Do you count your bullets after casting and sorting?

[RU shooter]

When I have the cool whip bowl filled up that's good enough for the day ! If I run out well darn I have to cast up some more .

[bosterr]

I have a digital bathroom scale. I weigh my total production in a light weight container like a plastic coffee can. Then I weigh a boolit or two down to the tenth of a grain and divide that into 7000 grains per pound of lead to get boolits per pound. Then multiply total production weigh by boolits per pound to get total boolits. My bathroom scale is probably accurate to a pound plus or minus but it's good enough for me.

[Cherokee]

After casting, I count (calculate) them by weight using the typical weight of 10 or so bullets. They get counted when I run them thru the Star sizer, then stored in cardboard boxes until needed. Always like to have a ready supply of the bullets I use much. I load in batches of 500-1000 rounds for handguns. Rifle batches are smaller.

[GregLaROCHE]

I cull as much as possible when casting. That way they go right back into it the pot. I don’t count. I weigh and calculate number, when I have done an especially big batch, just to feel good about it. Later I will sort by weight, some or all and store or cull accordingly.

[LenH]

I used to count them but when you us an 8 cavity mold there is a pile of bullets in short order. I usually cast to pots full or close to it, somewhere in the neighborhood
of 40 pounds. I usually cull as I am sizing and lubing. On the other hand if I am using a 2 cavity mold and am providing those for my brother I will count those just so I know
how many are in the container. Any other time I don't count any bullets. I usually put the bullets in quart containers from a food service supplier and weigh the container
and make a rough estimate.

[upnorthwis]

I keep my Boolits/Lb. chart next to the pot for a rough calculation.
55 gr. = 127
115 = 61
140 = 50
160 = 44
200 = 35
350 = 20
420 = 17
535 = 13
The sad part was the first time I calculated how few of those 535's/lb. I get.

[SteveK]

I do this for pleasure only, not profit, so... I only count 'em after sizing (the 2d to last QC checkpoint) because the quantity just doesn't matter until I'm ready to load 'em up in which case I better have at least as many cases and primers on hand too. Anything not counted get remelted anyway.

[toallmy]

I don't count , I would probably lose track anyway !

[trapper9260]

I do not count them,I just sort them out for the bad ones to re do and then go from there. I cast by the 10lbs bottom pour pot and if I know I use alot of one I will do the whole pot and call it good till I need more. If I do not use alot of one then I will go with about half a pot and then finish off with another. Depend on the mood I am in.That or else I just do the whole pot of that one and call it good and just sort for bad ones and then store and use as needed.

[ioon44]

I Hi-Tek coat so I cast by weight and keep in groups of 5.5 lbs to go on each tray and bake after drying. It is easy to do the math and know about how many bullets I have. I do most culling as I cast, I have a couple of Accurate NLG molds and get very few culls.

[45-70 Chevroner]

When I first started (many years ago) I counted every thing after culling. After a few years it got old, there must be a better way. I started saving tin cans from the kitchen of all sizes. Those little tomato sauce cans held, if my memory serves me right, 100 158gr 357 boolits. The green been cans held 100 250gr 44 boolits when filled to within an inch of the top. The tin can thing got to where they were taking up to much space. Any more I just put all my boolits in clear plastic jars that nuts and candy come in from Sams Club or Costco.

[ShooterAZ]

I never count either. I just keep casting until either the pot is empty, my sprue bucket is full, or I'm getting tired. I sort as I cast, and throw the culls into the sprue bucket. This in turn goes back into the pot.

[TimD]

I don’t count when casting. I store them as cast in large containers and size & lube just before loading. If I needed a count I would weigh them.

[dragon813gt]

I cast until I’m tired. Then cull the rejects and move everything into an ammo can. I then count when sizing as I don’t like storing lubed bullets. Had some large messes in the ammo cans because of it, even w/ harder lubes. I always size a couple extra and if they aren’t used they go back into the pot to be recast the next round. Primer packs w/ some random number of primers in them is a pet peeve of mine. I count to make sure this doesn’t happen.

[Wm Cook]

I would say that so much depends on the caliber/weight and what you expect has everything to do with how critical you are with counting, sorting and weighing. Kind of like comparing Cowboy Action quality bullets to 1000 yard competition.

I'm finishing up a 22 K Hornet sub sonic load this week with the expectation of sub MOA accuracy. The attached is an example of the level I had to take this to. Everything high lighted in yellow was discarded. Everything else was shot in groups based on the actual weight +/- 0. On these small cal's I've found multiple two cavity molds that throw two different weights. In this case the Lyman 225438 has a .4 difference between the near and far cavity. Thus in this case not only did I have to sort by weight but also what cavity it came from. Just by 2 cents worth.

Just as a side note. Weigh 20 bullets on your new RCBS scale (powder drop version). Come back in an hour and weight them again. My best guess is that the scale is about +/- .1 which is what I think it is advertised at. Not sure about the guarantee. It possible may be +/- .2 grain. That said I think the electronic powder drop scale and the pots that are PID controlled to keep the same temperature were two of the greatest investments I have ever made. Thanks, Bill.

[gnostic]

I count bullets by the coffee can, I keep score of how much I shoot by the boxes of primers. Since I started shooting USPSA, I go through ammo faster than I can load it. In the summer, I can shoot up 1500 rounds a week if I shoot 5 days. Obviously, if you're trying to dump the magazine as quick as you can, you'll shoot up a lot of ammo.

[Rizzo]

I cast, then cull, then count.
I count by weight.
I weigh 10 bullets then divide that value into the total weight of the good bullets to get the final count.
Close enough.
I also sometimes count (weigh) the culls as well.
Why? Because I try to log all of my casting activities and I get an idea of the percentage of culls and also the total of good bullets.
This also tells me if I am improving on my casting technique by monitoring my cull percentages at each cast.
I also log the date so I can periodically check how the BHN changes.
Probably a bit anal, but I enjoy it.

[GLynn41]

I try to get an Idea of how many I have cast. I will look as casting and then I will look at the cooled bullets and sorta count but that all

[afish4570]

I do count....after casting. I take the bath room scale an weight my self then the bullets cast. Subtract to get weight of bullets cast. Take 3 or 4 bullets weight them on my digital scale. That average is divided into 7000 grs. giving you the amt/pound. Multiply the pounds of bullets times the amt/pound......The total production less your mistakes or poor quality boolits (I guesstimate). afish4570

[dverna]

I have never counted them, but I have not cast rifle bullets in years.

Pistol bullets are all done in bulk....sometimes I do not even count loaded rounds...just but them in a box (like the ones they use for commercial bullets) or a .30 cal ammo can. I normally have a couple of thousand on hand so a count is not something I need. I have weighted bullets and divided my unit weight to get a rough numbers a few times...if I am selling or trading bullets.