Reload Weight question??

7

74camaroman

New member
Should all the reloaded ammo weigh the same when using a specific weight bullet, say a 155 gr copper plated flat point? Same powder load? Does the casing weight matter in the reloaded weight? I am going to reload some 40 s&w, 155 grain and 165 grain loads. I have weighed some stock stuff and they were all close but about .6 grains apart in weight. I am just wondering if they should all weigh the same after I finish reloading them. Thanks for advising a beginning reloader. I have about 3k Winchester, 1300 brass, 1700 nickel. I will reload some of them with 155 gr. copper plated xtreme and some with 165 gr. copper plated xtreme. All this Winchester casings are once fired cases. My son is a LEO and he got them from their rangemaster, I am a lucky guy.:confused:
 
No they shouldn't all weigh the same. All the bullets don't weigh exactly the same. Most the difference will come from the cases. For 99% of shooting, it doesn't matter. The 1% is in the precision long range shooting world. People will weight sort brass, bullets and even primers.

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Thank you all for the information, you have been really helpful. I didn't think the weight variances mattered that much but better to ask the question and find out from the people who know than to think I am right and have and accident. Again Thank you!!!
 
Everything made has a range of tolerances. As long as everything is within industry accepted standards its nothing to worry about.

Also be aware that the given weight of things might be the nominal weight not the actual weight. You might find a batch of 115gr bullets that have an average weight of 113.7gr for example. Cast bullets often have an actual weight different from the nominal weight due to differences in the alloy cast.

Another thing to consider is how much the weight difference is, as a percentage of the total. A one (1) grain difference in weight is huge (20%) if you're talking about a 5gr powder charge. That's important!!

a one (1) grain difference in weight of a 155gr bullet is less than 1 percent, its NOT important.
 
If you want a bit of an eye opener--weigh some mixed empty brass.
Not unusual for the weight difference between different brands to
exceed the weight of the powder charge in 9mm/40.
 
A real world example - when I first got my progressive press, I loaded up a bunch of mild .45 Colt cartridges using Trail Boss and the pistol (vs. rifle) rotor. Now I know to look in every case before seating a bullet and/or use a powder check die - but then, as a progressive rookie, I was just merrily rolling along until I realized at some point that the powder was bridging in the rotor cavity and not always dropping into the case. No problem, I figured, I'll just weigh up the loaded rounds on my digital scale and it'll be easy to pick out the ones that didn't get powder. Not a chance - variations in bullet and case weight easily outweighed the difference between no powder and the correct load, and I was never able to get things straightened out without tearing them all down. Learned a few lessons that day.
 
I am not sure I ever weighed my pistol rounds. And I never check the case length either. Now, accurate rifle rounds is a whole nuther story!
 
When reloading for handgun ammo fired at 50 yards or less weighing everything so that every round weighs exactly the same ... gets you little or nothing as far as ballistics or accuracy goes. Would be a big waste of time .

Benchrest and long range rifle shooting ... 400 t0 600 yards and beyond , then yes you will pick up accuracy with the absolute most cocnsistent rounds you can assemble ...

1000 yard rifle ammo is totaly different than 25 yard handgun ... try to be consistent but there is no need to weigh every handgun component and match them for exact weight.
Gary
 
Cases of the same caliber from the same manufacturer don't weigh the same.
This doesn't take into effect that most of the time the projectiles don't weigh the same.
So how could any reloads weigh the same?
 
What is the best way to assess accuracy?
Click to expand...

For me, its what gets the job done. If the job is win the match and the smallest group does that, then go with the smallest group. If the job is to put venison in my freezer, then "minute of deer" does that,......
 
I think Bart's point was the largest group you get, if Murphy has any say in the matter, will appear on your most critical target during a match. So if you want a guarantee of being capable of winning, you need to determine the gun's largest groups can still achieve a winning score on match day. Your average groups will determine your average scores, but there will be matches where your score is better than that and matches where it will be worse, and the latter are what you worry about.
 
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