Weighing loaded ammo

[bearskinner]

I like to weigh batches of my loaded ammunition before the final crimp. I guess it’s a sort of safety measure, that was taught to me back in the start of my hand loading. I might get a couple that are a few grains off, which I put aside.
On ammunition I take hunting, I also drop each cartridge in the cylinder, making sure they drop right in and out, no dragging. Am I overthinking it? Or is this a common practice with others?

[messybear]

I weigh some when I think I have missed a powder charge. Haven’t found any though but makes me feel better. Otherwise I don’t do it. Brass varies enough that I’m not sure how to compute all that except for a missed charge

[Fowler]

Weighing loaded ammo seems a bit much. I will drop all of my serious hunting loads in chambers ahead of time just to verify everything is good. Now I will get seriously anal about my hunting bullet having to be perfect and uniform in weight but I don’t weight loaded ammo. With iron sighted handguns and even leverguns I don’t think you could prove it is worth the time on a target or animal but I want to know in my head that I made the very best ammo possible. I game animal deserves nothing less.

Just my 2 cents.

[bradshaw]

Dec 2, 2023 0:03:36 GMT -5 bearskinner said:

I like to weigh batches of my loaded ammunition before the final crimp. I guess it’s a sort of safety measure, that was taught to me back in the start of my hand loading. I might get a couple that are a few grains off, which I put aside.
On ammunition I take hunting, I also drop each cartridge in the cylinder, making sure they drop right in and out, no dragging. Am I overthinking it? Or is this a common practice with others?

*****

If it helps you get a good night’s sleep, weigh each round. Otherwise, a VISUAL CHECK of each charged case before seating bullet eliminates need to weigh. We assume all cases of same manufacture, preferably same lot, in any event within same slim weight range.

Any glitch or interruption in loading on a progressive press may result in a double charge or squib load. With medium or slow powders weighing may locate the fugitive. With fast powder, the correct powder charge may be less than case weight variation. A double charge of fast powder can easily spring a chamber. The same double charge of a light target load .38 Special may spring a S&W M-19 chamber enough to prevent rotation, whereas a Colt Python continues in service, albeit with sprung chamber.

As for chambering handholds before a hunt, good idea.
David Bradshaw

[potatojudge]

All the loaded rounds I've weighed have had enough variance that weighing them isn't very helpful. Visually check your cases for charge, as above. I do chamber check as I go and definitely hunting rounds. Bottle neck rifle rounds will sometimes sneak up on you and have an expanded base or something.

[gnappi]

I've tried it but other than a vastly different charge weight like zero grains I found that tolerance stacking from brass and bullet weights makes actually finding a short charge unlikely.

Now if you weighed every case and bullet and segregated them in lots before loading then maybe, but in the long run a powder checker or weighing every charge before seating the bullet are the best ways to prevent a squib. Even my lowest charge weights in any my revolver ammo will spill over the top if it's double charged so I don't think that's a worry.

[junebug]

I throw 50 charges at a time and visually check each powder charge. A double charge will overflow the case or be readily apparent. I also weigh every 10th charge thrown, then add bullets. I run all my bottle neck cartridges thru the guns and keep the snug ones for practice. I only load 357 on a progressive press and go slow keeping a light shining on the cases at the powder station so I can visually check powder. I also do not load with visitors here or when I have other distractions, [heads not in the game.]