Please help me identify mystery bullets

F

Frankly

New member
Hi folks!

Wife and I just got back from trying out our first hand loads at PMAA. What a fun day. Anyhow, there was a bonus. Rangemaster had these 45 acp bullets some guy had left with him to sell to the highest bidder. I am trying to figure out what I bought. Can anyone identify the make/model of these from the photos supplied? They are concave on bottom and have a distinctive hollow point shape...


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Hadn't thought about that, but now that you mention it, they do appear to be plated. The "pitty" finish to the copper is a giveaway...
 
Looks like a Rainier Lead Safe bullet, to me.


PMAA gun range up Parley's Canyon?

.450? Should be .451 jacketed or .452 plated at minimum
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Barrels are rarely to spec.
Bullets aren't always perfect, either.

It's just as likely (possibly more so) that the calipers aren't perfect. ;)
 
I think it's ranier. they are the only ones that sell such a steep nose with a penta design as far as I know. but regardless, you know the weight, diameter and that it's plated, the brand shouldn't really mater at this point, unless of course you end up really liking them and need more.
 
Barrels are rarely to spec.
Bullets aren't always perfect, either.

It's just as likely (possibly more so) that the calipers aren't perfect.
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Exactly.

They're 45 ACP plated hollow points (and yes, they look "Rainier-esque"). Mystery sufficiently solved.

Load 'em up. Have fun.
 
Looks like a Rainier Lead Safe bullet, to me.
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I checked into it. You nailed it. Mystery solved. Thanks.

PMAA gun range up Parley's Canyon?
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Yep.

It's just as likely (possibly more so) that the calipers aren't perfect.
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Far more likely. See the erroneous measure below of the 230 grain Hornady XTP. The numbers will change slightly if you blow on or look cross-eyed at the Harbor Freight caliper, which was made by a 4-year-old in a Chinese sweat shop. I am all ears for recommendations on US-made digital calipers... if any exist. Meanwhile, I figure why pay more elsewhere for the same garbage sold under once-prestigious US names, i.e., Craftsman…

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Ah ok. I was a little worried there. Lol.

I have a set of digital ones from Home Depot that I've had for 3.5 years now that have been on and stay on that are great. Made by General.

I also have a set of dial calipers that are Hornady (US made) that are great as well.

Neither one will break the bank but have worked great for me for a few years now.

They make some much more expensive ones if you want then names of those but you'll be looking at spending $150-$200 for a set.
 
They seem to consistently read low, never high, so at least I can more or less trust them for bullet seating depth...:D I figure my first batch of hand loads were all well above min OAL.
 
I went through 6-8 sets of cheap digital calipers over a period of about 8 years. One day, a .308" bullet would measure .309". The next day the same bullet would be .292". A week later it would be .306". And a few months down the road, it might have grown to .315".
I quit trying to work with crappy tools, and decided to get something better.

Then, through the course of some unfortunate events involving a bad Hornady product, I ended up with the Hornady dial calipers. Paired with a clearance/discontinued Lyman "digital" micrometer*, I'm quite satisfied -- and much more confident in the indicated dimensions.

*(The "digital" micrometer is a standard micrometer with a numeric read-out.)


----

Watch out for the 60 year old Brass Monkey at the PMAA range (he pays for his membership by volunteering to collect brass). If he sees something that he likes, he'll stand behind you with his shop vac and try to vacuum up your brass as it hits the ground. If it's particularly uncommon and/or valuable (like .327 Federal, .500 S&W, .25-35 WCF, .458 SOCOM, etc.), he'll actually go for it mid-air or ON YOUR BENCH ...WHILE YOU'RE SHOOTING!
He went for a bunch of my .327 Federal and .32 H&R brass on the bench about 4 years ago, and ended up with a flattened vacuum nozzle and torrent of choice words.

The fellow next to me, shooting 5.7x28mm, wasn't quite as vocal about the outright THEFT of his brass, but he had some choice words with the range manager and went home with a bucket full of brass, in addition to his own.
 
FWIW; a hint from a lifelong machinist/mechanic. When using calipers to measure bullets place the bullets closer to the frame, away from the jaw tips. The jaws are thicker there and less prone to "spring". It's surprisingly easy to get measurements .002" smaller due to this "spring"...:rolleyes:
 
Looks exactly like 200gn Ranier Plated. I bought 1000 of these a few years ago for plinking. Accuracy isn't bad but they have a tendency to jam because of the plating on the nose is soft and will catch the feed ramp. I say this because I ran into this issue firing them in 4 different 1911's and have tried several OAL's with no luck. Needless to say I probably still have 800 or so tucked into my reloading bench somewhere.
 
they have a tendency to jam because of the plating on the nose is soft and will catch the feed ramp
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I suspect it's more a matter of the bullet shape. I'd always heard 45 acps generally preferred round nose bullets but I had to find out for myself. I was having feed problems with the Hornady XTP hand loads yesterday. Glad I bought only a few boxes of those because they cost so much. The XTPs only took issue when the mag was topped off. With one less round loaded they fed okay, and these should too. At the price I got these for, I am not complaining. I wouldn't trust them for SD however...
 
When using calipers to measure bullets place the bullets closer to the frame, away from the jaw tips.
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You mean like this? (lol)

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Sorry; I couldn't resist. Your advice is sound. The tool, however, is not.
 
When using calipers to measure bullets place the bullets closer to the frame, away from the jaw tips.
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You mean like this? (lol)

likethis.JPG


Sorry; I couldn't resist. Your advice is sound. The tool, however, is not.
 
Watch out for the 60 year old Brass Monkey at the PMAA range
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Never had anyone there try to pull that stunt on me. I wouldn't put up with it. We quit going to Doug's on Redwood because of that sort of thing. They'd send one of their guys down to sweep up brass while you were still shooting. On the day we used that last punch on our punch cards, I kindly told the manager, "That brass is mine until I leave here, and this is the last time I will be leaving here..." I don't like shooting indoors anyway.
 
I use a 1-2in Micrometer. Much more precise than the cheap digital caliper i had.
Reloading is a game of thousands. I didn't mind spending the money. Precision is critical in safe reloading.
 

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