So I was wondering if anyone weighed each round after reloading?

I do. Between bullet, case and powder variations I tend to get +/-1.5 grains.

No I don't sort them based on total weight. Just a way to make sure I didn't forget powder or mis-measured anything.

Why and NO.

No…it’s too much mucking about. I find it’s much easier to check, by visual inspection, to ensure each case is charged with powder to the same level (as much as the MK1 eyeball is able), before seating the bullet. It’s a simple action…pickup the loading tray, angle it so the light goes into the top of each case, then visually inspect. This gives you the opportunity to correct any issues you may find before you have to start dismantling a round. Works for me.

I do that too Vince. This is just over active OCD double checking once everything is assembled.

Dimitri wrote:

I do that too Vince. This is just over active OCD double checking once everything is assembled.

Fair call mate. That damned OCD can be a pain in the butt occasionally.

The weighing exercise won’t always identify problems, especially if you don’t weigh all the components and separate them according to weight.
Something to consider…a small difference in case weight, followed by a small difference in bullet weight, then slight variations in powder measurement, can all add up to enough to make you think there may be a problem. The reason I don’t bother with weighing loaded rounds. Food for thought mate.

I do, I actually weigh my projectiles, primers, cases and powder before loading, and weigh the finished cartridge after loading ..
Caught myself twice so far with powder load that is about 5% over what is planned when loading with a progressive loader..
I do not get to shoot much lately, so my reloading time is one of the vent I resort to on this hobby.

I've never used a progressive press.

Normally when reloading (100 at a time) I use my scale in total 3 times. Measure the individual powder charges (I use a Lee Dipper then trickle), weight all 100 charged cases, then after seating (and crimping) bullets I weight them all again.

I've not reached the point of weighing the components on their own. I am only getting about a 3gr variance when loaded between rounds. A testament to Lapua's and Sierra's quality control.

Federal GMM gives me a slightly larger variance in weight and those are commercial "match" ammunition.

I think I'm with Bushy on this.
I can understand the wish to control everything to avoid mistakes, BUT there is always Murphy...

and do you also measure the roundness and the diameter of the bullets? The hardness of the jacket? The extraction force needed to separate bullet from the case? How clean is the bore of the barrel and what's the influence of its temperature? What's the influence of the atmospheric pressure? The weather?
And what about the animal you're shooting? Do you hit a bone on entrance or no bone at all? Dirt on its skin?
When you're using an air rifle you'll meet all the shortcomings, but are you going to weight every pellet before use? I think you test several pellets of reliable manufacturers and maybe do some quality control when you start a new batch. When hunting rabbits, doves or rats with a pcp, first you look for a decent fit between barrel and pellet by shooting a groupe. Then you see its performance on the game and when you don't get enough 1-shot-kills, you know there's something wrong.

I might start weighing complete rounds when I should have made a big mistake during loading process, such as operating my Dillon and forgot to put powder in the hopper...
older people get more experienced, also in making stupid mistakes

As part of an experiment last year, I took ten once-fired PMC .308 Winchester cases and processed them. They were cleaned, resized, decapped, primer pocket cleaned with a wire brush, trimmed to 2.005”, deburred, the flash hole was deburred and cleaned again. I even cleaned the inside of the cases with Q-tips. Then I weighed them. They ranged from 176.5 to 178.7 grains, with an average of 177.8. The spread is 2.2 grains.

Now 2.2 grains of cartridge brass equals 0.0166 cubic centimeters, or 0.0010 cubic inches, of brass. That means the difference in case volume (3.63 cubic centimeters, or 0.221 cubic inches) between the lightest and heaviest could be around 0.46%, assuming that the outside case dimensions are EXACTLY the same.

I think the best thing we can do is trust in our abilities and experience, do the necessary checks - inspect powder in cases before seating bullets etc - then hit the range. Apart from those necessary checks, there are far too many variables to worry about, each variable contributing to only a minuscule difference. Having said that, if you are shooting Bench Rest and chasing one hole groups, then by all means, fill ya boots. If not, don’t sweat the little things that will have next to no bearing on your end result.

When you shoot a group, and you do your part well, many, if not most, of the variables become moot. Your rifle and load either group satisfactorily or they don’t. If they don’t group well, that is usually because of something you can easily address (powder type, powder charge, bullet seating depth), or influence.

I choose not to concern myself with those things that are beyond my abilities to change. Consequently, I do only those things necessary to achieve my aim…Minute of Critter.

Vince wrote:

I choose not to concern myself with those things that are beyond my abilities to change. Consequently, I do only those things necessary to achieve my aim…Minute of Critter.

Funny enough Vince, except for my OCD in making sure every round I produce is basically the same length and weight I too don't concern myself too much either. I've never done a single load development.

I researched and mimicked GMM/M852, it turned out to shoot sub-MOA, and I've not deviated from the formula in nearly two decades.

Lapua Brass, CCI BR2 Primers, 42.5gr Varget.

That I top with either a Sierra 168gr Matchking, Sierra 165gr Tipped GameKing, or a Swift 165gr Sicrocco.

The point of aim doesn't really change much out to 300 yards with either of these options.

That’s good mate. You lucked onto a combination right off, a load that delivered the goods straight away. I think I’m a tad envious.

I shake each round beside my ear as I clean case lube off finished round.doesnt work on compressed loads. I will fill cases into loading block and peer down into cases with a torch though....your eyeteometor is pretty good at picking a wronguns...two grains of rice in 270 w case and powder level is completely different to the rest.