Sorting Bullets

[Patriot007]

I am very new at this and not the one to ask. I just have followed the things I learned at Williamsport and added some steps of my own. I was told to stay away from trying to close the tips on Berger Projectiles due to their thin jacket material, so I have not tried to do that. Maybe Andy can comment on your questions. Since the pandemic started, I have only been shooting at my local club and it is limited to 200 yards. What I am doing is certainly working at 200 as per my targets.

I am sorting primers and bought a primer seating tool with a depth gauge so I can seat primers with the appropriate "Crush" which people seem to have mixed feelings about too.

Bob

Thank you for the reply and your honesty about it. If it showed a difference at 200yds for you, then I want hesitate on spending the money to experiment with the bullet tipping. Eric Cortina has a video out on the matter and So far, every thing he has put out defies some of my reloading teachings and techniques. But they work 100%. It's kind of hard when some one tell you to FLS when you have perfected the Fire Formed method way of Reloading. It's like taking the expander and the top section off of your Forester FLS die and setting it up to bump the shoulder back 2 thousandths, and shrink the case neck, and expand with the 21Century expanding mandrels. I wished I had of taken that short cut years ago. It put my Redding body die and the Forster bump and bushing dies out of a job. Now if I can get my Father in law to move over to this method, He's 86 and as sharp as they come at his age. I enjoy watching him evolve in his reloading practices,
and the new equipment and techniques that he is coming around to trying, and using today.
Who said that you can't teach an old Dog a new trick.
Thank You Sir for your reply. It's much appreciated.

 

[6ShotsOr5?]

Several people mentioned sorting your bullets by bearing surface. I don’t know if I want to do that or not, but I would like to learn how you are measuring that.

 

[Ned Ludd]

Several people mentioned sorting your bullets by bearing surface. I don’t know if I want to do that or not, but I would like to learn how you are measuring that.

One way is to use two caliper inserts at the same time. Depending on the type/brand of inserts used, it's questionable whether that is really an "accurate" measure of bearing surface length, but it may be sufficient for sorting purposes. The closer the diameter of the caliper insert holes are to caliber, the better the measurement will be.

 

[Straightshooter1]

Several people mentioned sorting your bullets by bearing surface. I don’t know if I want to do that or not, but I would like to learn how you are measuring that.

If there's enough difference in the bearing surface, it can make a difference as I found it did with ~.034 spread . . .

 

[Patriot007]

One way is to use two caliper inserts at the same time. Depending on the type/brand of inserts used, it's questionable whether that is really an "accurate" measure of bearing surface length, but it may be sufficient for sorting purposes. The closer the diameter of the caliper insert holes are to caliber, the better the measurement will be.

Check out post #7 & #13 for a demo pic. Your basically checking the run out on the barring surface of the bullet, for run out on a concentricity gauge, set up for just the bullet. Keep in mind, that with VLD and Hollow Point bullets that, the bigger issues is with the Metplat. You can have a perfectly squared barring surface with a damaged Metplat also.. Check out SensorTube on this subject, there were some good video on this subject. Provided that they have not been demonized yet. There should be several threads here on Accurate Shooter in the archives also. I'm hoping someone with more of an insight on this subject, chimes in. I just check the ones that stand out when I'm sorting by CBTO and weight. With the way that the Sinclair Bullet Sorting Stand works... If there is a bullet that is bent, it will show up on the Dial gauge. Just my findings on my experiments
that I have done. I hope some one else, has a better way of doing it, and they have been keeping it a secret.
I by far, do not have all the answers, and I'm here to learn also. So, some one with more experience on this subject, Please, now is the time to let it all out.
Edited 01/22/2021:: Post #7 pic is showing the measuring of the barring surface on the Sinclair bullet sorting stand.
Post #13 pic is showing the Neco checking bullet run out on the Barring surface for out of roundness.

 

[Patriot007]

One way is to use two caliper inserts at the same time. Depending on the type/brand of inserts used, it's questionable whether that is really an "accurate" measure of bearing surface length, but it may be sufficient for sorting purposes. The closer the diameter of the caliper insert holes are to caliber, the better the measurement will be.

Agreed, some people forget that it is just a reference point. For each Reloader, it boils down to his measuring sticks and his comparators, and Scales.

 

[Patriot007]

If there's enough difference in the bearing surface, it can make a difference as I found it did with ~.034 spread . . .

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It's good to see that I'm not the only one that has mad methods. Great job, Sir

 

[BDman]

Buy better "freedom seeds" and say goodbye to sorting. Okay, you know who I'm semi quoting. I've tried sorting but found too many other variables that kinda rendered it less than informative. JMHO

 

[rkittine]

I have the Buhay Comparitor (Actually a King version of it) Bought the caliber specific dies from a member here and some from King.