Rainier Bullets

[palmetto99]

Any body use them? What cal? What load? How well do you like them?

 

[OKFC05]

I've tried them in .38, 9mm, .40 S&W, and .45 ACP, for various competition and informal range loads.

I've settled on 158gr .38 over HP38, 180gr .40 S&W over HP38 (minor power load), and 200gr .45 ACP over HP38 or Titegroup--going to try 230gr.

I had some stability problems with hot 9mm and .40 major, so stayed with jacketed in those. To be fair, at short range they seemed fairly good, but I always check my loads for stability at 100yds to reveal any marginal problems.
I used a chrono to achieve 130pf (for minor) or 170 pf (for major), which was more than a lead bullet powder charge, but less than jacketed. The power factors are over minimum to allow for cold days and somebody else's chrono.

 

[38-44HD45]

I've used them some, but quit some years back. The plating is quite thin, and it is very easy to crack it with slightly overzealous crimping. The result will be some of the worst bore fouling you'll ever see, since the lead cores are apparently dead-soft. I once made the mistake of running some .40 cal. Rainiers through a ported barrel in an early Glock 24. They pretty much plated the bore with lead and copper in front of the ports, where the ports had shaved through the plating. Took me HOURS to clean that barrel. That said, if they are run at slow to moderate velocities, not too heavily crimped, and not shot through ported barrels, they are okay. I'd rather shoot quality hardcast or jacketed bullets, though.

 

[snw19_357]

I use them quite extensively in 9mm, .40S&W, 10mm, and even some .357 Magnum loads. The only thing I still use lead in is .38 wadcutters and .41 magnum. SO much cleaner.

I have noticed quite a bit of difference in grouping and accuracy between rounds loaded with the round nose and those loaded with flat point so I stick to the flat point, when possible.

 

[SWBigBang]

Mostly used for .45 without any issues.

 

[Kevin G]

Plated Bullets

I use Rainier & Berry's plated bullets interchangeably for punching paper and informal Falling Plate and IDPA type shooting.
.32H&R mag, 9mm, .38super, .38spl, .41mag, .44spl&mag, .45acp
I'm pleased w/their performance w/the exception of .38spl wadcutters in a Mod 52. Doesn't surprise me, the gun is a finicky eater and I'm scrutinizing the results more closely.
I load on the mild side and have no issues except as mentioned.
Generally best prices seem to be directly from Berry's website, >$50 order = free shipping. Occassionaly Midway will have Rainier in bulk on sale which can be a good deal.
Kevin

 

[Smithboomer]

I've used Rainier .38 wadcutters for several years with good results. I have never had any problems at all.

 

[TSQUARED]

I have used the Rainier and Berry's plated bullets for the normal pistol games - steel plates, IDPA, & USPSA. The accuracy is sufficient for the usual pistol games. The only plated bullets which I have tested which approached bulleye level accuracy was the Rainier 185 gr. SWC in 45 ACP.

 

[8emem]

I give credit to companies like Rainier and Berry's for offering a solution to the leading problem, but the plating is just too thin. When I reload with these bullets, I find that I have to excessively flare the case mouth just to keep the the seating die from putting a crimp line around the tip of the bullet. Even so, one or two out of every box of 50 that I make has this deformation. Accuracy is so-so, none of my plated bullet loads is the most accurate in any of my guns. You get what you pay for. I no longer use plated bullets.

 

[drhenzler]

Try Montana Gold bullets Montana Gold Bullet, Incorporated - Kalispell, Montana . These are real jacketed bullets, and shoot very accurately. They look just like Hornady. I bought a thousand and the groups are as good as some of my best cast wadcutters.

 

[scorvers]

The .38 Rainiers I loaded don't like to be pushed hard. In the .357, I switched over to a Bayou Bullets using the same charge and got a way performance. Leading with the ByUBoolits? Non existant.

 

[just for fun]

I'm a plinker at heart and most of my loads are built around plated bullets. Favorites- 125 HP,4.9 231 in 38's- 125 TC, 5.4 AA2 in357 sig- 240 TC, 5.5 bullseye in 44 mag and 230 round nose, AA2 5.3 in 45 apc. As you can see nothing hot, but fast enough to be fun. (to me WC's and 2.7 Bullseye is beyond boring!)

 

[ncbengal]

I give credit to companies like Rainier and Berry's for offering a solution to the leading problem, but the plating is just too thin. When I reload with these bullets, I find that I have to excessively flare the case mouth just to keep the the seating die from putting a crimp line around the tip of the bullet. Even so, one or two out of every box of 50 that I make has this deformation. Accuracy is so-so, none of my plated bullet loads is the most accurate in any of my guns. You get what you pay for. I no longer use plated bullets.

I improved on this problem by using a 4 step loading process. Lee pushes their 4 die sets, one die for seating and one for crimping. With RCBS dies and plated bullets of .40 cal I seat all my run first and then back the seater plug off and run the die up to crimp. Adds an extra step, but have no more wrinkles ahead of the case mouth that would sometimes not chamber in tight barrels like the XDM.

 

[Bearcat74]

I shoot Berry's 125HP from my .38 with 3.5grs of Bullseye in my 686 and my Contender .38, very accurate.