First Time Sorting Pellets By Weight

[MikeAllen]

Mike, Regarding weighing your pellets. Does your scale measure in Grains and Grams? If so, and you want to get better weights go to the grams and you get one additional decimal position. Or 10 additional weights per pellet weight.
Gets even better if you have a scale that measures in x.xx grains--x.xxx grams.
Centerfire

Yep, mine does x.xx grains.

 

[6ppccenterfire]

Ok, I see your Smart Weigh model also seigs in Grams. Take this pellet, or several that weigh the same, and then re weigh them on grams.
With 3 decimal places you should see differences.
Centerfire

 

[MikeAllen]

I’ll try that!

 

[MikeAllen]

I haven't done my weight sorting, read this mostly to learn. But I did investigate the variability in some 25 caliber JSBs I had on hand when I was trying to cast my own with a NOE mold. I was surprised by the weight variability I saw in pellets that shot well. It was greater than the variability in my cast pellets. So I am not surprised the OP saw a grain difference in a tin.

I messed around with head size variability for my P35-177. I got curious because I had a tin of Crosman 10.5s that shot as well as H&N Baracuda 10.65s. So I bought a couple more tins of the Crosmans and they shot much worse. I guessed head size, bought a Pellet gage and took enough data to convince myself that was the culprit. I only had less than 20 of the "good tin" of pellets so I measured their head size and 20 of the new tins plus some of my H&Ns. I have not shot JSBs in this gun (my other P35s like H&N better so I'm assuming the 177 does too). A 20 pellet sample, selected at random, is not really enough to prove beyond a reasonable doubt much of anything but It did give me an idea what was going on. I found the two newer tins of Crosmans had a lot more variation in head size than the 18 pellets I had from the "good" tin. I later sorted one entire tin of 500 and found pellets at each size on the pellet gauge. 10 different head sizes. The sample of the "good tin" was much less variable as were the several tins of H&Ns I sampled. I also found that H&N Baracuda Match were less variable than Baracuda and Baracuda Power. I will shoot up the Baracuda (almost gone) and Baracuda Power (2 or 3 tins of those to go) and then standardize on the Match. Probably worth the price difference to me. Last, point. I shot several 5 shot groups with each head size of the sorted tin of the "bad" Crosmans. My P35-177 really does not like the small head sizes. They were pretty prevalent in "bad" tin. I still have a bunch of that sorted tin, I should probably try weight sorting them too. But I've pretty much decided Crosmans are just not consistent enough for me to buy more of. I like the price but I don't like how them shoot. I may be able to get some good groups sorting for head size and weight but I'd rather spend a little more and buy Baracuda Match and avoid the sorting (at least until I try hunter field target).

I sorted several tins - all .25 JSB's. Haven't shot a whole lot of them yet. Bought a PelletGage and hoped to NOT have to measure head size, but might "just for fun" to see how it shakes out.

 

[dgeesaman]

A little more data: I added six tins of FX 44.75 grain with the results from the six tins of JSB 44.75gr. While they are the "same" pellet, there is an obvious shift in weight. Five of the six FX tins arrived shrink wrapped together, of the same lot.

 

[ThomasT]

A little more data: I added six tins of FX 44.75 grain with the results from the six tins of JSB 44.75gr. While they are the "same" pellet, there is an obvious shift in weight. Five of the six FX tins arrived shrink wrapped together, of the same lot.

View attachment 310941

Wow

ThomasT

 

[JimD]

I think the important thing is to determine what you gun likes and doesn't like. I figured out my P35-177 doesn't like pellets with small heads. I could just check to see if pellets are big enough not to go into the 2 smallest cells of my pellet gauge and be pretty sure they would shoot decent. But I don't yet know if weight is a factor for it. Probably worth finding out. These are also the differences that are fairly easy to sort out, not necessarily the most important factors. It make sense that an out of round condition would be at least as important but it would be harder to find too, need some specialized equipment.

 

[Ezana4CE]

Here's my sorting data from most of six tins of JSB 44.75s. The average weight was 44.75. This graph excludes a handful of even lighter and heavier pellets.

By doing several tins I was able to take the 5 biggest sort bins and make a tin for each of them, and the rest are separated and used for messing around.

As for the question of whether it matters, that's hard to say. I think I also need to be sorting for head size to really make this effort pay off.

View attachment 298017

@dgeesaman Expect a similar thing when sorting for head size. I had a range of about 5 different head sizes with FX 45 grainers. My Evol slings them though.

 

[dgeesaman]

@dgeesaman Expect a similar thing when sorting for head size. I had a range of about 5 different head sizes with FX 45 grainers. My Evol slings them though.

Funny you mention that, today I did my first exercise both rolling and sorting by head size. All of the FX pellets I checked were covered by only two hole sizes of my pelletgage, i.e. .02mm extreme spread.

I think I still have some from the weight-sorted JSB batch and if I can locate them I'll do the same roll and head size exercise. It didn't take terribly long and minimum I think the data is interesting.

 

[Ezana4CE]

@dgeesaman After reading your reply I went and looked at a photo and see that I had four containers for various head sizes and only had pellets in three of them. Most were 7.64mm. The tin states they’re 7.62mm

 

[Bigragu]

If you lube pellets after you sort, lube adds weight. Depending on your lube choice and style of removing excess, some pellets may end up with more lube on them than the rest, especially the ones at the bottom of the tin.

When I used to use FP10 exclusively sometimes I’d see a drop inside the skirt of some pellets from the bottom. I’ve tried strikehold lube as it sprays on wet and dries to a film, but even that can be over done.

 

[MikeAllen]

Like I said before - Down the rabbit hole! I know I'm having fun - hope everyone else is as well!

 

[Ezana4CE]

@MikeAllen The variety is surprising sometimes. I would wonder why I’d get random shots going way the hell off like I double loaded a couple of pellets or something. I like seeing what others find in their process. Good thread.

 

[Bigragu]

Like I said before - Down the rabbit hole! I know I'm having fun - hope everyone else is as well!

I enjoy the weighing part. The head sorting, not so much. My final step is when each batch gets lubed and out in their tins, and the label showing head size and weight gets attached onto the tin. When I’m staring at 10 tins of peeped pellets ready to go, I look back at the effort it took to get to this point and feel it was worth it

 

[rsfrid]

I enjoy the weighing part. The head sorting, not so much. My final step is when each batch gets lubed and out in their tins, and the label showing head size and weight gets attached onto the tin. When I’m staring at 10 tins of peeped pellets ready to go, I look back at the effort it took to get to this point and feel it was worth it

This!

 

[rsfrid]

If you lube pellets after you sort, lube adds weight. Depending on your lube choice and style of removing excess, some pellets may end up with more lube on them than the rest, especially the ones at the bottom of the tin.

When I used to use FP10 exclusively sometimes I’d see a drop inside the skirt of some pellets from the bottom. I’ve tried strikehold lube as it sprays on wet and dries to a film, but even that can be over done.

I use spray on Old English furniture spray. Light coating suffices. Doesn't seem to affect the weight.

 

[okieairgunner]

Hello.
Weighing the pellets is a quick and easy test. Same weight equals same volume, but unfortunately not the same shape.
And this is the problem. A mechanical imbalance or an aerodynamic asymmetry can be present with the same weight.
Weighing only slightly improves the accuracy and flyers are still possible.

My test set-up / BR25 / Walther LP400 / 7.5Joule / JSB Express
View attachment 301756

My targets / Pellethead asymmetrical
View attachment 301758

My targets / Pellethead symmetrical
View attachment 301762

My pellets / head asymmetrical
View attachment 301764

My pellets / head symmetrical
View attachment 301765

NoLimits

May I ask what you’re using to roll these?

 

[bigHUN]

...lube adds weight.....

Have you tried "baking" the lube? Ok, I am using a lemon pledge, sometimes leave the lubed pellets overnight to "dry out" a little bit, and drop the tin in my projects oven for two hours at 60C for annealing

 

[jps2486]

SHAME on you, JSB.
For printing pellet weights on the tins with TWO DIGITS AFTER THE DECIMAL.

In case of the .22cal MRD even THREE DIGITS AFTER THE DECIMAL.


In my book that's called a lie. A LIE.
And you charge us $20 to pay for your lie....

Matthias

If you wanted the manufacturer to supply you pellets like you suggest, you would pay a heck of a lot more than $20.

 

[jps2486]

This has been my complaint since I started shooting pellets (and slugs) seriously. I could understand JSB (or others) stating "approximate average weight 34 grains" or something similar. But to advertise 6.35 weight implies that pellets weigh 6.35 grains. But that has never been true in my experience. In fact the bin with this size is often the one with the least pellets. Same goes for head size. I have bought tins of JSB pellets in 22 with stated head size of 5.52 and none of them measured 5.52 - they were mostly 5.53-5.55. I have no idea where they get their measurements from.

That's called manufacturing tolerances. Anyone that can produce a product like this with the same weight and head size for all of them would be a wealthy man and you would pay $200 per tin.