njl Posted March 1, 2009 Share Posted March 1, 2009 I just got my Precision Delta 124gr and 230gr bullets and started calibrating things for the 9mm load. My digital caliper says the 124gr bullets are .3535 to .3540 and the 230gr ones are .450. My scale says they're generally just a few tenths of a grain over advertised weight. The diameter concerns me...shouldn't the bullets be about 0.001 wider? Maybe I should disassemble one or two factory loads and measure Speer and Federal bullets to see if they come up with similar widths? If I stick to brass cased stuff, is it ok to reassemble a factory load from its original components on my press? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G-ManBart Posted March 1, 2009 Share Posted March 1, 2009 I'd be more inclined to believe that your calipers are off before I'd think that PD was selling bullets that much undersized....especially since it's two different bullet types. If you pull a bullet and save the powder it's possible to put it back together on your own press...just flare the mouth, pour the powder back in and then reseat and crimp but you need to make sure the bullets have enough neck tension that they won't get pushed back (setback) when feeding. To prevent that some folks take the depriming pin out of the resize die and just run the cases through a complete loading cycle. R, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D. Manley Posted March 2, 2009 Share Posted March 2, 2009 I'd be more inclined to believe that your calipers are off before I'd think that PD was selling bullets that much undersized....especially since it's two different bullet types.If you pull a bullet and save the powder it's possible to put it back together on your own press...just flare the mouth, pour the powder back in and then reseat and crimp but you need to make sure the bullets have enough neck tension that they won't get pushed back (setback) when feeding. To prevent that some folks take the depriming pin out of the resize die and just run the cases through a complete loading cycle. R, I like to have a set of calipers closeby so I have a couple in the shop/reloading area and wanted a 3rd to keep in the house for occasional use. Bought a cheapie set from Harbor Freight and they read consistently short by 2-thousandths and it could not be adjusted or "zeroed" out. Gave them away to a friend for "rough-work" and bought another set of the same brand as my others...all read identically. And in case I offended any Harbor Freight fans, I know most people that use their stuff has good luck and is happy with it. The calipers I received "appeared" near identical to the ones I have other than, branding. They just happened to be defective with the jaws improperly ground making them worthless. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jasond Posted March 3, 2009 Share Posted March 3, 2009 Calipers are for case length and oal, + or - .001". Micrometers are for bullet dia. to the tenth (.0001") I seem to get bullets a little undersize all the time, probably because my gun likes them a little big. I have some harbor freight cheapies that I beat up at work. They give erratic readings when the batteries are low, but are good for .001" otherwise, same as my Mitutoyos and Browne and Sharpes. I've dropped them on concrete a dozen times, too! Of course with anything Chinese, you'll get duds. Technique has something to do with it, the micrometer usually has a ratchet thimble to keep you from turning it too hard, but a caliper can be forced to read small. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tripod Posted March 4, 2009 Share Posted March 4, 2009 njl how long did it take before you recieved your bullet order from Precision Delta. I placed an order on February 4th for 2000 180gr. 40 cal bullets and have not received them. I usually go with MTG bullets and place an order on Monday and have them by Friday. Just thought I would try something different while I wait for the snow to melt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2MoreChains Posted March 4, 2009 Share Posted March 4, 2009 (edited) I think it was back in Dec that I received a batch of undersized .40 S&W 180 gr RNFP bullets from Precision Delta. Per my calipers, they were about .001-2" undersized, but I didn't realize this until I loaded a couple and was literally able to seat the bullets and remove them by hand. At first I questioned my seating die, then my calipers, but a quick call to PD cleared everything up. The nice lady I talked to (she called me 'dear' and 'sweetie') acknowledged that they had a run of bad .40 S&W bullets. They sent me a replacement box that showed up a couple weeks later. I don't know what caused the bullets to be undersized, but I can't knock their Customer Service. Everybody has a 'Monday', even PD. I'll buy from them again. Edited March 4, 2009 by 2MoreChains Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njl Posted March 4, 2009 Author Share Posted March 4, 2009 njl how long did it take before you recieved your bullet order from Precision Delta. I placed an order on February 4th for 2000 180gr. 40 cal bullets and have not received them. I usually go with MTG bullets and place an order on Monday and have them by Friday. Just thought I would try something different while I wait for the snow to melt. It took nearly a month. IIRC, I ordered on Feb 5, and they arrived Feb 28. I emailed them on the 20th to ask what was up and was told they're just behind and shipping the stuff as fast as they can make them. My order was a mix of 124gr and 230gr. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tripod Posted March 6, 2009 Share Posted March 6, 2009 (edited) Thank you Bullets arrrived 3/6/09 ordered 2/4/09 Edited March 7, 2009 by Tripod Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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