brass prep

[canuck]

I shoot out to a mile or so. Like every long range shooter I am looking at getting my SD and ES as low as possible. Here is my question..I know sd and es doesn't need to be that low out to 500 yards or so but the farther you go the more difference it makes...
When it comes to brass prep what method gives you the most consistent results...
1) weigh sort brass before any other prep
2) trim to length and then weight sort
3) trim to length, neck turn and then weight sort
4) other methods you may use

Thanks in advance for your input

 

[Dusty Stevens]

Volume sorting before you even touch them with any other tool

 

[canuck]

Thanks for the tip...
Ok, now this may seem like a silly question but what method to you use to volume sort ? water? Or exactly how do you volume sort brass?

 

[Dusty Stevens]

I use simple rubbing alcohol and a primer pocket plug like the one 21st century sells.
Get a big syringe like a meat injector

 

[retired]

ok
1) trim to length does not affect real volume because a bullet establishes that, but it does remove weight.
2) uniforming primer pockets affects weight, but not volume and it is filled with a primer in real life.
3) turning necks does not affect volume, but does affect weight.
4) deburring the internal flash hole removes weight AND changes volume...pretty small but true.

just comments on where the brass and the volume is.
fire them and redo it all

 

[retired]

i think that has the wrong density for the volume to weight conversion.
water at a consistent low temp is closer to 1cc per

I use simple rubbing alcohol and a primer pocket plug like the one 21st century sells.
Get a big syringe like a meat injector

 

[canuck]

The more I ponder this I suspect the most accurate method might be to check initial case volumes and then do the rest of the case prep as Dusty suggested. Then I would fireform , resize and recheck case volumes( as they could change as manufacturing processes of new cases would be no where near as uniform as the rifles chamber and sizing die . After all this is the volume that matters in the end and will make for consistent pressure .The goal is to get case volume of fired and resized cases to near identical as possible to create the same pressure levels. I know this would be a lot of work( maybe too much). I am going to try it though and see it makes any statistical difference. I will sort out for 80 cases in total( 20 for the first method and 60 for the second because after they are further culled I may only end up with 15- 20 from the 60 fired cases which are near identical enough . I will shoot them over a number of sessions at 800- 1500 yards and keep track of verticals and groups. Of coarse I would have to wait for favourable conditions for testing.
I will report the results once I have completed this which may be quite some time.

If I am missing something feel free to point it out....

 

[Dusty Stevens]

i think that has the wrong density for the volume to weight conversion.
water at a consistent low temp is closer to 1cc per

I could care less about volume to weight- as long as you use the same fluid for all the cases it doesnt matter if its molasses- i go for ease of cleanup myself but i do agree with you if you want to get real technical on actual weight/volume use water.