Anyone Use Berry's Plated Or Hard Cast Lead Bullets?

[Rather-B-Huntin]

I use Berry's 115 gr. RN's over 4.5 gr. of Titegroup for all of my current 9mm necessities.

USPSA Production // IDPA SSP from a Glock 34 (great accuracy and function @ apprx. 1,187 fps for 137 PF).

Same load in my Bushmaster Carbon 15 carbine for Pistol Cal. Carbine sidematches and Short Range 3-Gun rifle use (same load gives apprx. 1340 fps for a 154 PF). Even at these velocities, they seem to stay together pretty well.

I've been using Berry's 180 gr. FP's over 4.7 gr. of Titegroup in my Para P-16 Limited for Limited/L10.

Not quite as impressed with the .40 loads. Seem to get alot of keyholes and 25 yrd. groups run 3 to 4 inches.

[Ted Murphy]

I had weird results with the 115 grain 9mm bullets. In my springfield 1911, they were beautiful. Shot well with no problems. In my Glock 17, I had some leading and SEVERE accuracy issues. They just would not shoot in my glock, though I have seen them perform well inother glocks. Go figure on that one.

I have used the 158 grain .38 bullets for a few years now, and have no problem with them, both rn and hp bullets.

I use the 230 grain .45 bullets in my 625 and 1911's with no problems either.

I like the plated as they keep the gun somewhat cleaner than jacketed bullets with the exposed lead base.

Ted

[joecichlid]

Ted Murphy I have seen this too. Most of the Glocks that have issues with the plated bullets seem to be using stock barrels. In the Glocks that seem to like the plated bullets, they seem to mostly be running aftermarket barrels such as a Bar Sto or the like.

Joe W.

[kmitchl]

I've shot 9mm 147 gr Berrys in a G34 with a Glock barrel and .40 cal 180 gr in a G35 with a Jarvis barrel and can't tell the difference between Berrys and some of the more expensive jacketed bullets. I have noticed is there is a liitle more variation in weights between bullets from the same lot. In 9mm 147's they may vary from 146.5 up to 147.3 in a 20 bullet sample. Zeros have less variation in weight. I like Berrys no exposed lead for loading and for shooting indoors

When you compare pricing include the metals surcharge Berrys adds to the internet price. Berry's pricing with the metals surcharge has been higher than Precision Delta for the last few orders.

[Cherryriver]

I agree on the Berry's 147s. I stick to WSF for 9mm, and use 4.0gr for 930fps, 3.5gr for 850 (super sweet to shoot and accurate for me), and down to 3.1gr for my doesn't-like-shooting wife. This last goes through a Colt Combat Commander with a lightened spring, around 14lbs, sort of reliably, with a velocity in the low 700s as I recall. It's the only centerfire autoloader combination she likes anymore. If the Diamondback held eight rounds, she'd never touch the 1911 again.

The Glock won't go too well with those lighter loads, and a junky old Taurus PT92C runs fine with anything you can close the slide on that has a primer.

I stick with the 147s to stay subsonic. Just can't stand noise anymore.

Bill

[Chuck Merriam]

I ran 125gn Precision Moly's in my G34 and they shot great. No problems with the barrel either....I even pushed the same bullets to Major in a storm lake regular rifled barrel in a 17. Not one problem except a little smoke. i have one friend who shoots them in all his glocks and he is the one who turned me on to them.

[Cuz]

I'm shooting 9mm Berry's 124gr RN with 3.9gr TiteGroup powder in two Glocks (G17, G17L), and an STI with no problems. They are accurate and clean, and cheap when purchased in quantity.

-Cuz.

[Graham Smith]

I just found this thread and thought I might poke around for some information. Reload manuals have load data for jacketed and for lead, but I have not seen much of any for plated. Other than asking other people what they have done, how do you go about figuring out a load for a bullet that's not in the books. Actually, this question has wider goals since there are also bullets like the Montana 121 which pretty well falls between the cracks as far as weight goes.

Is there actually some kind of logic to all this or is it all just trial and error?

[joecichlid]

Hopefully this will be of some help. When working up a load for a plated bullet I have been told by Berry's and Rainier to find a load for a jacketed and a lead bullet and split the difference. If the bullet weight you are working with falls between some published loads you will want to start with the charge weight for the heavier bullet and go from there. I hope this will give you a good starting point for your load.

Joe W.

[Cherryriver]

I've got to agree with joecichlid on those in-between proportions. In the end, I usally do have the plated bullet loads wind up fairly close to the jacketed load book values, but working them up is of course the way to go.

I have found this all across the board, from 9 through .38 and .357 and up to .45.

In the latter case, I end up with Rainier plateds instead of Berry's, and use 5.0gr WST in cooler weather for a hardball equivalent. In summer heat, it is a bit hot and so I go back to my USPSA/IDPA standard of 4.5gr (except in the dead of winter). Those charges are close to FMJ levels.

Bill