CMMG308 Posted July 21, 2014 Report Share Posted July 21, 2014 (edited) I'm new to Reloading (about 4 Months) Can Someone let Me know if there is an advantage to sorting brass by Head stamp and case weight? (same caliber) Is it best to keep the same Head stamps in groups and Load separate from other Head stamps? I have not had any problems caused by not sorting. I want to get the best I can from my Reloads. I've just been Loading all Head stamps together. I Reload 223, 308, .25 Rem (for a 102 yr. old Model 14 Rifle) and 9mm. Thanks in Advance Edited July 21, 2014 by CMMG308 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shibiwan Posted July 21, 2014 Report Share Posted July 21, 2014 I'm new to Reloading (about 4 Months) Can Someone let Me know if there is an advantage to sorting brass by Head stamp and case weight? (same caliber) Is it best to keep the same Head stamps in groups and Load separate from other Head stamps? I have not had any problems caused by not sorting. I want to get the best I can from my Reloads. I've just been Loading all Head stamps together. I Reload 223, 308, .25 Rem (for a 102 yr. old Model 14 Rifle) and 9mm. Thanks in Advance Short answer: YES! Long answer - sorting cartridges by headstamp (and year) helps get you consistent reloads. Batches of cartridges may have volumetric differences that lead to inconsistent performance. The "totally anal" answer: sort the cartridges by headstamp, year and weight for super consistent performance. This would likely apply if you can outshoot your current rifle... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robocop1051 Posted July 21, 2014 Report Share Posted July 21, 2014 Only for consistent accuracy. I wouldn't bother for 9mm, or any other round i intend to plink with. Plinking ammo only needs to be "minute of soda can" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
survivalshop Posted July 21, 2014 Report Share Posted July 21, 2014 I also don't bother sorting any Handgun brass , but I weigh all my rifle brass & put them in weight categories . I also weigh with a live primer in them . My WW brass weighs in around 156-158 gr. & LC weighs in around 178-180 gr. , so those case volumes differences with the same powder loads will have much different velocities & that equates to chamber pressures also , which could cause problems if loading to near max powder charges , like case head separation & even a blown up action. If you want all you can get out of your reloads , sorting & other things can make your reloads out shoot any factory ammo out there . I prove it to customers all the time when I make there hunting ammo . Pitting there ammo, that they used for years out of there rifle & I usually cut the groups in half , consistently ! That is what reloading provides to the hand loader , if you can make ammo over & over , consistency is the key. Having Velocities all over the spectrum is not going to get you match quality reloads. Plinking or blasting ammo is much different , though I still sort , but may not hand weigh each round as I would my Target or hunting reloads . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shibiwan Posted July 21, 2014 Report Share Posted July 21, 2014 Plinking ammo only needs to be "minute of soda can" That's a good one. I gotta remember to use this the next time I'm out at the range... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
98Z5V Posted July 22, 2014 Report Share Posted July 22, 2014 (edited) On my Blackout stuff, I was sorting by manufacturer, and it was a good thing. When I first started with it, I used some once-fired .223/5.56 Prvi Partizan 69-grain match cases (PPU). I love that stuff in a couple of my 5.56 precision rifles. I used a bunch of it in my initial 300BLK case-making, just because it always reloaded well for me for 5.56 heavy-loadings, and I like the brass. It doesn't like being turned into 300BLK very well, though... On the 3rd 300BLK loading, the bases of it has seen enough. They all went through the sizer die harder than the other stuff I was working on, were very hard to get out of the shell holder, and came out almost looking like small versions of belted cases. They wouldn't even go into the shell holder on the hand-priming tool after that. They went into the trash. So, by sorting by manufacturer, it was super-easy to find the rest of them that were now BLK cases, and throw them away. I'll never use them again for new 300BLK manufacture, but I sure as hell will keep loading them into heavy-pill 5.56 loads. For BLK, I'll only use Lake City 5.56 NATO, now. Moral of this story - not all brass, from all manufacturers, is of the same quality for your purposes. Sorting by manufacturer will help you later down the road. Edited July 22, 2014 by 98Z5V Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CMMG308 Posted July 22, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 22, 2014 (edited) Thanks for all of the info and recommendations <thumbsup>. After I get the cases prepped My Wife will sort by head stamp then I'll weigh them. We're going to be real busy We have 3 to 4 thousand 223/5.56 cases to sort I've been saving all our brass for about 9 months. The 308 will be easy right now I have less than 200 cases to prep sort and weigh. I'll have to take a break soon to go our Gun club Range and test them. Our Pistol Range is 40 yards x 75 yards and the Rifle Range is 200 yards with hanging steel Targets at 100 and 200 yards. We also have Target stands to place where We want. Tannerite is allowed. To see what it looks like here's the web address. www.krgc.org Edited July 23, 2014 by CMMG308 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roy Posted August 13, 2014 Report Share Posted August 13, 2014 (edited) Keep in mind when you sort by weight that different head stamps may have different extractor groove configurations. That can make a large difference. If you truly want to know the volume, you have to measure the volume. I sort rifle cases by headstamp most of the time but only sort handgun cases if I am bored. In addition to having greater consistency in your loads, sorting helps keep track of a group of cases more easily. This is especially important for rifle cases. I load and shoot cases in lots of various sizes. The lot may be the cases in a 50-100 round plastic box or in a zip-lock bag. I try to keep that lot together for its entire useful life. I can be alert to potential problems with a headstamp is I start seeing problems occurring in a certain lot with that headstamp. For 223, I have found that Federal cases are shorter than LC and some other cases and may not require any trimming. I am not a serious bullseye competitive shooter with a handgun and just keep using mixed headstamps over and over again until individual cases need to be discarded because they split or have loose primer pockets. I don't think I have ever weighed a case in nearly 50 years of loading, but then again I am not a 1,000 yard competitor, bench rest competitor, or bullseye pistol shooter. Edited August 13, 2014 by Roy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
survivalshop Posted August 13, 2014 Report Share Posted August 13, 2014 If cases are to SAMMI spec's , they better have the same extractor grove configurations , but foreign made brass may be different . Even for hunting ammo , the difference in grouping can be effected by case volume at normal hunting ranges . Weighing the case & putting them in weight groups , is the easiest way to segregate by case volume , the exterior dimensions of the brass case are all going to be to SAMMI spec's , so any weight loss or gain will be in case thickness , which translates to volume . If just making plinking ammo , not a big deal to have a flyer or two or group size . Consistency in ammo making can make you a better shooter & a more ethical hunter. IMO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roy Posted August 14, 2014 Report Share Posted August 14, 2014 (edited) "If cases are to SAMMI spec's , they better have the same extractor grove configurations , but foreign made brass may be different ." I don't think the militaries of the world have to comply with SAMMI specifications. Lots of the brass I use, especially in 308, is military brass. These happen to be Greek 30/06 cases. One is an HXP 70 and the other is an HXP 73. You may or may not find the same thing with 308 brass. I don't know since I use mainly commercial brass or LC brass and have not noticed much difference among the various headstamps. If the external configuration is the same, weight is, indeed, a quick, easy, and reliable way to get a good estimate of the internal volume. I am sure nonuniform volumes can affect the consistency of loads and would be interested to know if anyone has tried to measure the effects of this variable. edit: This shows that you also might want to sort some military cases by year as well as by who made it. Edited August 14, 2014 by Roy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cali_Ed Posted November 1, 2014 Report Share Posted November 1, 2014 My hornady brass has no indication of year, would i just sort by weight then after trim? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
survivalshop Posted November 1, 2014 Report Share Posted November 1, 2014 If you are making target ammo , I would recommend weighing them & putting them in some kind of weight groups , but if just shooting fodder , I would not worry about it . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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