Keep it clean stupid

[Bigguy1951]

I have learned a lesson from the school of "You should have paid attention". I am using a Sinclair bullet sorting stand with their comparator base to measure my new 130gr, 6.5 Hornady ELD-M's. I get near the end of sorting 400 bullets and notice that measurements are jumping way up. Can't be right lets check the 2 knobs, both are tight. The dial caliper is still zeroing. What's going on. Pick up the comparator, wipe off the base of it and the granite, no relief there. Grab a cotton swab and clean out the comparator with some acetone making sure not to leave any cotton inside and check. Yep that was it. Went back and checked the sorted bullets to find that they were off also. Back to the beginning. Just 400 more to do. Incidently the ELD-M's are remarkably uniform, at least from base to where the ogive is estimated by the base. I wish I could say the same for lot to lot consistency. This lot is 0.006 shorter from bullet base to ogive than my previous lot.

 

[Rsadams]

I do hate that kind of thing.. I have just gotten were I take some time when not reloading and wipe everything down and just do a fast inspection on everything...

 

[LHSmith]

I have the Sinclair Bullet Sorting Stand and Comparators also. After using it once I have zero faith in that contraption. Until I can afford a REAL comparator and granite stand I choose not to waste anymore of my time with the Sinclair.

 

[Bigguy1951]

I have the Sinclair Bullet Sorting Stand and Comparators also. After using it once I have zero faith in that contraption. Until I can afford a REAL comparator and granite stand I choose not to waste anymore of my time with the Sinclair.

I have the granite stand type

 

[LHSmith]

Yeah, I have the Sinclair Granite also. It's the poorly designed clamping system that I object to.
Mark King Rifles makes a REAL Comparator Stand.

 

[Flybuster]

Yeah, I have the Sinclair Granite also. It's the poorly designed clamping system that I object to.
Mark King Rifles makes a REAL Comparator Stand.

That is the comparator I have, but Mark isn't making them anymore. I tried to get more inserts from him, he couldn't provide me those either. John Hoover at Accuracy One sells one very similar, high quality inserts, unlike some of the Tubb versions I have.

 

[JEFFPPC]

I have learned a lesson from the school of "You should have paid attention". I am using a Sinclair bullet sorting stand with their comparator base to measure my new 130gr, 6.5 Hornady ELD-M's. I get near the end of sorting 400 bullets and notice that measurements are jumping way up. Can't be right lets check the 2 knobs, both are tight. The dial caliper is still zeroing. What's going on. Pick up the comparator, wipe off the base of it and the granite, no relief there. Grab a cotton swab and clean out the comparator with some acetone making sure not to leave any cotton inside and check. Yep that was it. Went back and checked the sorted bullets to find that they were off also. Back to the beginning. Just 400 more to do. Incidently the ELD-M's are remarkably uniform, at least from base to where the ogive is estimated by the base. I wish I could say the same for lot to lot consistency. This lot is 0.006 shorter from bullet base to ogive than my previous lot.

You can save a LOT of time by trying the EPS 6.5 136gr bullet. If your gun likes it you will be wasting your time to sort bullets. I have shot the EPS 106 6mm in about a dozen different barrels and it has shot great in every one . I have not sorted bullets for the last 5 winters since I switched to them. they are VERY consistent. I am talking consistent 3 shot groups in the 1's at 100 yds. Keeps me competitive thru 1000.