent weight ..... well, you get the idea... 15 grains can have a significant impact on pressures.