For those who sort primers....

[BKA]

I sort just enough for a week of reloading. and leave them in primer flipping trays. The weights are labeled on the trays. I will say, using federal match primers, they are so consistent there are only 2 weights that come up, 3.6 and 3.7

After I've sorted enough to fill a 100pc sleeve of the same weight, I return primers to their factory sleeve and use a Sharpie to mark the weight on sleeve.

Only two different weights?
This has NOT been my experience with ANY brand of primer, including Federal Match.
What scale are you using to weigh each primer?

 

[Big Mc]

Ok so you just sorted a bunch of primers. I can't help but wonder what others are doing to store them?
Baby food glass jars?
Tiny Tupperware?
Back in the factory packaging?

How do you store them?

Thanks!!

Well thats one thing i will not worry about, Tommy Mc

 

[Secondistic]

Knowing there are slight differences between primers why take a chance? When you can lose a match by .001” you do everything you can to eliminate all variables. Ask me how I know lol.

 

[Killick]

Knowing there are slight differences between primers why take a chance? When you can lose a match by .001” you do everything you can to eliminate all variables. Ask me how I know lol.

That’s why I shoot at 1K yards. That Shiite can’t happen…. … Look out!…INCOMING!!!

 

[Secondistic]

That’s why I shoot at 1K yards. That Shiite can’t happen…. … Look out!…INCOMING!!!

But it does at 600 yards, so I do it.

 

[ELR LVR]

I sort just enough for a week of reloading. and leave them in primer flipping trays. The weights are labeled on the trays. I will say, using federal match primers, they are so consistent there are only 2 weights that come up, 3.6 and 3.7

I decided to weigh some of my F-210's
5.3 grns
5.35 grns is the only difference I saw
like just a hair above the ZERO line if the slightly heavier one showed up
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Is this enough difference to be worth even sorting them?
What sort of FPS deviation if any would be noticed?
BTW - I would only sort and match weights for 600 yds and beyond

 

[Fire Dog]

I decided to weigh some of my F-210's
5.3 grns
5.35 grns is the only difference I saw
like just a hair above the ZERO line if the slightly heavier one showed up
---------------------------------------------------
Is this enough difference to be worth even sorting them?
What sort of FPS deviation if any would be noticed?
BTW - I would only sort and match weights for 600 yds and beyond

Unless you are weighing in grams, not grains you are wasting your time.
Grain weighing scales weigh to the best only .02grains {A&D scale} but will measure to .0001 grams if high quality or even just to .001 grams.
If your scale is electronic and can be switched to grams then go ahead and weigh as you will find variance at that level of refinement.

 

[Rick300]

Unless you are weighing in grams, not grains you are wasting your time.
Grain weighing scales weigh to the best only .02grains {A&D scale} but will measure to .0001 grams if high quality or even just to .001 grams.
If your scale is electronic and can be switched to grams then go ahead and weigh as you will find variance at that level of refinement.

+1! Gotta be in Grams

 

[Tod Hendricks]

Hmmmm.

5.46–5.52 gr = 0.354–0.358 g
5.54–5.60 gr = 0.359–0.363 g
5.62–5.68 gr = 0.364–0.368 g

 

[Fire Dog]

Hmmmm.

5.46–5.52 gr = 0.354–0.358 g
5.54–5.60 gr = 0.359–0.363 g
5.62–5.68 gr = 0.364–0.368 g

 

[ELR LVR]

Unless you are weighing in grams, not grains you are wasting your time.
Grain weighing scales weigh to the best only .02grains {A&D scale} but will measure to .0001 grams if high quality or even just to .001 grams.
If your scale is electronic and can be switched to grams then go ahead and weigh as you will find variance at that level of refinement.

Thanks, so youre suggesting I need to make weights of a finer measurement than 0.1 grains?
I do have an electronic that weighs in finer measurements so will try that and see what results I get
(It has the option to weigh in Milligrams, 0.001,)
It's one of those tools I have on hand but dont use it much, this may be a good use for it)
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My main question is, does primer weights differing finer than 0.1 grains really make any noticeable difference on target?
or is this more in the realm of like trying to eek out 1/10ths of an inch at 1000 yds
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Since I have not weighed primers yet and tested this myself, I like to know whats actually worth while
vs what merely makes us feel better
If it will improve things to seeing 1/2 inch reduction of groups or vertical dispersion
at 1000 yds then that sounds valueable

 

[BKA]

 

[ELR LVR]

Thank you, I believe this analysis answers all my questions
including a most important one
is a heavier primer, due more to primer compound or variance in primer construction
His trend seems to show it is mostly due to primer compound

 

[NF1E]

Thanks for the great report. Whatta Hobby!

 

[Fire Dog]

Thank you, I believe this analysis answers all my questions
including a most important one
is a heavier primer, due more to primer compound or variance in primer construction
His trend seems to show it is mostly due to primer compound

In the video the primers were only weighed in grains rather than grams but it does support the idea that primers of consistent weight will produce more accurate loads.
As myself and others have suggested, weighing in grams is much more accurate and able to determine weight variance to a finer degree and if his primer weight had been in grams with a variance of say .002 grams his target results would have been showing even better results.
Here is a better video explaining the variance that can be seen with the difference between primer weights:

and this follow up:

 

[64Rambler]

Unless you are weighing in grams, not grains you are wasting your time.
Grain weighing scales weigh to the best only .02grains {A&D scale} but will measure to .0001 grams if high quality or even just to .001 grams.

I don't think weighing in grains is a waste of time. On the A&D FX120i you will get 3 significant figures for the weight of a primer, regardless of which unit the scale is set for, as Tom pointed out.

5.46–5.52 gr = 0.354–0.358 g
5.54–5.60 gr = 0.359–0.363 g
5.62–5.68 gr = 0.364–0.368 g

Will there be a difference in the piles? Yes, but only slightly and only because of where the scale rounds up to the next digit. 0.02 grains is 0.00129598 grams. Digital scales, regardless of the units set, have additional decimal places internally that are not displayed so that what you see is the rounded number.
And if you forget to switch your scale back to grains for powder, that first charge is going to be a doozie!

 

[rwj]

I’ll admit to not reading every post in this thread, but have a question. Has anyone serialized primers (100 count should be statistically significant) then weighed/recorded primer weight before, then after firing? The difference should represent the compound weight (less residue).

If one also records muzzle velocity for each round, it may be possible to correlate the variation to primer compound weight. But how will variations in powder charge weight, bullet geometry, case volume… etc be controlled? This making it difficult, if not impossible, to assign all velocity variation to the primer compound.

But as many have said… if you believe it makes a difference, it does…

 

[Mulligan]

I’ll admit to not reading every post in this thread, but have a question. Has anyone serialized primers (100 count should be statistically significant) then weighed/recorded primer weight before, then after firing? The difference should represent the compound weight (less residue).

If one also records muzzle velocity for each round, it may be possible to correlate the variation to primer compound weight. But how will variations in powder charge weight, bullet geometry, case volume… etc be controlled? This making it difficult, if not impossible, to assign all velocity variation to the primer compound.

But as many have said… if you believe it makes a difference, it does…

I have posted this before, but maybe it still has some value to folks pondering sorting primers and what value it may have for their shooting discipline.
CW

 

[JFrank]

I can sort 100 primers in about 12 minutes.
Fed 205 in gram mode.
.232 -.235
.236 -.238 > majority
.239 -.241
Every once in a while we get a primer that would spoil a group, this one popped up today.. at .221

 

[Killick]

OK, OK...I give in. I'm going to test it. I just got a new bbl for my .284 Shehane on my F-Class rifle (Eliseo stock, Barnard action/trigger, Brux bbl) and I will test the primer sorting protocol (Murom "Commie" LR Lot No. 3-03). So far my main batches in grams are: .341-.343, .344-.346 (largest), .347-.349 utilizing my FX-120i. But I will still weight sort my cleaning patches...