bullet quality

B

Bezoar

Moderator
Not that long ago i posted on odd leading i was getting with my happy little 357. and i realized the problem.

1. the throats are at maximum. no biggy there. shoots jacketed like a laser beam.

2. the lead round nose i have is not consistent in quality. The different lot numbers have different bullet sizes.

i know totally weird how swaged bullets can be made with different diameters based on year of production and line of production.
 
Old NRA bullseye shooters...

would measure the chambers on the revolver cylinder and cast or swage their bullets to the maximum measurement.
 
thats a well known fact however....

how can production on swaged bullets be that messed up these days?
 
i know totally weird how swaged bullets can be made with different diameters based on year of production and line of production.
Click to expand...

Its not weird. Everything mechanical has tolerances (+/-) and machinery does wear with use. Its more noticeable and accounted for in things that cut (chambering reamers, milling tool cutters, etc) but swaging machinery can wear as well.

The bullet maker will have a range of tolerances, and generally things don't get replaced until they reach the "unserviceable" point.

So, bullets made in one year could be slightly off from bullets made the year before, or after, and when the tooling gets rebuilt/replaced, bullets off the "new" machine will be slightly different from the last of the bullets off the "old" worn out one.
 
Unfortunately it happens too often with some cast bullets. I buy most of my cast bullets at gun shows and I always keep some on hand for loading. One of the most accurate is 147 lead 9mm bullets. Well I worked up a good 147 load and one day I am testing barrels on a 92 Beretta. I had grabbed several boxes of rounds and it is testing well until I go to the next box from the bag. I went from shooting 2" - 3" groups @ 25 yards to groups around 7"! Turned out there were different brands there. The ones that shot well were Penn Bullets but I am not sure off the top of my head the brand of the bad ones and I don't want to guess at their name and risk giving a bad rap to the wrong brand. Anyway, I measure the bullets and they are all at 0.356" and the weight was consistent enough. My guess is either the alloy was wrong and/or a problem with the lube. Long post but what I am saying is that it does happen and now I just buy brands that have tested out or cast my own.
 
I'd like to add a couple of cents worth of kudos for Penn Bullets' bullets, also.
Not only are they of good quality and well made, they're even purty.
 
i got curious and looked at the bullets ive managed to recover. i have the unfortunate fun of inconsistent expension of the dished hollow bottom in the fired slugs. Kinda sad really.
 
Sizing of the bullets can make a difference, as well as the alloy makeup. In general, lead bullets are expected to be .001 over groove diameter for best results, BUT, each gun is an individual, and some react best to something other than the "general" rule.
 
I've been shooting some 158 RN cast from Dardas and they are great, also, as of late some 158 Speer swaged, also work well. I shoot a 2-1/2" model 19, 4" 586 and a 4" 686. Both stay on the head of an IDPA target at 25yds. I have not tried them off the bench. Both are .358 dia.

NOTE: These are 38 loads, not .357 mag.
 
For handgun , I shoot exclusively bullets home cast bullets . Mak them as " good " as you wish , given the time and effort you wish to expend . Try for at least .002" oversize , if they will fit , feed , function , chamber .

God bless
Wyr
 
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