Vance Bullets

J

Jeff H

New member
In the Ohio area there is a small company making bullets called Vance bullets. Their boxes look very rudimentary and lack information about the company but the bullets look decent on inspection. Has anyone shot them or have any info on the company?

The prices seem decent at around $31.00/500 for 158 grain SWC
 
I have used some Vance bullets in the past. OGCA gun shows are where I bought them. Currently I am using S&S for my cast bullet needs:

http://www.snscasting.com/

I have been very happy with the S&S and the price and selection was better for me. Nothing wrong with the Vance bullets, and I saw some on GB that just sold for $23 for 500 158 gr. SWC 357 bullets.
 
I've been using Vance bullets since the early 90's. They are a long time caster out of Rushelvania, OH (somewhere up near Indian Lake?)

I think their bullets are decent. They have Z-E-R-O presence on the internet, I can tell you that. Finally got to the point where the only place I could get them was at the gun show, so I started looking for someone I could order from when I wanted them, so I went with Dardas. www.dardascastbullets.com

So if you find some Vance, they are decent IMO. However, I would suggest that you avoid "Patriot" another local brand I've seen recently, out of Newark, OH, I think. I find their product to definitely be on the cheaper side. Lube falling off and just generally sloppier construction.
 
The only thing I find a little odd is that their 38cal SWC just say 38cal SWC on the box. There is no reference to what (if at all) they have been sized to. Since I can't open the box and measure (store policy) I have no real idea what size they are. Am I to just assume .358?

By the way, if you guys are looking for a source of these bullets, there is probably a few hundred boxes or more at one store in Northern Cinci.
 
Bought a small box to test. If these locally available ones don't workout, I'm thinking Dardas cast bullets would be happy for my business. :)

The 38 cal ones measure .358 ( since I bought them, I can check.. :D )so they should be fine for most guns. I'll load them up this fall and report back since there is so little internet info available on this brand.
 
I'll load them up this fall and report back since there is so little internet info available on this brand.
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Brother, if you find ANY internet info with regards to Vance bullets on the 'net, please provide links. I don't know any other way to search... I find squat. I was looking for reviews, retailers, a list of products... I just don't believe it exists.

I'm pretty happy with Dardas. I think others are as well. If I had one request of them as a bullet supplier, I'd like to see them with more offerings... but then again, if they do what they do well, why make it more difficult with more balls in the air? (still would be cool to see a nicely hard cast 110gr full lead bullet in .308 for the .30 Carb I can use in my Blackhawk! :D)
 
Yep, I think that's the nugget I've found every time I've looked. I quit looking months ago.
employs a staff of approximately 2.
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Used to be a staff of three, but the web developer died in 1982 in front of a Commodore 64 with a 300 baud modem! :eek:
 
I bought their bullets years ago here at a local gunshow. I couldn't find them at the show anymore and asked about them. I was told that it was becoming way to expensive for them to pack up a bunch of boxes of bullets and drive up to MI to the shows. I have been trying for a while to find out anything that I could, so this link is helpful. I liked their bullets, and would like to have some more.
 
Gun 4 Fun, I'm not sure how far you'd be willing to drive to get them, but they do still appear at the local shows in Columbus, OH. Of course, given where Rushelvania is... you might consider calling Vance and seeing if you could just pick them up right where he makes them.

On the subject of popular bullet casters... whatever happened to D&J Casting? I don't think these guys are in business anymore, but I've had decent luck with their bullets, too.
 
OK, I installed 6 bullets in dummy rounds just to check fit and function. My only concern (because they all chamber beautifully) is that if I seat in the crimp groove, I have an OAL of 1.46ish. The max published oal in my Lyman manual is 1.550 and Alliant shows 1.440, but the only place I find a min OAL is in the Lee paperwork which doesn't show LSWC or bulleseye on the same line.

I would think I was ok because I was between the Lyman and Alliant numbers, but who knows. LOLOLOL Probably start with around 3.2 grains and work up to 3.5ish once I get the spare time to finish the reloading room. (Yes, the wife demanded a new whole room that I could lock up to be safe from teh kids. :D )
So, it will be a few weeks or more before I actually put live primers and powder in these.
 
I realize this is an old thread but just picked up a box of Vance 40 cal 155 gr RN at the Maumee Ohio gun show only becuase I can't find any plated or FMJ. $35 out-the-door for 500. Loaded 50 of them then headed off to the range to test. Pleasantly surpirsed as all shot without a hiccup and groupings were very nice.
 
Ha ha, this is definitely an old thread.

Funny, though, I've recently been loading and shooting some Vance .430" cast LSWC, 240 grain, in mid-range .44 Magnum loads. I very well likely bought these bullets in 2007.

Funny how the years add up. These bullets are shooting just fine.

I'm still very much enjoying using Dardas as my main commercial cast bullet supplier, and I've recently used a few offerings from Penn bullets to very good effect. I don't buy Vance bullets any more, but I'm still getting good service from the dwindling supply that I have.

For reference:
http://www.dardascastbullets.com/
http://www.pennbullets.com/index.html

Great bullets.
The guys behind them are as good as the bullets.
 
Too funny. I went to a show in Sharonville OH today and found a local supplier that is carrying Vance bullets. I have been in the mood for some lead and had not seen their ink stamped boxes in quite some time.

I chatted with the table holder who assured me they were quality cast bullets, open boxes appeared nice and the price was right so I left with 3 boxes of 500. 1@ .45 230g LRN; .45 200g SWC; 9mm 115g.

The following numbers are based on a quick sampling:

.45 200g $41 = .082cents@
wt: 201.7; 202; 205.8 Leng: .641; .643 .645

.45 230g $46 = .092 cents@
wt: 232.1; 232.5; 233.5; 234.7 Leng.66; .66; .665; 667

9mm 115g $31 = .062 cents@
wt: 115.8; 116; 117 Leng .534' .536; .538

I general I will say these dont live up to anyone expecting QC and consistency of Hornady lead bullets. However they are very economical. Overall the bullets show good fill and smooth edges on the sized driving band areas. I noticed a few wrinkled tips on the 9mms. A few of the .45 bullets showed lack of lube. All .45s noted above showed .451 diameter, two or three I found on top of boxes without lube measured at .453, indicating lack of sizing and were not included in measures above.

The seller stated he is a friend of the owner and that distribution is still very limited to the local area where friends can move the the product. That should tell everyone that the two employees noted in the Manta web listing it on target.

Range report to follow, in a few weeks, as I spent an hour reviewing possible load work ups to include new use of Bullseye in my .45 this evening.

PS I'm not giving up the seller info in this post as I want to make sure I can still get them myself next month.
 
Vance's Bullet Mfg. Co. Phone Number

I know this thread is ancient, but it seems that some folks out there will appreciate this info...

I just bought 4 boxes of bulk bullets (.454 250gr, and .358 158gr) from an auction here in Ohio, and on the top of the boxes are stamps that say, "Vance Mfg. Co.," and there is a phone number, which is (513) 468-7713.

Now, I have no idea how old these bullets are, or if this number is still their number, but I do know that it's on their bullet boxes. So, for those of you who have been looking for SOMETHING, ANYTHING on the internet, as far as info about Vance's, here is SOMETHING for you. I hope it helps.

By the way, I have yet to load or shoot any of their bullets, so I can't give you a report, other than that they look fine in the box, for whatever that's worth.
 
Last time I saw Vance Bullets was about 4 years ago at the Goodman gun show. I thought they were in DeGraff Ohio. Either way If you want to try the phone number that Milsurpsandmore listed I would change the area code to 937. Rushsylvania and the rest of Logan County changed area codes several years ago.
 
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