sorting 223 brass question

[bheadboy]

first 223 a rem 700 heavy bbl, 12 twist etc.

question, got some lc brass and some win, new unfired, started to set up to load and decided to check the brass consistence by weight, ( trim done), and lc is 40% 91.7-92.4gr and 50% 92.5-93 with an assortment 93.3-93.4 and 91.0-91.6.

I plan on using the 50 that are 92.5-93 for load workup, the ???? is in your experience have you found the case weight variation large or normal, how wide a spread in weight do you work with.

Thank for the input

Bob

Bob

 

[mac86951]

Looks like a good assortment from the weights, I've had quite large case variation in my lc brass, and Win brass not as much. In my initial testing I honestly didn't see a difference in a 96gr case to a 91gr case with a load of 23.8 Varget and a 77 SMK loaded to 2.260" Both were 1/2 MOA from my rifle, but this is a gas-gun.

I have had a few sets of WIN brass get looser primer pockets faster and that may have been logged with the lighter weight brass, but I haven't reached that count on my LC brass, so I'd have to tell you later.

+/1 1.5gr is how I've sorted before. Others like +/- 1gr. I keep those 0.5gr fliers as sighters to and to fill in for the potential for a lost case.

Anyway, I'm sure my process is different than others, so to repeat my answers: That looks like an appropriate spread for .223 REM, and your allowable case weight spread can depend on how much brass you have, but I like (and I think others do too) +/- 1gr.

I would measure them after first firing, after trimming, chamfering, deburring, flash-hole uniforming, primer pocket depth uniforming, etc...

I certainly feel that bullet selection will be a far greater impact than the case weights on a 223. To make it more difficult, you'll only know by trying as there isn't a one bullet shoots perfectly in all 223 barrels, nor a one bullet per twist.

-Mac

 

[Ackman]

A waste of time. You won't see any difference in how they shoot.

 

[MrMajestic]

Lapua is on sale at Bullets.com right now. ;D

 

[ronemus]

I did an experiment several years ago to determine just how much effect brass weight has on .223 loads. I used WW brass (sized, trimmed and deburred, primer pockets uniformed, flash holes deburred, and neck turned) , WSR primers, charges of RL-15 or N-550 powder weighed to 0.1 gr, and 75 gr A-Max bullets. Using the lightest and heaviest cases (sorted from 1000 once-fired I had on hand), I had two lots of 10 cases with a 3 gr difference in weight. The average muzzle velocity difference was 16 fps, just a bit more than the 12 fps due to 0.1 gr of powder. I choose to sort 0.5 gr lots of .223 brass for my long range loads, but the effect will only matter at 800-1000 yards - the vertical displacement on the target from such a small velocity change is negligible at shorter distances. Unless you control all other sources of variation, the effect of brass weight is negligible. I also shoot .284, and because the brass is twice as heavy I batch in 1 gr lots.

 

[SmokinJoe]

Unless you are using this brass for championship level shooting, I would just split it 50/50. Don't think you will be able to tell the difference.

 

[SS427]

I gave up sorting .223 brass a long time ago. I did it for about a year...quite the hassle keeping it all organized. Never saw enough evidence on the target to conclude it made a bit of difference.

 

[fm1947]

I do because I can , and being retired and it's really friggen cold gives me something to do .5 on 223 LC brass, plus I just like to know everything is consistant

 

[Tomekeuro85]

A waste of time. You won't see any difference in how they shoot.

^ that was my result in a factory rifle. At first I always sorted figuring I was helping myself out. Then one day I decided I wanted to spend more time shooting and less time loading... so I didn't sort... No difference on target.

 

[boltgunluvr]

A waste of time. You won't see any difference in how they shoot.

^ that was my result in a factory rifle. At first I always sorted figuring I was helping myself out. Then one day I decided I wanted to spend more time shooting and less time loading... so I didn't sort... No difference on target.

+1.....factory 223 Rem is NOT picky. Load and shoot.

 

[Gabe22BR]

I do because I can , and being retired and it's really friggen cold gives me something to do .5 on 223 LC brass, plus I just like to know everything is consistant

I helped sort a 55 gallon drum once full of it... Was real cold, good company, and good time by all... got burnt out on that. After culling the split necks, and total flatten ones, ended up with 10 gallon of culls, which made great gravel!!

 

[fm1947]

Gabe22BR
I used to separate and clean about 700 pounds of brass per wk, my good buddy owns an indoor range and I bought all his brass , and sold it all with in a wk on a web site I had. Now we just sell in volume of 1000 pounds or more of mixed brass from .380acp up to 30-06 are shot at the range.

 

[Shynloco]

Bob,
Whenever I work up a load on any rifle, new or used, I'm trying to find out what THIS particular rifle likes the best in terms of accuracy. That means testing for the bullet and the powder that will get to to where I want to be. Variables greatly affect those choices through testing. And I try to control as many variables as possible. That includes the brass I use and the weight and volume variance of that brass. Having been down that road many times, going through hundreds of brass is both boring and does me no good if I've set a certain variance of say 2-3 grs. So I pick a few brands of brass and go with them, work up say 10 - 15 pieces of each make. Obviously if you've already got a bullet in mind, I'd load them up and see which combination works best in my PARTICULAR rifle. I've have found that a .223 is more forgiving than other calibers. So I'd pick the three brands of brass that "float my boat", keep those within 1.5 grs and go test. Generally, your rifle will tell you what she likes and what she hates. Some brass lasts longer than others, while some perform better than others. Gotta find what your own personal perimeters and what you are after. Just my .02 worth, but good
luck.

Alex