Zero R185

[njl]

I was just doing some bullet browsing, and noticed this on Roze Dist's main page:

 

*NEWS* Zero has brought back #R185, 45 185 JHP! Defensive style bullet.

 

The R185 looks more like the Zero 230gr JHP, I'm guessing just shorter in length.  I'd never heard of the R185 before.  Presumably, it was available quite a long time ago, then discontinued, now re-introduced.  I'm curious if anyone has any experience with them?  I've used their other 185gr JHP style that's apparently a copy of the Nosler 185gr JHP.  Price is the same...so I'm wondering if there's any advantage to either style?  The truncated cone style, I have to load pretty short, and my G30 gets finicky with them.  I've had to mark my magazines to differentiate which will reliably feed the 185s in the 30.  I wonder if the R185 can be loaded to a longer OAL?

[galt11]

I have used quite a number of the JHPs that look like the Noslers, in a Gen4 G30 for GSSF and never really had any feeding issues if you didnt limp wrist the gun.  If you are interested, I can send you the load data we worked up.

[slayer61]

I'll have to try these. My wife likes a 185 JHP in her 45.

[njl]

22 hours ago, galt11 said:

I have used quite a number of the JHPs that look like the Noslers, in a Gen4 G30 for GSSF and never really had any feeding issues if you didnt limp wrist the gun.  If you are interested, I can send you the load data we worked up.

 

It can't hurt to compare loads, but I've got a couple with the "Nosler copy" R187 that I like...the latest of which was 4.3gr Clays, Federal LP, loaded to 1.200".

 

I think the "problem" with this load in the G30 is mags that have slightly more spread out feed lips let the bullet go too soon [for the G30] and they can end up jamming against the underside of the barrel hood.  Those same mags work fine in my G21 (when I shoot the G30 in GSSF, I use G21 mags)...so I just have the base plates marked and only use ones known to work in the G30 in the G30.

 

I should have a sample of R185 soon, and if I don't see any issues with them, I'll order a few boxes and test some of the R187 loads with them (at least the powder charge...I assume at longer OAL).

[njl]

Ugh...I guess I officially have too many different/similar bullets.  My sample of R185 arrived.  I just went upstairs to compare them to others...and I realized the ammo I loaded last night, and the load I mentioned above, are the wrong bullet.  The 4.3gr Clays load was with Precision Delta 185gr JHP.  Last night, I grabbed from the wrong box and substituted Zero R187 while the press was setup for loading the PD 185gr.  The end result is, "so that's why this batch came out a little long (1.215" when I was expecting much closer to 1.200"), and I now have 200 rounds of a load I've not chrono'd and just had to separate out the handful of cartridges loaded with the last of the PD that happened to be in the bullet tray when I started last night.  Fortunately, PD and Zero 185s are pretty easy to distinguish just by looking at the HP cavity.

 

The R185 are pretty close in length to the R187, both of which are shorter than PD 185gr JHP, and obviously much shorter than Zero 230gr JHP.  The HP cavity is nice and wide/deep looking, even compared to the 230gr version.

[njl]

I got out this past weekend and chronographed.  The R187 (Zero "Nosler copy" JHPs) that I loaded by accident when I meant to be loading PD 185gr JHPs over 4.3gr Clays were stupid soft.  They did cycle my stock G21SF and G30SF, but they were so low power (139PF avg) that I wouldn't trust them for match shooting.  The R185 Zeros run closer to PD 185gr JHP velocities for the same powder charge.