Bullet weight

[Jmcoxey]

This is my first post. I have been reloading for more years than I care to remember, but I just picked up a new 6.5 RPM. I have purchased 127 g Barnes and 140g Sierra, Hornady and Norma bullets. I got curious about the weight and decided to check them. They were all lighter than specified by 1.5 to 2 grains. None have weighed the correct amount. In years past I use to get variation of .5 or so. Is this something new? It doesn’t really bother me but I found it odd.

 

[Doug Beach]

Check your scale.

 

[Dimner]

I only have really ever measured the cup and core bullets since I trust their consistency less. I find that they weight about 1 to 1.5 grains less on average than what is on the box.

I also weight sort them, and sometimes there are +/- 0.5 or abit more variance. I tend to try and buy my bullets in at least 500 at a time if I know I'm going to be sticking with them. That way I can have useful amounts after I have sorted.

 

[fkimble@charter.net]

I occasionally throw a Sierra 22 cal 52 grain match bullet on my scales to check it. Always with in a .10 of 52. Scale may need zeroing or if left uncovered, may need the dust brushed of the balance beam.
Or all your bullets may really be on the light side of advertised weight.

Frank

 

[Dimner]

I should mention that my experience was with 30 cal bullets

 

[Coyotefurharvester]

Check your scale

 

[Jmcoxey]

Ya thanks Reasetting the scales is the first thing and second thing I did. Same results. Interestingly the Norma bullets are listed as 143 gr but typically weigh 138.x and the 127 gr Barnes weigh 123.x

 

[Jmcoxey]

Thanks to you who said check the scales. I was using my new RCBS Charge Master and went back to my old manual scales. Guess what the manual scales measured correctly. Now I have to figure out the Charge Master. I feel foolish. Thanks again for the slap on the back of my head.

 

[Zero333]

OK... here is a great website on how to tune the chargemaster 1500 and a few extra of my own tuning methods with pics...

Primal Rights

Primal Rights

www.primalrights.com

and my own physical tuning tricks with the straw...
The finer the powder a smaller opening helps a lot !!!..

To make the straw opening smaller I just take the straw out 1/2" or so and rotate it.

 

[Zero333]

The castellated end of the straw is a big help too. Once I have a good idea where most big stick powders and ball powders like to be programmed at, I leave the programming somewhere in the middle and just adjust things with the straw as needed.

 

[SKWERLZ]

OK... here is a great website on how to tune the chargemaster 1500 and a few extra of my own tuning methods with pics...

Primal Rights

Primal Rights

www.primalrights.com

and my own physical tuning tricks with the straw...
The finer the powder a smaller opening helps a lot !!!..

To make the straw opening smaller I just take the straw out 1/2" or so and rotate it.

View attachment 1453426
View attachment 1453427
View attachment 1453429

The straw trick really improves the charge master an Hornandy LNL.