Weigh Handgun Bullets for Accuracy?

[Byla]

I'm just getting back into reloading after too many years of zero range time. Back in the day, I used to weigh 10-20 bullets together, to get an average weight of the lot, then weigh each bullet quickly on my digital scale. I'd divide them up into those right on +/- a tad, those over by a significant amount and those under. And any that were way over/under I would set aside for plinking. I have found some significantly over/under the advertised weight. I load 9's, 38's and 45 ACP/AR.

My digital scale doesn't want to calibrate following it's dormancy, I have a balance scale I can use set to the average, but I wonder if it is worth the time. Note that I don't do this for all my rounds, just some I want to see how accurate I can make them.

 

[Bazoo]

I don’t think it’s worth it personally. For my cast bullet loads, I reject any with rounded bands and any with base defects. But I don’t weigh them.

 

[Blue68f100]

I don't think you can shoot the difference unless they were grossly off, >10gr.

For the 9mm you can order the RMR MW and not have to worry about it.

 

[Bazoo]

Everyone said i couldn’t shoot the difference between mixed brass and not. But in the wife’s 686, it was the difference between 1.5” and 3” at 15 yards. So maybe weighing handgun bullets could be beneficial? I never considered it until now.

 

[fastattack]

I wouldn't bother for handguns (or rifles for that matter, I sometimes may weight a couple just to make sure they are what is advertised). All my guns shoot better than me anyway. You situation is probably different. Maybe you are trying for a 100yard off-hand shot

 

[Skeptic13]

Unless you shoot competition, shoot thousands of practice rounds monthly or are an incredible shot with a pistol I don't think that you will notice the weight variation in your bullets. There are just to many other factors that go into making an exact shot with a pistol.

 

[.308 Norma]

Welcome to THR, Byla!

I wonder if it is worth the time

It sure wouldn't be worth my time. You might be a lot better shot with a handgun than I am though.

 

[tightgroup tiger]

Everyone said i couldn’t shoot the difference between mixed brass and not. But in the wife’s 686, it was the difference between 1.5” and 3” at 15 yards. So maybe weighing handgun bullets could be beneficial? I never considered it until now.

With my Ruger GP100 I wouldn't waste my time, but with my tuned 686-4 I have shot the difference between common reloads and custom loads with weighed bullets.
This year (I'll be 64 latter this year) I put 5 through the same hole at 7 yards with mine in front of my son and the range officers ,with my 686-4. I pulled the first shot, but the next 5 made one hole.
I've done that many times more than this one time. So I will keep weighing my bullets and doing a bunch of extra work than a lot of people think is a waste of time and is just silly. Sorting brass, weighing bullets, accurate powder charges.
Just because it's a handgun doesn't mean it can't be very accurate. Too many bullseye shooters have proven that. It just takes a lot of work.

 

[Lennyjoe]

I don’t think I have enough time to weigh the thousands of pistol bullets I’ve reloaded or will reload.

If I was a precise shooter doing long range rifle work, then it would be time we’ll spent, but not for pistol. But, that’s me. Do what you think is necessary.

 

[Varminterror]

Everyone said i couldn’t shoot the difference between mixed brass and not.

Foolish people give foolish advice. If “everyone” told you this, then you asked the wrong “everyone.”

So maybe weighing handgun bullets could be beneficial? I never considered it until now.

Being mislead about one thing does not mean you’ll always be mislead about all things.

The most successful precision pistol competitors DO sort brass - you simply asked the wrong people and got bad advice. However, the most successful precision pistol competitors are not weight sorting bullets.

If your bullets have significant weight deviation, it typically means your alloy isn’t consistent or more likely your mold isn’t filling properly. For factory bought, quality competition bullets, or properly cast bullets, weight will not be the reason you send one outside of a group.

 

[Archie]

I used to shoot NRA 2700 (Bullseye). It didn't seem to matter to my results. Turns out, 50 and 25 are so close (relatively to sight radius) it takes a good deal of weight difference to foul up a group. With jacketed or swaged bullets, an odd weight seems to stand out pretty well. Cast bullets might require more scrutiny, but any variation should be pretty obvious.

When all is said and done, weighing bullets may be of some value. The only way to determine it objectively is to test about a third of a gazillion loadings and keep records.

 

[gifbohane]

Before I load a bullet, I weigh a few hundred, 2 at a time, to make sure that a 115 grain bullet weighs about 115 grains.

I always have the fear that the supplier dropped one or two on the deck and put them in the wrong bin.

I have more confidence in RMR than in say Hornady but I still check the bullet weights so I don' t get a few 125's in with the 115's.

Once I weighed a few hundred bullets and just saw some variance by a few 10th's of a grain. Way beyond my needs...and abilities.

 

[AJC1]

I weigh my bullets but I cast them myself and it's a quality control step and let's me know if my mix is still the same. Would I still do it if I didn't cast maybe, but I've never sorted jacketed.

 

[kalielkslayer]

When i first started loading for handgun I weighed a few kinds of bullets, both jacketed and plated. After weighing several 100 I learned the variance was .2 grains at the most. I quit weighing them after that


But I had been loading for hunting rifles for 30 years so it was just muscle memory.

I do remember I weighed about a dozen HAP bullets and none of them deviated, they were all dead on at 125 grains.

 

[Bazoo]

Foolish people give foolish advice. If “everyone” told you this, then you asked the wrong “everyone.”



Being mislead about one thing does not mean you’ll always be mislead about all things.

The most successful precision pistol competitors DO sort brass - you simply asked the wrong people and got bad advice. However, the most successful precision pistol competitors are not weight sorting bullets.

If your bullets have significant weight deviation, it typically means your alloy isn’t consistent or more likely your mold isn’t filling properly. For factory bought, quality competition bullets, or properly cast bullets, weight will not be the reason you send one outside of a group.

I agree 100%. Many folks on gun forums claim they used mixed brass. With the statement following “the gun shoots better than I do”. When I see that I think, hmm they must can’t shoot handgun for beans. But I recon most folks consider a handgun as nothing more than a point blank weapon of last resort.

 

[Byla]

I've got a 686 as well in 6" and it is my favorite wheel gun. I believe it is my most accurate gun and I like to put 1" florescent orange dot stickers on a chunk of cardboard and obliterate them with 3-4 shots each. I bought some auto rim cases, each one of those rounds is measured for accuracy, powder charge, bullet weight, & case length though I admit the latter probably matters the least.

I measured some 124 gr Remington JRNs from 124.2 to 124.8. I agree I'm being OCD measuring these.

 

[Rule3]

I'm just getting back into reloading after too many years of zero range time. Back in the day, I used to weigh 10-20 bullets together, to get an average weight of the lot, then weigh each bullet quickly on my digital scale. I'd divide them up into those right on +/- a tad, those over by a significant amount and those under. And any that were way over/under I would set aside for plinking. I have found some significantly over/under the advertised weight. I load 9's, 38's and 45 ACP/AR.

My digital scale doesn't want to calibrate following it's dormancy, I have a balance scale I can use set to the average, but I wonder if it is worth the time. Note that I don't do this for all my rounds, just some I want to see how accurate I can make them.

What does weighing 10-20 bullets together for an average do?? Could have one way (weigh) over and one weigh under.

It depends on what kind and brand of bullets you are loading. Quality bullets like Hornaday or similar will be very consistent. Perhaps some cast lead bullets from some some other places may be a tad off.

 

[Soupy44]

If the idea of the ammo not being to spec bothers you, weigh away, but consider what you would gain using that time to dry fire or practice. Odds are the trigger time would be more beneficial.

 

[ballman6711]

I've weight sorted bullets to 1/10 of a grain for my pistol, and it didn't make a difference for me.

I've also sorted brass by headstamp, and that did make a difference for me.

Try it and see if it makes a difference for you. It may or may not. It didn't make a difference for me, but you may be a better shooter.

chris

 

[FROGO207]

Years ago I tried doing everything in my power to make my pistol rounds more accurate. Weigh brass, sort, primer pockets uniformed, weigh bullets, etc. After a couple thousand I just loaded range brass with identical loads of propellant and stuffed a bullet in. Lo and behold there was no difference. So now I do not bother prep my handgun brass or weigh bullets any more.
For rifle rounds shot over 100 YDS I still do work more to make more accurate rounds as I can see the difference on targets.

 

[Bcwitt]

I doubt very much minor discrepencies in weigh cause tangible problems.

 

[Varminterror]

If the idea of the ammo not being to spec bothers you, weigh away, but consider what you would gain using that time to dry fire or practice. Odds are the trigger time would be more beneficial.

I find this to be remarkably astute, bordering on profound.

 

[BJung]

This advice probably isn't worth 2 cents but I use to group weight my bullets when I wanted to shoot far with a petload at a long distance at 100 yards and was bracing my shooting hand over a bent knee or sandbag. If I were to shoot bullseye, maybe. But if I was shooting at 15 yards or less offhand for fun, I'd assemble the components and just shoot. That said, I cast my bullets now and weigh the batch with my electronic scale to remove the outliers.

 

[AzShooter1]

I don't bother weighing my brass or bullets once I get started casting. For the brass I buy 1000 rounds at the beginning of the year and use them until they crack.

Years ago I would weigh everything. In some instance's it mad a difference but I only did it for Bullseye Match Shooting. For USPSA and ICORE matches I never needed 1 inch groups.

When I casted 180 grainers for my 686 I did weight them and cull them into + and - grains. Over 4.5 grains of Unique I could get 1 inch groups at 25 yards from a solid bench rest. So, for total accuracy sports it's worth the trouble.

 

[AJC1]

This advice probably isn't worth 2 cents but I use to group weight my bullets when I wanted to shoot far with a petload at a long distance at 100 yards and was bracing my shooting hand over a bent knee or sandbag. If I were to shoot bullseye, maybe. But if I was shooting at 15 yards or less offhand for fun, I'd assemble the components and just shoot. That said, I cast my bullets now and weigh the batch with my electronic scale to remove the outliers.

Looking for cavities and flaws. I respect a fellow craftsman