Acceptable Bullet Weight Variance for Long Range Competition?

[mac1911]

Who weighs bullets?

Once you start going down that rabbit hole, there's no end to it. Weighing brass, trickling powder, trying different primers, etc.. Pretty soon, every little thing is going to have to be absolutely perfect or you are going to have a sub-par performance. At least in your head.
It's a huge target. It's not Benchrest: Load bullets right from the box. Dump powder right from the measure. Load up a ton of ammo and go shoot, because there's more points to be gained from shot execution than there is from a half-grain difference in bullet weight.

Just for those that dont know
600 yard target
600-Yard MR Target. Standard U.S. Army with the following scoring ring dimensions, stages of Vintage Sniper Rifle Team Match
mid-range (MR) rifle targets, are used to fire the 600-yard Courses of Fire.
X ring 10 ring 9 ring 8 ring
6.00 in. 12.00 in. 18.00 in. 24.00 in.
7 ring Aiming black 6 ring
5 ring
36.00 in. 36.00 in. 48.00 in. 60.00 in.

Wont matter for me how good my ammo is im not holding a MOA X ring at 600 with a 1903a4 and that tiny 2.5x scope!

 

[PatMcD]

Mac, you and I have alluded to it, but it's time to mention the mental aspect of this sport. The more experienced I get, the more i realize how important the head game is.
More simply said: if you THINK it makes a difference, it does.

 

[Mountain]

I've always have done it that way. I've never weighed an individual powder charge, bullet, or case.
I got Distunguished and P100 doing it that way. Just shot my highest score ever yesterday in Nashua.


Edit: I mention myself in that to just illustrate that you can make great ammo using non-sorted components on a Dillon 650.

Cool! Great shooting!!! But dammit, now I want a Dillon.

Now keep in mind that in this case I don't have the advantage of free floated heavy match barrel plus the other service rifle advantages. It took a combination of tweaks to get this from 2.5 MOA to a hair over 1 MOA. Also some zesty .30-06 loads are causing that barrel to whip a bit.

 

[Tallahassee]

And if these calculators are correct or incapable of .5 or 1 grain variance changes
It dont matter, if im benched later ( hips are on fire) I will play with the calculators to see at what weight it will change any of the data?
Thinking can be bad.
Sometimes tou just have to shut up and shoot!

No substitute for putting in range time and practice. Have to put the time in. That goes for just about every sport.

Anyways, I stop weighing bullets because they seem close enough now. When I started out, I was buying seconds, blemishes, and cheaper projectiles. I thought sorting was justified, there was some variances of up to a grain, maybe a hair more. Did it make a difference? Probably in my head, which counts a lot I guess. But, I don't think I ever missed a plate because a projectile was .5 grain off from my previous shot.

I feel the same now for brass. If you buy good brass, they will be close enough.

I know guys that weigh and sort primers. If I get to that point, I will start drinking more. In all fairness, they are good. Maybe they are grasping for every little improvement at their level.

 

[mac1911]

No substitute for putting in range time and practice. Have to put the time in. That goes for just about every sport.

Anyways, I stop weighing bullets because they seem close enough now. When I started out, I was buying seconds, blemishes, and cheaper projectiles. I thought sorting was justified, there was some variances of up to a grain, maybe a hair more. Did it make a difference? Probably in my head, which counts a lot I guess. But, I don't think I ever missed a plate because a projectile was .5 grain off from my previous shot.

I feel the same now for brass. If you buy good brass, they will be close enough.

I know guys that weigh and sort primers. If I get to that point, I will start drinking more. In all fairness, they are good. Maybe they are grasping for every little improvement at their level.

Hence my problem , I have more time at home than the range so I can push data to break up the daily life .
I shoot as much as I can. Its just not a lot.
I think guys who are weighing primers are looking for that sub 1/4 moa constancy.

i have have sorted by weight just for the fun of it.
again most of my shooting is done with old milsurps and if I can get down under 3 moa with them Im doing well.

 

[Tallahassee]

Hence my problem , I have more time at home than the range so I can push data to break up the daily life .
I shoot as much as I can. Its just not a lot.
I think guys who are weighing primers are looking for that sub 1/4 moa constancy.

i have have sorted by weight just for the fun of it.
again most of my shooting is done with old milsurps and if I can get down under 3 moa with them Im doing well.

When we going to the range?

 

[mac1911]

When we going to the range?

My next trip will probably be a lunch break rush trip.
Try out some 125gn 30 cal in the K98
After that it will be the next CMP M1 clinic/match at OCSA.
Then its random 10m in the yard

 

[PatMcD]

Weighing primers? That's a joke, right?

 

[mac1911]

Weighing primers? That's a joke, right?

I recently loaded up 35 rounds of 30-06 and I weighed everything
For no particular reason , I knew it was not going to matter . Especially out of a As shipped from cmp service grade M1. Still shot my average…..owell back to normal now

 

[PatMcD]

I recently loaded up 35 rounds of 30-06 and I weighed everything
For no particular reason , I knew it was not going to matter . Especially out of a As shipped from cmp service grade M1. Still shot my average…..owell back to normal now

Here's where I'm at: I could weigh bullets, brass, powder, primers. Blow Pixie dust on them all, before and after loading. It won't matter. If i squeeze the trigger when the sights or scope is in the 9-ring, it's still going to be a 9.

 

[mac1911]

Here's where I'm at: I could weigh bullets, brass, powder, primers. Blow Pixie dust on them all, before and after loading. It won't matter. If i squeeze the trigger when the sights or scope is in the 9-ring, it's still going to be a 9.

Yesss….. my days of getting better have passed , now I struggle. To maintain
I was just getting into the low 90% range when my first was born then 2 more.
I struggle to stay in the mid 80%

 

[Mountain]

So here's the rifle. USGI contour Criterion barrel and vintage USGI receiver, stock, and other parts. Scope is 8X Unertl copy, completing the .30-06 USMC 1941 sniper clone.

Also my 300 yard target. 9's were my bad, no excuses just bad shots. As you would imagine, 600 yard target similar but slightly lower score and only 2X.

Edit- whoops, did have 3X at 600 but only 86 points. Need more practice.