TripletDad
10-03-2010, 09:13 PM
Also posted this at ar15.com in the reloading section. But since you guys got me started casting, I though I'd better post it here too.
First thing: I can't shoot, but I have a good time trying. I've been shooting IDPA for a while and just recently started casting my own bullets. So I got wondering how picky do you actually have to be loading cast bullets - given my game has a bonus on speed as long as accuracy is 'good enough.' So I decided to try some deliberately hosed up bullets to see what happens.
I shoot a Glock 21SF, mixed range brass, 8.0gr AA#5, Winchester primers, 200gr truncated bullet from a Lee double cavity mold and a LWD barrel. I had LWD ream the chamber of their match barrel to be a tad larger than a military 1911a1. I don't want feed issues and I'm not worried about bullseye accuracy with this weapon, it is for combat. The pistol has Glock factory sights but I have replaced the standard connector with the 3-1/2 pound version. The targets were shot at 25 yards with a bag under the muzzle, but the grip not supported, so there is still lots of shooter error involved. I started with a clean barrel and did NOT clean during the test. I also did not know what load I was shooting when I shot it. I had a random person at the range hand me a loaded mag from my bag and I inserted it into the weapon without looking. After I shot, I looked at the tape on the mag to document which load it was.
The alloy I use is straight wheel weights, nothing else added. I check to make sure there are no wrinkles and the driving bands are filled out during my first inspection. I look at the bases of the bullets again before I lube them and if I see anything I don't like then, I cull the bullet to be remelted.
These are the bases of the bullets for target number 3. I'd normally cull these because the bases weren't perfect. But I probably load 'em up in the future. BTW, that's lyman orange magic lube you're seeing, not snot or ear wax.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v334/eightinchfangs/45acptest/DSC02523_cropped.jpg
These are the bases of the bullets for target number 5. They all started out weighing 204.1 grains until I drilled off center holes in them with an 11/64" bit. (3/16ths just seemed a little large) I was wanting to see how a large off center void would effect the target. I really don't think you could actually make a void this big if you tried. The bullets ended up weighing 202.0, 202.3, 200.4, 201.4, 200.9, 201.1, 201.4, 201.2, 199.5 and 201.9 grains. So we're talking about a 2 to 4 grain off center void.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v334/eightinchfangs/45acptest/DSC02522_cropped.jpg
So here are the targets. It was 54 degrees today, cloudy with a light mist. It's my story and I'm sticking to it that I couldn't see the target well because of the weather. The targets are on 8-1/2"x11" paper - which is also what I used to scale On Target. I had to guess at a few of the bullet holes. If I had a new piece of backing cardboard this afternoon, I would have replaced the old one. The one I used already had quite a few holes in it.
Target 1: 10 shots, bullet weights 203.0 to 204.8grains in 0.2grain increments. I.e. 203.0, 203.2, 203.4, ... 204.6, 204.8.
Target 2: 10 shots, 5 bullets in a 202 grain range and 5 bullets in a 206 grain range.
Target 3: 10 random base rejects as shown in the above pic. Didn't weigh them because they were already lubed.
Target 4: 10 bullets all weighing 204.0 grains. This load was to see if it really helped to sort.
Target 5: 10 bullets with random off center voids. See pic above.
Target 6: 10 bullets from a batch that I had loaded the previous month. So these were not weighed.
Target 7: 10 bullets from the same batch I loaded the previous month, but these had failed the max cartridge gauge and were segregated from what I would take to a match. They all chambered and fired without a problem.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v334/eightinchfangs/45acptest/AllTargets_withNumbers.jpg
Conclusion: A) For my purposes shooting IDPA, I'm wasting my time and effort by weighing bullets and culling bullets because of small blemishes on the bases. B) I'll still continue to remelt anything that looks really bad. C) I need to practice more.
First thing: I can't shoot, but I have a good time trying. I've been shooting IDPA for a while and just recently started casting my own bullets. So I got wondering how picky do you actually have to be loading cast bullets - given my game has a bonus on speed as long as accuracy is 'good enough.' So I decided to try some deliberately hosed up bullets to see what happens.
I shoot a Glock 21SF, mixed range brass, 8.0gr AA#5, Winchester primers, 200gr truncated bullet from a Lee double cavity mold and a LWD barrel. I had LWD ream the chamber of their match barrel to be a tad larger than a military 1911a1. I don't want feed issues and I'm not worried about bullseye accuracy with this weapon, it is for combat. The pistol has Glock factory sights but I have replaced the standard connector with the 3-1/2 pound version. The targets were shot at 25 yards with a bag under the muzzle, but the grip not supported, so there is still lots of shooter error involved. I started with a clean barrel and did NOT clean during the test. I also did not know what load I was shooting when I shot it. I had a random person at the range hand me a loaded mag from my bag and I inserted it into the weapon without looking. After I shot, I looked at the tape on the mag to document which load it was.
The alloy I use is straight wheel weights, nothing else added. I check to make sure there are no wrinkles and the driving bands are filled out during my first inspection. I look at the bases of the bullets again before I lube them and if I see anything I don't like then, I cull the bullet to be remelted.
These are the bases of the bullets for target number 3. I'd normally cull these because the bases weren't perfect. But I probably load 'em up in the future. BTW, that's lyman orange magic lube you're seeing, not snot or ear wax.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v334/eightinchfangs/45acptest/DSC02523_cropped.jpg
These are the bases of the bullets for target number 5. They all started out weighing 204.1 grains until I drilled off center holes in them with an 11/64" bit. (3/16ths just seemed a little large) I was wanting to see how a large off center void would effect the target. I really don't think you could actually make a void this big if you tried. The bullets ended up weighing 202.0, 202.3, 200.4, 201.4, 200.9, 201.1, 201.4, 201.2, 199.5 and 201.9 grains. So we're talking about a 2 to 4 grain off center void.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v334/eightinchfangs/45acptest/DSC02522_cropped.jpg
So here are the targets. It was 54 degrees today, cloudy with a light mist. It's my story and I'm sticking to it that I couldn't see the target well because of the weather. The targets are on 8-1/2"x11" paper - which is also what I used to scale On Target. I had to guess at a few of the bullet holes. If I had a new piece of backing cardboard this afternoon, I would have replaced the old one. The one I used already had quite a few holes in it.
Target 1: 10 shots, bullet weights 203.0 to 204.8grains in 0.2grain increments. I.e. 203.0, 203.2, 203.4, ... 204.6, 204.8.
Target 2: 10 shots, 5 bullets in a 202 grain range and 5 bullets in a 206 grain range.
Target 3: 10 random base rejects as shown in the above pic. Didn't weigh them because they were already lubed.
Target 4: 10 bullets all weighing 204.0 grains. This load was to see if it really helped to sort.
Target 5: 10 bullets with random off center voids. See pic above.
Target 6: 10 bullets from a batch that I had loaded the previous month. So these were not weighed.
Target 7: 10 bullets from the same batch I loaded the previous month, but these had failed the max cartridge gauge and were segregated from what I would take to a match. They all chambered and fired without a problem.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v334/eightinchfangs/45acptest/AllTargets_withNumbers.jpg
Conclusion: A) For my purposes shooting IDPA, I'm wasting my time and effort by weighing bullets and culling bullets because of small blemishes on the bases. B) I'll still continue to remelt anything that looks really bad. C) I need to practice more.