Now How Anal Is That???

[bullet]

Bullet I just re-read your post. If you weight sort nosler bullets thats double anal. You don,t need that step for the best bullets in the world. If your weight sorting other brands that is wise. :lol: :lol: :lol:

No, that is not really true. In fact Noslers have a greater variation in weight per box than does Sierra. If you do not weigh your bullets and that means any make of bullet you will have slight flyers and in some case flyers you really didn't want. I like to remove as many variables as possible especially to help out on my Deviation so my long shots are consistent also.

 

[bullet]

bullet,
It's called consistency and boy you sure have that.

Don

Consistency promotes total confidence when in the field, and that is what my reloading is all about, confidence in the field to take game by putting the bullet right were I want it to go.

 

[negeorgia]

Yep, that's anal. Here's a pic of load work-up using H100V and 120-grain bullet in a 6.5mm Rem Mag (which I've not been able to find any data for). After considerable research I decided that it should max out somewhere around 50 grains, so I loaded from 45 grains. The anal part: each case is marked with the weight of the empty shell, primer type (RM=Rem 9-1/2M; FMM=Fed GM215M), powder type, and charge weight; the bullets are marked with their deviation from nominal (in tenths of grains). Note that the three 49.5's and the three 50.0's are made with the better matching components while the others contain the culls (i.e., the 45.0's bullet is 1.0 grain too heavy and the 46.0's bullet is 0.4 grains light, etc).

Did I out-anal you?

View attachment DSCF2646.JPG

 

[Oldtrader3]

Actually, any bullets (even Noslers) will vary more if they are over .30 caliber. I weigh all .338 bullets and groups by .3 grain groups, one mean, one low and one high. Works for me.

 

[Guest]

bullet,
I'm with you buddy. Confidence to take game in field conditions. Sometimes we only have that moment to get the shot off and then a hole just large enough to fit the bullet through,
I call it threading the needle. Been there, done that and sometimes come up with putting my tag on a tree and eating bark sandwiches for awhile. It's during those times I want to have eliminated any doubts about my rifle and loads, then it's just let to me to screw it up.

To me it's worth being anal about it. No one can deny the results.

Don

 

[Hegland]

My Process Controls class during spring semester would have been a lot more interesting if we had studied this sort of topic... And bullet, I'm confident we would get along much better than I did with that professor!

 

[bullet]

My Process Controls class during spring semester would have been a lot more interesting if we had studied this sort of topic... And bullet, I'm confident we would get along much better than I did with that professor!

:mrgreen: :mrgreen:

 

[bullet]

Yep, that's anal. Here's a pic of load work-up using H100V and 120-grain bullet in a 6.5mm Rem Mag (which I've not been able to find any data for). After considerable research I decided that it should max out somewhere around 50 grains, so I loaded from 45 grains. The anal part: each case is marked with the weight of the empty shell, primer type (RM=Rem 9-1/2M; FMM=Fed GM215M), powder type, and charge weight; the bullets are marked with their deviation from nominal (in tenths of grains). Note that the three 49.5's and the three 50.0's are made with the better matching components while the others contain the culls (i.e., the 45.0's bullet is 1.0 grain too heavy and the 46.0's bullet is 0.4 grains light, etc).

Did I out-anal you?

Yes!!! :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

 

[nodak7mm]

Consistency promotes total confidence when in the field

Great words of wisdom spoken Bullet!!!!

Rod

 

[bullet]

Thanks Rod, I believe it, that is why I do what I do with my loads.

Mike

 

[6mm Remington]

There are times when being a butthead pays off!!!

Anal, bullpucky!! Everyone else is just sloppy... 8)

Me, I border on OCD... Lol....

Rod

Rod I have to disagree. You my friend do not border on it, you leaped over it and moved the border back several miles! :mrgreen: :lol: It does pay to be anal though! :mrgreen:

 

[bullet]

I think that this tread has caused some OCD people to come out of their closets, finally finding acceptance among fellow friends, having someone to actually identify with, in some small way. Yes, the OCDLF (The Obsessive Compulsive Disorder of Load-Development Fraternity) :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: The truth finally comes out :mrgreen:

 

[Guest]

bullet,
To be Anal is perfectly fine, some are not and get the results they are looking for without going through the extensive measures the Anal Fraternity Members may do. But I must say it is so satisfying when standing over game animals taken. Then being anal all those hours has pad off.

Don

 

[PJGunner]

That sounds like a task for the dead of winter, not the beginning of summer!

I'm inclined to disagree. While it is definitely uncomfortable, I prefer to do my load work up in the summer. Dunno if there is a method to my madness or a madness to my method, you figure it out. :lol: However, I if it my firm conviction that high pressure in a load will show up much sooner in the 100 plus degree shade in the summer and any max load worked up at that time of year will me safe come hunting season.

I've only recently been playing around with the primer pocket uniforming and flash hole reaming, doing all that weighing stuff and frankly, I think for most off the shelf hunting rifles it's a waste of time. I have one off the shelf Winchester M70 chambered to the .270 Win. cartridge. I picked it up cheap at a gun show and figured it would be great trading material. I shoot any gun I plan to trade off as I won't sell someone a dog or a non-shooter. Not wanting to use my handloads in a strange rifle, I bought a box of Winchester 150 g. Power Points and took it to the range. Five shot groups with that factory ammo ran from one at .50" to the largest at .80". :shock: I can't bet those groups with my handloads but they at least equal the factory stuff. Even with all the case prep, weighing everything doing all that anal stuff doen't seem to make any difference.

Frankly, I would rather have a rifle that shot 1.5" groups day in and day out than one that does .375" but scatters them all over hell and creation. I had a 30-06 that did just that It was a custom job with a gorgeous piece of walnut that no matter how many times that gun was rebedded. nothing worked. Yes, .375" groups were common but no way would they come close to the point of aim. I scrapped that beautiful piece of wood and placed the barreled action into a McMillan stock. Best it'll do now is 1.0 to 1.25" with various loads.

Tight groups are nice, great for the ego and do give extra confidence in taking a tricky shot. I'll never argue that point. If it makes someone happy to do all that work, I'm happy for them. Me? I'll just load my ammo and do more shooting. :wink: :lol: 8)
Paul B.

 

[BK]

Paul:
I was talking about the boring brass prep/weighing/sorting, not load workup. Something to occupy some time when it's raining sideways or -20 degrees and six feet of snow.

 

[Guest]

Paul,
It is as you say and I agree. With some people they get great results if not equal results in reloading with minimal effort or by shooting factory loads. Its just preference to the individual.

For me it's similar to waterfowl hunting. At one time I was heavy into it, made my own decoys from cork, hand painted them etc. I was really into it and went completely anal over it all. They had to be positioned just right on the water. I went ballistic over camouflage too. The results were good but I realized some waterfowl hunters got similar results buying plastic decoys just pitching them in the water, jumping in the weeds and killing them just the same. Little effort on their part. It's all in what you want to devote to it.

Back to the shooting tight groups discussion. I remember my Uncle stating at Hunting Camp in Pennsylvania, If I can hit a pie plate at 100 yds she's shooting right on to kill deer! He never had an issue killing his deer either! :wink: Guess the poor deer had no idea his groups weren't .50.

Don

 

[PJGunner]

"It is as you say and I agree. With some people they get great results if not equal results in reloading with minimal effort or by shooting factory loads. Its just preference to the individual."

I think something got missed here. :shock: I probably did not put things plain enough. My bad.
The only time I buy or shoot factory ammo is if I've bought a new rifle and want to get a general idea of how it shoots, have case head and pressure ring data to use when working up my handloads and unless something radical like I lose my ammo on a hunt, then I will buy some factory. Otherwise, until hell freezes over I only shoot my handloads. My point was in some rifles, doing all that anal stuff just doesn't make any difference.
Paul B.

 

[usmc 89]

I will start a reloading session with 50 pieces of brass (same brand). Once they are cleaned, de-primed, primer pocket cleaned and reamed and the flash hole uniformed and the case trimmed to length, I weight them. I select the group that has the most pieces of brass with identical weights and continue the process with the bullets. I weigh each of them and choose the largest batch of identical weights. I then reweigh the powder charge. I do nothing with the primers. They are what they are, nothing I can go about them. Once I have them all assembled the weights are typically and for the most part identical. That is why my Std. Dev. is typically 4 - 7fps out of my 300Win Mag. Now that is Anal ! LOL

The fruits of all the labor, 4-7fps STANDARD DEVIATION. I go through the tedium myself but worth every hour. I think its wise to minimize the controllable variables when you contend with ones you can't. Good post!

 

[bullet]

I can shoot real good most of the time, but I have never on a consistent bases been able to out shoot myself when I use my old methods as apposed to my anal loading techniques of today. I use to not weigh anything except powder charge and I would get good results but not the consistent results I get today. I don't believe anyone who says they can keep a load under a half an inch for 5 straight, five shot groups by just throwing together their loads and only weighing their powder while not giving attention to the other details I have mentioned in this thread. Sorry, I don't believe it! Here are just some of my targets using 130gr to 220gr bullets out of my 300Win mag, and you don't do this by just throwing loads together. This is consistency and it only comes from giving real attention to load development. This is why any one of these loads I have put together, using different bullets and weights, I can have the up most confidence in when I am in the field, that is why I do what I do, it is about the hunt and placing the shot. It takes out and removes any guess work or me having any doubt if the load will do the job, so the rest is up to me, I know what my loads can do. Now that creates confidence in the field.

Three shot group

Five shot group

three shot gorup

Five shot group

Three shot group

Three shot group

Five shot group

Eight shot group

Three shot group

Three shot group

Three shot group

Five shot group

Five shot group

Five shot group

Three shot group

Five shot group

Five shot group

Five shot group

Five shot group

 

[usmc 89]

Those are some sweet 20 meter groups you have there!!! Kidding good work!