How close togethier should your case's weight?
1-2 grains or 1/2 grain?
I was weighing some of my 264 win brass and it was varing by about 5 grains. This is a hunting gun but I want it to shoot like a benchrest gun

Thanks.

quote:

Originally posted by PRDATOR:
How close togethier should your case's weight?
1-2 grains or 1/2 grain?
I was weighing some of my 264 win brass and it was varing by about 5 grains. This is a hunting gun but I want it to shoot like a benchrest gun

Thanks.

PRDATOR,
How many cases are you talking about?
If you have, say 100, you could seperate them out for a grn to grn1/2 and see if it will change your group.
If you are just trying to get a good accurate hunting round, you probably don't have to worry about it at all.
However; if you want to really get the best, remember the key is consistancy, consistancy, consistancy!
You could group within a 0.2 or so and see what happens! (that is one of the joys or reloading)
Have fun!!!


Smedley

I keep mine within 1.0gr. or less.

It depends on calibre for me.
For my .17 and 223, I stick to about 1/4 grain. For 22-250 and 243 I try 1/2 grain. For the .270 I stick to a grain. I use Lapua and Norma where possible and the varience is quite low. I found the Federal cases seem to vary the most. My last batch of RP 270 brass was all within 1 grain, that surprised me.
I also find that it is only worth weiging the cases when new and trying to keep them batched. The internal crud after firing makes a huge difference, as does trimming if working up a load.

quote:

This is a hunting gun but I want it to shoot like a benchrest gun

Sorry, your rifle will never shoot like a "benchrest" gun. A bench rifle is capable of 0.200" or less on avg, or the shooter is looking for a new rifle. A hunting rifle should shoot 0.50" - 1.0". If you get sub MOA with your rifle you are likely getting very close to all it is capable of.
I don`t think the small improvement from weighting cases will show with a factory rifle. At least it never has in any of mine. I find bullet, powder/charge wgt, distance to leade, all make a marked improvement in most cases. Weighting cases, uniforming primer pockets, make such a small change, maybe 0.010" in a group they just aren`t worth it.
To be honest I see very little difference in groups with differing brands of brass, though it seems to help more then weighing.

quote:

Originally posted by Ol` Joe:

quote:

This is a hunting gun but I want it to shoot like a benchrest gun

Sorry, your rifle will never shoot like a "benchrest" gun. A bench rifle is capable of 0.200" or less on avg, or the shooter is looking for a new rifle. A hunting rifle should shoot 0.50" - 1.0". If you get sub MOA with your rifle you are likely getting very close to all it is capable of.

Precisely.....one can get as finnicky about reloading as he wants.......and it'll just drive him up a wall.....that isn't a benchrest gun or cartridge. It's a very fine hunting proposition however.

Ol Joe is dead center on this one.

quote:

Originally posted by vapodog:

quote:

Originally posted by Ol` Joe:

quote:

This is a hunting gun but I want it to shoot like a benchrest gun

Sorry, your rifle will never shoot like a "benchrest" gun. A bench rifle is capable of 0.200" or less on avg, or the shooter is looking for a new rifle. A hunting rifle should shoot 0.50" - 1.0". If you get sub MOA with your rifle you are likely getting very close to all it is capable of.

Precisely.....one can get as finnicky about reloading as he wants.......and it'll just drive him up a wall.....that isn't a benchrest gun or cartridge. It's a very fine hunting proposition however.

Ol Joe is dead center on this one.

I'm with these guys, I've been thinking it's a bit ANAL to weigh cases for hunting purposes. Unless it's for extreme range hunting. Out to 300yds. or so you won't notice the difference. Save your time and just load em up. Jay

If you are loading a 264,your powder choice will have nmuch greater affect than case volume.With this cartridge,pressure spikes are you greatest problem.As pressure increases,the burning rate gets faster.With some powders this happens very quickly. Guess how I know.A warm chamber or a dirty barrel or a sticky bullet all can lead to primer popping.BTW I get 1/2" 3shot groups with Magnum and my cases have a 3 or 4 grain difference.If you want one hole groups use N-560 to max of 2900 and wait at lest 15 minutes beween shots.

GUYS!!!!!!!!!
Dont your hunting guns have Hart barrels( or pac-nors on most of the others) and trued actions and Mcmillan stocks with Swaro scopes on them? Put together by a Bencrest Hall fame'r
Mine do

THe last three groups that I have shot out of this gun IS .151 .398 and .670 for three shots @100 yds. And it is on one of those non shooting Winchesters.

I have never bothered with weighing cases and thought it might help on this gun!

By the way my load is 140 XLC with 73 of Magnum for 3250fps.

Ol Joe, I agree with most all of what you said.

Guess I shold have gave you more to work with.
Sorry.

There are other benefits to consistent case weights. While it makes, only a marginal difference, I weigh the cases into lots which are a total of .5 gr difference (Lightest to heaviest). Given the cases are prepared properly, trimmed to same length, Necks deburred, Primer pockets uniformed, and Flash holes deburred… necks turned to a consistent thickness ( the thick parts reduced) what you have left is a consistent case wall thickness ( know there can be some difference in brass between lots)… which translates into more consistent combustion. Also the sum of all the other case prep helps… Then if you have weighed and sorted your bullets to the same weights, and weigh your charges and use match primers… you will be able to predict the final cartridge weight… which is a comfort. While it will not turn a hunting rifle into a BR Rifle… that and the correct bullet, powder and seating depth; will do everything for you that a cartridge can do.

I weigh mine just to look for the abnormally light or heavy. 2-3gr diff. between cases isn't going to make a diff., a 1/2gr, really, bullets can vary almost that much.

Well the few I have loade up is with in 1 grain so we wil see if it makes a hoot or not.

Going to the range~!!!!!!!!!!!

On my sporting and varminter rifle I don't waste my time for the same reason's as Ol' Joe and Vapodog. When you have a BR rifle with a quality action etc. then you can start sweating the little things.