deviation of shot weights

[PlaidSon]

I'm so bored at home I had to do an experiment.

I took apart 12 Winchester Universal #5 shells I had. I weighed each payload and got an average of 464 grains. That is 1.061 oz. Now the funny part, I don't remember ever buying 1 1/6 oz loads. Has anyone ever seen such a shell? Of coarse the box is long dissolved somewhere.

Now the real question for those of you who hand load shells, what do you consider to be a good tolerance on payload?

Here we have 464gr. +- 12gr. which I believe to be +- 2.5%. Seems reasonable but my OCD wouldn't allow me to do it. I'm starting to think I need to bury my head in the sand when it comes to factory shells at this point because I don't plan to start reloading them.

 

[warzaw]

I'm so bored at home I had to do an experiment.

I took apart 12 Winchester Universal #5 shells I had. I weighed each payload and got an average of 464 grains. That is 1.061 oz. Now the funny part, I don't remember ever buying 1 1/6 oz loads. Has anyone ever seen such a shell? Of coarse the box is long dissolved somewhere.

Now the real question for those of you who hand load shells, what do you consider to be a good tolerance on payload?

Here we have 464gr. +- 12gr. which I believe to be +- 2.5%. Seems reasonable but my OCD wouldn't allow me to do it. I'm starting to think I need to bury my head in the sand when it comes to factory shells at this point because I don't plan to start reloading them.

Lots of variables not all shot lots are the same size or have the same antimony content and with your cheaper shells it is a crapp shoot. 1/16 0z variable is no big deal maybe a few pellets IMO. Shoot lots and have fun don't worry yourself. The only way around it is to weigh each load not so much fun when you shoot a few hundred rounds a week.

 

[PlaidSon]

not as worried about the 1/16 oz as much as I'm just curious about the various weights of the payloads. 5 percent spread seems like quite a bit. I understand they are cheap. Just made me wonder what handloaders consider their standard. Perhaps winchester can afford 5 percent cuz they're 1/16 oz is a safety factor anyway?

 

[cosmic]

The "promo" shells are relatively low pressure compared to max dram loads, so there is margin there. These shells are made as cheaply as possible, with the shot charge being done volumetrically, so no surprises here. What does surprise me is fact that the charges are over-weight - lead is relatively expensive.
Reloaders also charge volumetrically, so one could expect a 5% deviation from throw to throw.. I've never weighed a charge, as the charge bars are sold a being a specified charge weight, so there is also the possibility of systematic error here.

 

[warzaw]

not as worried about the 1/16 oz as much as I'm just curious about the various weights of the payloads. 5 percent spread seems like quite a bit. I understand they are cheap. Just made me wonder what handloaders consider their standard. Perhaps winchester can afford 5 percent cuz they're 1/16 oz is a safety factor anyway?

When I load steel I weigh every load because of the safety issue. lead target loads are not a critical if I get a honest average I go with that .

 

[3macs1]

When I load steel I weigh every load because of the safety issue. lead target loads are not a critical if I get a honest average I go with that .

Makes two of us on the steel shot . I also weigh the Alliant Steel powder one shell at a time also
When only making maybe 10 boxes a year it is no big deal
take care

 

[Ashcroft]

Shells that are loaded volumetrically will have the same volume of shot but the weight of this amount of shot will vary depending on the percentage of tin and antimony in the lead alloy. Harder shot as used in premium target loads has more tin and antimony and weighs less for a given volume. Harder shot is more expensive and not normally used in cheaper promo ammo so it is reasonable to expect these promo payloads to be heavier if loaded by volume. The label on the box tells you the nominal weight of the shot, not the exact weight for each and every one. This is one of many reasons that the best quality target ammunition from the major manufacturers is more expensive than their promo loads. It's worth the additional cost to some shooters.

 

[Potashminer]

I think you will also discover that those "#5" will have considerable variation in size - look up shot sizes and find that a pellet of given diameter can be in a box of #4, #5 or #6 and will be within tolerance - plus/minus sizing is a full "number" size. So a load with more than usual small ones will be denser (same volume / more weight) than a load with above average larger ones. If you want to "happy up" your OCD, get your calliper out and start measuring the pellet diameters...