Electronic scale to sort bullets

T

Therion

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I have a lot of random bullets that have accumulated over the years. I need to sort them by diameter and weight.
Diameter is quick and easy with calipers.
The weight is the bigger issue.
I have a couple of reliable beam scales (RCBS 10-10 and 5-0-5) that I use for weighing powder, but I find them rather tedious for weighing random collections of bullets, due to frequent adjustments.
Therefore, I am looking for an electronic scale that I can use for this purpose, reasonably accurate without breaking the bank.
Once I get the bullets separated into size and weight categories, I will probably double-check them on a good beam scale before loading them.
Thoughts?
Thanks.
 
You don't need to accurately weigh each bullet. You only need to know if a bullet weighs a lot more or less than whatever target you set.

Once you have groups of a single caliber. Choose a weight somewhere in the middle of the range and separate bullets into three piles. On target, over and under. Then choose one of the over or under piles and do the same thing again. A beam scale would be more than good enough for this task and it'd be very quick.

You aren't trying to sort bullets out by a grain or two or even 5 because bullet weights don't work that way. Even something like 308W 147gr and 149gr and 150gr can all be loaded into a single batch because a grain or two of projectile weight won't make a difference. I can't think of any other examples where bullet weights will be anywhere close to each other.
 
I was given a coffee can about 3/4 full of all different bullets a fellow had picked up in a lot from an auction. I sorted out everything into piles, stuff that looked the same. Then I started measuring and weighing them. I used a cheap cabelas scale. Doing the visual sort was pretty close unless you had two bullets that are close in diameter, 0.308 and 0.311.
 
Therion said:
I have a lot of random bullets that have accumulated over the years. I need to sort them by diameter and weight.
Diameter is quick and easy with calipers.
The weight is the bigger issue.
I have a couple of reliable beam scales (RCBS 10-10 and 5-0-5) that I use for weighing powder, but I find them rather tedious for weighing random collections of bullets, due to frequent adjustments.
Therefore, I am looking for an electronic scale that I can use for this purpose, reasonably accurate without breaking the bank.
Once I get the bullets separated into size and weight categories, I will probably double-check them on a good beam scale before loading them.
Thoughts?
Thanks.
Click to expand...
I am curious about what "adjustments" that you have to do on a beam scale once you have it set to read "0" with an empty pan? I used beam scales and trickler since 1970's and do not recall making adjustments, once underway - versus a couple "cheaper" electronic scales that required or indicated for re-calibration part way through a weighing session. If I was overlooking something with the beam scales, I would like to know what that was.
 
Potashminer said:
I am curious about what "adjustments" that you have to do on a beam scale once you have it set to read "0" with an empty pan? I used beam scales and trickler since 1970's and do not recall making adjustments, once underway - versus a couple "cheaper" electronic scales that required or indicated for re-calibration part way through a weighing session. If I was overlooking something with the beam scales, I would like to know what that was.
Click to expand...
I think OP meant If the bullet doesn't match the grain setting the scale is set for, you would have to adjust the scale setting to determine what that particular bullet weighed. For instance if you set a scale for 150 gr but the bullet was a 165gr or 180gr. Different than weighing multiple powder charges of the same weight.
 
I Dont Care About You said:
You don't need to accurately weigh each bullet. You only need to know if a bullet weighs a lot more or less than whatever target you set.

Once you have groups of a single caliber. Choose a weight somewhere in the middle of the range and separate bullets into three piles. On target, over and under. Then choose one of the over or under piles and do the same thing again. A beam scale would be more than good enough for this task and it'd be very quick.

You aren't trying to sort bullets out by a grain or two or even 5 because bullet weights don't work that way. Even something like 308W 147gr and 149gr and 150gr can all be loaded into a single batch because a grain or two of projectile weight won't make a difference. I can't think of any other examples where bullet weights will be anywhere close to each other.
Click to expand...
I think that's the way to do it. Separate by diameter first, then visually, then by weight.
 
after sorting by diameter, sorting by bullet style and then projectile length will likely get you where you want to go.
 
I use an electronic scale to sort bullets all the time. Some here will try to make it sound like a real chore. I use a Franklin Arsenal.
 
You can buy a cheap electronic scale on Amazon for less than $50, some even around the $25 mark. Good enough for sorting bullet/brass weight, but I would be cautious about using it as a loading scale.
 
A decent digital scale is never a bad thing to have in your loading gear.

I picked up a myweigh gempro a year or so ago.

It works well once you know the tool you are using.

Measures to 2/100ths of a grain.

If you sort a box of bullets to .02 grains, you might go crazy but u cud very quickly sort similar looking bullets. Probably A lot quicker than waiting for a beam to balance.
 
maynard said:
You can buy a cheap electronic scale on Amazon for less than $50, some even around the $25 mark. Good enough for sorting bullet/brass weight, but I would be cautious about using it as a loading scale.
Click to expand...
This
I have a Franklin Arsenal pocket digital, weigh the same item 3 times and take the average

first found its flaws when weight-sorting .22 ammo (I was bored) there were 2 weights in the range that it never did give a read-out for,
as if no rounds in the 500 hit that particular grains number, higher or lower saw lots
 
I used an old Lyman LE1000 to weight sort cast bullets 35 yrs ago, was really the only way to do it for me, as I was sorting within +/-.5 gr cull limit on casting sessions of 5-700 at a shot. Even a 20.00 cheapie off Amazon is good enough to sort to ID what general weight is on them. Also used mine for weighing arrows and whatever else was down in that weight range. Still have that scale, taught me a lot about using an elec scale.
 
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