Hooda Thunkit
Member
Warning, this may be long.
I want to preface this by saying that I have been reloading for 30+ years. Mostly handgun, but over the years I've loaded rifle hunting and blasting rounds.
In the past few years I've gotten a bug for Military Bolt-gun match shooting at the local club. I'm not very good, I usually end up in the upper end of the middle of the pack.
I'm currently shooting a Finn M39, with home cast 185gr CWW, over 17gr 2400. I can shoot 2-3 MOA 10 shot groups, at 100 yds with iron sights. I'm shooting 280-290 out of 300 on scoring.
The problem is that I know my rifle can do much better. I get 6 rounds in an inch, then another 2 inches away. Then, everything goes to blazes, I'll get a 4" group. Then maybe I'll do 2".
I'm weight sorting the projectiles to within a grain. I clean the primer pockets, and neck size only. I check case length and trim as necessary ( usually only 2 or 3 out of 70 need trimmed) every 3rd firing. I've deburred the flash holes. I have not uniformed the primer pockets, they are deeper than spec even when new.
I'm using a Lee AutoDrum, which is very very accurate on drops.
So, I got a wild hair and weight sorted the 70 cases I used last weekend. These are all well-used PPU, I've got 10 firings at least on them.
147gr - 4
148gr - 6
149gr - 10
150gr - 20
151gr - 26
152gr - 4
I plan to use the matched weight cases in batches of 10, as the shot strings are 10 rounds each.
Here's the question, if you've made it this far -
Can I realistically expect any better consistency using the weight matched cases? From 147 to 152 grains weight, we're looking at what, 3% difference in weight ?
With the low pressure round I'm using, would it make a difference ?
I know, shoot it and see. I will do that at the next match, but is 3% case weight difference that much ?
I want to preface this by saying that I have been reloading for 30+ years. Mostly handgun, but over the years I've loaded rifle hunting and blasting rounds.
In the past few years I've gotten a bug for Military Bolt-gun match shooting at the local club. I'm not very good, I usually end up in the upper end of the middle of the pack.
I'm currently shooting a Finn M39, with home cast 185gr CWW, over 17gr 2400. I can shoot 2-3 MOA 10 shot groups, at 100 yds with iron sights. I'm shooting 280-290 out of 300 on scoring.
The problem is that I know my rifle can do much better. I get 6 rounds in an inch, then another 2 inches away. Then, everything goes to blazes, I'll get a 4" group. Then maybe I'll do 2".
I'm weight sorting the projectiles to within a grain. I clean the primer pockets, and neck size only. I check case length and trim as necessary ( usually only 2 or 3 out of 70 need trimmed) every 3rd firing. I've deburred the flash holes. I have not uniformed the primer pockets, they are deeper than spec even when new.
I'm using a Lee AutoDrum, which is very very accurate on drops.
So, I got a wild hair and weight sorted the 70 cases I used last weekend. These are all well-used PPU, I've got 10 firings at least on them.
147gr - 4
148gr - 6
149gr - 10
150gr - 20
151gr - 26
152gr - 4
I plan to use the matched weight cases in batches of 10, as the shot strings are 10 rounds each.
Here's the question, if you've made it this far -
Can I realistically expect any better consistency using the weight matched cases? From 147 to 152 grains weight, we're looking at what, 3% difference in weight ?
With the low pressure round I'm using, would it make a difference ?
I know, shoot it and see. I will do that at the next match, but is 3% case weight difference that much ?