Weighing brass questions

[WYO300RUM]

I just weighed a bunch of brass.
Out of 50 ADG 300 RUM I had only 6 that were more than a grain difference.
50 ADG 6.5 PRC only 7.
100 Lapua 6.5x284 only 10 !
50 Hornady 6.5x284 I had a spread of 4 grains.
I haven't weighed any fired factory Hornady match cases in 6.5 PRC or Creed yet or any fired factory Norma 6.5x284 cases yet from Norma and HSM.
I also weighed 100 GunWerks 300 RUM. I don't remember the count but was basically the same as ADG . They averaged a grain heavier . Pretty sure it's the same brass.
I think I'll stick with ADG and Lapua.

 

[MLN1963]

For those that are interested in the minutiae.

I weighed 101 pieces of Lapua 6 Creedmoor SRP straight out of the box.

170.48 Heaviest
169.30 Lightest
169.72 Average
169.89 Median
1.18 Extreme Spread
0.22 Standard Deviation

I weighed 100 pieces of Alpha 25 Creedmoor SRP straight out of the box.

157.92 Heaviest
157.28 Lightest
157.69 Average
157.60 Median
.64 Extreme Spread
.15 Standard Deviation

Yep, boutique brass is pretty consistent.

Dry weight is the easiest and most convenient method. IMO the only way for it to be valid is from the same lot of brass. Punches wear, extractor grooves may be slightly wider or deeper, cups may be slightly different from the start. Many many variables to account for.

Water weight can give a better reflection of the internal volume of the case and should provide better indication of how closely the loaded ammunition should perform. The problem is water weight testing is a pain in the @$$. It's messy, time consuming and very difficult to do precisely for every round. The meniscus that forms on the top of the case is very difficult to get perfectly flat. A slight convex (dome) or a slight convex (dip) can make quite a difference in weight. Not to mention if there is an air bubble attached to the case wall that you can't see.

I tested water volume on 18 random fired Alpha cases from another box, same lot, and had a .3 grain ES and .08 SD. Not horrible at all. I'd bet that my testing methods induced that higher extreme spread because the meniscus wasn't perfectly the same among those 18 cases.

My takeaway from all this is buy quality brass, dry weight check it, cull any outliers (if there are any) and get to shooting. Wind will effect my results more than a case that weights .2 grains more. I bang steel and hunt, no benchrest. YMMV

 

[Savage 12BVSS]

The ADG is on par with Lapua.

I agree with you, wish they made more cartridges I use.

 

[ILVTOHT]

When you guys weigh brass how much of a difference do you allow? And what weight do you use? I got brass from 178grns to 198grns. Also do you throw out the brass not within specs of your chosen weight? Thanks for your help

You must've got some of the new Winchester brass... lol... I had the exact same issue with the last batch I bought. I weigh and sort into batches by 3 grains. 178-181 one pile, 181-184, etc.... if there's less than a magazine load in a certain pile, When I'm done sorting. I throw them away.

When you guys weigh brass how much of a difference do you allow? And what weight do you use? I got brass from 178grns to 198grns. Also do you throw out the brass not within specs of your chosen weight? Thanks for your help

Buy Norma/Nosler, or Lapua they are usually all within 3 grains or less. Just bought 100 270 win Norma brass, and they are within 1 grain.

 

[milo-2]

You must've got some of the new Winchester brass... lol... I had the exact same issue with the last batch I bought. I weigh and sort into batches by 3 grains. 178-181 one pile, 181-184, etc.... if there's less than a magazine load in a certain pile, When I'm done sorting. I throw them away.

Thanks, that made me laugh. I call Win brass in the orange and black bag Halloween brass. It's a nightmare.

 

[freddiej]

The farther I go out the less the variance of the brass. BR shooters will literally use the same piece of brass for all 10 shots, yes they reload each time they shoot. I am not that bad. I keep my long range competition brass to 1/2 grain. 198.0 to 198.5 grains. If I can keep it to 0.2 grains I will. if I can keep it to 198.0 all of my days competition then I will do so.
I have gotten to the point i will even sort my hunting brass into 1 grain weight classes. not that I have a fetish but I feel a bit more confident when I am taking a 600+ yard shot when I know that there is so little variance in my brass.

 

[ILVTOHT]

One should add ADG to the list of quality brass. I recently weighed fifty rounds of ADG and fifty rounds of Hornady. All 6.5 PRC. The ADG varied 1.2 grains. The Hornady varied 5.9 grains. Hornady appears to me to be solid second tier. Not junk, but not 'top shelf'. The ADG is on par with Lapua.

I would love to add ADG to the list! But they don't currently make the calibers I need(300WSM, and 270 win) So I don't own any of there brass at this time. I wish they did!

 

[freddiej]

ILVTOHT: if ADG does not make it. RCC will make it. (300WSM and 270 Win)

Shop - Roberson Cartridge Company

www.rccbrass.com

a friend has them make her brass for her wildcat AR-10 cartridge.

 

[antelopedundee]

Who is ADG and who sells their brass? Don't really need more brass, but it never hurts to have another source.

 

[WYO300RUM]

Who is ADG and who sells their brass? Don't really need more brass, but it never hurts to have another source.

Atlas Development Group

 

[antelopedundee]

Atlas Development Group

Thanks

 

[antelopedundee]

For those that are interested in the minutiae.

I weighed 101 pieces of Lapua 6 Creedmoor SRP straight out of the box.

170.48 Heaviest
169.30 Lightest
169.72 Average
169.89 Median
1.18 Extreme Spread
0.22 Standard Deviation

I weighed 100 pieces of Alpha 25 Creedmoor SRP straight out of the box.

157.92 Heaviest
157.28 Lightest
157.69 Average
157.60 Median
.64 Extreme Spread
.15 Standard Deviation

Yep, boutique brass is pretty consistent.

Dry weight is the easiest and most convenient method. IMO the only way for it to be valid is from the same lot of brass. Punches wear, extractor grooves may be slightly wider or deeper, cups may be slightly different from the start. Many many variables to account for.

Water weight can give a better reflection of the internal volume of the case and should provide better indication of how closely the loaded ammunition should perform. The problem is water weight testing is a pain in the @$$. It's messy, time consuming and very difficult to do precisely for every round. The meniscus that forms on the top of the case is very difficult to get perfectly flat. A slight convex (dome) or a slight convex (dip) can make quite a difference in weight. Not to mention if there is an air bubble attached to the case wall that you can't see.

I tested water volume on 18 random fired Alpha cases from another box, same lot, and had a .3 grain ES and .08 SD. Not horrible at all. I'd bet that my testing methods induced that higher extreme spread because the meniscus wasn't perfectly the same among those 18 cases.

My takeaway from all this is buy quality brass, dry weight check it, cull any outliers (if there are any) and get to shooting. Wind will effect my results more than a case that weights .2 grains more. I bang steel and hunt, no benchrest. YMMV

You'll never get a flat meniscus so the correct thing for that situation is to use the convex meniscus outside of the case mouth.

 

[ILVTOHT]

ILVTOHT: if ADG does not make it. RCC will make it. (300WSM and 270 Win)

Shop - Roberson Cartridge Company

www.rccbrass.com

a friend has them make her brass for her wildcat AR-10 cartridge.

To expensive for me... $5.07/ each. But probably great brass. Thank for the suggestion!

 

[antelopedundee]

A .280 Remington case trimmed to .30-06 length loses about .7-.8 grains of weight so a 20 grain difference in weight should be pretty visible if it's to an exterior feature. I'd expect most of it to show up in wall thickness. The brass pellets from which they draw the cases must be pretty weight variable.