Bullet weight tolerance

What is a reasonable amount to expect for the weight tolerance of the lead bullets ordered from my suppliers. Just wondering if I should check a sample from my orders as a way to check the quality of a vendor. Just wondering what everyone else does.

Thanks

I don’t weigh my bullets. I know some rifle shooters that are meticulous but that’s a different game. I don’t bother weighing commercial bullets because their alloy is probably more consistent than what I use. I cast my own from wheel weights. If I was concerned enough, I might weigh and sort them for 50 yards but anything will shoot good at 25 yards in my experience. And as it is I’m too lazy - or have enough time invested with little room spare to weigh bullets. My alloy is what ever it is from the wheel weights. And I don’t weigh or sort them. It probably would hurt to do so. But I don’t and I’m doing ok.

The bullets that I get from Bullet Works in Breckenridge only vary about 1 or 2 grains and are generally spot on at 199 to 200 grains.  The only reason I know, I bought some bullets from a different company and thought I would check them vs. the Bullet Works bullets.  The other company's 200 grain SWC weighed between 205 and 209 grains.  Funny thing is, they both shot the same.

cdrt wrote:The bullets that I get from Bullet Works in Breckenridge only vary about 1 or 2 grains and are generally spot on at 199 to 200 grains.  The only reason I know, I bought some bullets from a different company and thought I would check them vs. the Bullet Works bullets.  The other company's 200 grain SWC weighed between 205 and 209 grains.  Funny thing is, they both shot the same.

The 45ACP cartridge is very flexible in the sense that not everything needs to be “exact” or “precise” when loading for it. Close is good enough. You can get picky if you want but you’d be better off spending your time with the gun in your hand instead.

I did some measurements a few years ago for 45ACP:
My cast bullets: 
average: 203.71 gr, standard deviation: .778gr
Zero swaged:
average:200.35gr, standard deviation: .317gr
Local commercial caster:
average:205.4, standard deviation: 1.018

Before lube- If over 3 grs difference, not good in 200 gr lswc.  If you can see   a imperfection or flaw, not a good bullet. 

I sort my home cast by looking at them for flaws. Mostly on the base of the bullet, where its most important. 

When working up a new loading, each bullet  is check for weight, before lube.

I have weighed quite a few 50 or 100 qty sample LSWC and found it to be interesting but generally produces no gainful knowledge. Most of the 185 gr H&G#130 LSWC & 200 gr H&G#68 LSWC generally within +/- 3.0 grs of target weight & total variation is also about 3.5 grs. I think that at 50 yds it could make a difference with those shooters capable of shooting a 2.0" group size I believe that at 25 yds it would not make any difference, but that is only my thoughts.

Tim:H11 wrote:

cdrt wrote:The bullets that I get from Bullet Works in Breckenridge only vary about 1 or 2 grains and are generally spot on at 199 to 200 grains.  The only reason I know, I bought some bullets from a different company and thought I would check them vs. the Bullet Works bullets.  The other company's 200 grain SWC weighed between 205 and 209 grains.  Funny thing is, they both shot the same.

The 45ACP cartridge is very flexible in the sense that not everything needs to be “exact” or “precise” when loading for it. Close is good enough. You can get picky if you want but you’d be better off spending your time with the gun in your hand instead.

I think that is what I was trying to say...loading the .45 is not "rocket surgery" as my daughter would say.

The industry standard according to SAAMI for bullet weight is as follows:
Less than 100 grs...Nominal wt, plus or minus  2%
Equal or greater than 100 grs Nominal wt, plus or minus  1.5%

I do not weigh but do a visual inspection.  Flawed bullets are either used for practice or 25 yds in matches.  It takes a pretty crummy bullet to not shoot X ring at 25 yds out of a good gun.

Gentlemen, that is a lot of very useful information. Thank you very much, it has keep me from running down another rabbit hole.  I won't waste my time with the weight of the bullets and spend more time on the range.
Thanks again.

I hand casted my H&G 68s, never weighed them and broke 890 mores times then I can remember with them in the early to mid 90s at a 25 yd indoor range.
Tom Ginovsky
WW primers, 3.8 WST, sized 452 with 50/50 lube.

Thanks Tom. Just a note, I am using WST powder as well.

I had a Ransom Rest, tried numerous powders and always went back to WST.