Anyone here reloading with Berry's bullets? I have some ???'s

[teddy12b]

Tonight I had some time and I loaded up a bunch of ammo for my 10mm. I found a great deal on Berry's 180gr JHP bullets so that's what I figured I'd use, at least for this first batch. Normally before buying some new component I look for reviews and on Cabelas website Berry's bullets were 4.5 of 5 so I figured that couldn't be bad. So while I'm loading up some rounds I drop one on the concrete floor, and it's a lot more dented than normal bullets would be after similar treatment. I also start to notice that before the bullet goes into the seating die it was a fairly flat shape, but after the seating die the bullet has a more rounded tip. It's as if the seating die is reshaping the bullets just a little. I'm using Lee dies in a Dillon 550B. I also loaded some Hornady xtp/hp 180gr bullets and they didn't loose their original shape after the sizing die.

Now keep in mind these bullets are made for a 40, and I'm going to run them at 10mm level. I don't doubt that it'll be safe to shoot these rounds, I'm jsut curious about what such soft bullets could be good for. With these being so soft I think about all they'd be good for is practice at the range, but I don't know. I don't think I'd want to hunt with these.

 

[mospeada]

Berry's bullets run softer than "normal" bullets because they're copper PLATED and not a metal jacket. This results in the copper being a lot thinner around the lead core.

You certainly won't want to use them for anything but practice. You also may get significant copper fouling as well out of the 10mm.

I'm not a huge fan of copper plated bullets as I don't think they are significantly better than lead cast in any aspect other than protecting you while handling the lead during reloading.

 

[farmboy365]

I like beerys bullets I just treet them like lead you cant load them hot and a 40 would be a better couse for the bullets than a 10 due to speed.I have experanced the same problem your having and had no problem with bullet functioning in gun.

 

[NIFT]

I used Berry bullets in my Glock 27, once, and they were horrible. They leaded the barrel and threw "knuckleballs"--sideways keyholes in targets with corresponding gawd-awful accuracy.

Some people like them, but I will never use them, again.

 

[hueycrew]

I've used Berrys in 9mm and 40SW. In my g35 and P16-40. I had good results. Some glocks like them, some don't. I've had excellent results in 9mm. I like them because they run cleaner than plain lead.

In my 40SW rounds the velocity was around 950 fps with a 180g bullet.

Some things I've learned about plated bullets:
Don't overcrimp. It cuts the plating and the bullet does not fly well.
Don't push them over 1300-1400 fps. The plating can come off.
My Lee seating die works best with round nose or flat nose bullets. Plated bullets deform more readily than FMJ.

I've found the Precision Delta FMJ run about the same price as Berrys. I buy directly from Berrys and PD. With PD you have to buy a minimum of 2k however, you can mix and match.

 

[Aszerigan]

Two quick things for the OP:

1) Depending on which type of dies you're using, 40cal dies come with two bullet seating plugs, one for round nose, one for flat point. I've never had a problem with plated bullets flattening during loading. Either switch to the FP seater plug (if you have one) or adjust your expanding die. If its taking that much pressure to push in a FP bullet that it's being deformed, then something is amiss...

2) Watch your velocities - plated bullets may not be ideal for 'magnum' rounds like the 10mm. Technically, you shouldn't be pushing a plated bullet past 1100fps, and since the slowest load data I have for a 10mm is throwing bullets at around that speed, I would stick with jacketed bullets for your handgun.

Having said that, I load 6-8k Berry's bullets a week, and in 9mm, 40, 38 and 45, they're a great, clean alternative to lead (or expensive jacketed bullets). But their skin is thinner, so dropping them can dent them. That won't affect short range performance though.

 

[Slapstick]

Also Berry's are swagged not cast so the lead is a bit softer.

 

[teddy12b]

I guess at this point all I care is that they are safe to shoot. We'll see. I don't know what I'm going to do if I have to pull all the bullets on all the ammo.

I'm hoping that the worse case will be poor accuracy and excess leading in the barrel. It wouldn't be the worst thing in the world if I just had to do mag dump after mag dump just to get rid of the ammo and start with something new/better.

 

[safarihunter]

It's a trial and error thing. I have some pistols that like them and others that don't. I like the copper plated because of less smoke in indoor ranges

 

[gixer454]

I guess at this point all I care is that they are safe to shoot. We'll see. I don't know what I'm going to do if I have to pull all the bullets on all the ammo.

I'm hoping that the worse case will be poor accuracy and excess leading in the barrel. It wouldn't be the worst thing in the world if I just had to do mag dump after mag dump just to get rid of the ammo and start with something new/better.

Mag Dump...sounds fun!

 

[45fan]

I have loaded Berrys in .380 and .45 Auto, and have had nothing but good luck with them. I didnt load them hot, though, and kept velocities under 1000 fps.

 

[benchrest500]

I'm confused that nobody made comments on Powder type and weight.

Reloading 101 ANY bullet will perform best with one particular powder and charge.

Reloading 102 this will be different with each gun.

Take the time to figure out what works best for your gun with that bullet. Never load more than a clip of each variation and shoot them from a bench through a chronograph***, TAKE YOUR TIME!

You may ask around if anyone has a particular load for this bullet that has performed well and that may be a starting point for you.

Make sure to check a burn chart for powders and try some different rates.

If you don't take these steps then you're just another GOOB with a reloading press and you deserve problems.

I may shoot a 1000 rounds through a gun before finding that "sweet load"

Sorry just being honest.

Too the main Question,

Yes Berry's Bullets are basically Target Bullets but my experience most any bullet will kill game if properly placed*** so there we are at where I started***

I guess you still need to keep in mind*** the best Gun and the best Ammo are only as good as the shooter.

 

[shibumiseeker]

If you don't take these steps then you're just another GOOB with a reloading press and you deserve problems.

I may shoot a 1000 rounds through a gun before finding that "sweet load"

Sorry just being honest.

There's honesty and then there's being a jerk.

Reloading is a very simple thing to learn and a complex art to master, but given how much it is an art, I'd be a little more hesitant to make the statement you do in the first sentence you do.

To the OP: I use Berry's and Ranier Plated 180gr both in my 10mm and .40 with a light to medium load and have no issues. I do use a LWD barrel for my Glock 20, and have shot several K of each. I use them as plinking rounds only and am quite happy with them.

 

[benchrest500]

There's honesty and then there's being a jerk.

Reloading is a very simple thing to learn and a complex art to master, but given how much it is an art, I'd be a little more hesitant to make the statement you do in the first sentence you do.

To the OP: I use Berry's and Ranier Plated 180gr both in my 10mm and .40 with a light to medium load and have no issues. I do use a LWD barrel for my Glock 20, and have shot several K of each. I use them as plinking rounds only and am quite happy with them.

I guess I threw my comment into a lump, I was more referring to the posts that were negative toward the product.

Yes reloading is simple to learn but I will add it shouldn't be learned it should be taught.

I've seen too many dangerous "bullet stuffers", I personally know two that had guns blow up.

I was "taught" when I was a kid (more than 35 years ago) and been adding to that teaching ever since.

So I wasn't trying to be a Jerk just making a comment about what I felt was poor reloading skills generating ill feedback on a decent product that I myself use and sell in my shop and am pleased with.

but I know how to "reload" rather than knowing how to "stuff a bullet into a brass case" (I think terms are getting mixed up here).

maybe I should have added quotes where needed SO TO CLARIFY my ill taken comment was not directed at the OP and I'm sorry for any confusion.

The OP was practicing good reloading skills by asking BUT I would not have loaded a bunch of them as he did when I had no prior knowledge of using them. So we'll give the OP half credit but he still took off on the wrong foot and sometimes that is all it takes to make a gun go boom just the way you didn't want it to.

So be safe know your product and it's abilities before you start and then start low and build up and I'm sorry but wrong is wrong.

 

[Rob377]

Two quick things for the OP:

1) Depending on which type of dies you're using, 40cal dies come with two bullet seating plugs, one for round nose, one for flat point. I've never had a problem with plated bullets flattening during loading. Either switch to the FP seater plug (if you have one) or adjust your expanding die. If its taking that much pressure to push in a FP bullet that it's being deformed, then something is amiss...

2) Watch your velocities - plated bullets may not be ideal for 'magnum' rounds like the 10mm. Technically, you shouldn't be pushing a plated bullet past 1100fps, and since the slowest load data I have for a 10mm is throwing bullets at around that speed, I would stick with jacketed bullets for your handgun.

Having said that, I load 6-8k Berry's bullets a week, and in 9mm, 40, 38 and 45, they're a great, clean alternative to lead (or expensive jacketed bullets). But their skin is thinner, so dropping them can dent them. That won't affect short range performance though.

I was all set to post something substantially the same!

I've used 180gr plate bullets in 10mm before. They do NOT like getting pushed very fast and they don't like being overly crimped.

With ~1000-1100fps loads and a proper crimp, they work just fine though.

It's pointless to push them hard, because they literally start coming apart and you'll get no good feedback on your shooting.

Paper test them as you work up and you'll see where they start to fall apart. The groups will start opening up drastically and there'll be keyholing and tumbling past that.

 

[shibumiseeker]

maybe I should have added quotes where needed SO TO CLARIFY my ill taken comment was not directed at the OP and I'm sorry for any confusion.

Thank you for your further clarification. My post to you was intended to help set the tone. I'd prefer to see posts in technical fora such as this one remain collegial, rather than fall into the genre seen in the general discussion area of arfcom. It's clear you have a fair amount of experience and that experience is welcome here, but as a first post we don't have any baseline for you yet.

 

[benchrest500]

Thank you for your further clarification. My post to you was intended to help set the tone. I'd prefer to see posts in technical fora such as this one remain collegial, rather than fall into the genre seen in the general discussion area of arfcom. It's clear you have a fair amount of experience and that experience is welcome here, but as a first post we don't have any baseline for you yet.

Yeah sometimes I type heavy