Moly/poly Bullets

[BR]

Has anyone compared the moly (poly)-coated offerings from these two manufacturers? I am interested to know how the bullets are different, if they are made any differently, and if they perform any differently. Particularly interested in the 147 grain offerings from both.

While price is comparable, it appears that the companies use different forming methods (swaged then baked vs. cast), and different coatings (moly vs. poly). How are these different? Which are harder? Which are less smokey? Which are more consistent?

I appreciate your input - thanks.

-br

[SA Friday]

Good question. I used masterblasters out of my STI and Precisions out of my Glocks, but never had the opportunity to compare one against another because masterblaster went under. Now that Black Bullet Int is basically making the same as masterblaster it would be enteresting to hear from anyone who's tried both out of the same gun.

[sfinney]

I shot lots of MasterBlaster, and lots of Precision in the same guns.... can't speak directly to the new company that replaced MB's product.... but for what its worth I felt the Precisions were a more consistent, slightly higher quality product that smoked less, and left a little less residue in the barrel. Having said that Precisons were also more expensive, and I shot alot of MB because it was the best deal, shipped. And they were available for the year or so Precision was shut down in his move.

Another key difference is the 185 grain .40 Precisions are cut and formed from rolls of lead - swaged <sp?>- , with no lube grooves. The 180 grain .40 MB (or I'd assume the new Black Bullet) was cast from molds, with grooves. If that matters to ya.

[ebg3]

The swaged poly bullet leaded my STI barrel so bad it would keyhole after 100-150rds. I tried this bullet with 3 different powders and got the same results. I switched to the hard cast poly bullet and I have not had any problems. My gun is a 40 and the barrel is quite worn, may be why the softer bullets were messing up. I know many people shoot the swaged bullet and have no problems. I would suggest trying a small quantity of both and see which one you like the best.

[Merlin Orr]

Shot a ton of Precisions and never felt the need to try anything else..... Shoot quite well out of everything I have tried them in.

[al503]

Another key difference is the 185 grain .40 Precisions are cut and formed from rolls of lead - swaged <sp?>- , with no lube grooves. The 180 grain .40 MB (or I'd assume the new Black Bullet) was cast from molds, with grooves. If that matters to ya.

Yup. If you're loading long, your crimp might be where groove is in the MB/BB bullets. I've tried both and they worked well for me.

[sfinney]

Shot a ton of Precisions and never felt the need to try anything else..... Shoot quite well out of everything I have tried them in.

I felt the same way until I could not get them for a year or so. I think MasterBlaster picked up some market share that year.

[Merlin Orr]

Shot a ton of Precisions and never felt the need to try anything else..... Shoot quite well out of everything I have tried them in.

I felt the same way until I could not get them for a year or so. I think MasterBlaster picked up some market share that year.

Ahhhhh... My stock was getting a little low by the time David got ramped back into production...... Go ahead... call me a damned hoarder.

[dapribek]

I've had good luck with Precision Bullets. I've shot them for a few years now: very little smoke or leading. I received a small sample of Master Blasters and could not get them to run in my STI. I don't know if I was loading them too long or too short. If I remember correctly, they also smoked more than the Precision Bullets. Hope this helps.

[el pres]

Precisions, my case is a little more rare but I have a very tight chamber leade

in my STI and the MB's wont chamber, .401,boarderline .402, the Precisions are

at .400, .401, just right !!

[cnote]

I tryed the 200 grain BBI in an SV and had to load them longer to avoid keyholeing, then they were nice

[BlackSabbath]

Precision Bullets is top-shelf product.

[big_kahuna]

Have run 20K of both Precisions (40 cal 170s), untold thousands of Bear Creeks (45, 40, 357, 355), and about 10K MasterBlasters (40 cal 180s). Have not tried the BBI bullets. Don't know how many Bear Creeks I've shot because that is the moly bullet I started using in the 90's, when I could get them for $18/500 and before I gave a crap about tracking such things.

IIRC Precisions are swaged, coated, baked, and restruck; the others are cast then coated.

In my experience:

They all worked for my purposes, but Precisions worked the best.

Precisions smoked the least, but they all smoked some.

Precisions fouled the least.

Precisions were the most consistent as to size and weight.

Precisions were marginally more accurate, but they all exhibited acceptable accuracy once I found the right OAL/crimp/load.

They all were reliable once I found the right OAL and crimp.

I still like Montana Gold jacketed bullets more than any moly-coated bullet, but the cost keeps me from using jacketed exclusively. Recently I've been buying MG JHPs for my son's major matches and Precisions for everything else. If times get much tougher I may resort to using plain cast lead in lieu of moly.

[Silver_Surfer]

Precisions, my case is a little more rare but I have a very tight chamber leade

in my STI and the MB's wont chamber, .401,boarderline .402, the Precisions are

at .400, .401, just right !!

This is VERY IMPORTANT point for me! Precisions or jacketed. I have too load long.

[19852]

Hey Big kahuna,

My cousins used to live in Ridgecrest, my uncle was "rocket scientist" for the Navy. I used to ask him what he did and he would say; "if I tell ya' I'll have to......

[BR]

Here is info. comparing swaging vs. casting lead bullets:

1. Casting is the oldest method, as well as the one that most hobby reloaders use. Casting uses a lead furnace to melt the bullet alloys, mould handles, a mould for each weight, shape, and caliber of bullet, then a sizer and lubricator device to correct the diameter and apply a thick bullet lubricant.

2. Machining from solid materials requires a large investment in precision machine tools but is more precise than casting. It is slow, and subject to tool wear, chatter, and machine variables and is used only by a few custom bullet firms, or sometimes to build a prototype bullet.

3. Swaging uses room-temperature materials that can include solid, jacketed, or lead, plastic and powdered metals. The tools are a high pressure press that can flow the bullet materials without melting them, and diamond-lapped, high precision dies with matching punches that instantly give the materials their final dimensions (shape, caliber and even internal constructions) with no further processing, lubricating, or sizing.

Both casting and swaging are simple processes. Swaging is the most precise method of making a bullet. It is extremely fast, easy to learn, and has many additional advantages over casting.

This info. came from http://www.corbins.com/intro.htm

Big Kahuna -- great info., thanks for the response.

-br

[big_kahuna]

Hey Big kahuna,

My cousins used to live in Ridgecrest, my uncle was "rocket scientist" for the Navy. I used to ask him what he did and he would say; "if I tell ya' I'll have to......

Howdy 19852,

Yep, I hear tell that some folks working on base are scientists (rocket and otherwise). Also heard that that some folks can't talk about their work. There's a big sign by the road in that says something like:

What you do here

What you see here

What goes on here

Let it stay here

Fortunately for me I don't know squat so I can be really forthright when questioned. When folks ask what I do, I tell them that I am a babysitter, therapist, secretary, sh*tcatcher, garbageman, radio dispatcher, rubber stamp operator, technical writer, negotiator, headhunter, timecard-approver and punching bag... in other words, I have the words "leadership" and "management" somewhere in my virtually-meaningless job description. In my spare time I'm supposed to be doing something kinda technical, but I'll be damned if I can remember what it was (or the last time I had spare time).

[19852]

I remember driving into the area as a kid and seeing signs like "watchout for low flying aircraft". And then there were the large targets hung out in the desert from towers.