I've lost my mind - Bullet Sorting

[treillw]

OCD is catching up with me. I'm sorting 2000 bullets.

Only heard a few sentences on this topic - never done it before.

So all I do is put two comps on my caliper, line them up as best I can, designate a golden bullet to be zero length, start measuring, and group them into +.002", -.005", etc.

Simple as that? Nothing else to it?

Thanks!

 

[JEFFPPC]

That will measure bearing surface, some feel that is the most important. Some just do base to ogive. Some use a device such as Bob Greens sorter, best explained by reading his website....I use it. Try different ways see what gives you the results you want. It can be a deep rabbit hole. Latest idea is to sort by overall length..I once said I would never do it, but found out it helped me be competitive. Depends on what you want how much the effort is worth to you. Like every other little OCD thing we do.

 

[treillw]

So I've done 100 so far and am feeling like this is somewhat of a futile process.

I come back to my initial golden bullet every now and then and it is slowly shrinking in size.

I believe this is because I got a brand new comp for measuring bearing surfaces. The edge which contacts the ogive is probably slowly being eroded on the new comp, as the sharp factory edge is removed. Random checks on sorted bullets show that they are a little shorter than they used to be.

I guess the bullet could also be wearing slightly.

Yeah well, I guess everything will be within .001" anyway.

Out of 100 bullets I only have two major fliers that are .006" shorter.

10 are .001 long
10 are .002 short
20 are .001 short
Majority hit the zero

 

[Bc'z]

Sort by OAL length only.
@BartsBullets help a brother out please.

 

[RICK SMITH]

If you want to measure base to ojive reactively fast. Get you a Hollands bullet comparator. Love mine

 

[Straightshooter1]

OCD is catching up with me. I'm sorting 2000 bullets.

Only heard a few sentences on this topic - never done it before.

So all I do is put two comps on my caliper, line them up as best I can, designate a golden bullet to be zero length, start measuring, and group them into +.002", -.005", etc.

Simple as that? Nothing else to it?

Thanks!

Some time ago I sorted by bearing surface like you and tested to see just how much it helps or not. I did find a significant difference in POI between two groups of outliers that were .034 apart, but no difference in precision, which is verified the sorting work. But sorting is small increments like .002" or even .005" didn't really produce any evidence for a benefit.

If you're shooting ELR, then sorting bullets by OAL makes a lot of sense to me as I ca see it being beneficial in keeping BC's consistent (an important factor for ELR shooting).

Since I want as consistent seating depths as possible for consistent velocities, I sort my bullets from their base to the place where my seating stem makes contact with the bullet (using a comparator insert with the same diameter as the seating stem). This way, the base of my seated bullets are seated to the same depth. I do this now because sorting bullets by BTO doesn't give me that kind of consistency due to the difference between the BTO and where the seating stem makes contact.

 

[Ranger188]

I know Bart S sorts by OAL, but just the meplat is ragged on one more than another and will
change that. Hard to see how that would change the POI much.
And pointing is a whole other rabbit hole.

 

[Bc'z]

I know Bart S sorts by OAL, but just the meplat is ragged on one more than another and will
change that. Hard to see how that would change the POI much.
And pointing is a whole other rabbit hole.

The 123 & 136 scenar L is factory pointed , I believe there's a few other manufacturers pointing as well.

I have some 123Amax I want to play with measuring OAL.
I'm curious how they'll be as the meplat has to be trimmed consistently before tip is inserted.

 

[Ranger188]

A few Sierra's and Berger's are being factory pointed now.
Would make measuring them easier.
I'm running Bart's Hammers and they are not.

 

[Fuj]

A few Sierra's and Berger's are being factory pointed now.
Would make measuring them easier.
I'm running Bart's Hammers and they are not.

I shoot the Sierra 183's and they come pointed. Overall
lengths can still be off with a jagged meplat. This outliers,
I'll throw on the scale and check weight. Generally they are
spot on in that department. Shoot em' !!

 

[mikeinct]

I bought a big pile of 6 mm 105 Blems. My wife sorted them by weight, then Base to ojive . It really did not help, we never found a batch worthy of thousand-yard shooting. They are nifty for fire-forming 6mmBRX brass. mike in ct

 

[BartsBullets]

OCD is catching up with me. I'm sorting 2000 bullets.

Only heard a few sentences on this topic - never done it before.

So all I do is put two comps on my caliper, line them up as best I can, designate a golden bullet to be zero length, start measuring, and group them into +.002", -.005", etc.

Simple as that? Nothing else to it?

Thanks!

It’s hard for people to except this. But the only thing I’ve found that makes a difference and only a very slight one is sorting by overall length.

the good news is you can sort all you want. You’re not hurting anything.

Bart

 

[Bugs]

1. Sort by bearing surface using a JB Comparator
2. Slightly trim meplats
3. Point up ever so slightly
4. trim meplats (just a touch) again
5. weight sort to the nearest .01 grain
6. sort using Bob Green's tool
7. Go to a match and get beat by a guy who doesn't bother with any of that stuff.

 

[BartsBullets]

I know Bart S sorts by OAL, but just the meplat is ragged on one more than another and will
change that. Hard to see how that would change the POI much.
And pointing is a whole other rabbit hole.

Sort by overall length into batches within .003 if you want to get crazy trim those batches. I don’t recommend pointing. I’ve only been shooting long range for a short period of time. But I’ve got 4 world records, 2 Shooter of the Years, Most recently a win at the Nationals and a whole bunch of 2 Gun wins that says it works.

Bart

 

[1911mag]

Funny seeing this title. Just so happens I have been doing this for last 3 days. I am in recovery shoulder surgery. It keeps my mind busy and helps with boredom.
I just finished 85.5 Bergers and using BTO method and had a .006 spread overall. Next up is my Berger 180’s.

 

[OMW57]

AND, THE MOST IMPORTANT STEP....
BE ABLE TO ACCEPT BEING BEAT WITH A SMILE & GRACIOUSNESS!

 

[OMW57]

YES, HAVE LEARNED THIS THE HARD WAY!

 

[JMayo]

I used to sort in weight batches. When loading time came id measure bto and line them up in lines of 5 likes.
I don't miss those days.

Other good shooters suggested i do my best on bto but then after all are made measure oal and line them up accordingly. My scores & groups did improve. Maybe i just got luckier or better, idk

 

[Kramerica]

I remember listening to a podcast with Bryan Litz, he said bullet sorting is basically a waste of time. That line of thinking might be out of the main stream here but I thought I’d pass it along for what it’s worth.

 

[rwj]

One important factor in creating a positive attitude when on the firing line is the belief that you’ve eliminated/minimized variation in the processes up to that point that could effect the results. I’m not saying sorting will improve scores, but if not doing so creates doubt/uncertainty in one’s mind when pulling the trigger, the outcome is less likely to be as desired!

There are many ways to identify which variables truly effect the outcome. Pick one, test the variables, mitigate the ones that matter, then go to the firing line with a positive attitude! If only this was as easy to do as it was to write!