Do you weigh your cast boolits?

[colt 357]

I weigh mine just as a quailty check + or - one grain. I don't shot good anuff to go any further than that yet. maybe next year..........

[gnoahhh]

I give every one a visual inspection. For plinking/casual target shooting they go from there to the lubrisizer. For serious accuracy testing/load development/competition they get weigh checked. For really serious work I also segregate them by mould cavity. I put a tiny center punch mark above the top ring in each cavity, one high and one low in two cavity moulds. The bullets are instantly recognizable at a glance. If I'm being totally anal about it I'll use those same punch marks to orient them in the chamber the same each time (which means using the same case over and over for a 10 shot string, orienting the bullet in the case the same each time and orienting the case in the chamber each time). A PIA but it does make a difference, and makes for a very relaxed sedate range session. Downside is not very many shots get fired because, well, it is a PIA.

[Aunegl]

I do not weigh, just do a visual inspection because life's too short. Having won a wall of handgun silhouette trophies, this method works for me.

[fa38]

Only when I want to hit the point of aim or darn close to it. Then all that is left to do is control the 5 inches of wind between my ears.

[Suo Gan]

Does this make any difference as for hunting accuracy?

No real difference at normal hunting ranges. I used to weigh them and be pretty picky about the end product. I began shooting some rejects and realized they were almost indistinguishable from the 'keepers.'

For target competition you might gain a winning score from this kind of thing, but for hunting and pop cans, I have found it makes no difference and a lot less tedious.

[white eagle]

I agree with Sua Gan
for my usages there is no need to complicate it any more
by weighing
I only weigh for powder charges after all a 310 gr boolit mold may throw a
300 or a 330 depending on external and or internal differences

[209jones]

For my 32-40 I sort them from 208.5 to 209, then from 209.1 to 209.5, and the latter go into the match bullet box. That mould is very consistent in what it throws.

For my 450/400NE I sorted the 320gr from 321.5 to 322.5 and the 400 gr from 401.5 to 402.0, 402.1 to 403.0, 403.0 to 404.0. The 403 and up are the hunting bullets.

I use an electronic scale, I don't have the patience to use a beam scale to do that.
All said and done, I likely don't really need to do it as to shootability, but, I would have the question in my mind if I didn't do it.

[miestro_jerry]

I use my own cast boolits and weigh each and every one of them just before I start loading. I use a synthetic lube, and weight the bullets before lubing then separate them by .5 grain increments.

Those hard cast bullets are not worth the cost to me, they vary a lot and not every thing needs to be hard cast.

Jerry

[TXGunNut]

Seems all I do lately is rifle load development and weighing boolits reduces unexplained fliers. IF I ever get into production casting for plinking or goofing off I may quit weighing them but it only takes seconds per boolit and I'm going to inspect them anyway. I have the technology, I'm going to use it.

[miestro_jerry]

TX,

The pile I have that aren't right, I shoot in some of my veteran rifles, like my Moisin M91 or Spanish FR8. They make fun plinking ammo. Plus I use them to fire form some brass.

Jerry

[TXGunNut]

That makes sense, Jerry, but I can be picky. I cast about 368 (by weight) RD 359-190 boolits last weekend and after visual and weight checks I still had 300 (299?) boolits that are good to go. 300 boolits will last a loooong time for this hunting rifle, 100 should be enough for load development. All "keepers" were between 189 and 192.5 grains with sharp bases and minimal defects on lube grooves and nose. Most "culls" would shoot just fine but I'll be a few years working thru the "good" boolits. I dropped the culls in the furnace. I know the culls would do just fine on the range but I don't load practice ammo and I want to be able to grab an ammo box off the shelf and go hunting with confidence.
45acp is a different story. No weighing, only a cursory visual check. All I do is "familiarization and confidence" drills with carry guns and quite frankly my loads outperform the cheap ($22/50) ammo I bought recently. Seems to shoot as well as the target stuff I loaded with commercial CB's in my brief bullseye days but with my 52 year-old eyes I'll probably never know.

[DHB]

Thanks Guys,
I was trying to find whether or not to weigh some 115 (supposed) .314 boolits for accuracy. The weight was from 110.3 to 116.2. I'll use them in .3 grain increments. Thanks for the advice.
DHB

[canyon-ghost]

The weight was from 110.3 to 116.2.

Really? I'd wonder about the consistency of my alloy if that happened. Most of my 32s end up within .5 grains of each other or I throw out the lightweights to be remelted. I read a technical explanation that stated the tiny air voids caused the light ones. Nowdays, I shoot the medium heavy ones and only have a handful that are too heavy. Each caster decides his own criteria but, that's a wide weight range for a small bullet.

[Gunnut 45/454]

Yep weight mine just before they are loaded-usually load 10 or 20 at a time. I'll weigh out 10 or 20 at +/- .5 gr . I have found this reduces the ES and usually gives the best groups! This is for rifle rounds - pistols I'm not as picky .

[Three44s]

If I was out for ultimate accuracy, then I would weigh.

First do the visuals, then weigh.

Rejects go for plinking etc. ......... rejects of the rejects go for recycling.

Probably the best to come out of weighing would be better casting and pre-casting edicate and the need for weighing gets less needed over time.


Three 44s

[gvanzeggelaar]

Rifle rounds I weigh to within 1%. That is my rule of thumb

[daschnoz]

I throw 5 or so on the scale at one time and take the average weight of the count. I'll grab random samples as I move them into the coffee can while I clean up my casting session.