G-ManBart Posted April 23, 2009 Share Posted April 23, 2009 I keep wondering why folks even bother with plated bullets and the shortcomings they have...not all guns shoot them, have to be careful with setting the crimp etc and I can't figure it out. I just looked and the best price I could find for Rainier .40 180gr per thousand was $115. Looking at Berry's their .40 180gr was $112 per thousand. Montana Gold .40 180gr CMJ's are $115 per thousand if you order a case of 2,500, shipping included. Precision Delta .40 180gr FMJ's are $106 per thousand (minimum 2K) shipping included. Why in the world would someone choose to pay as much or more for a plated bullet? Heck, from what I could tell most places were out of Rainier's and Berry's has a 4-6wk backlog. I've heard PD is running behind, but MG was within four days to my house, as usual, a couple of weeks ago when I ordered a case. If it's not for cost savings, why do you shoot plated? R, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bkeeler Posted April 23, 2009 Share Posted April 23, 2009 I keep wondering why folks even bother with plated bullets and the shortcomings they have...not all guns shoot them, have to be careful with setting the crimp etc and I can't figure it out.I just looked and the best price I could find for Rainier .40 180gr per thousand was $115. Looking at Berry's their .40 180gr was $112 per thousand. Montana Gold .40 180gr CMJ's are $115 per thousand if you order a case of 2,500, shipping included. Precision Delta .40 180gr FMJ's are $106 per thousand (minimum 2K) shipping included. Why in the world would someone choose to pay as much or more for a plated bullet? Heck, from what I could tell most places were out of Rainier's and Berry's has a 4-6wk backlog. I've heard PD is running behind, but MG was within four days to my house, as usual, a couple of weeks ago when I ordered a case. If it's not for cost savings, why do you shoot plated? R, You got me. I use MG 180gr JHP and buy them locally for $120.00 per 1000 if you buy a case of 2500 it is cheaper. BK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lugnut Posted April 23, 2009 Share Posted April 23, 2009 Plated weren't as expensive before. I liked not having exposed lead for indoor shooting. Now... like you said... MG is better option most of the time. I can still get 147gr Berrys cheaper than MG 147gr CMJs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Hefta Posted April 23, 2009 Share Posted April 23, 2009 MG bullets look so pretty in my ugly Glock. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lugnut Posted April 23, 2009 Share Posted April 23, 2009 MG bullets look so pretty in my ugly Glock. I will admit.. the bronze color rubbed me the wrong way for a while... just didn't seem right not to have lead or copper colors... I'm beyond that now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G-ManBart Posted April 23, 2009 Author Share Posted April 23, 2009 Plated weren't as expensive before. I liked not having exposed lead for indoor shooting. Now... like you said... MG is better option most of the time. I can still get 147gr Berrys cheaper than MG 147gr CMJs. Yeah, it seemed like they took a big jump in price a while back from what I recall. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MemphisMechanic Posted April 23, 2009 Share Posted April 23, 2009 I'm glad I wasn't the only one wondering this... I mean, precision delta and montana gold both have comparable prices to Berrys, Rainer, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chills1994 Posted April 23, 2009 Share Posted April 23, 2009 Yeah, when I left Allentown, PA after shooting the 2007 IDPA Nat's I stopped off at some Cabela's. I think I bought about $600 worth of bullets, all the heavy ones in each caliber: 9, .40 and .45. This would have been about the September/October time frame. At the time, all those bullets regardless of caliber seemed to all average about $72 per 1K. By ... I am guessing, February 2008 they had all doubled in price to about $140/1k. So yeah, they were cheaper shooting, and that's why I bought 'em. Now that everything has gone up, that is if you can find bullets, I decided to cast my own. I bought my casting equipment about a year to a year and half ago. I still have plenty of Berry's bullets left over. When I started shooting for groups at 15 and 25 yards shooting just freestyle, that's when I noticed a problem. Some bullets will measure 0.399". Some will measure 0.400", and others will caliper out at 0.401". I would have a nice 8 shot group going and then WHAMO! there just went two fly-ers. Arggh... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe4d Posted April 23, 2009 Share Posted April 23, 2009 Years ago my local dealer bought Berry's by the pallet, His prices were cheaper than direct from Berry, He was also selling a locally made cast bullets pretty cheap also. My 40 Hipower would start FTF after about 100 rounds of cast but would run several hundred plated. Later I bought West Coast, and twice got talked into Rainer's Both times I ended up throwing them away they were so bad. I continued to do well with Berry's as I had a 9mm Nowlin match barrel that wouldnt shoot lead and a .40 that prefered not too. I got great performance with Berry. But when their prices went through the roof I switched to Precision Moly for general Blasting and Precision Delta for matches. I would buy Berry's if they were priced like Moly coated cast instead of jacketed. I wouldnt buy any other brand of plated bullets no matter how cheap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scirocco38s Posted April 24, 2009 Share Posted April 24, 2009 I have shot most jacketed bullets during my shooting, whether for fun or competition. Just before bullets went sky high, we put together an order thru Black Hills and purchased Rainier 200's in 40 and we got them fairly cheap. Problem was they didnt shoot for crap. wouldnt group, would keyhole, and various other issues. We tried them in several diffierent guns and had similar results. Every gun that had issues with them coould go back to zero's or Montana's and would be ok again. We also could shoot lead bullets with no problems either. We also tried Berry's and had the same results as the Rainiers. Now today with the price of plated vs jacketed, there is no way I would even consider a plated bullet. Its not an option for open which is what I shoot the most of, and seeing that the limited gun doesnt like them it not an option there. I sincerely believe that it is false economy. I would shoot jacketed if they where 2x the price of plated as long as my bank acct would allow. Before I shoot plated again, I will just setup the match and ro. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blaster113 Posted May 25, 2009 Share Posted May 25, 2009 At today's prices plated bullets cost just as much as FMJ's. Not worth it, unless you can get plated bullets dirt cheap. Plated bullets also don't seem to do well loaded to major velocities (keyholing, jacket flying off, etc.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harmon Posted May 25, 2009 Share Posted May 25, 2009 ive shot them at major 9 pressure and velocity without keyholing or any accuracy issues. at one time they were cheaper...and they still should be cheaper which means somewhere in the mess of this post election ammo shortage the plated bullet companies began to screw the shooter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joecichlid Posted May 25, 2009 Share Posted May 25, 2009 Harmon, I am with you on that one. Back when I first started shooting them I was getting them for about 60-70% of the cost of jacketed bullets but now the jacketed are the same price and a better bullet. Montana Golds are all I will put through my STI anymore. Joe W. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charliez Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 (edited) My primary reason for shooting plated bullets are: 1. Works fine in my gun 2. Total metal jacket (i.e. no exposed lead) 3. Cheap FMJ bullets still have an exposed lead base which emits lead vapor when shot or has the design changed these days? Edited June 4, 2009 by charliez Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Smith Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 I went through a whole bunch of Berry plated bullets when I first started reloading, but the price advantage just isn't there any more. As to an exposed lead base on jacketed, depends on the manufacturer and type. Some FMJ's do have and exposed lead base and some don't so you have to watch for that and know what you are getting. You will see CMJ's listed some places (like at MG) and those have an enclosed base. Also, I believe all JHP's have an enclosed base. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slip knot Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 I use plated bullets to reduce smoke and lead exposere. What ever the cost is, lead poising is not worth it. And, yes, they do look good..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R.Elliott Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 At today's prices plated bullets cost just as much as FMJ's. Not worth it, unless you can get plated bullets dirt cheap. Plated bullets also don't seem to do well loaded to major velocities (keyholing, jacket flying off, etc.) That would depend on how they're made. Swaged cores don't stand up well to major velocities, and tend to deform or separate from their plating material. But here in Ontario I have been working with a local lead products fabrication company that has started producing hard-cast, copper plated bullets. These bullets very well indeed at 1400 fps out of my guns...all the way out to 50 yards...and in fact MOST IPSC guns seem to handle them quite well. The only guns I've seen have trouble with them are the occasional SVI with their razor sharp, coated barrels. But even some of those are fine. For us, they are a hell of a lot cheaper than jacketed, and easily available. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HSMITH Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 You'll get as much lead out of the primer as you do out of the base of a FMJ bullet...... No more plated bullets for me, they just suck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G-ManBart Posted June 4, 2009 Author Share Posted June 4, 2009 You'll get as much lead out of the primer as you do out of the base of a FMJ bullet......No more plated bullets for me, they just suck. Actually a LOT more out of the primer than the lead base....the lead base causes almost no lead to be atomized. Regardless, for those concerned with it, most total metal jacket bullets are only marginally more expensive than normal FMJ's and some are the same price (Precision Delta 9mm 147gr FMJ/TC and FMJ are both $84/K). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jman Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 If you shoot indoors, touch your mouth and eyes it doesn't matter what you shoot. You are poisoning yourself. If you shoot outdoors, keep your hands clean and away from your face. It doesn't matter much what you shoot. Oh yeah... My experience with plated bullets is a D+ Not bad with 147gr 9mm and 135gr .40 S&W All else really sucked. FWIW Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark K Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 Not to hijack the tread at all, but what about high quality lead bullets? I do not see enough of a price difference between the really well respected lead bullets and the cost of jacketed bullets to go through the hassle of working up a different load. Granted, I only shoot 20k rounds or so a year but....... I do understand it if you cast your own - once you amortize your casting equipment... Mark K. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmorris Posted June 9, 2009 Share Posted June 9, 2009 I keep wondering why folks even bother with plated bullets and the shortcomings they have...not all guns shoot them, have to be careful with setting the crimp etc and I can't figure it out.I just looked and the best price I could find for Rainier .40 180gr per thousand was $115. Looking at Berry's their .40 180gr was $112 per thousand. Montana Gold .40 180gr CMJ's are $115 per thousand if you order a case of 2,500, shipping included. Precision Delta .40 180gr FMJ's are $106 per thousand (minimum 2K) shipping included. I pondered this question for a few years until I went through the trouble to become a “dealer” it makes the benefit much larger. You just can’t be selfish, you must give it to everyone (local, shipping is not in the program). You can help other shooters out or shoot by yourself, is the way I look at it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bwit Posted June 9, 2009 Share Posted June 9, 2009 G-Man Bart and Howard, I beg to differ with you guys. I always shoot open base FMJ in my open guns and there is a lot of lead in the comp[oxidized and not]. I wouldn't be surprised if less than half of it is in the comp and more than half leaves with the blast. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G-ManBart Posted June 9, 2009 Author Share Posted June 9, 2009 G-Man Bart and Howard, I beg to differ with you guys. I always shoot open base FMJ in my open guns and there is a lot of lead in the comp[oxidized and not]. I wouldn't be surprised if less than half of it is in the comp and more than half leaves with the blast. As I understand it, lead that is melted off the base of the bullet isn't atomized the same way as lead styphnate if from the primer when it explodes. The lead from the base of the bullet is there, but it's not in the same form so that it doesn't go directly into your blood stream the way atomized lead from the primer does. I've recovered quite a few FMJ's that have been shot and looking at the base, and comparing it with an unfired bullet doesn't shot much difference, which is interesting, if not definitive. I know studies have been done on this more than once and all the references I've seen have pointed to the primer as the biggest contributor to lead ingestion, unfortunately I've never seen any of them online. I wonder if there's a difference between pure (or nearly so) lead and lead styphnate that makes the difference...no idea, but I guess it's possible. R, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HSMITH Posted June 9, 2009 Share Posted June 9, 2009 Bruce, I agree with Bart, and would add that you should quit being a cheap F'er and buy CMJ or JHP bullets for your open gun. Aside from a couple boxes of Blazer for fun my Open gun has never shot anything but JHP bullets. I have replaced comps for guys using FMJ bullets that were full of lead, and it doesn't take all that many to have a considerable lead deposit, but I don't think it is atomized and easily ingested like the primer lead is. I have nothing to back that up, but that is my firm opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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