loading up a large batch of 10mm and 10mm mag today and
found some strange things. Now for combat loads (what we use for 10mm, 38 super and 45 ACP,I don't worry about checking every 10th round as some suggest. I am using a Dillon 550 and have been using Dillons since 1977 and never had any problems. Today just for something to waste my time on I started checking some of the loaded ammo. I am loading Hornady 180 grain FMJ that I buy in large bulk packages. I am using whatever brand of brass jumps out at me. In the batch today I was using Winchester, A-USA, Starline, ElD, Federal, Remington nickel brass, and one or two others that I can't think of now. I just picked a handful out of the hopper and started weighing them. There was as much as 20 grains difference in the loaded rounds. Before I even thought about pulling around 500 rounds of loaded ammo I started weighing just the brass. There was as much as 18 grains difference in the brass alone. I expected the nickel brass to be a bit heavier but actually it was one of the lightest. I also started weighing the powder drops and there was maybe as much as .03 difference in the powder, not enough to worry about for test firing or combat shoot ammo. The main difference was the brass. Some of this tumbled brass was dinged up and scratched up some due to being shot probably several times in our test firing. The thing that amazed me was with all these different brands and all the different weights of brass they all shoot in about 1 inch group at 25 and for test firing or in a combat shoot I don't need anything more than that. Whether it is Nate or me shooting our 10mm long slides they all shoot little groups and this is with us grabbing a handful of ammo out of the MTM box and loading up the mags, not looking at the headstamp.
This doesn't mean diddly to me and probably not to you but I was amazed at the difference of the weight of the various brass. I know a lot of guys only buy ammo or brass out of the same lot but I am not a target shooter so that means nothing to me besides being a waste of time for what I do. Not bad mouthing target shooters, just saying life is too short for me to do that. I am a hunter first and secondly a combat shooter (although these days it seems my combat shooting days are in the past) and the ammo I loaded today will do fine.