Let’s talk bullets

[Barry Holcomb]

Is there a particular bullet manufacturer you tend to pick because of consistency? Price? Loyalty? Nowadays, availability?
Do you sort bullets? By BTO or OAL? Have you been able to see a real difference on paper or does it make you feel better?
Do you trim meplats?
Do you point?
Weight sort?
Is there a bullet you want to try but haven’t?
I’m interested to know what everyone does. Me personally, I cut open a box and load. I sometimes wonder if I’m leaving something on the table? My go to has been Berger but I’ve also shot some vapor trail bullets that were awesome and some Sierra bullets that were good too. Hornady has some great choices, I love the 108 eldm in my dasher.
Maybe what you do is top secret? Lol. Share as much as you can, I like to learn something new every day!

[Richard Slaton]

I use Sierra mainly because nobody else does which makes them easier to find, mostly just open the box and load. You can get away with that when your just average

[Richard Slaton]

I shoot the 107’s non tipped in BrX
142 smk non tipped in 6.5 x284
I’m experimenting 80 and 77’s in 223 I do have a box or of these tipped
But like my 107 bulk the bulk 80’s and 77’s are not tipped when I have reorder the 107 if their available I my try some tipped
Your opinion of the tipped?

[Wynne Echols]

Yes, Yes, Yes, and Yes. I am shooting Sierra pointed 90 gn in the .223, Berger 185 gn jugs in the .308[Jim Borden recommended] and Bart’s custom 105’s in the Dasher. The 90’s are pointed, the other two, not. I used the opening sentence to answer all of the questioned asked. I would characterize myself as an experimental geek or just maybe a tinkerer. I would almost rather spend time in the loading room than shooting a match. I love to measure, weigh, turn, trim and see the results. Houston, we have a problem. I often make mistakes with my tinkering. I think it is fair to say that over the last ten or so years that benchrest group sizes are much smaller which could equate to prone scores increasing a bit. That being said, anything that can be done to make the bullet more consistent is a good thing. Sorry, I am writing this at the store and it is time to close. Maybe I can relate more later. WWE

[Richard Slaton]

My biggest problem now with limited use of one hand and arm is I drop stuff every time I reload, if I trimmed and tipped my bullets perfect I would probably drop on the concrete floor and it hit on the perfectly shape nose I had just made.
Yes scores are going out the roof because of custom made guns, custom made bullets along with high dollar scale set up’s and other things. All my life and all my hobbies I been one of those that wonted to to it the hard way go against the grain, do more with less because to me it’s more rewarding and I have never let a hobby turn into a money pit That’s just not me. I may never win another match @ RB but as long as I make Mr. Wynne happy and some pretty gun shooter nervous thinking I mite beat them you will see a smirky grin on my face lol. And yes I could go buy any gun or accessory with the sky being the limit but that would not give the joy that doing it the cheap and hard way does. That one of the reasons I love shooting RB you have a good mixture top of the line stuff and some like me and everyone comes thinking They have a set up that fits their personality and they can win. Sorry I got off the bullet subject but just home eating Mexican with my kids and grandkids and eating Mexican has tendency to make my brain wonder

[Wynne Echols]

Richard, late one Friday night I was loading bullets for a benchrest match the next morning in B’ham. I had charged the brass with powder and was moving to a different bench to seat the bullets. As I was turning to move the loading block hit the press handle and yes you know the rest of the story. I made that mess and did not even eat Mexican. I did not drop but it did get ugly. WWE

[Wynne Echols]

I will mention here a couple of experiences that I have had that created problems that maybe someone can learn from. Understand that I have been shooting long range for maybe a dozen or so years so I think that I am still learning. And to, if I mention a manufacturer by name here it is simply to identify a product. I have made some messes before but they were my messes and not the seller or manufacturer. One of the things I will mention is that several years ago I noticed that lots of bullets seemed to have a crater on one side of the meplat. No science here but one would believe that the flaw on one side of the meplat could be a problem with accuracy. I first purchased a Hoover Pointing System and began my journey of bullet pointing. I have found that a good shooter can read all they want, but finally you have to “do it yourself”. Bullet Pointing: If you can point a bullet then I should be able to create a hyperdermic needle.[I mean pointed] This is all measured by the pressure applied. My first attempt at this was with Berger 105gn target bullets. Looked beautiful, took them to a bench rest match in B’ham at 520 yards. All four targets looked like they had been shot with a 410 guage buckshot. I later determined that I had mashed the bullets so hard that they had lost their personality. Never will forget talking about what I had done after the match and an older gentleman whispered remember “a little goes a long way” I sold that system later that year at the first World Open that I shot in. Several years later I bought a Whidden Pointing System and now I use a lot softer approach. This got long so I’m out until later. WWE

• This reply was modified 2 years, 9 months ago by Wynne Echols.

[Wynne Echols]

Part of the original topic asked about weighing and measuring. I usually do both before shooting a match. Please understand that these are my experiences, not science. Give it some thought and then go find out for yourself. The 500 count of Berger Jugs that I am shooting now seem to weigh between 184.2 to 185.8 so I end up with two lots all within a grain of each other. I use a Starrett 799 digital caliper and Short Action Custom’s comparators and attempt to keep the record bullets + or – .001 of each other base to ojive. I would imagine that most good shooters seat bullets based on a distance either into or out of the lands. That should require a consistent base to ojive measurement. I use the Wheeler Accuracy method for determining the lands. Alex has several interesting videos on his website. As most of you are aware, I bundle all of these efforts together and bring to Reese Bottom each month to create a significant collection of 9’s. WWE

[scott parten]

Late to the game as always but I’m shooting Bison ballistics 200 in my .308 somewhere close to 2600mv.
6mm are Precision ballistics or the Sierra 107 2850 to 2900 from a 6br.
6.5mm are Precision ballistics or Berger LRT (part no. 26409) through a 6.5×47 just over 2800.
All are shot just as they come out of the box.
I will quote the famous Mr. Slayton’s advice I very much try to follow………
“ a 1/2 moa shooter will not make a 1/4 moa rifle shoot 1/4 moa”

[Ron Williams]

Berger and vapor trail

[Kenneth Thomas]

I’m sorry Mr. Wynne but I could not help but snicker reading about the Mexican, I load in my living room and when I drop something on the hardwood floor my wife talks some kind of mexi, 😂😂

[Kenneth Thomas]

I rip the open the box of Hornady 208 eld’s and stuff them a case 😂 and let them go, but my scores lately pretty much shows that. Plan to do a lot better next year with my shooting. No excuses 😏

[Richard Slaton]

Mr.Wynne, Kenneth the thing I heard after I read y’all comments was My mother-in-law in haven saying “you didn’t say a little ugly word did you”
So I will ask DID you lol

[tyler]

I take them out of the yellow box, put a little point on them, and stick in the case. Pretty much it.

[Author]

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