Ammo Sorting

D

DSS

Guest
Hello, all.

I just got in a half case of ammo, and a few samples of higher end stuff from a few companies I haven't shot in a while. I sat down and started sorting by rim thickness, and found it interesting how some boxes varied a lot, and some were pretty close. It got me thinking about taking my sorting to the next level.

Don't answer this one if you have fantastic secrets to hide! Just wanting to poll with regards to how most of you sort ammo: by rim thickness and mass? One or the other? Other factors? Concentricity?

Let 'em fly...

Drew
 
Open Box

Insert in chamber and touch off trigger. If it went bang, good round, if not try again. Quality ammo need not be sorted.
 
Fred J said:
Insert in chamber and touch off trigger. If it went bang, good round, if not try again. Quality ammo need not be sorted.
Click to expand...

Fred J, That was going to be my last option for answers! (i.e., by pulling the trigger).
 
DSS said:
Hello, all.

I just got in a half case of ammo, and a few samples of higher end stuff from a few companies I haven't shot in a while. I sat down and started sorting by rim thickness, and found it interesting how some boxes varied a lot, and some were pretty close. It got me thinking about taking my sorting to the next level.

Don't answer this one if you have fantastic secrets to hide! Just wanting to poll with regards to how most of you sort ammo: by rim thickness and mass? One or the other? Other factors? Concentricity?

Let 'em fly...

Drew
Click to expand...

What brand is the 1/2 case and what is ment by "higher end stuff"?

40 years ago we sorted by rim thickness but todays eley Match and 10X, IMO, dosen't need sorted that way. If you have a custom rifle the head space was adjusted for top ammo.

Al Kunard
 
Al,

My .5 case is SK Rifle Match. The other "Higher End" is RWS R-50, RWS Rifle match, and Lapua Center-X (probably no better than my SK rifle match, probably same stuff!). What "range" of rim thicknesses are you finding to be not worth sorting? My rifle is not custom.

Drew
 
Hey Drew!!

Personally, I sort by brand and lot number. Though not scientific it seems to work reasonably well. Hope this helps. Fred
 
DSS:

I gave up sorting and weighing ammunition years ago, after I found out that the culls usually shot as good, if not better than the sorted and weighed ammunition. I'm like Fred, I sort by lot number and velocity..
Saves a lot of time....

JMHO

Dave
 
Killing Time

Fred is dead on!!! Check the PSL results at the Barn 90 plus shooters and some of the best in the US. I would bet most test lots and buy fast!! Just like Cadilac Jack!!!!They don`t sit on the pot sorting rim thickness or any other means but Lot #`s
 
Ammo sorting

Lapua Centre-X is made by the new Lapua equipment and Standard Plus is by SK with different, older equipment. Would bet on Centre-X for smaller goups, having seen many test results from the factrory.
 
Sorting

I sort by mass. No rounds are thrown away, each bullet with similar mass are sorted into the same boxes.

PS. I have no scientific proof that it is effective.

Enjoy
 
Tried it several years ago and gave up

Agree with the use good ammunition. Tried sorting by rim thickness, weight and then both.

Then tested in a 100 yd tunnel with Oehler chronograph and looking at group size. In the cheaper ammunition there was no benefit, no real improvement in group size, velocity related variables (ES/SD).

The interesting part was that even with Eley Tennex, a bullet that impacted slightly lower or higher did have a differing velocity than the typical population, one of the tails so to speak. We are talking very small differences, but you could look at the chronograph value and predict where the round would impact at 100 yds. relative to the group was developing, provided you were doing your job. Talk about convincing. Kept both the targets and the chronograph tape as a reminder:D

Decided that in weighing there were too many variables in the mix (brass, bullet, powder, priming, lube). The identical weight cartridges were not identical in terms of sub components.

The huge benefit came with buying and shooting better quality ammunition :D

Group size and the chronograph showed it as well.
 
i was trying to find a link to a guy who tested sorting ammo by rim thickness and weight. he tested several types of ammo.

he found that sorting did him no good. he stated that he had sorted by rim thickness then by weight. then he combined the sort rounds together and found no difference.

the sad thing is i can no longer find the site. he had done it to a great many types of ammo and had a great test.

he simply stated the there were simply to many factores to deal with like rim thickness,primer deposition,bullet weight and bullet run out to say it helped any at all.


then again i watched a friend of mine sort sk plus last year and that match he did very well.

till somebody can test i fully in every way we will never know the truth about it.
 
After a bit of thinking critically on the matter, I too have decided the best way is to buy the ammo that is manufactured to the closest tolerances. There are indeed far too many variables, ones that would disallow me from actually winnowing down the ammo into like groups. Thanks for the input, though! I hope to see what Center-X does tomorrow.

Drew
 
Some folks think attitude is everything . . .

Mayby - Maybe Not:

Back about 25 years ago, I was talking to Fred Sinclair about the components he was going to use in putting together a 10.5 lb class 6mmPPC rifle for me.

Fred said: "If you think it will help, it helps".

What he meant by that was: The degree of confidence you have in your equipment is part of the total accuracy equation. In other words: "Part of it is in your head".

Don't sniff at that. This is a metal game at the top end.

Mr. Frosty
 
Headspace

Hya Guys,

Since we are talking about headspace, I am currently having a custom rifle built here in the UK using my original action from my Anschutz 1913 that I bought brand new from the company back in early 2008. I went batch testing at Eley and the headspace at that time was .042, then last year I went again to Eley and the headspace was .0425.
There has been a number of problems with the rifle and to the point that late last year it just was not shooting as good so I have a Lilja barrel that is being put on the action and having a new stock made. There is apparently a optimum headspace for Eley Tenex which the new barrel is being set at.

But here is my question, I had put around 7,000 rounds through the barrel between batch testing and the headspace had increase, so how often if the case maybe should the rifle be checked for the optimum headspace to make sure that it has not change? Or with this be more of a case that there was more a problem in the way the barrel had been fitted?

Any thoughts on this one.

AndyD
 
The barrel may have moved but the lugs may have wore in also. Your smith should be able to tell you which. More importantly, conventional wisdom is that it is not that critical.
 
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