boolit weight variation

[gasboffer]

In .45ACP, say 230 gr. cast boolit, what boolit weight variation is acceptable for general use? (Not necessarily target loads)

[southpaw]

If they are not target loads I would just size lube and shoot them. I don't do much target work with my 45 acp but 1% weight variance should be good.

Jerry Jr.

[sagamore-one]

I guess it depends on your definition of acceptable variation.
When Hensley & Gibbs were making moulds they offered "standard matched" and "custom matched" sets of moulds. The standard was 2 1/2 grain max variation , and the custom were even closer. I have both kinds and they are true works of art.

[Southron Sanders]

I have a Magma Caster casting machine and I cast the .575 caliber, 405 grain weight, Hogdon Minie Ball.

I can keep my lead temperature pretty constant throughout the casting session. Same with the mould temperature and rate of casting-in other words, I can control my "variables" much better than when I am casting using a ladel and hand held bullet mould.

I also weigh my bullets on an electronic scale and seperate them according to weight based on a Plus/Minus 1 Grain allowable variation.

As one would expect, my bullets weigh out in a "bell shaped curve" with the vast majority weighing in the 402 to 408 weight groups.

Generally anything that weighs under 402 gets remelted in the next casting session. Over 408, I generally go ahead and shoot them in their "lot."

My point is, no matter how carefully you cast your bullets, you are going to get some weight variation.

By the way, if you do a lot of casting, a Magma Caster is the way to go. I have owned two over the past 20 years and they are the ONLY way to go IF you cast a lot.

[gasboffer]

If they are not target loads I would just size lube and shoot them. I don't do much target work with my 45 acp but 10% weight variance should be good.

Jerry Jr.

I assume you meant to say 1%, not 10%, right?

[Calamity Jake]

I've never weighed pistol boolits, if there filled out good they go down range.

Rifle boolits are another story.

[243winxb]

3.0gr http://i338.photobucket.com/albums/n420/joe1944usa/th_castbullets.jpg (http://s338.photobucket.com/albums/n420/joe1944usa/?action=view&current=castbullets.jpg)

[southpaw]

I assume you meant to say 1%, not 10%, right?

Good catch. Thanks.


Jerry Jr.

[gasboffer]

3.0gr http://i338.photobucket.com/albums/n420/joe1944usa/th_castbullets.jpg (http://s338.photobucket.com/albums/n420/joe1944usa/?action=view&current=castbullets.jpg)

What load(s) do you use for the Seaco #130 boolit? I have that mould on order.
Thanks
Clyde

[1Shirt]

Agree with Jake. Have never been a good enough shot with a handgun for it to make any difference.
1Shirt!:coffee:

[Kraschenbirn]

Another "+1" with Jake. A few years back I was shooting NRA Bullseye fairly regular and loading my match ammo using commercial CBs. At one point, I cracked open a fresh box of those 185 gr SWCs and weighed 25 boolits...randomly selected; some from the top, some from the bottom...and found a max variance of slightly less than 1 gr. either way. These boolits, btw, were cast on a commercial Magna machine, from virgin alloy, using Magma 4-cavity moulds. Loaded on my Dillon, those would produce consistent 2"-2 1/2" groups at 25 yds from my slightly upgraded Series 70 Gold Cup.

While I don't normally weigh my handgun boolits, before I started this post, I went out to the workshop and weighed a handful of the 225 gr TCs I cast from 50/50 WW/Pb. Guess what? Pretty much the same +/- 1 gr. variance...cast by hand from a Lee DC mould.

Bill

[pdawg_shooter]

I go 1% + or - for my rifle bullets. But then the only targets I shoot is for load testing or sighting in. The rest are for hunting and it works fine for me. On handguns, if it looks good I load it. Never have shot at anything over about 60/65 yards with a handgun. They have worked foe 4 whitetails so far.

[Cherokee]

I don't weigh all my cast bullets. I weigh a sample to find a typical weight for that batch and that's it. +/- 1 gr doesn't make any difference to me.

[sqlbullet]

As you can see each person is a little different.

For me, rifle bullets i test for ±0.5%. Also, for me rifle bullets means 200 grain for 30-06 and 300 win mag, and soon 308.

When it comes to pistol bullets, which means .358, .401 and .430, if they are filled out, they are good enough.