I've been prepping (last minute, frantically) for our first match of the season this week - mainly the chore of preparing sufficient quantities of bullets. Funny how "This pile of bullets ought to last me two years" is a statement I make every six months.

I know by now what weight to expect from my "go-to" favorite moulds with my 1:30 alloy (carefully created with an accurate digital scale). I weight sort in .1 grain increments and pan lube the bullets that fall closest to the nominal weight, which is thankfully the majority. My "premo" bullets are strictly those which weigh exactly the nominal weight with a tolerance of minus .1 grain. Secondary bullets are those that vary no more than .3 grain from nominal, and still segregated in groups that display no more than .1 grain variance among them. All the rest that stray outside those parameters either get saved for fouling shots or go back in the pot. (Additionally, visual inspection for physical observable defects takes place.)

Am I all wet? Being too obsessive? Should I expand my acceptable tolerances within groupings, to include more bullets - say .2 or .3 grain variation instead of just .1 grain? I'm curious how others approach this and what their real-world experiences are in this regard. Thanks!

that's correct  if you don't go you can't win   art

I don't think one could be over cautious myself. Accuracy has allot to do with one's own personal confidence in his equipment. It is also directly related to the elimination of as many variables as is possible no matter what they might be. Just importantly when a shot / points are dropped and you put the blame on possibly being a bad bullet you are also possibly not doing enough.

westerner wrote on May 4^th, 2022 at 11:24am:


Oooooooooooo.  Quote of the day!!

Not perfect but the best I can manage

Gnoahhh, it seems like you have paid a lot of attention to details. How much better did your rifle shoot with that soft 1 to 30 alloy than with something harder? Back in the Creedmore days factory match bullets were more like 1 to 15.

JLouis wrote on May 6^th, 2022 at 4:47pm:


Bev has that kind of a sense of humor. Him and his wife Alta are quite a hoot.
He stayed at my place when he was shooting the CBA matches I was running years back.

Tommy Mason and I shared the same bench in different relays at the 1996 nationals.i got to watch him shoot his .400 ten shot record in just horrible conditions.(it still stsnds)That day and group opened my eyes to schuetzen rifle accuracy. 

And yes Bev is D. E. A. F.  as hell

Edited:
JLouis wrote on May 6^th, 2022 at 8:59pm:

Nope ,1996 he shot the record as I didn't shoot 1997.i didn't think you were shooting matches back then John?
I think you misunderstood national champion for  national record.

While casting I.get my mold up to speed casting visually perfect bullets then cast until I have enough .or the bullets aren't coming out just right.
I separate in lots of about 30 or so on my casting mat.
I check weight and dimensions in each "lot" and feel good in the first and last "lots" are spot on.i.do throw visually flawed bullets in the pot as casting.
sometimes I'll weigh them and mark the culls with a sharpie. Red for light, black for heavy.Its nice to be able to shoot the culls and know where they go  rather than just assume they won't shoot.
Its darn rare for them.to shoot any different than my "good" bullets though.

I can't decide if it's worth but if driving a long way for a match it makes me feel better.
I think I loose more shots reading wind poorly than the rare bad bullet in all honesty.

John,
That 0.473 group is quite a tight "donut" 
Interesting how that happens. Don't know why, 
when I shoot a "donut"
beltfed/arnie