Why does my 115 gr bullets weight 125?

[modelflyer2003]

I am getting back into reloading after a 7 year time span. I still have a full 1000 bag and partially used bag (about 500 count) of Precision Delta 115 gr 9mm bullets. They were still in the original shipping box stamped 115 gr. I weighted several from the opened bag and weight on my digital scale was 125-126r. I opened the other bag and they weighed the same. I opened a box of Winchester White Box and disassembled the bullet, and the 115 gr bullet weighed 125.0. I guess I was expecting them to be 115gr. What am I misunderstanding here?

 

[EyeCarry]

Do you have a good battery in the scale? Let it warm up? Did you calibrate the scale? (I assume yes will be the answer to all three)

 

[Gaffer]

Well, there are really only two things that could be going on. 7 years ago you put 124 grain bullets in all of your 115 boxes or your (very old) scale is not working/calibrated :>)

ron

 

[chezuki]

Zero your scale properly.

 

[modelflyer2003]

Try it on your digital scale. See what you get.
The scale is from 7 years ago, but the battery is new. I calibrated it with the provided weight. For all I know the 115 grain is the lead and the copy jacket is the extra weight.

 

[DocIndy]

Try it on your digital scale. See what you get.
The scale is from 7 years ago, but the battery is new. I calibrated it with the provided weight. For all I know the 115 grain is the lead and the copy jacket is the extra weight.

The listed bullet weight should be the total weight, not just the lead core.

 

[jagee]

I don't reload, so I'm no help. But I do know a dollar bill should weigh 1 gram.

 

[Bennettjh]

The listed bullet weight should be the total weight, not just the lead core.

Yep. My 124's weigh 124, 115's weigh 115. I would suspect the scale is wrong.

 

[patience0830]

Especially over a couple separate batches of bullets. 1 box, maybe the bullet maker made a mistake. 2 or 3? Probably the scale.

 

[EyeCarry]

Silly question warning. You aren't turning the scale on without the pan and then using the pan to weigh the bullet resulting in weighing the bullet and the pan are you?

 

[singlesix]

So this had me curious, so I weighted a sampling of all my different bullets and the avg variance was .2 grains.

 

[Hawkeye7br]

Silly question warning. You aren't turning the scale on without the pan and then using the pan to weigh the bullet resulting in weighing the bullet and the pan are you?

Excellent troubleshooting question, and pertinent to newbies or someone returning to reloading after several years.

 

[russc2542]

The 115gr bullets have been sitting around and eating junkfood this whole time and gained 10gr.





Either the scale's bad and just happens to be reading the next common weight or the label's off. Time to compare with another scale.

 

[BE Mike]

Two words...check weights.

 

[PappyD]

Tare

Tare weight. ... Tare weight is accounted for in kitchen scales, analytical (scientific) and other weighing scales which include a button that resets the zero
of the scale display when an empty container is placed on the weighing platform, in order to subsequently display only the weight of the contents of the container.

 

[chezuki]

Tare

Tare weight. ... Tare weight is accounted for in kitchen scales, analytical (scientific) and other weighing scales which include a button that resets the zero
of the scale display when an empty container is placed on the weighing platform, in order to subsequently display only the weight of the contents of the container.

This was my first thought as well, but not accounting for tare would likely result in far more than a 10gr variance. My powder tray alone is 123gr.