doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion Double Rifles, Paradox Guns & Gauge Rifles @ doublegunshop.com 1/10th of a grain difference, 43 Mauser?

I’ve been reloading for too many years, never for extreme accuracy. For bolt actions loads just needed to be ‘minute of deer vitals’ at 300 yards. Double rifles and drillings, close enough at 100 yards to head out the door.

My setup for powder and dacron measuring, for a nitro-for-black loading for 43 Mauser, has a Lee Safety Powder Scale and a cheapo digital scale next to it. My recipe is 31.5 grains of IMR 4198 under 7 grains of dacron. When I pour the powder measured on the Lee scale at 31.5 onto the digital scale, it might vary .1 or .2 grains.

I don’t trust the digital scale, but just in case:
Has anyone found any appreciable impact difference with very small variations in powder or filler? 1/10th of a grain is just over 0.3% of 31.5 grains….

Thinking of all of the variables: powder, neck tension, how steady am I really holding the rifle?, variation in bullet weight, minute changes in seating depth, variations in how the dacron fills the case, etc., I can’t imagine it makes that much difference, but checking with the collective wisdom on this board.

Thank you.

Also, I listed some 43 Mauser/.446 bullets in the classified section if anyone is interested.

For that load don't worry about it, humidity can change it that much.

The ol' 11.15 X 60R is a fine cartridge, I love it in my 1870's Goldmann double rifle. If I didn't have an abundance of bullets and a couple molds I'd be all over those cast bullets.

Thanks, Sharps. I assumed that, given the circumstances, it wouldn't amount to much. Appreciate hearing other people's advice and experience.

I'm enjoying shooting my 43 Mauser double and look forward to using it on a critter this fall!

Mt Al,
I agree with sharps 4590. You might watch what happens to your scale when the heat or a/c comes on. Sometimes moving air can cause variations. The "fix" is just a screen to block off the air. Enjoy that double.
Mike

If you are weighing all of your powder charges to within plus or minus 1/10 of a grain, then you are as accurate as most guys who reload for varmint rifles. Many benchrest shooters using ball powders don't weigh each charge, but use very precise volumetric powder measures. The scale is only used to initially set the measure, and to periodically verify nothing has changed.
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If you have any doubt about the accuracy of either of your scales, it's easy to check them for calibration. RCBC and other companies sell reloading scale check weights. But a cheaper alternative is to just have a few rifle bullets of different weights weighed on a calibrated analytical balance scale. Then scratch the actual weight on the jacket and keep them with your scales.

I did that when I was in college and used a Mettler H15 analytical balance we had in my organic chemistry lab. That thing was so sensitive that it could measure the difference between a bullet cleaned with acetone, and the same bullet with a fingerprint on it. You could probably get a Pharmacist to accurately weigh a few bullets, and convert from hundredths of a milligram to hundredths of a grain.

Mike and Keith, thanks for the info and background. Good to know. I do have a few bullets I keep with the scale, 90 grain .270, 150 and 200 8mm and they check out very closely.
When I put the charge on the digital scale after a few loads, it can wobble 1 or 2 10ths here and there. Not going to fret over it!

Thank you

Just remember that digital scales are not absolute and can vary plus or minus half of the listed accuracy.