Question about factory shot shell weights

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P40warhawk

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Jun 9, 2022
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5
[SIZE=10pt]I recently ran into and issue with several boxes of shells I had purchased from a large manufacturer. Fortunately, they replaced the entire order without difficulty. When I received the new order out of curiosity, I weighed 2 boxes of shells on my digital powder scale. There seems to be quite a wide variation in finish shell weights. Below is the data from the two boxes I've weighed. Would this amount of variation from shell-to-shell bother any of you? Should I raise another issue with the manufacturer? I am curious if any of you have weighed factory shells in the past and if you had similar experiences with the results.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]All the weights below are in grains, and the shells were 2 ¾”, 3 Dram Eq., 1 ⅛ ounce of #8 shot.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt] [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Box #1[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]690.3+ 661.8+ 670.8 +684.0+ 669.6+ 671.0+ 667.6+ 666.6+ 665.4+ 665.8+ 661.9+ 687.9+ 673.7+ 669.4+ 672.4+ 667.1+ 668.7+ 673.9+ 660.0+ 668.3+ 666.9+ 669.0+ 672.0+ 682.1+ 675.6[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt](25) 16,781.8[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Avg ea 671.272[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Hi: 690.3[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Lo: 660.0[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Δ: 30.3[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt] [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Box #2[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]671.3+ 669.5+ 667.1+ 674.4+ 669.4+687.4+ 673.0+ 679.4+ 667.9+ 689.8+ 681.7+ 686.8+ 667.0+ 673.5+ 668.5+ 673.5+ 675.2+ 680.3+ 678.3+ 672.6+ 675.1+ 677.7+ 687.2+ 678.2+ 674.3[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt](25) 16,891.1[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Avg ea 675.964[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Hi: 689.8[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Lo: 667.0[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Δ: 22.8[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt] [/SIZE]

 
Would it bother me? Absolutely not. In fact such knowledge is counterproductive to good performance.

Put simply, it has absolutely no bearing upon whether you hit the target and that’s all that matters.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Don't they allow a +/- tolerance?  But as Jan says.......don't worry about it.

 
30 years of opening cartridges has taught me one thing. ALL manufacturers get away with murder! They muddy the water with the whole continental shot size thing but they even make a mockery of that!

Take the shot size written on the side as a suggestion! I've seen mixed sizes, pear drops, you name it. That's why I stick to budget shells as some top end stuff is no better. 

PM.

 
P40warhawk said:
[SIZE=10pt]I recently ran into and issue with several boxes of shells I had purchased from a large manufacturer. Fortunately, they replaced the entire order without difficulty. When I received the new order out of curiosity, I weighed 2 boxes of shells on my digital powder scale. There seems to be quite a wide variation in finish shell weights. Below is the data from the two boxes I've weighed. Would this amount of variation from shell-to-shell bother any of you? Should I raise another issue with the manufacturer? I am curious if any of you have weighed factory shells in the past and if you had similar experiences with the results.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]All the weights below are in grains, and the shells were 2 ¾”, 3 Dram Eq., 1 ⅛ ounce of #8 shot.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt] [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Box #1[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]690.3+ 661.8+ 670.8 +684.0+ 669.6+ 671.0+ 667.6+ 666.6+ 665.4+ 665.8+ 661.9+ 687.9+ 673.7+ 669.4+ 672.4+ 667.1+ 668.7+ 673.9+ 660.0+ 668.3+ 666.9+ 669.0+ 672.0+ 682.1+ 675.6[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt](25) 16,781.8[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Avg ea 671.272[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Hi: 690.3[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Lo: 660.0[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Δ: 30.3[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt] [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Box #2[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]671.3+ 669.5+ 667.1+ 674.4+ 669.4+687.4+ 673.0+ 679.4+ 667.9+ 689.8+ 681.7+ 686.8+ 667.0+ 673.5+ 668.5+ 673.5+ 675.2+ 680.3+ 678.3+ 672.6+ 675.1+ 677.7+ 687.2+ 678.2+ 674.3[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt](25) 16,891.1[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Avg ea 675.964[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Hi: 689.8[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Lo: 667.0[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Δ: 22.8[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt] [/SIZE]
Click to expand...
As you weighed them in grains the difference is around 2 grams not enough to worry about in fact pretty good across the box

 
Thanks guys, I appreciate the input. The reason I brought it up originally was I have done similar measurements on reloads and they were much closer usually within a few tenths of a grain. I tend to be a little more careful about powder and shot throw weights. In the past it never dawned on me to check the weight of a factory shell. I guess I've always presumed they had a tighter quality control. Learn something new every day, I guess.

 
In international competition size and weight are measured regularly,some shooters take the gear with them to randomly check the shells they buy at the range,people have been disqualified for being out of tolerance and the only thing they did wrong was trust the manufacturer .

 
modern high speed cartridge loading machines run at 12,500 an hour and throw the powder and shot by volume so at what 0.288 seconds a cartridge from start to finish or 7.2 seconds a box of 25 they are a marvel of modern manufacturing given the consistency they achieve in such little time.

https://www.bsn.it/en/project/extrema/

 
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