Anyone care to guess my weight?

[RJW NZ]

I'm sorting some ammo for my farm owning buddy who wants it for animal management, ie injured animals and culling. I figured the heavy hunting ammo would be better than milsurp because of the soft lead tips and bullet expansion etc, but now I'm also wondering what the bullet weights of these might be? The military is 174 grain, I think I might have a 230 grain there there at the top and I'd prefer to give him the heavy stuff.
The lower two are milsurp, the lowest, despite having lead tips instead of fmj, being some of that lovely PPU sth affrican stuff that we saw a bit of a few years back, but all the rest was in a mixed box with no labels. I've copied what is written on the case.

Was military ammo all fmj ,or did some military also have soft lead tips? If they didn't that would mean that my PPU might be for hunting I guess, rather than military, a bit like our CAC stuff here that also comes in the military profile but both tips for each purpose.

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[jmoore]

Looks like it could all be 150 and 174-180gr ammo. Try some comparitive weighing. Start with the known 174gr FMJ. Cull out any grossly lighter or heavier rounds. Powder weight and case weight will vary some, but you'll know if you find a round with a bullet that's 200grs+! Would be pretty rare for anything modern.

[browningautorifle]

Why not pull a bullet of each profile and weigh them? I think you might be guessing otherwise.

[Bindi2]

I'm sorting some ammo for my farm owning buddy who wants it for animal management, ie injured animals and culling. I figured the heavy hunting ammo would be better than milsurp because of the soft lead tips and bullet expansion etc, but now I'm also wondering what the bullet weights of these might be? The military is 174 grain, I think I might have a 230 grain there there at the top and I'd prefer to give him the heavy stuff.
The lower two are milsurp, the lowest, despite having lead tips instead of fmj, being some of that lovely PPU sth affrican stuff that we saw a bit of a few years back, but all the rest was in a mixed box with no labels. I've copied what is written on the case.

Was military ammo all fmj ,or did some military also have soft lead tips? If they didn't that would mean that my PPU might be for hunting I guess, rather than military, a bit like our CAC stuff here that also comes in the military profile but both tips for each purpose.

200gn+, 180gn, 150gn, 174gn, 174gn.

[browningautorifle]

I'm thinking that any with the military headstamp were just pulled bullets and reseated with soft point. That was a common practise around here for years. Just find a bullet that's close to the weight and go.

[muffett.2008]

Now be honest guys, how many of you have looked at the start of this post, grinned and bit their tongue?
Sometimes the lead in leaves things wide open to anyone with a sense of humour, never having seen Roger, I could only guess at his weight, but my estimate would have been on the portly side, depending on his love of things finger lickin.(sorry Rog.)
Another one that springs to mind, is the Butt one, do we look at how the post is represented, or do we open it to see it's context?
Sorry for the hijack, but I see the correct answer by Bindii.

[RJW NZ]

lol, thank you gents, that was more interesting than I thought. I don't have a way to weight things like bullets hence the request. I'm pleased to find that there's 150 in the mix, something I can sort to one side and see how it goes on the ol target shooting.

[jmoore]

I don't have a way to weight things like bullets hence the request.

All you need is three bits of string or monofilament and a stick or length of bamboo (small dia. or splinter thereof), and you can make a balance beam. Loops to hold the cartridges by the rims. Ought not take ten minutes to fashion. Decide on a control cartridge and sort by "lighter" and heavier". Then you can sort the two piles into sub-piles. And so on. You may never know what the "actual" weights are, but at least they will be logically ordered!
.

[Patrick Chadwick]

200gn+, 180gn, 150gn, 174gn, 174gn.

Disagree. I reckon the first one is a 174-180gn flat-base round-nose!
(Although the X-ray eyes have some difficulty at this range!)*

Patrick


*X-ray eyes report: maybe a Hornady Interlock #3130 174gn FB-RN. But I could be wrong!

[RJW NZ]

Does anyone have a pic of what a 230 grain looks like? I see them in written studies from years back and the use of them seems to have faded somewhat over time. Any thoughts on what they were popular for, ie heavy game, dangerous game, home de fence?