sorting brass

[hiram]

For range use, max 10 yds, does sorting brass make a difference in accuracy?

[M-Tecs]

No...

[Mauser48]

No. I don't do it for any of my brass. For bench shooters try to squeeze out those extra few thousands it does make a difference.

[tazman]

Yes, but unless you are measuring groups with a micrometer, you will probably not be able to tell at that distance.

[matrixcs]

Yes, but unless you are measuring groups with a micrometer, you will probably not be able to tell at that distance.

+1 the correct answer....

[alg3205]

Pistol rounds will not benefit from sorting, rifle may benefit from sorting and weighing for long range work. At 10 meters not benefit to either.

[white eagle]

I never have until this year
I want to make sure they are all the
same when I trim them.Trying to
eliminate some variables

[dubber123]

10 yards, I doubt it. 50 yards+, I know it does. Even at 50, the difference wasn't huge, but it was measurable and repeatable.

[Markbo]

dubber what caliber?

[Blackwater]

Well, I guess I'm the lone dissenter here? It likely won't be able to make a measurable difference in group size, I agree totally, but it CAN make a difference in the degree of crimp applied, and whether that creates little tiny rings of lead that can get ironed into your gun's throat. Segregating cases by brand, and even trimming them, and then keeping those lots together, isn't all that onerous a task, and can be done while you watch a ball game or anything else. It just pays off, at least often, in more uniform and precise loads, and that CAN make a difference, even at short range, and it surely can make a difference in reliability. I've done it both ways, and the sorted way just simply produces better ammo, but in some calibers, like .38 Spec., the diffference really isn't that great, and most won't care about the small difference, or in the quality and consistency of their loads. Cheap and plenty seems to be the goal of most folks' loads today, and time's the biggest motivator. Good, judicious time management can at least partially overcome that, though. Just personal preference, I think?

[gray wolf]

sorted 44 mag unsorted 45 acp

[dubber123]

dubber what caliber?

.38 Spl. at 50 yards. My guess is more consistant neck tension that made the difference. It was between 1/4 and 3/8" difference in group average. I was trying to keep groups under 1.5".

[bangerjim]

I do not sort ANYTHING.....except by caliber!!!!!!!!! If it is round and it is brass, I reload it.

[lar45]

There can be a big difference in pressure and velocity between commercial and military brass.
When I first started loading 45acp, I took my buddies load of 700X with a 230 LRN and stuffed them into some TZZ mil brass and hit the range. The recoil and muzzle blast were definately different, so we pulled out the chrony and the velocities were around 1300fps!
Back home I pulled the bullets and double checked the powder charges and they were right on. So I backed off and used the chrony to go up to the desired speed.
So at the very least, I'd say sort between military and commercial brass.

[dubber123]

There can be a big difference in pressure and velocity between commercial and military brass.
When I first started loading 45acp, I took my buddies load of 700X with a 230 LRN and stuffed them into some TZZ mil brass and hit the range. The recoil and muzzle blast were definately different, so we pulled out the chrony and the velocities were around 1300fps!
Back home I pulled the bullets and double checked the powder charges and they were right on. So I backed off and used the chrony to go up to the desired speed.
So at the very least, I'd say sort between military and commercial brass.

Commercial can get you in trouble too. I developed a hot .357 mag load with a 180 gr. bullet for my 6" Model 28. I used PMC brass for the workup as I had a small amount of it. Once I found the load, I switched to Winchester brass as I had much more of it. The first 6 rounds resulted in 6 pierced primers. Same lot of powder, primers and bullets, just different brass. I found an almost 15 grain case weight difference, and had to rework the load for the Winchester brass.

The difference between Federal brass and R-P brass in .45 Colt ended up being a 1.5 grain charge weight to produce equal velocities across the chronograph. I found both of these instances with top end loads. If you are shooting milder loads, you might not notice, but the pressure variation will still be there.

[Tackleberry41]

I sort my brass just because. I was getting buckets of once fired from a friend at a range. Wasn't a huge deal to sort the brands into bags. But it is easy to feel a difference as they go thru the press, the brands vary ALOT. And there are some I don't mess with anymore, had alot of issues with S&B brass. And you have to keep an eye out of the occasional crimped primers even in pistol brass. Plus weed out that junk brass like A-merc.

For plinking brass is brass, for consistency and accuracy you need to sort.

[ejcrist]

I sort extensively for precision revolver work between 25-100 yards but I wouldn't for 10 yards.