Cast & coated bullet, acceptable weight variance? How much is to much?
100, 10mm 180gr Blue Bullets:
179gr - 19
180gr - 28
181gr - 29
182gr - 14
100, 10mm 180gr Blue Bullets:
179gr - 19
180gr - 28
181gr - 29
182gr - 14
Cast & coated bullet, acceptable weight variance?
- Thread starter AR10ShooterinNC
- Start date
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For general range/competition use those variances aren’t going to net enough accuracy differences to matter.
If we were talking long range precision/benchrest kinda shooting then maybe.
Also, for this to really show much we would need to take a sample from more than one source. Since nearly all bullets are mass produced we would need to see the variance between a few dozen other companies to have any comparison.
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If we were talking long range precision/benchrest kinda shooting then maybe.
Also, for this to really show much we would need to take a sample from more than one source. Since nearly all bullets are mass produced we would need to see the variance between a few dozen other companies to have any comparison.
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I’ve shot coated lead bullets from a large number of different casters from all over the Country. I’ve never had a box of bullets that didn’t have at least a 3 or 4 grain range. Even the premium JHP boolits I’ve used will have some variance, though usually less than cast.
For pistol bullets this is average. If it were rifle bullets I'd weight them, separate them and load them in groups. But, that is for the geeky super hardcore accuracy casters who also weight the primers and brass for match ammo. You have nothomg to fear...load and blast away.
Charlie R
You can't take ammo home!
Gavin Gear at Ultimate Reloader has posted a Shot Show interview with Bryan Litz, of Applied Ballistics, that addresses this and other issues from a precision rifle perspective, that can be extrapolated to pistols I believe. A link to it follows, it is long, but the part about weight variation in components can be found at 8 min. into the video.
A great interview and Bryan even disclosed his personal load development regime.
http://ultimatereloader.com/2019/02...ssion-with-bryan-litz-and-applied-ballistics/
A great interview and Bryan even disclosed his personal load development regime.
http://ultimatereloader.com/2019/02...ssion-with-bryan-litz-and-applied-ballistics/
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Charlie R
You can't take ammo home!
So this is some data for my .40 S&W shooting 200 gn Blue Bullets. I have assumed a weight variance of 4.4%, which is twice what was noted in the opening post. My reloads have an extreme spread of 23 fps, so I ran the calculations for slowest and fastest muzzle velocity for both extremes in bullet weight using the Hornady Ballistics calculator on line. I also used a G1 BC of 0.164.
From the above data, I doubt that a change in point of impact at 50 yards of 0.1 inch is going to change my scores. Conclusion for me is that mathematically this does not matter for pistol ammo.
Don't get me wrong, I still care about, and chase, low ES and SD, but that is because I am OCD and a half a bubble off level, not because it matters.
From the above data, I doubt that a change in point of impact at 50 yards of 0.1 inch is going to change my scores. Conclusion for me is that mathematically this does not matter for pistol ammo.
Don't get me wrong, I still care about, and chase, low ES and SD, but that is because I am OCD and a half a bubble off level, not because it matters.
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Charlie R
You can't take ammo home!
OCD, that's what I do best!!!
OP
For me, this is turning into an experiment.
For my bulk 9mm, I use mixed brass, what ever primer was cheapest, and blue bullets, no sorting of anything.