Federal vs CCI primers, MG vs Berry's Bullets

[blaster113]

I would not hesitate to use Berry's for practice or local matches if I could get them real cheap, but everywhere I've seen them they cost about as much as Precision Delta, Zero or MG jacketed bullets.

[Bob DuBois]

Montana Gold is the better bullet by far. I would not use the Berry's in anything pushed to major. 147 Frontier plated is one of the better grouping bullets in my 9mm Trojan. I would assume Berry's would work well in that application also.

Federal primers take the lightest hit and are the only way to go in a revolver or a tuned Glock with light springs.

I like Winchester in my auto pistols but the CCI should work unless you have a light mainspring in your Trojan. I have seen several misfires using CCI primers in stock Glocks and would rather not use them, but I run a 15lb mainspring in my Trojan.

[coorsleftfield]

How hard are Winchester primers?

Will they function in a revolver with lighter springs?

[Mr Freeze]

Montana Gold is the better bullet by far. I would not use the Berry's in anything pushed to major. 147 Frontier plated is one of the better grouping bullets in my 9mm Trojan. I would assume Berry's would work well in that application also.

Federal primers take the lightest hit and are the only way to go in a revolver or a tuned Glock with light springs.

I like Winchester in my auto pistols but the CCI should work unless you have a light mainspring in your Trojan. I have seen several misfires using CCI primers in stock Glocks and would rather not use them, but I run a 15lb mainspring in my Trojan.

I agree, I do like the MG bullets but due to the discount on the Berry's, I thought that I will give them a try.

The order was placed and the total club order for bullets and primers came to $44,000 I guess that is why the price was so good. The bullets for the order weighed 9,200 lbs!

Edited April 11, 2011 by Mr Freeze

[Bob DuBois]

How hard are Winchester primers?

Will they function in a revolver with lighter springs?

[Bob DuBois]

Tuned revolver, Federal Primers best choice, second Winchester but you may need to turn the strain screw in a little. Takes about a pound more on the mainspring.

[joeorr]

I've popped thousands of cci rifle primers over the years and have had very few not work on me, upon inspection it was usually user error not the primer but I shot a lot of federal too and they are the same way.

[MarkCO]

Your comment really has me interested. Are you referring to 147 grain bullets in caliber 9mm? Do you need to get a MV of close to 1100 FPS with 147 grain Berry bullets to produce acceptable accuracy? Can you compare relative accurace between MG and Berry bullets at different velocities? Thanks for any information you might be able to provide.

I've found that when the velocity drops below 900, with Berry's in any caliber, the accuracy starts to go away. My major PF .40 load with 180 grain RSDS Berry's is right at 920 fps and produces exceptional accuracy (1" at 25 yards), slightly better than the MGs (1.6" @ 25 yards) at the same PF. Minor PF 9mm seems to be okay, again, as long as I stay at 900 fps or more. In .40, with Berrys at minor PF, I did not even bother to measure the group at 25 yards, it was at least 6". With the MGs at minor PF in .40, I was right at 1" again. I have found the same issues in 9mm, .40, 10mm, .41 and .45, revolvers and autos. Keep Berry's between 900 and 1100 and you will be fine. When you start to push them up over 1100 fps, you may run into some issues there as well.