Bullet Weight variation

[venatic]

I had bought a couple hundred seconds for 30 caliber and last week got around to shooting a few.
100 yard groups were not that great so checked the weight of about 20 of them and they vary from 225.28 to 225.80 so around .5gr variation.
I guess I know the answer but is that too much and should I sort them?
They will be used for playing mostly but thought I might shoot a deer or two as well maybe 500-700 yards longest distances.

 

[dmoran]

A half grain weight variation is not all that bad for a 225-grain bullet (only 0.2%)
How much length variation from "base to ogive" and OAL ?
Those variations typically effect accuracy/consistency more - IME

 

[garandman]

For playing?

Jus choot 'em.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

You bought seconds. Weight isnt the only reason they get trashed. You cant sort bullets the maker decided were not good enough- no matter what you do youll never know why

 

[Coyotefurharvester]

Shoot 25 at 700 yards, if you keep all of them in whatever you believe is a deer heart/lung area- GTG.

 

[Ned Ludd]

A 0.5 gr weight variance in a 225 gr bullet is ~0.2%, not .002%. Nonetheless, that is still not a huge weight variance for many applications. One easy way to make a rough estimate of the effect of a given variance is to count the number of digits involved, then compare that to your velocity value. In this case, you have 0.5 gr weight variance out of a total of ~225 gr bullet weight, meaning the variance is in the 4th digit. Your velocity numbers also contain 4 digits, so you can make a crude estimate that the bullet weight variance will likely at most only affect velocity at the level last digit - meaning less than 10 fps solely based on bullet weight. That is not likely to be your limiting source of error for most applications.

 

[Rdlningcltchdmpr]

I had bought a couple hundred seconds for 30 caliber and last week got around to shooting a few.
100 yard groups were not that great so checked the weight of about 20 of them and they vary from 225.28 to 225.80 so around .5gr variation.
I guess I know the answer but is that too much and should I sort them?
They will be used for playing mostly but thought I might shoot a deer or two as well maybe 500-700 yards longest distances.

The accuracy or lack of is more to do with the powder being used and amount , than the the bullet's themselves. When i try a new bullet i load six or seven different powder's and invariably one powder will just be great- lights out accurate. Example- the hogdon manual does not show 4350 as an option for the 8mm mauser with 175-180 grain bullet's. I tried 4350 and it is absolutely the best 53.1 grains= 1/2" groups every day. So don't assume the bullet's are not up to par. It is most likely the load itself that is not up to par.

 

[dcali]

That's sort of what you get when you buy seconds - you never quite know why they're seconds.

As others have said, 0.5 gr out of 225 is not huge, and internal ballistics tend to compensate (at least partially) for small weight variations. The higher pressure due to the increased weight helps the heavy ones catch up to the lighter ones. If it bothers you, sort them.

 

[Rdlningcltchdmpr]

I had bought a couple hundred seconds for 30 caliber and last week got around to shooting a few.
100 yard groups were not that great so checked the weight of about 20 of them and they vary from 225.28 to 225.80 so around .5gr variation.
I guess I know the answer but is that too much and should I sort them?
They will be used for playing mostly but thought I might shoot a deer or two as well maybe 500-700 yards longest distances.

You didn't mention your twist rate? 225 is a long bullet and takes a fast twist like probably 9- 10 twist.

 

[boltfluter]

If you want to shoot deer or anything alive at 500 to 700 why on earth would you shoot seconds? Steel is another matter entirely. Just thinking out loud here.

Paul

 

[venatic]

I have a 1/10 300 PRC and the load has already been worked up with same bullet just not that batch. I sorted thru and actually only 10% were more than .2 off.
I guess I have been lucky as the half dozen times I have bought seconds before I could not find any difference between them and the real deal.
As noted of course there could be things you can’t see or measure such as inconsistent jacket thicknesses.

 

[BartsBullets]

This post pretty much sums up why I don’t sell seconds!

Bart

 

[Joe Salt]

Wow Seconds and you are worried about weight. I never worry about weight, you think a grain and a half would matter with 50 or 60 Thousand PSI! LOL

Joe Salt

 

[BenPerfected]

I have a 1/10 300 PRC and the load has already been worked up with same bullet just not that batch. I sorted thru and actually only 10% were more than .2 off.
I guess I have been lucky as the half dozen times I have bought seconds before I could not find any difference between them and the real deal.
As noted of course there could be things you can’t see or measure such as inconsistent jacket thicknesses.

What brand of bullet do you buy that offers seconds?....and from which reseller?
Ben

 

[Rdlningcltchdmpr]

This post pretty much sums up why I don’t sell seconds!

Bart

I will buy your seconds , and remarket them as super high ballistic equivalence match winning one hole target projectiles. And price match the A-tip's.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

I will buy your seconds , and remarket them as super high ballistic equivalence match winning one hole target projectiles. And price match the A-tip's.

They may shoot better

 

[venatic]

What brand of bullet do you buy that offers seconds?....and from which reseller?
Ben

These came from Midway and since only 225 Tipped bullets that I know about are Hornady I would speculate they are ELD-M... just a guess on my part.
They held 1/2 MOA to 654 yds so I guess ya’ll are right they are close enough for government work.