Marking Cases

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charlesb
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Marking Cases

Post by charlesb » Mon May 13, 2013 10:12 pm

When developing loads, I have developed the habit of marking either the cases or sometimes the primers with a "sharpie" permanent ink pen so that I will know one load from another, as they all go in the same ammo box.

This seems like a harmless practice to me, but it may be that I am overlooking something, here.

Now I'm curious as to how other shooters segregate small runs of one load ( ten or so ) from others.

I generally test ten shots of each load variant. For example, I will soon be testing .308 Winchester loads, all with the same bullet but with different powders and powder charges, 40 rounds in all.

Is there some danger of the sharpie ink causing problems?

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Bullseye
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Post by Bullseye » Mon May 13, 2013 10:46 pm

I've used the same technique for marking case heads on new loads I'm working up; never had any problems caused by the ink.

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bgreenea3
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Post by bgreenea3 » Tue May 14, 2013 1:39 am

Same here, use a different mark or color for each load then make a key so I don't forget what they were.
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blue68f100
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Post by blue68f100 » Tue May 14, 2013 8:52 am

I also mark the cases. But I also separate them in my storage box (1 row between loads) and use labels. Then as I shoot I make notes on the back of the labels.
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charlesb
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Post by charlesb » Tue May 14, 2013 11:31 pm

I'm glad to hear that I wasn't messing up, there. - I started using the sharpie because I only had one ammo box. Sometimes I mark the primer, sometimes the plastic tip on the Nosler ballistic tip bullets, and sometimes I'll make a mark on the case neck.

I've seldom had more that four varieties to test, and use a target that has a big bull in the center, surrounded by four smaller bulls in the corners. I mark which group is which load on the target, saving the center bull for a second try with whatever load groups best on the first go-round.

My only shooting notes are what I write on the targets.

Early mornings are almost always calm and cool here - but soon after the sun gets up in the sky a little it warms up considerably and the wind kicks up too, most times. When it starts getting hot and windy, I'll pack up my stuff and resume firing the next morning.

I've gotten to where I show up at the crack of dawn so that I can carry my target frames out to the 100 yard butts with my van, rather than have to carry them out on foot and get winded. ( OF syndrome ) Then I drink a little coffee from my thermos and enjoy the morning until I'm ready to shoot. By then, the other early birds start to show up. Being new to the area, I'm glad to have struck up a few acquaintances that way.

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