to sort or not to sort ???

[bachekermooni]

I am planing on starting to shoot the ISSF 300 meter matchs in 2014 with my JP CTR-02 in .223. With 77 gr SMK or 75 gr Hdy on top of 24.5 gr of TAC, I have shot 1/2 MOA groups from the bench.

My problem is that both of these bullets vary wildly in length (about 0.01"). I do not have a good enough digital scale - nor had the patience to weigh each with a beam scale. Should I be sorting these bullets? By length? Weight? Use my Hornady Bullet Comparator with .224 insert to sort or forget about it.

My groups above, the bullets were not sorted. I just kept the OAL to below 2.258". The 10-ring on the ISSF 300m target is 100 mm (approx 4").

 

[jwrowland77]

I always sort mine by weight. It helped to really tighten up my 7mm Rem mag load.

 

[NuJudge]

I've never bothered

I've never shot ISSF 300 meter, but I've shot a lot of 200/300/600 yard Service Rifle, and never felt the need for weighing bullets.

If the variation in length of bullet really bothers you, Tubb makes a tool to trim bullets to the same precise length. I believe Giraud makes a similar tool. I've never observed a Service Rifle class shooter who used such, but I have seen people in Match Rifle class who were.

https://www.creedmoorsports.com/shop/Tubb_Ballistic_Meplat_Uniformer.html
http://www.giraudtool.com/meplat.htm

 

[RAT807]

Use the Hornady Bullet Comparator and sort by bullet bearing surface. Also by doing this your case to ogive measurements when seating the bullets, will be more consistant. The seating die contacts the bullet close to or at the bullets ogive, not the tip. The tip of the bullet doesn't touch anything but air and is less important. The bearing surface of the bullet is what accually touches the lands. Believe it or not, I have a box of 140 gr bullets and the ogive to base lengths are way different. Past boxes have measured .609 but I had 58 in the last box that measured .628 - .631. These 58 would have been cramed .020 deeper into the case and raised the pressure. Not Good!

My .280 shoots very good with the bullet ogive from .005 - .010 to the lands. I load at 2.700 - 2.705 measured from the base on the case to the ogive of the bullet, using a Hornady Bullet Comparator and a digital caliper. From target data I know I get a tad more accuracy at 2.705 so that's what I load at, +/- .001 Now throw in a different bullet and what do you do? Ogive measurement, (in my case 2.705) case base to bullet ogive and you will still be the same distance from the lands.

 

[Match10]

Always... If nothing else other than to satisfy my sense of OCD order!