Weighing rifle brass

[Jeff H]

So lets assume that this will be a long winter and I'll have some free time between the honey-do list and I want to get the most out of my target 223 loads (69gr SMK shot out of an AR) so I am entertaining weighing the brass and keeping like cases together.

2 questions:
1) Will I see any real benefit in 223 by weighing the brass or is just sorting by head stamp good enough?

2) If I do weigh them all, how big should the weight variation be? Can all brass within 3 grains be lumped together? 2 grains? 5 grains? At what point will I cease to see real improvements?

 

[rcmodel]

Well, before weighing would do any good at all, every one would have to be resized, trimmed to the exact same length, and all the primer pockets cleaned.

Only then would weighing do any good at all.

I think once you do that, you will find about 50% of them really really close to the same weight.

I'd keep those together, then make one pile of the heaviest and one pile of lightest ones left over and keep them together for less accuracy needs.

See this about that, 1/4 way down the page.
http://www.6mmbr.com/223rem.html

rc

 

[blarby]

Oh boy, can't wait to see this one unfold again !

( this time, I'm a shut up though )

 

[LiveLife]

Been there and done that in .223 and .308.

blarby, me too. I'll also quietly watch this from the sidelines.

 

[MrOldLude]

I wouldn't bother weighing cases unless you've got a really dialed in AR capable of .75 MOA or better. Heck, I wouldn't bother unless I had a very good benchrest gun, period. Most combat style rifles I've seen run between 1-3 MOA. Free-floated varmint guns were obviously better.

 

[Clark]

I was weighing brass in 2002.
I have since given up.

I am delighted with every 1" 5 shot group at 100 yards I get.
I call people to brag with they are less than 1/2".

And those are my "no wind" standards.

So with my standards so low, there is no point in weighing brass, it just does not make a difference at my novice level.

 

[30Cal]

I weight a hundred or so, but only to find the worst examples. I use them for load development. If it shoots well with the worst cases, then I know I don't have to fuss about weighing cases or charges.