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Good, Cheap?, Bullets. Zero Vs Mg Vs Berry's


dirtypool40

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PLEASE DO NOT OFFER LEAD or BLACK / MOLY BULLETS. This thread is for finding best current deal on .40 / 180 or 200 gr jacketed or plated.

OK, so cheap is a dream at this point. <_<

I've done some quick looking. I'm looking to buy 20k+ so I expect a decent deal. I want a 180 or 200gr, HP, TMJ, FMJ etc etc. NO EXPOSED LEAD BASE.

Here's what I found so far....

Zeros are out of control, like $93 /k :blink:

Montana Golds are $83.60 in bulk (exposed lead FMJ is cheaper but no go)

Berry's work out to about $74.70 / k delivered. But I hate getting mystery "sur" charges added arbitrarily, and they always whine about me wanting the bullets sized properly.

The Precision Delta site quotes me $74.00 delivered, but I have not called to confirm or see if I can get the "next" discount. just spoke with them and they are disqualified for having an exposed lead base.

So, my quesitons are....

Any other ideas for deals out there?

Any RECENT experience with the Precision Delta bullets? Match DQ.

Any RECENT experience with Montana Golds HP or CMJ?

Thanks.

es

Edited by dirtypool40
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I think the days of good deals are over ? I hope someone can find one !!! I will be going back to lead,[as much as I hate to] or just cut back on my match shooting ,

Dale

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PLEASE DO NOT OFFER LEAD or BLACK / MOLY BULLETS. This thread is for finding best current deal on .40 / 180 or 200 gr jacketed or plated.

OK, so cheap is a dream at this point. <_<

I've done some quick looking. I'm looking to buy 20k+ so I expect a decent deal. I want a 180 or 200gr, HP, TMJ, FMJ etc etc. NO EXPOSED LEAD BASE.

Here's what I found so far....

Zeros are out of control, like $93 /k :blink:

Montana Golds are $83.60 in bulk (exposed lead FMJ is cheaper but no go)

Berry's work out to about $74.70 / k delivered. But I hate getting mystery "sur" charges added arbitrarily, and they always whine about me wanting the bullets sized properly.

The Precision Delta site quotes me $74.00 delivered, but I have not called to confirm or see if I can get the "next" discount. just spoke with them and they are disqualified for having an exposed lead base.

So, my quesitons are....

Any other ideas for deals out there?

Any RECENT experience with the Precision Delta bullets? Match DQ.

Any RECENT experience with Montana Golds HP or CMJ?

Thanks.

es

I have been shooting Montann Gold bullet for two years. Good quality and have never had a problem with them and they are very accurate. Then require a little more powder since they have a brass jacket vs copper.

I have used them in .45 200 gr FP and .40 180 gr .

I have used Zeros before and had terrible accuracy problems.

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Since you have narrowed your focus to .40 cal I'd go with Montana Gold. I've been buying them a couple of cases at a time because I just can't afford to spend too much money at one time. I have never had any problems. They are great in my Scheumann AET barrel. Since my last fiasco with Berry's in 40 cal you couldn't pay me to buy them again (in 40 cal only). I do want to add that I shoot Berry's almost exclusively in 9mm and 45 with no problems what so ever, so this is not a Berry's bashing by any means. They just didn't work in the AET barrel, and like you mentioned it's not worth the hassle to get them sized differently because if they don't work you have to pay to ship them back (at least I did).

If not MG, then Zero's are the only other 40 cal JHP bullets I've shot and they worked fine too. Whichever is cheaper is what I go with.

-Cuz.

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I have had good luck with Ranier 180gr. jhp's. they loaded without changing my 650 from my Zero 180 gr. settings. no lead exposed bases either. I think Cabela's has them for around 80 per k, and probably at Midway also.

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I shot MG 180jhp for 3 years and liked them. At some point 2 years ago I went to the Zero 180jhp due to cost and they were great. As someone else said I found about a 40-45 fps difference. I don't know how the new company is that took over West coast but I couldn't get through a mag without keyholes. When a group of us who had bought 50k spoke to them they did NOTHING. I know the prices are high but if something works and is $4 more times 20k is it worth changing???

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Hey Eric- 180 MG CMJ's are all that I've used for the last 5 years. They're accurate and cleaner than the FMJ's. I switched to them because the children were often around my old reloading area. Elevated lead levels would pretty much spell the end of my shooting career. ;)

I've tried to save money every now and then and I've been sorry every time. I didn't like the black bullets and plated are out of the question. Whatever MG is charging for them, that's what I'll be paying. Oh, and they went up again. $86/k delivered (if you buy a case) isn't all that bad. I still have the better part of a case of black bullets that I didn't like.

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E,

I think Rainier Lead Safe Plated Bullets are a bit better product than the Berry's. Midway has them for:

180 RNFP: $80

180 PHP: $82

200 PFP: $84

200 PHP: $86

I think you get a much better price from Black Hills Shooting Supplies but you'd have to buy 500 pounds. Check it out.

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Check Cabelas for Rainiers and Berrys. Even with shipping, they were the cheapest. Their website had better prices than the 2007 Shooting catalog I got last month. I just ordered 1000 .45 185 HBRN for ~$80 delivered. The Rainiers were similarly priced. 180 .40's were the same price.

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Since you have narrowed your focus to .40 cal I'd go with Montana Gold. I've been buying them a couple of cases at a time because I just can't afford to spend too much money at one time. I have never had any problems. They are great in my Scheumann AET barrel. Since my last fiasco with Berry's in 40 cal you couldn't pay me to buy them again (in 40 cal only). I do want to add that I shoot Berry's almost exclusively in 9mm and 45 with no problems what so ever, so this is not a Berry's bashing by any means. They just didn't work in the AET barrel, and like you mentioned it's not worth the hassle to get them sized differently because if they don't work you have to pay to ship them back (at least I did).

If not MG, then Zero's are the only other 40 cal JHP bullets I've shot and they worked fine too. Whichever is cheaper is what I go with.

-Cuz.

What about the Scheumann AET barrel will make a bullet Keyhole?

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A third option is a plated, CAST bullet.

All of the other electroplates out there use a soft pure lead swaged core, for example: Gold Dot, Speer TMJ (Blazer/Lawman) Ranier, Berry's WestCoast/Extreme.

Only one comapny I know of makes a plated HARDCAST: Frontier out of South Africa. T&T reloading in PA sells them. Accurate enough that I used them at the 05 Nationals. The 180s average about 175 grns. Consistent, accurate & clean.

Anyone know cost?

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What about the Scheumann AET barrel will make a bullet Keyhole?

My AET shoots plated fine so long as they are sized correctly, which is .402"

Yeah, I bet mine would too, but I can't find any that are sized that way. It's not worth it to me to ask Berry's to do it. Too risky. I'll just continue to shoot the Montana Gold JHPs in 40 cal and save the Berry's for 9mm and 45acp.

For what it's worth, I am aware of quite a few people shooting the MG bullets and I've never heard anything bad about their performance.

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What about the Scheumann AET barrel will make a bullet Keyhole?

My AET shoots plated fine so long as they are sized correctly, which is .402"

Yeah, I bet mine would too, but I can't find any that are sized that way. It's not worth it to me to ask Berry's to do it. Too risky. I'll just continue to shoot the Montana Gold JHPs in 40 cal and save the Berry's for 9mm and 45acp.

For what it's worth, I am aware of quite a few people shooting the MG bullets and I've never heard anything bad about their performance.

You mean they must be a little oversized?

The MG bullets are .400 on the money?

Loaded at the mouth they are .420 with Winchester brass..

Edited by 45gunner
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I'm picking up 2000 180g plated .40's from Xtreme Bullets tomorrow, along with some 230g .45s.

http://www.xtremebullets.com/

(Formerly West Coast Bullets)

I believe their website lists 165g 40's at $86/1000 shipped.

180's are $88

Of course, the "Pick it up" price is a lot lower.. :)

I bought several thousand of xtreme's 10/40 180 RNFPs and could never get them to shoot accurately. I played crimp out till it was non existent, tried several different powders, different OAL, 10mm guns, 40SW guns, stock glock barrels, a KKM, and a Lonewolf, and a couple of Steyrs. At worst they'd keyhole, at best you'd get palm sized groups at ranges where the same gun could make all the rounds touch with Blazer or any other run of the mill reload. I've been shooting them up little by little for short range practice (draws and movement) and for breaking in guns and I'm finally almost out. But I wouldn't buy 20K of them before I was sure I could make them shoot well.

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  • 1 month later...
According to Cabela's rainier is total copper jacketed not plated? Is that true?

I used to shoot Rainer and - yes they used to be total copper plate. Dang :blink: that was 17 years ago I shot my first Rainer in 40 cal ???$28.00 per thousand?? or was it $32.00 Oh OH I feal old now

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