Previously, I've only handloaded with cast or jacketed bullets. Recently I tried some Berry's plated bullets. Here's the email I sent Berry's:
I bought a box of your bullets (41 cal. 210gr FP #62049), for the first time, a month ago. I was impressed with them more that I anticipated, so I just bought a box of your .44 cal. 240gr FP, #97080, Lot# 070925, qty. 200, today & am hugely disappointed. All of the 44 cal bullets vary from .4270/.4280", just below the shoulder on the bearing surface, to .4285/.4295" right at the base. The middle of the bearing surface of the bullets are only .428". (The 41 cal were a nominal .4095" all along the bearing surface.) If I put a 44 cal bullet in my caliper's jaws long way, along the bearing surface, nose to base, & hold it up to the light I can readily see light between the caliper blades & the bullet bearing surfaces because the bullets are essentially tapered from the base to the shoulder. In fact, the bullet wants to rotate out of the caliper's grip because it's only making good contact at the base & the nose tries to pivot around because it has no contact. Essentially every 44 cal bullet I checked had the same problem. (If I do the same thing with the 41 cal bullets, the caliper & bearing surface are flush/parallel with essentially no light readily visible between them, like you'd expect.)
They asked if I could send a sample to them. I packaged up (5) bullets & mailed them a week ago. I just got an email back. Initially it said I could have my money back if I wanted but nothing as to whether they considered them out of specs. I pressed them for an answer & the best I could get was "it is our standard bullet", a very noncommittal answer, which I interpret to mean they see nothing wrong with them. Well, I do.
I sampled some of my other name brand jacketed bullets & they are don't have any such issues, nor do any cast bullets I checked. I wasn't looking for a defect in the Berry's originally, just doing a normal diameter check with my digital caliber when this became obvious.
I know if I load them up & put powder in the case they will come out the barrel. Plated bullets cost more than cast bullets, so why should I settle for less quality?
What's your opinions? Has anybody else noticed anything like this?
(I took some pictures but it's really hard to get what the eye sees in the picture but these are as close as I can get, unless I had an extra right hand.)
Berry's 44 Cal. 240gr Preferred Plated Flat Point bullets
.
Berrys 240gr PFP 44
(-01a)
.
Berrys 240gr PFP 44
(-02a)
.
I bought a box of your bullets (41 cal. 210gr FP #62049), for the first time, a month ago. I was impressed with them more that I anticipated, so I just bought a box of your .44 cal. 240gr FP, #97080, Lot# 070925, qty. 200, today & am hugely disappointed. All of the 44 cal bullets vary from .4270/.4280", just below the shoulder on the bearing surface, to .4285/.4295" right at the base. The middle of the bearing surface of the bullets are only .428". (The 41 cal were a nominal .4095" all along the bearing surface.) If I put a 44 cal bullet in my caliper's jaws long way, along the bearing surface, nose to base, & hold it up to the light I can readily see light between the caliper blades & the bullet bearing surfaces because the bullets are essentially tapered from the base to the shoulder. In fact, the bullet wants to rotate out of the caliper's grip because it's only making good contact at the base & the nose tries to pivot around because it has no contact. Essentially every 44 cal bullet I checked had the same problem. (If I do the same thing with the 41 cal bullets, the caliper & bearing surface are flush/parallel with essentially no light readily visible between them, like you'd expect.)
They asked if I could send a sample to them. I packaged up (5) bullets & mailed them a week ago. I just got an email back. Initially it said I could have my money back if I wanted but nothing as to whether they considered them out of specs. I pressed them for an answer & the best I could get was "it is our standard bullet", a very noncommittal answer, which I interpret to mean they see nothing wrong with them. Well, I do.
I sampled some of my other name brand jacketed bullets & they are don't have any such issues, nor do any cast bullets I checked. I wasn't looking for a defect in the Berry's originally, just doing a normal diameter check with my digital caliber when this became obvious.
I know if I load them up & put powder in the case they will come out the barrel. Plated bullets cost more than cast bullets, so why should I settle for less quality?
What's your opinions? Has anybody else noticed anything like this?
(I took some pictures but it's really hard to get what the eye sees in the picture but these are as close as I can get, unless I had an extra right hand.)
Berry's 44 Cal. 240gr Preferred Plated Flat Point bullets
.
Berrys 240gr PFP 44
(-01a)
.
Berrys 240gr PFP 44
(-02a)
.
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