how do you weigh your pellets and how do you prepare them (sizing, lubing)?

[Pope_on_Dope]

I finally got my scale which weighs precisely to 0,001 g and I was shocked when I started weighing .22 JSB Jumbo 15.89 gr pellets in 5.51 mm. I checked the scale vs. another one that weighs to 0.01 g and it checked out. This is what I got:




I don´t know if you guys can see what´s on the scale because of its stupid blue lighting but the extreme spread is 1.059 g - 1.008 g = 0.051 g or in grain 16.34 - 15.55 = 0.79 gr.

I wondered why my point of impact sometimes shifted vertically and the next pellet (my rifle is not regulated so it fires faster with every shot) sometimes even hits lower - now I´ve got the answer, The extreme spread in weight is about 5% - now that is REALLY significant...

I started going through the laborious and annoying process of sorting the pellets and putting them in tins from 15.06 - 15.2 g. then 15.21 - 15.30, 15.31-15.40, 15.41 -15.50 and 15.51 -15.60 and designated everything under 15.21 for plinking. 

I do not lube or size the pellets and don´t make any other preparations and get 1/2" groups at 50 yards with my Walther MaximaThor when the barrel is properly "leaded in". At 100 yards, the groups open up to 1 - 2". 

Do you also weigh and sort your pellets? What differences did you notice? How do you seperate those pellets and for which purposes (for example 1 grain difference for Benchrest, 10 grain difference for hunting and no sorting for plinking). If you lube your pellets, how do you wash them and what products do you use for lubrication? Or... in other words: what exactly do you do with your pellets to increase accuracy?

 

[Marksman3006]

see if they roll on a pane of glass smoothly.....like get the pane of glass just barely not level and you will see. The skirt can be slightly bent oval like.......but you cant see it. .177 and .22 caliber have fairly delicate skirts......bigger calibers not so much.

 

[Pope_on_Dope]

Thanks for the tip - I´m gonna check some and will see how they do. But in what way does that affect accuracy? I mean... when they are really only slightly oval, the rifling should "put them right" and the choked barrel will further "round ´em down". Do you think that the center of gravity of the pellets might be slightly off because two sides get pressed a little more in the lands...? In this case sizing if with a sizing tool or the barrel itself would be useless. 

What do you do with your "oval" pellets? Do you use them for plinking? Do you sort only for Benchrest and/or hunting or generally always?

 

[Marksman3006]

Mostly I just shoot out of the tin. I have sorted 18.13 jsb for my wolverine....and they are more consistent when sorted.....but just barely noticeable at 50 yrds. If I was shooting a benchrest match then sure.....I would sort. For everything else......I just visually inspect each pellet before putting in mag. I usually toss maybe one out of ten when visually inspecting. All my hunting seems to be 50 yards or less. Not worth it to me.