Penn Bullet question

5

52_and_done

Inactive
I just now put in an order for 500/.3570/TCBB Target Grade bullets and have read the pages on shipping and such, but wondered just how long it actually takes for them to get to the costumer, I'm up here in SE/Minnesota. Anybody up in MY general area have any experience ordering from Penn Bullets ?? Thanks Ya'll.

P.S. This forum is really impressive, I have been on here long enough (several Months) to read back about 150 pages in this thread, and about 100 pages back in the Revolver thread. I am brand new to Shooting forums and this is the first one I have gotten on and registered, though my experience in HandGuns, Rifles and ShotGuns both using and reloading for dates back to about 1975 starting with the original Lee Hand Loader and a hammer. :eek:
 
Welcome to TFL.

I've placed a few orders from Penn. They seem to be a good group of folks. But unlike some other cast bullet suppliers, speed is not their strong suit.

If memory serves, they typically take a couple weeks to get your order to you. I'm pretty sure they cast to order. Good bullets.
 
Nick_C_S said:
Welcome to TFL.

I've placed a few orders from Penn. They seem to be a good group of folks. But unlike some other cast bullet suppliers, speed is not their strong suit.

If memory serves, they typically take a couple weeks to get your order to you. I'm pretty sure they cast to order. Good bullets.
Click to expand...
A couple weeks, I can live with that. Right now I have snow on the ground so am not that Gung-Ho to go out shooting. Thanks for the Welcome Nick.
 
Not to bogart this thread but what is the difference between his their target grade and their standard grade, or do they have a standard grade?
 
Pretty sure what Penn has are 'Premium Grade', and 'Cowboy Action Alloy'...

Difference is the hardness, but don't ask me what they translate to in Brinell...

My .357/.38's like em both, but my Micro-Groove Marlin .35 Rem wants them hard, and at least .360"...
 
I'm in Southeast MN and have used Penn several times. Don't recall exactly how long it took, but no complaints here. I don't think they are one of those companies that ships immediately, but I don't think I ever waited more than 2 weeks. Love their 358/148 DEWC.
 
They are awesome folks and I have placed four orders in the last 6 months and shipped right out to me. Wonderful accurate bullets
 
Thank you all for the responses. According to their website the "Premium Grade" alloy is good up to 1600 fps, and their "Cowboy Action" and "Target Grade" alloy are good up to 950 fps (I suspect those two are the same alloy, but could be wrong). Penn has a write up on their site that explains why he doesn't list BHN numbers for his alloys, but instead just lists velocities. After looking at a number of different sites I chose to go with Penn, not only by what they have posted on their site, but also from what some here have said about their bullets. I'm not too worried about leading as I have hand lapped my barrel. When I can get out to the range I'll know better about how their bullets work out for me. My cylinder chambers measure out to .3570, so that's what I ordered, 158g/TCBB. This is a first for me, being able to order a custom size bullet.
 
52_and_done,

Welcome to the forum! The knowledge base here is quite impressive!
Once in a great while too much so. Though sometimes not so much. Lol

I've not yet tried Penn Bullets, though i really should, living in PA.

Please keep us posted as to ship times, and your experience in shooting them.

Thanks!
 
std7mag,

You bet I will keep you posted. The ship time will be forthcoming, but, my experience in shooting them might not be until about April or May as I'm up here in Minnesota and already have snow on the ground, and have temps down in the single digits most days (with a decent windchill). I'm not accustomed to this type of weather as I hail from Arizona originally, so you will have to wait for my experience, Sorry about that.
 
I have waited quite a long time in the past for the 158 gr TCBB in .358. I suggest reordering about 6 weeks out from when you expect to run out.

I think you should have ordered .358. Lead should be larger than the bore and a tight fit in the throats.

The bullets are great and some unique profiles (molds) not found elsewhere. However, the customer service is almost nonexistent, not even an order acknowledgement to be sure what you have on order. I did get a response to an email inquiry though.

If you want to shoot lead cleanly in a 41 Magnum, Penn is your guy with both bullets and load advice.
 
REAL GUN;
I have a tight bore (my .3570" pin gauge doesn't come close to fitting), but haven't slugged it yet (I suspect in the neighborhood of .3560" though). I need to slug that bore so I know for sure, but that is why .3570" on my bullet order (I only ordered 500 of them so I can adjust that size in the future). I have .3570" cylinder chambers, .0035" cylinder gap, and the timing is impeccable, this on a NEW Taurus Model 66 4" 7-shooter. From some of the posts I have read elsewhere, I feel a bit lucky, the action I have measured at 13lbs Double Action and 4lbs Single Action and is very smooth (smoother out of the box than any Smith I have had, which surprised me a little bit, those Smiths I had were bought new back in the 70's and 80's). I figured to make this into a Target type of revolver to just go to the range with and have fun, so am in the beginning stages of trying to get a good accurate load up and running (later on I might do an Action job on it if it shoots above average groups for me). I do like what I hear about the Penn bullets so I thought I would start with them.

You say order about 6 weeks out ?? Good Idea, Thank You Sir. I'm in no hurry to get them, really, and if I like them I'll put in a BIG order next time, well before I actually need them.
 
I have a tight bore (my .3570" pin gauge doesn't come close to fitting),
Click to expand...
A pin gauge can measure the lands but not the grooves, which will require slugging the bore and measuring groove diameter. However, it would be odd for the groove diameter to be less than .357, so you would nominally want .001 more (.358) in lead bullet diameter. If the throats are less than .3575, lead bullets will be more satisfactory if the throats were reamed.
 
Correct. Average SAAMI bore would be 0.348" with 0.357" groove. The 0.357" chamber throats are more of a concern. The SAAMI minimum throat is 0.358" and 0.360" is average. You never want your throats smaller than your groove diameter and 0.001" over would be better. You can get them reamed out to correct size. That's usually the first step taken by a revolver accuracy smith. But get your barrel slugged first. Use pure lead. Run an oily patch down the bore first. Tap it in gently from the muzzle. Don't use a caliper to measure it. Use a micrometer that has 0.0001" resolution or better. There are also electronic digitals on Amazon that are under $40, but I don't know how good they are. Probably OK for this purpose as a third of a thousandth would probably do for this. It's easy to make a caliper err by a half to one thousandth, which is why I don't recommend one for this job.

Standard pin gauge sets are fine for getting you close. If you are going to do a lot of measuring of a particular caliber, though, you may want a set in increments of tenths of a thousandth. The Deltronic.com catalog has TP-25 sets that are X class plus gauges (gauge value and +0.00004 tolerance) for $115 in Letter T (0.358") center value that will take you from 0.3568 +0.00004/-0.00000" to 0.3592 +0.00004/-0.00000" in tenths.) If you want a minus gauge set, the Meyer gauge company catalog gives you a choice of either plus or minus gauges. They are more expensive but they also give you the option of XX class gauges for even tighter tolerances at about twice the cost.
 
Sorry for the delayed response Real & Unclenick, I haven't been around much. I have alot to do in getting this revolver up and running just the way I want, and I hope I have enough time to do it in.

Thank you for answering my posts on this matter, it is much appreciated. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all of you here.

P.S. I procrastinate mightily, as I still need to Slug my bore to get that base line to start work off of (I have that very same Mic Unclenick, also a SS dial Caliper and a set of Ball Gauges to work with that I haven't used in a coon's age it seems), but I WILL get there, slow and steady wins the race is my motto for sure :rolleyes:.

Again, Happy Holidays to ALL here.
 
Yesterday, 01/12/19 (Saturday) I got my order from Penn Bullets that I made on November 23rd, 2018. With Christmas and New Years in-between, I can't find fault in the speed of delivery, I'm a patient person most times.

P.S. Exactly 50 days from order to received on my door step, not too bad.
 
Most will ship much faster. I just always seem to have good luck with their bullets.

I plan on going shooting tomorrow, heck, its going to be nearly 40 degrees.

Prolly go Tuesday too if the real cold stuff isn't here.
 
Wish I could do that. It's about 30° here and the wind is blowing so there is a good Wind Chill. The only indoor range charges $20 every half hour (I usually am shooting for about 2 hours), so not gonna go that route. Oh well, I'll just have to wait till spring. Till then I can load up some of those Penn bullets I guess. Thanks for the response Hammerhead, have a good one partner, and keep your powder dry ;).
 
Unclenick;

I have finally slugged my barrel (used a pure lead ball of .375"), I get .3565" to .3567", and I used a set of Full Ball Gauges (HFS (R) 4 pc Full-Ball Small Bore Hole Precision Gage Gauge Set), and a Micrometer (Anytime Tools Premium 0-1" /0.0001 MICROMETER Precision Machinist Tool), and remeasured my cylinder throats to be .3583" (different than using a pin gauge). I have received my order of .3570" TCBB bullets from Penn so will be running those thru this revolver. I was also wondering what the normal depth of Land and Groove dimensions should be, I don't have any SAMMI spec. on that Land/Groove depth difference ??

Thanks in advance nick.

01/28/2019 Monday;

I just went back and reread your last post Unclenick, now I got it. DOH!!

Grooves = .3565" to .3567"
Bore = .3477" - .3480" (after marking my Ball Gauge I think I have (2) .0003" tight spots, one at the muzzle, and one just ahead of the barrel threads. I have hand lapped the barrel though)
Cylinder throats = .3583"
Barrel/Cylinder gap = .006"
 
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