Preferred 9mm plated bullet?

[OPENB]

I've loaded a ton of Xtreme plated for CO and PCC. I recently got some Rainier plated 124gr., and noticed I don't get as a pronounced ring from the seating die on them. Seems the plating is thicker or harder. And I was using the thick plated Xtremes. Agreed, the PD price is great. I'm working through a case of Everglades Ammo V2 124 JHP for open, their price is excellent also. Going to try 115 Everglades with AA7 when they are gone.

[mveto]

I switched from Xtreme to RMR’s and for around the same price I’m getting much better results with RMR’s. Plus I know they have them in stock and will be shipped quickly.

[IDescribe]

On 12/6/2018 at 4:04 PM, MemphisMechanic said:

 

Why do you and IDescribe want to slowly fill his compensator with lead off the exposed base of an FMJ bullet? Why do you hate him? What did he ever do to you? 

 

 

I'm anti-compensator, and people have caught onto my under-sized coated lead and Titegroup sabotage strategy, so I'm trying open-based FMJ now.   

Seriously, though, he didn't mention a compensator in the original post, so I wasn't thinking compensator.   He  just said PCC.   Normally, I'd recommend JHP for just about anything, but he had specified RN, and I know some PCCs have feeding issues with JHP, so I didn't push in that direction.  If he'd specified a comp, I'd have gone the CMJ  route, OR pushed for JHP.   

 

On 12/6/2018 at 4:04 PM, MemphisMechanic said:

I talked trash about plated bullets for years too. Turns out, you just have to buy a better plated bullet than Berrys & Extreme... and tune your load to your barrel.

 

This is 8 shots. Not five. I have full faith that if I’d done my part I wouldn’t have pulled the bottom three shots low:

 

 

 

 

As a pure group, I wouldn't say it's great.  HOWEVER, if that were a cluster of five with three randomly distributed flyers, I'd it's unclear if the weakness is in the bullet or the shooter, but with those 3 below the main group of 5 being right on top of each other, it makes me think you changed something every so slightly, the hold or something.  I'd say that that target represents a tight load with the shift in POI sitting with shooter.    And I don't think bad on the shooter's end, just some subtle shift to grip or hold or stance or something happened  between those two groups.  I guess it is possible that you dropped the nose, but that's some awfully precise muzzle drop to put those bullets on top of each other.  So the target represents a tight load. 

I can get that group out of coated lead or jacketed.  With plated, it's a crap shoot, and I've loaded a wide variety.  There has been one that has performed with the precision I wanted, and it was more expensive and outclassed by other bullets.

I do not know about Everglades plated bullets.  I have always been under the impression that Everglades buys the bullets they sell from other companies.  I know for sure that they did/do that with some bullets -- some from RMR, for example, and sold them without labeling them RMR, and I have thought they did that with all (though obviously could be wrong on the 'all' part).  Right now, the 124gr plated RN (ftr - out of stock, no stated estimate on availability) they describe the bullet as "These are new plated bullets. 1200 fps max recommended velocity. Made in the USA."  That doesn't sound to me like a bullet they are manufacturing.  I don't know why a company wouldn't make it clear they are producing the bullets.

So one of my questions would be WHERE they are sourcing that bullet, then whether or not I'd be better buying it from that company directly.  And whether or not I can count on that bullet continuing to be available.

The idea the that there are better plated bullets out there is intriguing to me.  Speer Gold Dots are plated, and they rock, but the plating is tons thicker than the plating with what we think of when talk about "plated bullets".  So I know good plated bullets CAN be made.  I just haven't found them in the price range I can get good lead or jacketed for.

Maybe I will try Everglades.  I am open to new things. 

 

 

Edited December 8, 2018 by IDescribe

[IDescribe]

On 12/6/2018 at 9:47 AM, NateTSU said:

Hey guys to clarify I am using 125 SNS coated and i am gritting some leading in my barrel and comp. Load functions great and is accurate enough for what I'm doing but I want to eliminate the leading. 

 

Nate, now that I see you are using a comp, I'd recommend JHP.  Same price for 124gr JHP from Precision Delta.  That's your go-to for non-leading, precision jacketed 9mm loading at a beautifully reasonable price.     

FMJ won't do it horribly -- plenty of people shoot FMJ with comps,  but it will build up slowly over time, and Titegroup is not the powder to use.  It will be dirty at all but max or +P loads.  It also isn't the best for coated lead, and SNS are sometimes a little undersized, so you really had a bad combination of powder and bullet for a comp.  

Edited December 8, 2018 by IDescribe

[Sneexies]

I have yet to have any issues with Berry's thick plate hbrn.

[HesedTech]

Price wise I have found it's worth it to just go right to the FMJ bullets. Look at Everglades, I really like their V2 FMJ RN HP bullet, and Precision Delta FMJ HP. The Everglades will load a bit longer in TF and CZ than the PD, if OAL is an issue. Both are very consistent in weight and diameter.