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Military and factory production brass?

MUP

MUP

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So just how much variance is acceptable in case weight? I have some production brass mixed with some military brass, and found out about the volume difference between them sometines, so I weighed some Rem brass @ 195 gr, and sorted from that as a baseline, with a +/- 3 gr variance as acceptable. Is this ok, or could I go even more loosely on the variance?...tighter even?
 
I also read about a "rule" from somebody who was well known for reloading techniques, that the charge should be 1.5 gr less per every 11 gr diff in case weight. Does this signify anything less than 11 gr wt difference as inconsequential?
 
MUP-I would wager in today's environment the brass is pretty close on weight. Meaning, all the lake city would be very close. All the Rem or Federal or Winchester brand would be close in weight. I have not weighed brass in ages as I found no value in doing so.

However, I can quite assure you my BIL who shoots 222 at 200 yards and practically cries if he has more than a raggedy hole weighs everything. He sorts them into groups. Maintains scrupulous records. Because he is an economical guy he never tosses a variant, he just uses those for hunting rounds because "a 1-inch group hunting doesn't hurt much".

Don't know if, for example, Mr. Big gets to weighing cases as part of his case prep. Would not surprise me if he did because at the accuracy level he is pursuing little things count.
 
I've heard something similar about the average charge weights. I've loaded a lot of military brass over the years(.223 and .308)but, have never loaded to any max levels. The loads I loaded never gave me any pressure signs. I would think a 3 gr. weight variance wouldn't really matter unless you are loading match loads. even then it might not make a great difference in accuracy.
 
I sort by manufacturer and then by weight. Unless I'm pushing a hot load, which I don't do, I don't worry about the variation unless it's out of the norm and in that case I chuckem. I have different lots of Lake City brass that were both heavier and lighter than the Remmy brass I had on hand, go figure. I normally load to .223 specs and not so much 5.56. In 7.62x51 and .308 there can be a huge weight variance between commercial and mil spec stuff. It needs some caution when packing those full of say BLC2 or other ball powders.
 
Deer Assassin said:
for hunting ammo i see no point in weighing brass
Click to expand...

For anything other than match ammo I see no point in it. Heck I run my 270 load in different headstamps
 
Ok, I'm running 06 brass btw, and my weights differ from about 184-202 gr. This sounds like too much variance to me, but I don't plan to work max loads, or match loads, just hunting loads. So would you guys load these cases as well with that much difference in weight?
 
That's reasonable variance for 06 brass, choot-em, just no max loads. BTW: a good woods hunting load from an ole Michigan upper peninsula hunter I knew way back when. A 165 gr. Nosler BT pushed by 45 gr. of IMR 4895. Is pretty awesome and has 30-30 recoil!!!
 
MUP said:
Ok, I'm running 06 brass btw, and my weights differ from about 184-202 gr. This sounds like too much variance to me, but I don't plan to work max loads, or match loads, just hunting loads. So would you guys load these cases as well with that much difference in weight?
Click to expand...

Surely that is with a mix of brass, right? I've never weighed brass since I only have a balance beam scales, which make weighing unknown weights painlfully slow, but I would think this is way high unless you are talking about brass from different manufacturers.

I would just sort by manufacturer and develop a load for the largest batch and shoot that until that batch of brass dies.
 
Internal case capacity is what you should be concerned with in the military brass. You can set yourself up for an overpressure situation if you load max commercial data in military cases. Sort by head stamp, weigh/sort again and load accordingly.
 

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